Does Bert get time on Second Line?
As Ansar Khan points out in this article, Detroit can really make life difficult for Calgary if they can get the second line to start scoring.
A problem that plagued the Detroit Red Wings the second half of the regular season has resurfaced in their opening-round playoff series with Calgary: They’re not getting any production from their second line.
Robert Lang, Kyle Calder and Mikael Samuelsson have no goals and one assist between them in three games. Each of the club’s other three lines has produced at one time or another in the series. Coach Mike Babcock is still waiting for Lang’s unit to contribute some offense.
Detroit is averaging 3 goals per game, which is where they need to be to win the series. It’s almost impossible to win a series if you aren’t scoring 3 goals per game. Calgary, on the other hand, is averaging 1.66 goals per game. But Detroit can give themselves some added cushion by getting some production from Robert Lang’s line.
The second line has been comprised of Kyle Calder - Robert Lang - Mikael Samuelsson. There has been talk of Todd Bertuzzi eventually being added to that line and he could help provide some of what head coach Mike Babcock expects from that line:
“More time in the offensive zone, more time being hard down low, more time taking pucks to the net and generating more. We thought our power play wasn’t as good (in Game 3) and they played just under half of the power play, so they got to make an impact.'’
So it wouldn’t be a surprise if Bert gets time on the second line. Helene St. James of the Free Press asked Mike Babcock about doing so.
“We thought about all this,” Babcock said. “We obviously in our wisdom, we thought we did the right thing. That’s what you guys get paid to do, is second-guess. It’s easy to do it the next day. But if I had the chance to do what I did yesterday over again, would I do it? Yes.”
The benefit of getting the second line going is obvious: Detroit would be able to put four lines on the ice that are capable of scoring goals. Pavel Datsyuk’s line has scored two goals, Draper’s line also has scored two goals and Filppula’s line has scored two goals. Get that second line going and you put even more pressure on Calgary’s depleted defensemen.
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