A lot has been said about the constant changing of lines by head coach Ken Hitchcock so far this season. Players have shuffled from top line to fourth line, and vice versa. The problem is, the Blue Jackets don't have enough talent to roll four lines (this should be no mystery).
Following a four-game losing streak last week, Hitchcock spent many of his practice sessions experimenting with different combinations, mostly focusing on pairs. Instead of trying to find compatible trios, he based his decisions on which pairs of players worked well together. The pairs were primarily wingers, and the centers were plugged in accordingly.
The Jackets' first trip to Detroit was less than thrilling, and the offense was non-existent save a lengthy two-man advantage. Jiri Novotny struggled between the pair of Rick Nash and Nikolai Zherdev, whereas Curtis Glencross fit in nicely with crafty vets Sergei Fedorov and David Vyborny. The speed line stayed intact, but was ineffective. The troubling trend here is that Gilbert Brule has again found himself on the fourth line, at the bottom of the depth chart. Hitchcock stated in offseason meetings with season-ticket holders that it was "top six or AHL" for Brule, but so far, that statement has been voided.
However, the bottom of the lineup has surprisingly played fairly well in the limited action seen. Brule has played well recently with Jody Shelley (finally earning some playing time) and rookie firecracker Jared Boll. However, this can't continue for much longer, no matter how much Brule produces or plays in this setting. Playing in the AHL is not a demotion, per se; it will allow him to play top-six minutes and play a very important role on a team that needs a spark. Entering this past weekend, the Crunch are again last in their division and struggling to score.
Michael Peca and Fredrik Modin can't return to the lineup soon enough. The Jackets have been uncharacteristically sloppy in their own zone of late, giving up sustained d-zone pressure in Detroit, Nashville and St. Louis. It will only help to get two of your most responsible players back in action, and that moment may come as early as this weekend.
The balance of scoring has also suffered with their absence. Players are being pushed to different places in the lineup, and some have prospered, others not. One would've thought that the absence of Peca and Modin would open a spot for Brule, but it hasn't materialized. Peca's presence on the top line has been sorely missed, but Novotny did impress against Detroit on Sunday. Hitchcock's obsession with a Modin-Nash pairing will never cease, but right now it seems impossible and unthinkable to separate the "Rick and Nik" duo.
The Blue Jackets top-ranked penalty kill has taken a slight hit in the previous weeks. The unit surrendered two power-play goals in each game against the Red Wings, and the forward rotation has been skewed with Peca's injury. Nikolai Zherdev has filled in with Novotny on the kill in recent games and has been effective--but let's not keep this going for too much longer.
THE WEEK AHEAD:
Wednesday vs. Florida
Florida, one of the NHL's worst road teams, visits Nationwide Arena for the first time. This is the first of five home games for the Jackets against the Southeast this year. They travel to the Northeast for five, as well. The Panthers (9-12-1) won their third road game of the year in Washington, holding off a late rally by the Caps. Tomas Vokoun, an old buddy of the Jackets, is expected to start.
Friday at Minnesota
The Jackets travel to the Xcel Energy Center for the second time this season. Minnesota edged Columbus, 3-2, with two third-period goals on Oct. 6 for the comeback win. This is the second straight year the Jackets have participated in a post-Thanksgiving matinee, with game time set for 2 pm ET. Columbus lost to the Flyers, 3-2, in Ken Hitchcock's coaching debut last season.
Saturday vs. Detroit
The border rivals will meet again for the third time in two weeks, and the second time in Nationwide Arena this week. The Red Wings scored the game-tying goal with four minutes remaining, and won in the shootout on Sunday. Rick Nash, Nikolai Zherdev, Duvie Westcott and Sergei Fedorov scored for the Jackets, who fell to 0-4 in shootouts this year. Fredrik Norrena is expected to start, with the Jackets playing their only back-to-back until the new year.
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