No report as of yet on what the defensive pairings are going to be...but I hope that is because the Detroit brass is thinking long and hard before they decide to put Ericsson and Lebda together again. Jonathon "Big Rig" Ericsson has been a gigantic dissapointment thus far in the season. But here are the possible forward lines for tonight's game vs. Vancouver Canucks.
Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom
Bertuzzi-Filppula-Cleary
Leino-Draper-Williams
May-Helm-Maltby (Abdelkader working in).
Well, for all of you that thought Filppula should be our second line center, you are certainly getting your wish...to the delight of many girlfriends out there (mine included). Leino and Williams down, Bertuzzi and Cleary up, and Filppula stays put at center of the 2nd string unit.
I'm guessing this move is to see if we can awake Bertuzzi's scoring ability from its slumber. With multiple posts, and goals being waved off, he could easily have 4 goals (at least) by now through 9 games. With Filppula's natural playing ability and Cleary's ability to score the dirty rebound goals, this could actually work.
Throwing Draper in with Leino and Williams, who have worked well together so far, could prove a little more complicated. Though Draper has played well, still has decent wheels, and certainly works hard. Hopefully, he doesn't get too lost out there when Williams and Leino try and cycle the puck off the boards as they had done with Filppula at center.
It looks like Patrick Eaves will be sitting again. Despite a good effort in each of his games played this year, he's yet to register a point, something that cannot be ignored. Hopefully, Helm can get going as well and May continues to forecheck hard and provide grit and toughness.
Ozzie starts tonight, Howard on Thursday vs. Edmonton.
I'm liking these lines, not least of all because I've been wanting Z in the middle with Pav on his wing.
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