3. Sort out the M Line. It's not working. Our leading goal scorers are Jarvis, Hill and Michel.[/quote]
For me personally, I think that a juggling of the lines would be an absolute must. For a couple of weeks now I have been boring my mates at the back of block 14 with my insistence that Michel should replace Millar on the first line.
I say this because I think he is a better defensive forward that any of Smith, Birbraer and Millar and as such he would give that line extra protection (if you notice most odd man rushes come against our first line because none of them are looking to back check when one of our defensemen 'pinches in').
I also think moving Michel to the first line would 'up the anti' a little in terms of work rate. Too often Max (probably the most skilled player at the club) goes missing and skates around in circles throwing half-hearted body checks.
On Sunday (before G himself left the line up) the lines had been juggled and Michel was playing as a centre on the Birbraer line. I don't think it's a coincidence that Max had his most effective 40 minutes of the season (he still needs to put sixty minutes together). Michel's work rate challenged Max to work harder and I finally saw somthing that looked like the Birbraer of 3 seasons ago - a powerful forechecker who wanted to carry the puck at pace and gain the zone.
So I would certainly go with a first line of; Birbraer - Smith - Michel
My other line-up change would be for G to tell Ben Davies than he has earned his starting spot on the 3rd line, allowing Adams to drop back on to the D. Here, I would pair him with Romfo. I'm still convinced that Romfo has the potential to be one of the most effective offensive defensemen in the league - i've seen him find more passing lanes on our poxy little ice surface in a month than most players have in the 3 and a bit seasons we have been down in the Bay. Granted he is taking too many dumb penalties and coughing up the puck in dangerous situations - but hopefullly playing with the coach willl help focus his mind and Adams can take on the role of his 'stay at home' defensive partner.
Rotating 6 'd' men also allows chemistry to be built up as the players will have a regular partner - and a balance between the 2 players can be struck.
Personally, i'd go with;
Jarvis - Stone (In the Superleague days Jason Stone was a great foil for Kip Noble)
Hartwick - Richardson
Adams - Romfo
Cheers,
John
no wonder he was narked.
