slapshot™
5-05-05, 1:02 AM
Full story here -> TSN.ca (http://www.tsn.ca/canadian_hockey/news_story.asp?ID=123813&hubName=canadian_hockey)
(Edited for brevity and bold emphasis mine)
Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby make their living with the Detroit Red Wings shutting down the opposition's top line. They weren't really needed in wins over Latvia and Slovenia, but all that changes with Mike Modano and Doug Weight centring the top two lines for the U.S.
Captain Ryan Smyth, meanwhile, joined the Draper-Maltby line midway through the Slovenia rout Tuesday and that will be intact for the U.S. game. His grinding game is a good fit with the Red Wings agitators, who two years ago in Finland combined to shut down superstar centre Peter Forsberg twice, including in the gold medal final.
Modano and Weight know what's coming. They've faced Maltby and Draper too many times to remember during their Western Conference battles, and they both have tremendous respect for the Canadian checkers.
"It goes back a long way," Modano, nursing a charley horse on his forearm, said Wednesday. "They're very good in all areas in the game, but the thing that sets them apart from other guys is their ability to skate and get up and down the ice fairly quick. If you're a checker and you can skate, it's a big plus in our game and our league.
"They can do that, and they can score, and they do a lot of different things in the game. So you're up for a good challenge when you play against them."
Weight says Draper and Maltby don't get enough credit for being good hockey players - period. Draper had a career-high 24 goals last season.
"Too many people pinpoint them as agitators, those guys are great hockey players," Weight said. "They see the ice well, they know the game defensively, but they can also skate themselves out of trouble. So it's going to be a physical game and whoever sees them, it's going to be a challenge."
Habscheid echoed Weight's assessment of the Detroit grinders, saying they bring the full package.
"Sometimes you can fall into the trap that they're defensive players only," he said. "But they also have some offensive skill and of course a tremendous work ethic.
"They're effective at both ends of the ice."
Habscheid has an interesting decision to make. If he decides Draper's line will jump over the boards every single time either Modano or Weight does, how much does that affect the ice time of his top offensive unit? Joe Thornton, Rick Nash and Simon Gagne have been superb through two games, so they also need to be on the ice as much as possible.
I'm surprised no one has posted a story on tomorrow's game. Too bad I will have to watch a tape delay of it. Damn work!
There is some animosity between these two clubs and I think it will be as close to playoff-type hockey as it can be on the big ice.
(Edited for brevity and bold emphasis mine)
Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby make their living with the Detroit Red Wings shutting down the opposition's top line. They weren't really needed in wins over Latvia and Slovenia, but all that changes with Mike Modano and Doug Weight centring the top two lines for the U.S.
Captain Ryan Smyth, meanwhile, joined the Draper-Maltby line midway through the Slovenia rout Tuesday and that will be intact for the U.S. game. His grinding game is a good fit with the Red Wings agitators, who two years ago in Finland combined to shut down superstar centre Peter Forsberg twice, including in the gold medal final.
Modano and Weight know what's coming. They've faced Maltby and Draper too many times to remember during their Western Conference battles, and they both have tremendous respect for the Canadian checkers.
"It goes back a long way," Modano, nursing a charley horse on his forearm, said Wednesday. "They're very good in all areas in the game, but the thing that sets them apart from other guys is their ability to skate and get up and down the ice fairly quick. If you're a checker and you can skate, it's a big plus in our game and our league.
"They can do that, and they can score, and they do a lot of different things in the game. So you're up for a good challenge when you play against them."
Weight says Draper and Maltby don't get enough credit for being good hockey players - period. Draper had a career-high 24 goals last season.
"Too many people pinpoint them as agitators, those guys are great hockey players," Weight said. "They see the ice well, they know the game defensively, but they can also skate themselves out of trouble. So it's going to be a physical game and whoever sees them, it's going to be a challenge."
Habscheid echoed Weight's assessment of the Detroit grinders, saying they bring the full package.
"Sometimes you can fall into the trap that they're defensive players only," he said. "But they also have some offensive skill and of course a tremendous work ethic.
"They're effective at both ends of the ice."
Habscheid has an interesting decision to make. If he decides Draper's line will jump over the boards every single time either Modano or Weight does, how much does that affect the ice time of his top offensive unit? Joe Thornton, Rick Nash and Simon Gagne have been superb through two games, so they also need to be on the ice as much as possible.
I'm surprised no one has posted a story on tomorrow's game. Too bad I will have to watch a tape delay of it. Damn work!
There is some animosity between these two clubs and I think it will be as close to playoff-type hockey as it can be on the big ice.