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- Feb 12, 2003
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Has anyone else thought of Ribs centering Vrbata and Hanzal? I know it's a bit much to put all of your eggs in one basket, but sometimes it works. It also hurts to deplete our center depth with such a move, but if that gives us a legit 1st line and then we get Boeds - Vermette - Doan on the 2nd line it may not be the worst idea. I'd be curious to try it out at a very minimum because Hanzal and Vrbata do have great chemistry together and really need a playmaker.
Hanzal - Ribiero - Vrbata
Boedker - Vermette - Doan
Lessio - Korpikoski?? - Moss
Klinkhammer - Chipchura - Brown
It's not ideal, but it's clear that they are missing some key pieces. I agree with WJF, Doan should not be on the top line, and while this is not a dramatic difference it may help. Otherwise we start playing Doan up and down the lineup and figure out where he contributes the most. In my opinion Doan has never been a top 90 forward in the league which is what I judge to be legit 1st liners. We're a team full of 2nd and 3rd liners but that can work if you can find the right balance. Tippet is the type to ride his best players and I don't see him spreading out the ice time through the top 3 lines, or at least the 2nd and 3rd lines which have very little difference in quality/depth.
All that said, I think Bob McKenzie made a great point on Twitter this weekend. I am paraphrasing, but he basically said that the first 2 weeks of the season don't mean nearly as much as what you start to see after 3-4 weeks into the season. Just as high as we were after the win at home against the Rangers we are equally low after the loss on the road to the Sharks. Lets find a balance in a couple of weeks and see what this team really is then.
Hanzal - Ribiero - Vrbata
Boedker - Vermette - Doan
Lessio - Korpikoski?? - Moss
Klinkhammer - Chipchura - Brown
It's not ideal, but it's clear that they are missing some key pieces. I agree with WJF, Doan should not be on the top line, and while this is not a dramatic difference it may help. Otherwise we start playing Doan up and down the lineup and figure out where he contributes the most. In my opinion Doan has never been a top 90 forward in the league which is what I judge to be legit 1st liners. We're a team full of 2nd and 3rd liners but that can work if you can find the right balance. Tippet is the type to ride his best players and I don't see him spreading out the ice time through the top 3 lines, or at least the 2nd and 3rd lines which have very little difference in quality/depth.
All that said, I think Bob McKenzie made a great point on Twitter this weekend. I am paraphrasing, but he basically said that the first 2 weeks of the season don't mean nearly as much as what you start to see after 3-4 weeks into the season. Just as high as we were after the win at home against the Rangers we are equally low after the loss on the road to the Sharks. Lets find a balance in a couple of weeks and see what this team really is then.