Puck-rakers is reporting that RJ Umberger is being moved back to center for tonight's game versus the Islanders.So the top lines will look they did on opening night:Nash-Umberger-HuseliusChimera-Brassard-VoracekI'm okay with this move although RJ at wing next to Peca and Torres had a solid game versus Chicago. Still unless Howson makes a move whom else can Hitch put there? Malhotra and Novotny certainly aren't the answers. You can't break up the only line that is really working for you in the "goat" line. The only two guys that haven't been tried are Peca and Murray and both of those guys aren't top 6 players.Hopefully now that RJ has a goal under his CBJ belt and has gained some confidence he can be a better fit this time around.Check out this quote from Derick Brassard from the Dispatch this morning in regards to his ice time which is only 7th best on the roster despite being the scoring leader:"It's early in the season and we have to gain his confidence," Brassard said. "I'm sure it will come. One time he is going to have no choice because we play well and play good for the team."Now Hitch has been quoted multiple times saying he wants to protect these kids and let Nash's line do the heavy lifting against the opposition top shut down pairs. I can understand that view but if Brass and his line keep playing the way they do Hitch won't have a choice as the opposition is going to target this line as the one to stop and make their own adjustments.At some point though he's going to have to turn these kids loose and roll with the punches. They've been that good.Syracuse went 1 on 1 on the weekend.On Saturday they nipped Rockford 3-2 off a 3 point night from Jonathen Sigalet. Tom Sestito also collected a goal while Steve Mason stopped 22 of 24 shots to earn his second victory as a pro.On Sunday the Crunch came up short falling 2-1 to Chicago. Again Sestito got on the board collecting the only goal for the Crunch and his 3rd on the year. Steve Mason stopped 20 of 22 shots.Through 3 starts Mason has a 1.63 GAA and a .937 Save% and is 2-1. Clay Wilson, Maxim Mayorov and Jonathen Sigalet are tied for the team lead in points each collecting 8 in 9 games played.You have to wonder if Sigalet may get a look soon on the big squad if they continue to sputter on the PP.Nikita Filatov had a quite weekend going scoreless as did Kris Russell.The Ohio State Men's hockey team had a very rough go of it over the weekend as they faced off against #8 Michigan in Ann Arbor. They dropped both of their games with a 4-3 loss and Friday and 6-1 shellacking on Saturday night. Their overall record drops to 2-5-1 on the season.TSN has an excellent read up in regards to players who are struggling out of the gate. What's interseting is that there are a lot of names that myself and others would have loved to add over the summer. A couple of them:Antoine Vermette, LW, Ottawa (1-1-2, minus-2 in 10 GP; two years, $5.525M)Comment: Sens keep looking for secondary scoring; Vermette not bringing it.Ryan Malone, LW, Tampa Bay (2-0-2, minus-1 in 9 GP; six years, $31.5M)Comment: Virtually impossible to match the production he had with Malkin last season.Pavel Kubina, D, Toronto (1-2-3, minus-6 in 10 GP; two years, $10.0M)Comment: Had an underrated year in 2007-2008, but off to a poor start this year.Jordan Staal, C, Pittsburgh (0-3-3, minus-1 in 11 GP; one year, $850K)Comment: Due for a contract extension before season's end, but lack of goal-scoring still an issue.Matthew Lombardi, C, Calgary (1-1-2, minus-1 in 7 GP; two years, $3.9M)Comment: Still waiting for him to build on previous 20-goal season.Brendan Morrison, C, Anaheim (0-1-1, minus-5 in 11 GP, one year, $2.75M)Comment: Still a step slow coming off knee surgery.Yikes... I really wanted Kubina and Vermette over the summer. I would have also liked Lombardi.Still though if these players continues to struggle it could present a nice opportunity for Howson to pick one up at a reasonable price and see if the ole "change of scenery" theory holds true for one of them.I don't expect any "name" players to move before the 20 game mark when GMs should really have a good read on their squads.The Jackets could certainly use another top 6 pivot and names like Lombardi, Staal and Vermette would still interest me.On the positive side, I think we may have caught a big break on Morrison shunning us over the summer and to some lesser extent Malone.-LTLSource
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Umberger back to center plus more
Puck-rakers is reporting that RJ Umberger is being moved back to center for tonight's game versus the Islanders.So the top lines will look they did on opening night:Nash-Umberger-HuseliusChimera-Brassard-VoracekI'm okay with this move although RJ at wing next to Peca and Torres had a solid game versus Chicago. Still unless Howson makes a move whom else can Hitch put there? Malhotra and Novotny certainly aren't the answers. You can't break up the only line that is really working for you in the "goat" line. The only two guys that haven't been tried are Peca and Murray and both of those guys aren't top 6 players.Hopefully now that RJ has a goal under his CBJ belt and has gained some confidence he can be a better fit this time around.Check out this quote from Derick Brassard from the Dispatch this morning in regards to his ice time which is only 7th best on the roster despite being the scoring leader:"It's early in the season and we have to gain his confidence," Brassard said. "I'm sure it will come. One time he is going to have no choice because we play well and play good for the team."Now Hitch has been quoted multiple times saying he wants to protect these kids and let Nash's line do the heavy lifting against the opposition top shut down pairs. I can understand that view but if Brass and his line keep playing the way they do Hitch won't have a choice as the opposition is going to target this line as the one to stop and make their own adjustments.At some point though he's going to have to turn these kids loose and roll with the punches. They've been that good.Syracuse went 1 on 1 on the weekend.On Saturday they nipped Rockford 3-2 off a 3 point night from Jonathen Sigalet. Tom Sestito also collected a goal while Steve Mason stopped 22 of 24 shots to earn his second victory as a pro.On Sunday the Crunch came up short falling 2-1 to Chicago. Again Sestito got on the board collecting the only goal for the Crunch and his 3rd on the year. Steve Mason stopped 20 of 22 shots.Through 3 starts Mason has a 1.63 GAA and a .937 Save% and is 2-1. Clay Wilson, Maxim Mayorov and Jonathen Sigalet are tied for the team lead in points each collecting 8 in 9 games played.You have to wonder if Sigalet may get a look soon on the big squad if they continue to sputter on the PP.Nikita Filatov had a quite weekend going scoreless as did Kris Russell.The Ohio State Men's hockey team had a very rough go of it over the weekend as they faced off against #8 Michigan in Ann Arbor. They dropped both of their games with a 4-3 loss and Friday and 6-1 shellacking on Saturday night. Their overall record drops to 2-5-1 on the season.TSN has an excellent read up in regards to players who are struggling out of the gate. What's interseting is that there are a lot of names that myself and others would have loved to add over the summer. A couple of them:Antoine Vermette, LW, Ottawa (1-1-2, minus-2 in 10 GP; two years, $5.525M)Comment: Sens keep looking for secondary scoring; Vermette not bringing it.Ryan Malone, LW, Tampa Bay (2-0-2, minus-1 in 9 GP; six years, $31.5M)Comment: Virtually impossible to match the production he had with Malkin last season.Pavel Kubina, D, Toronto (1-2-3, minus-6 in 10 GP; two years, $10.0M)Comment: Had an underrated year in 2007-2008, but off to a poor start this year.Jordan Staal, C, Pittsburgh (0-3-3, minus-1 in 11 GP; one year, $850K)Comment: Due for a contract extension before season's end, but lack of goal-scoring still an issue.Matthew Lombardi, C, Calgary (1-1-2, minus-1 in 7 GP; two years, $3.9M)Comment: Still waiting for him to build on previous 20-goal season.Brendan Morrison, C, Anaheim (0-1-1, minus-5 in 11 GP, one year, $2.75M)Comment: Still a step slow coming off knee surgery.Yikes... I really wanted Kubina and Vermette over the summer. I would have also liked Lombardi.Still though if these players continues to struggle it could present a nice opportunity for Howson to pick one up at a reasonable price and see if the ole "change of scenery" theory holds true for one of them.I don't expect any "name" players to move before the 20 game mark when GMs should really have a good read on their squads.The Jackets could certainly use another top 6 pivot and names like Lombardi, Staal and Vermette would still interest me.On the positive side, I think we may have caught a big break on Morrison shunning us over the summer and to some lesser extent Malone.-LTLSource
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