Inside the Flyers: New line a happy home for Carcillo

That was the reaction of many Flyers fans shortly after the club acquired Carcillo in March for popular winger Scottie Upshall and a second-round draft pick in 2011.

It turns out they were wrong.

Oh, Carcillo still has a nasty streak, still is willing to stand up for his teammates and drop the gloves.

But the feisty left winger is slimmer, speedier, and a much more disciplined player than the one who led the NHL in penalty minutes the last two seasons.

Carcillo, 24, has done a good job of avoiding the senseless away-from-the-play minor penalties. He also has combined with center Blair Betts and pugnacious right winger Ian Laperriere to give the Flyers a line that has become a part of the team's identity.

The new LCB Line - though no one is saying Laperriere, Carcillo, and Betts will remind anyone of Leach, Clarke, and Barber - has been so effective that coach John Stevens has been frequently using the three players on opening face-offs.

"They've been tremendous," Stevens said. "We like to start them in a lot of games just because they kind of set the right tone by getting pucks deep and going to work."

Entering last night, the line was a combined plus-9 - the best of the Flyers' four lines.

"We all kind of play the same game - hard-nosed, get in on the forecheck, and take the body," Carcillo said.

"Lappy makes it really easy out there," he said. "He's always talking and always in your ear, and it becomes automatic, and Betts always seems to be below the puck in our end, which makes it really easy. He's never caught out of position."

Going into last night, Carcillo was plus-5, which was fourth on the team and tied for second (with Claude Giroux) among forwards, behind only rookie James van Riemsdyk, who was plus-7.

Carcillo had just 25 penalty minutes in the first 15 games, a pace to register 137 minutes in a full season.

That pales in comparison to recent seasons. He had an NHL high of 324 penalty minutes with Phoenix in 2007-08 and 254 minutes, which also led the league, while playing with Phoenix and the Flyers last year.

"We spent a lot of time with Danny when we got him here, trying to convince him that he can be a pretty good hockey player and [that] the stuff that carries on after the whistle is unacceptable," Stevens said earlier this week.

Stevens had a long sit-down with Carcillo after he was thrown out of a game in Ottawa last season.

"He put us at a disadvantage and we got scored on, and I think that was a real learning experience for him," Stevens said. He was very remorseful after that. We just told him, You can't play here if that kind of stuff continues."

Carcillo noted that he had decreased his penalty minutes in each of the last three seasons.

"It's a process and a conscious decision that I don't want to have 300 minutes, and I don't think I have the need to have 300 minutes," he said. "I want to play and not just fight, but fight for a reason - and I haven't had too many reasons so far.

"I'm not fighting as much because the line we have is clicking really well. We all kind of play the same game."

After being acquired from Phoenix, Carcillo failed to score a goal in 20 regular-season games with the Flyers last season, though he scored and played solidly against Pittsburgh in the playoffs.

Carcillo ended a 32-game streak without a goal by scoring twice in a recent 5-2 win in Buffalo. Two years ago, Carcillo scored 13 goals with Phoenix.

"Growing up, I've always been able to score," said Carcillo, who had 29- and 30-goal seasons in the Ontario Hockey League. "Everything comes from forechecking and getting on the puck.

"I was 15 pounds heavier last year and not in as good shape. I thought I played a little better in the playoffs, but not really what I could do. But now, on this line, I feel like we're a great fit."

Stevens has no qualms about putting the LCB Line, Part II, against high-scoring opponents.

"We have confidence to play that line against anybody and at any point; they can check the top lines," Stevens said. "They bring a real physical presence to the ice and they really take their role seriously. . . . They do the dirty work, and it's great to see them creating chances, too.

"You can almost call them the Big Mo Line, the Momentum Line, because it seems every time they get on the ice, they're creating momentum, whether it's a goal or a hit or a long stretch in the offensive zone. They've had an impact on us."

Surprisingly, that impact has been with the players' talent, not their fists.

Inside the Flyers:

Read Sam Carchidi's Flyers blog, Broad Street Bull, at http://go.philly.com/sports.

Blog response of the week

Subject: Ray Emery.

Posted by: Momus at 10:48 a.m., Thursday

Clearly he has better physical tools than (Marty) Biron, or any other keeper we have had since #27 [Ron Hextall]. The real test will be when he goes on a skid, to see if he handles it well, or blows up . . . my money is on the former.

Contact staff writer Sam Carchidi at 215-854-5181 or scarchidi@phillynews.com.