After dressing pretty nearly the NHL lineup for last Friday’s preseason home tilt against the Washington Capitals, the lineup for Tuesday in Nashville looks very much like the AHLish squad that kicked off preseason with a win in Tampa.
The game represents a last chance for many players to make an impression before shuttling off to Charlotte on Wednesday and also an opportunity for surging players like Warren Foegele, Janne Kuokkanen and Lucas Wallmark to further their claim to an NHL roster spot.
‘What I’m watching’ for the Carolina Hurricanes versus the Nashville Predators
1) Continuation from Warren Foegele, Janne Kuokkanen and Lucas Wallmark
With a lineup that is only about half NHLers, I will be curious to see who these three players play with. Most significant in light of my article on lurking problems at the center position is how Brind’Amour looks to deploy Lucas Wallmark. But regardless of who plays with whom, I will be watching closely to see if all three of these players can continue their strong play.
2) Possibly a great measuring stick game for Jake Bean
If Jake Bean pairs with Brett Pesce or Trevor van Riemsdyk, this game represents a great measuring stick game for Jake Bean. Nashville should ice a good amount of their NHL roster playing at home, so seeing how Jake Bean looks against strong competition but with a strong stay-home defenseman as a partner will give a decent read of just how close he is to NHL-ready.
3) Last chance to make an impression
For many players, this game will represent the last chance to make an impression in preseason action. Even if they are not competing for a roster spot on opening night, the game is still a significant one more players like Julien Gauthier, Saku Maenalanen and others to make a strong impression.
The puck drops at 8pm and I believe should be available via stream on the team website.
Go Canes!
I think, I need to confirm this, that this game will be televised on FSC. If so, put the brews in the fridge, dig out the smoker, deep fryer and the waffles from the freezer and prepare for the first canes cast of the season.
It is being televised, yes. Forslund referenced it on Twitter this morning.
On the Time/Warner Spectrum system in North Raleigh, the game is on channel 318 FSCHD at 8:00 tonight.
I think the last fourteen F will be PDG, Staal, Foegele, Williams, Aho, McGinn, Svechnikov, Martinook, Kuokkanen, Wallmark, Zykov Ferland, Teravainen, and Necas. With 2-GK, and 7-D, that is a 23 man roster. If they want to go with 22 players, probably Necas, PDG, or Kuokkanen goes to Charlotte, IMO.
I should add that Rask (inj), will eventually be available…and will likely displace someone, TBD based on performance!
Tonight’s lineup:
F
Zykov-Wallmark-Di Giuseppe
McGinn-Roy-Svechnikov
Foegele-Bishop-Maenalanen
Kuokkanen-Martinook-Gauthier
D
Fleury-van Riemsdyk
Bean-Pesce
Cajkovsky-McKeown
G
Darling
Nedeljkovic
Really not sure what to make of the forward combinations. So I will defer on any comments.
With all the concerns about play at the center position for the Canes, it looks as though the most important players to watch tonight will be Wallmark, Roy, Bishop and Martinook, especially when they are up against the best centers Nashville chooses to play. We won’t learn anything about Aho or Necas at center but perhaps we’ll see an additional alternative. How high up can Wallmark play? If Wallmark moves up, can Martinook hack it as 4th line center? Is Roy a possibility for the 4th line? Is there any way to use somebody else at center on the Necas line with Necas as a wing?
I’m usually optimistic about Necas based on how he played with Krejci and Pastrnak in the world championships, how he trades passes with Hamilton on the power play and how he tipped in a Faulk shot on the power play in preseason, a very similar tip-in when he was on the Czech power play, terrific passes to Zadina, the game-tying goal against Slovakia, etc. There aren’t many guys who move like Necas and he has been big at big moments in the Czech league and world championships. On the other hand, there have been some moments in preseason that raise questions.
I would actually like to see Necas centering a line with Svechnikov and Ferland. I think the Necas-Svechnikov combination will click at some point like the Necas-Zadina combination in the world junior championships and Ferland will disrupt the defense by going to the net. That line plus Aho-Teravainen-Zykov should give the Canes two strong scoring lines.
If neither Aho nor Necas is able to play center effectively against NHL competition, it’s a completely different story. I wish were seeing both Aho and Necas play tonight because their ability to play center in the NHL is a critical unknown for this season.
It goes without saying that goaltending is another critical unknown. I am optimistic that Darling and Mrazek will be a much better combination than last year’s out-of-shape Darling and Cam Ward. Darling’s play tonight will be important even though he’ll be playing behind pairings not even close to the Canes’ pairings for the regular season. Darling may be under siege. It would be great to see him play well under duress.
I agree with you on TAZ and FNS lines – I think the potential is off the charts. We will probably see something closer to them on Friday for the first time.
Darling will be tested today with an AHL defense and an uncertain forward corps. I expect to see us spend a lot of time in the defensive zone trying to get out of it.
Just saw on the Predators’ site that they will have a lineup “much closer to opening day.”
That is an odd set of forward lines. Reordered they make a little more sense, perhaps we are getting a look at the players in different situations. It will be interesting to see if their ice time matches the location on this list.
It is harder to do with TV viewing where you can only track what they show you, but as I touched on in the preview, this is a great game to evaluate Jake Bean. He plays against NHL competition with a legitimate NHL partner, so it is close as you can get to a real NHL measuring stick this time of year.
Agreed. There is the experience, and that pair combines high-end offensive potential with proven stay-at-home defense.
And I expect he will see time at the point on the PP as well – Fleury too. Those will be good tests for both of them. And with Fleury likely getting first-pairing minutes we will get a shot at seeing how he holds up going over the boards time and again against the top lines instead of being sheltered.
It will be quite the test – and an eye-opener for a number of the players.
This game should show a lot. Nashville is a team that plays fast. The kids won’t have veterans to cover for them. We will see who is ready to play as a stand alone NHL player.
I am worried for Darling. Hate to see him get shelled. I guess that’s why he makes the big bucks.
Ditto as to Darling getting shelled. If he handles it, great. What if he doesn’t?
We hope his mental well-being isn’t directly tied solely to his hockey performance.
And we were worried.
I kinda like the lineup. Svechnikov will get a chance to show if he can drive scoring opportunities against top players. Wallmark’s 2-way game will be tested. Foegele/Bishop/Maenalanen should be a decent disruption line even against better players. All three D pairings have good combinations of skill and size.
As mentioned by others both Fleury and Bean could prove their worth. I expect Pesce will not only help steady Bean, but will produce some offensive moments as well.
If the game doesn’t get away early, I think this lineup will play up to the competition the last two periods.
Go darls! Bean not ready. Svrch had the Jordan (can’t finish) disease tonight. Wallmark was good defensively but didn’t jump out. But was not bad either.