Quote:
Originally Posted by Bingo
Think our cycles are stopping with different conclusions.
Rooney hasn't really been playing, and I think Lucic has greater importance than you do.
I've said about a dozen times they could certainly bring up Phillips and sit down Ritchie but do that they have to find a player to move down out of the top nine.
With last night's three point performance that's not likely Ruzicka, so I think the holding pattern continues.
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Rooney has played 16 games. That’s more than 50% of the season so far, how is that “not really playing”?
You seem stuck on the idea that the 4th line is a dumping zone where you can’t put any player of quality and the guys who play there are garbage anyway so it doesn’t matter. Too many points for Ruz, too many for Dube, etc etc. I’d rather see a 4th line that can do something, wouldn’t you?
Ritchie and Lucic should be splitting games sharing one spot. Let Rooney play 0. Put Ruzicka or Dube as the center on that line and put a call up in the top 9 or put a call up on that line. Lewis got 12 minutes last night, that’s plenty to see how comfortable a call up is in the NHL, plus they’re protected by two “intangible” heavy guys.
Lots of options. As you said, treating the 4th line as a place for grinders and plugs only is just taking a very limited view of things. Let’s get some quality on it.