Ohio Jones
Game on...
CD - Columbus
Jackets Head Coach Mike Babcock used today's practice to try a slightly different look 5-on-5. For the first time since the start of the season, Mike Modano had Shawn McEachern skating on his wing, while Geoff Sanderson lined up with Mike York.
It is thought Babcock is attempting to address the team's struggles at even strength, where the Modano line has underperformed both offensively and defensively. Where most of the team is at or close to even in +/-, the five-man unit of Sanderson, Modano, Shanahan, Carney and Aucoin is an appalling combined -49 heading up to the quarter pole. McEachern, it is hoped, will bring a little more grit and defensive awareness to the line, allowing it to be more competitive at even strength.
"It's very frustrating", Coach Babcock said. "We're better than this, and we know it. We have the league's best penalty kill, and one of the best powerplays. Special teams are working for us. It's even strength where we seem to have a problem. We wanted to give our guys a chance to sort it out themselves, but this far into the season we should be hitting our stride, and it's just not happening. So we'll have to try some new looks, see if we can't get things going."
Other changes are also being considered after the team's 5-2 drubbing at the hands of the Flames in Calgary last night. Among them is the role of starting goaltender Martin Brodeur, who is definitely playing well below his historical stats so far this season.
"This is what happens when there are no goalies sitting on the competition committee", he opined to reporters. "You get a bunch of rule changes that restrict the goalie's skills take away legitimate competitive advantages. Fortunately we're on the committee now, but we still have to live with the rules they came up with for this season."
Broduer is especially unimpressed with the introduction of "no play" zones behind the goal line, where the goalie is penalized if he touches the puck. The so-called "trapezoids" take away a large dimension of the game for puck-moving goaltenders like Brodeur, as well as Boston's Marty Turco and Carolina's Rick DiPietro (although Turco, at least, seems to be adapting well in HFNHL play so far).
"If the goalie wants to take the risk of leaving the net to play the puck, he should be allowed to do that."
(Oddly, the PA rating for goalies seems to have moe influence on their performance than once thought. The inexplicably poor rating for Brodeur appears to be contributing to his struggles this season, when the best puck-handling goalie in the league somehow has the poorest PA rating of all starting goaltenders. But I digress....).
While Brodeur has struggled, posting a 3.06 gaa and .877 save% in his 123 appearances, backup Mike Leighton has accumulated a sterling 1.10 gaa and .958 save% in 5 games. Granted, Leighton has faced must softer opposition, but the fact remains he thus far appears to have adapted to the new-look NHL better than his Olympic/World Cup/Stanley Cup-winning teammate.
"Mike has played very well, but there's no question Martin is our #1 goaltender", Babcock assured reporters. "I'm astonished you guys would even ask."
Babcock's assuances aside, it remains to be seen who gets the start tomorrow when the Jackets host Phoenix in their first of 5 games in 6 nights.
Milo Minderbinder
Columbus Discoverer
Jackets Head Coach Mike Babcock used today's practice to try a slightly different look 5-on-5. For the first time since the start of the season, Mike Modano had Shawn McEachern skating on his wing, while Geoff Sanderson lined up with Mike York.
It is thought Babcock is attempting to address the team's struggles at even strength, where the Modano line has underperformed both offensively and defensively. Where most of the team is at or close to even in +/-, the five-man unit of Sanderson, Modano, Shanahan, Carney and Aucoin is an appalling combined -49 heading up to the quarter pole. McEachern, it is hoped, will bring a little more grit and defensive awareness to the line, allowing it to be more competitive at even strength.
"It's very frustrating", Coach Babcock said. "We're better than this, and we know it. We have the league's best penalty kill, and one of the best powerplays. Special teams are working for us. It's even strength where we seem to have a problem. We wanted to give our guys a chance to sort it out themselves, but this far into the season we should be hitting our stride, and it's just not happening. So we'll have to try some new looks, see if we can't get things going."
Other changes are also being considered after the team's 5-2 drubbing at the hands of the Flames in Calgary last night. Among them is the role of starting goaltender Martin Brodeur, who is definitely playing well below his historical stats so far this season.
"This is what happens when there are no goalies sitting on the competition committee", he opined to reporters. "You get a bunch of rule changes that restrict the goalie's skills take away legitimate competitive advantages. Fortunately we're on the committee now, but we still have to live with the rules they came up with for this season."
Broduer is especially unimpressed with the introduction of "no play" zones behind the goal line, where the goalie is penalized if he touches the puck. The so-called "trapezoids" take away a large dimension of the game for puck-moving goaltenders like Brodeur, as well as Boston's Marty Turco and Carolina's Rick DiPietro (although Turco, at least, seems to be adapting well in HFNHL play so far).
"If the goalie wants to take the risk of leaving the net to play the puck, he should be allowed to do that."
(Oddly, the PA rating for goalies seems to have moe influence on their performance than once thought. The inexplicably poor rating for Brodeur appears to be contributing to his struggles this season, when the best puck-handling goalie in the league somehow has the poorest PA rating of all starting goaltenders. But I digress....).
While Brodeur has struggled, posting a 3.06 gaa and .877 save% in his 123 appearances, backup Mike Leighton has accumulated a sterling 1.10 gaa and .958 save% in 5 games. Granted, Leighton has faced must softer opposition, but the fact remains he thus far appears to have adapted to the new-look NHL better than his Olympic/World Cup/Stanley Cup-winning teammate.
"Mike has played very well, but there's no question Martin is our #1 goaltender", Babcock assured reporters. "I'm astonished you guys would even ask."
Babcock's assuances aside, it remains to be seen who gets the start tomorrow when the Jackets host Phoenix in their first of 5 games in 6 nights.
Milo Minderbinder
Columbus Discoverer
