Rovers Look to Shake Things Up

Members of the Rovers coaching staff put the players through a spirited workout.

Iqaluit, NU (CP)

Not content with their third-place standing in the Champs conference, the Rovers plan to experiment with some new line combinations to be implemented for their upcoming home and road games against Waterloo and Guelph. "We've been a bit listless offensively", coach Stringer said of their recent performances. "We're not firing like I think we should be, so we're going to take these two games to try a different look". No combination has been kept as each line has been altered with hopes of sparking more consistent scoring.

Kris Draper moves from the second-line center to being the first-line left-winger, replacing Alexander Frolov, who has only scored twice this season. Draper has experience at all three forward positions, so the coaches are looking for him to step in with Demitra and Murray and spark the trio. His eight goals on the year are behing only Murray and his former wingers Ekman and Korolyuk. "I'm a veteran guy, so I know why sometimes things have to be shaken up", Draper said after practice. "Hopefully I can give the team what they are looking for".

Olli Jokinen replaces Draper as the center between Ekman and Korolyuk. Jokinen is considered to be a better passer than Draper, which should mesh well with the two wingers who are both off to good starts to the season. "Drapes was a very good center for me and Korky [Korolyuk], but Olli is also a very good player. I think we'll play well together", said an upbeat Ekman.

The third line is almost entirely new, with David Legwand being promoted to center Frolov and rookie Nathan Horton, whose eight goals tie him with Draper for fourth on the club. For Legwand, the franchise leader in games played but buried on the fourth line all season, this chance is not something he plans to let slip away. "We've been fortunate to have so much depth this season, but unfortunately for me, that depth has cut into my ice-time. I was willing to do what the team needed me to do then, and now that they want more, I'm definitely ready for that".

Rookie Ryan Malone drops back down to the fourth line to skate with Jeff Halpern, who returns to his natural center-ice position, and Adam Hall. The trio is expected to be an energy line, with Halpern and Hall also contributing on the penalty-kill.

The Rovers have been criticized by many in the media for not scoring as much as many expected them to score. When asked how long the new lines would stay together, Stringer was non-committal. "These next two games for sure. If we see some positive results in these games, then we may stick with it longer. If they don't work out, we'll look to do something else". When asked if a trade was a possibility, Stringer was also vague. "You always look to improve your team. Sometimes the improvement can come from within. Sometimes it doesn't".