Rich Hofmann: This time of year, Flyers' Pronger gets a spring in his step

BOSTON - In an attempt to explain why Chris Pronger is where history happens, especially in the postseason, we begin with a list: NHL defensemen, all-time playoff points per game. You need at least 90 points to make the list, which guarantees a measure of both longevity and that special ability that so few players possess, the ability to raise their game higher and higher as they catch sight of the silver glinting in the springtime sun.

All-time, then:

Bobby Orr. . . 1.24

Brian Leetch. . . 1.02

Paul Coffey. . . 1.01

Al MacInnis. . . 0.90

Denis Potvin. . . 0.87

Ray Bourque. . . 0.84

Brad Park. . . 0.78

Chris Pronger. . . 0.71

Sergei Zubov. . . 0.71

Larry Murphy. . . 0.71

Nicklas Lidstrom. . . 0.70

Look at those names. Orr was a revolutionary playing at a time when most defensemen were anchored to the blue line. Most of the rest played at least half of their careers in the go-go 1980s, while Pronger is one of those who played most of their career with the players wearing handcuffs. A handful were a lot more about the artistic potential of the position than about being defensemen first, and almost none of them was about the big defenseman's traditional thump. Pronger is Thump, Inc.

It really is something to watch. And when Pronger scores still another playoff goal as he did Saturday - his third of the spring and his seventh point, both tied for the league lead among defensemen - to go along with a couple of hits, a couple of blocked shots and 31:23 in ice time, there isn't much to do but shake your head. I mean, he's been doing this every night.

Yesterday, Pronger was one of a handful of players who opted out of the optional practice - which only makes sense. After losing Game 1 in overtime, 5-4, the Flyers will be leaning on this cornerstone player even more. As the games and the rounds accumulate, he knows the story.

The playoffs are hard mentally, Pronger said recently, "But it's more physically demanding. Every shift counts . . . It's up to us to impose our will and desire on the other team."

So, in Game 1, Pronger not only delivered the first hit of the game in an attempt to wake up teammates who had enjoyed an unnatural, 9-day layoff (against Boston's Marco Sturm, who would tear up a knee later on the same shift and be lost for the rest of the postseason). He also made a point of hitting Marc Savard the first time he saw him, seeing as how Savard was playing his first game after missing about 6 weeks with a concussion.

It is hockey and there is an old-time code. Injuries are tested. And if Savard got the last laugh with his OT game-winner, he also recognized the test Pronger was going to make him pass.

"I think they played me hard and that's part of the playoffs," Savard said. "You don't make too many friends out there. And that's the way Pronger plays against everybody. He just took me out hard a couple times."

But Pronger scores, too. Look at that list again. Almost all of those defensemen scored at a higher rate during their career regular seasons, which only makes sense - it is so much harder to get anything done in the playoffs. But Pronger? His scoring doesn't fall during the playoffs - it jumps by nearly 20 percent. The harder it gets, the more he scores. The only other guy on that list who does something similar is Leetch.

Players like that have always been fascinating. Danny Briere is that kind of player - he is fifth among active forwards in playoff points per game, and his end-to-end goal that tied Saturday's game late in regulation time was breathtaking. You ask him about it and he apologizes for not being able to put the phenomenon into words. But as he talks, one concept does stand out. "Confidence," Briere said.

It is probably Pronger's greatest trait - more than the work ethic or the physical size or the sarcastic wit. He knows he is good and the people who play against him know he is good, and it matters.

"He's as good as it gets when it comes to on-ice and being a professional," coach Peter Laviolette said. "He's a tough competitor on both ends of the ice. He plays a lot of minutes. He's pretty honest about what goes on.

"There's lot of players that have skill that aren't able to do what he does. He's a total package. He's a professional. He works hard off the ice. He prepares himself. He plays the game a certain style and he has a tremendous skill level. You're talking about a total package. Not everybody has it.

"People like him, they're gifted people," he said. "I don't know how else to describe it."

There really is no need. You just watch it and marvel, especially at this time of year.

"You start with 16 teams and it whittles down pretty quick," Pronger said. "You have to be prepared to leave it all on the ice each and every night. Each shift is very important, from momentum to not letting your opponent get an inch out there.

"You've got to have that war mentality. There are little battles all over the ice. You need to win those to win the war."

Pronger would know. After all, this is his time. *

Send e-mail to hofmanr@phillynews.com