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CANUCKS HOCKEY BLOG

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Game Day Post: Canucks at Jackets

Taylor Pyatt, protective cage and all, might play, and if he doesn't, Alain Vigneault says Trevor Linden will draw back in (Jason Botchford, Vancouver Province). Pyatt has been the Canucks' best forward in the last couple of weeks and it would be a shame if he can't go.

You would've thought that if Pyatt couldn't go, then Markus Naslund would simply take his place on the Sedin line. Apparently, AV has other plans: Naslund will be on the wing on the team's top checking line with Kesler and Burrows (Jason Botchford, Vancouver Province). Publicly anyway, Nazzy is welcoming this new challenge.

"It's obviously going to be different for me and I do have to be a little more cautious," he said.

"They're obviously out there to shut other people down. But, that being said, they're good enough to take advantage of other teams.

"It's a little bit of a new challenge for me. I do want to be able to play in all different scenarios. I like those guys. They're not just defensive guys. They can skate and they can put the puck in the net."
No doubt this is a gamble. While Kesler's line is primarily responsible for shutting down opposing teams' top lines, they've also consistently produced scoring chances in recent games. What they've lacked is finish. I'm sure Vigneault is gambling that Naslund can adjust to this new role and finish those chances without hurting the team too much on the defensive end of the ice.

More from today's MSM:
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posted by J.J. Guerrero, 6:10 AM

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