(on winning games on consecutive nights…)
MURRAY: “The two games, back to back like this, they’re important games. Early in the season, the points are always important, but I thought the game last night, to go in and play well in that building after losing opening night, and the same here tonight. The game in Columbus, we were not happy with how it went for us, so coming out early, starting with the way we finished the game last night, and getting the first goal, was important. The game was what you want, what you ask for, and to come right back with the second goal a few minutes later, that was a really good thing.”
(on the reason for the recent strong play…)
MURRAY: “It’s hard to put your finger on any one thing. I think our special teams are getting better. Our penalty killing, in particular, that always gives you good energy, and I’ve always said that that if penalty killing can lose you a game, it can also win you a game. I think that the penalty killing is really starting to dig in and get the job done. And we’re scoring some goals. We’re coming out, at the start of the game, and scoring the first two goals in the early part of the first period. That helps everybody relax. That helps you get to where you want to go, as far as a structure and system, and moving your feet and getting things going in the other zone. We’re starting to figure that part out now.”
More puck possession Terry. Our boys play their best when they play a puck possession game.
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I have been critical at times of TM for sticking to his guns too long when things aren’t working, but I want to give him credit for a things here:
1) Finally realizing the Scuderi/Johnson combo was a disaster and switching the defensive pairs around, although they were paired when Columbus scored on the PP.
2) Putting together the Fro/Handzus/Brown line. They give us that extra scoring punch we desperately needed.
Stoll all of a sudden is looking very comfortable with his new linemates, a natural LW in Parse, while Teddy go play where he belongs, at his natural position RW. So what is TM going to do with Simmonds when Williams comes back on the first line. The second and third lines are playing very well together, and no way does he bump the veteran Williams anywhere, so does TM disrupt the chemistry and put Simmonds back on the third and bump Ted down to the fourth, where is he likely not to be effective? No way he gets send down with a one way contract. Maybe Lewis goes to Manchester, since Murray has been pretty outspoken about his play.
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I’ll post it again cuz I’m biased about my opinion.
When Wiilliams comes back:
Smyth-Kopi-Simmonds
Frolov-Zeus-Brown
Parse-Stoll-WILLIAMS
Purcell-Richardson-Harrold (Ivanans-Richie-Purcell)
Lewis: Manchester to take Parse’s spot with Oscar & Loktionov
If the Simmonds experiment starts to fizzle, switch Sims & Williams.
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I like that lineup.. i stated the same thing. Hope the couch thinks about this lineup also.
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