[Split98]

Great writeup as usual! That game was what a lot of us were really excited to see when we saw this roster on paper. What's even more exciting is that they're looking this good with an entire line still in need of hitting the scoresheet. Neal will get going soon, and if Bennett keeps bringing this kind of game he's going to have a year.



Something I really liked seeing was how effective Peluso was with the time he was given. He didn't need to see the ice often, but when he was out he was very effective. He created a great chance with a heavy forecheck that showed our depth isn't hurt too terribly when he's out there. It's tough to say what impact he had on the game, but if he's not a negative out there I can't say I didn't like the end result!

I think we're going to have to stop seeing a night off as a negative with a roster like this. I think if there's a need for Peluso that night, he's shown to be a part of the depth that will allow them to roll 4 lines. I could see Dube, Jankowski, Bennett and Frolik cycling nights off depending on the team they're playing against and how they're doing... and maybe someone locked into the top-9 could use a night off to let a few things heal up.

At risk of killing his momentum, I'd love to see Dube get a chance to watch the game if he doesn't get on the scoresheet soon. Hopefully this can be an advantage or a breather, opposed to the punishment a night off usually is.

Imagine if Neal could watch and dissect the Blues game Thursday and Jankowski draws back in. The obvious response will be 'Neal is benched', and I'm sure he'd rather play than watch... but if we're going to treat this like a business and we ignore what a night off usually means... this could be a positive for Neal (I'm not saying bench neal Thursday, FYI. It's too early for this NOT to misconstrued as a negative).

But if we had that mentality:
@ Blues: Neal out
@ Avalanche: Peluso out
vs Bruins: Dube out
vs. Predators: TBD