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Jackets notebook: Hitchcock's shuffle pays off
Wednesday,
November 11, 2009 2:55 AM
The Columbus Dispatch
The days of assigning nicknames to forward lines have gone the way of wooden sticks, ties and
dasher boards without advertising.
No more Production Line or Legion of Doom. Some coaches need just a couple of losses to break up a previously productive combination. Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock doesn't even need a bad period right now to prompt change. Unbeaten in regulation in their past four games (3-0-1), the Jackets continue to undergo alterations to their second, third and fourth lines. Raffi Torres is a fourth-line winger one game and on the second line the next. Jason Chimera plays the left side on the third line one shift and moves up to the second line within 10 minutes. "I don't know which line is the third and fourth (lines) because I think the last three (lines) are all interchangeable depending on how they play," Hitchcock said. Sixteen games into the season, only captain Rick Nash, the right winger on the first line, has remained in his opening-night position. Some changes have been necessitated because of injury. Hitchcock, however, has been on a roll in recent games. On Thursday in Atlanta, he bumped up Chimera to play with Derick Brassard and Jake Voracek on the second line. Chimera collected two assists on goals from his line mates. On Saturday against Carolina, Hitchcock rotated players on his bottom two lines and was rewarded with goals from Nikita Filatov and Jared Boll. "To fans, I'm sure it looks chaotic, but there is a method to the madness," Hitchcock said. "From an experience standpoint, you learn who's going (good) and who's not, and how to create a different energy by spinning it. "I've always been one to be proactive rather than hope things improve." Hitchcock is juggling lines even within the same news conference. After the 3-2 win over the Hurricanes, he talked of keeping his fourth line of Filatov-Derek MacKenzie-Boll intact, while also hinting members of the fourth line could become part of the third line. Sure enough, Hitchcock had Boll working on the right side of the third line in practice yesterday. Huselius remains outWinger Kristian Huselius, out because of a shoulder strain, said he doesn't have a timetable for a return. Huselius was injured Nov. 3 at the end of practice while participating in a power-play drill, he said. He got checked behind the net and fell awkwardly into the boards, causing his shoulder to pop out of place. Huselius has been skating the past couple of days and started shooting pucks yesterday. He said the shoulder was sore after shooting drills. Slap shotsThe Red Wings are expected to start Jimmy Howard in goal tonight. Tickets remain for tonight's game against the Red Wings Raffi Torres is second in the NHL in shooting percentage (30.8) with eight goals on 26 shots. Story toolsToday’s Top Stories |
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