Miller moved up to 3rd line, Eaves down to 4th line

[Guest mindfly]

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2010/04/red_wings_make_a_switch_on_thi.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+detroit-redwings+%28Detroit+Red+Wings+-+MLive.com%29

Red Wings make a switch on third, fouth lines; Coyotes not expected to make any lineup changes

By Ansar Khan

April 16, 2010, 3:30PM

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock slightly altered his third and fourth lines for Game 2 against the Phoenix Coyotes tonight at Jobing.com Arena (10 p.m., FSN).

In addition to inserting Justin Abdelkader in the lineup, Babcock has flip-flopped Patrick Eaves and Drew Miller on the right wing. So Eaves will play with Abdelkader and Kris Draper while Darren Helm will center a line with Dan Cleary and Drew Miller.

“The six of us are all comfortable playing with one another, where we play doesn’t matter,'' Draper said. "With Abby in the middle, we know what we have to do and Babs kind of threw a little challenge out of there for us and we want to respond with that.’’

Babcock challenged his third and fourth lines to be more physical. Coyotes captain Shane Doan was running amok in Game 1, dishing out hits. The Red Wings hope to neutralize him a bit, by both playing more physical and quicker puck movement.

“We got to be a lot more nastier there,'' Draper said. "Anytime you get opportunities to finish checks you have to do that. Playing with Abby tonight, that’s exactly what he wants to do. We just want to get pucks deep and every time we get an opportunity to finish checks we got get some good grinding shifts and get pucks to the net.''

Here are the Red Wings lines and defense pairings:

Franzen-Datsyuk-Holmstrom

Filppula-Zetterberg-Bertuzzi

Cleary-Helm-Miller

Draper-Abdelkader-Eaves

Williams-May (scratched)

Lidstrom-Rafalski

Kronwall-Stuart

Ericsson-Lilja

Lebda-Meech (scratched)

Howard (starting)

Osgood

Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said he was pondering a couple of changes, but he is expected to use the same lineup:

Here are the expected lines and defense pairings for Phoenix:

Wojtek Wolski-Matthew Lombardi-Shane Doan

Taylor Pyatt-Vernon Fiddler-Lee Stempniak

Lauri Korpikoski-Martin Hanzal-Radim Vrbata

Petr Prucha-Petteri Nokelianen-Daniel Winnik

Ed Jovanovski-Zybnek Michalek

Keith Yandle-Derek Morris

Sami Lepisto-Adrian Aucoin

Ilya Bryzgalov

Jason LaBarbera

Phoenix center Robert Lang said he won't play tonight but might play in Game 3 Sunday. He missed the final 17 regular season games with a lower-body injury.

“Maybe Sunday. It all depends on how we play, too,'' Lang said. "You know how coaches are (reluctant to tinker with a winning lineup).

“You just want to make sure everything is 100 percent, especially in a series like this. You’re going to be able to need to stake as hard as you can. If you can’t be mobile, you can’t help the team. It’s getting really good.’’

Tonight's referees are Chris Rooney and Dennis LaRue.

Dunno if Eaves was the right person to bump but I like Millers skating ability and he actually got a underrated scoring touch and i love it when he drives the net

[8 Legged RedWing 367]

I don't know if I am a huge fan of this because I like eaves scoring ability as well but it isn't a big switch and I basically see these two lines as interchangeable. Should be an exciting physical battle out there.

Edited April 16, 2010 by 8 Legged RedWing

[VM1138 1,921]

I don't know if I am a huge fan of this because I like eaves scoring ability as well but it isn't a big switch and I basically see these two lines as interchangeable. Should be an exciting physical battle out there.

Yeah, not sure I understand this move, seems like it really wouldn't matter. I guess it gives the 4th line a bit of scoring ability while giving the 3rd a bit more grit.

[Echolalia 2,961]

I think our third and fourth lines will have the best opportunity to score in this series. Phoenix is making a note of keeping our top six from playing with the space they like.

[Rivalred 630]

Fact that Abby and Miller played together @ MSU is the key; also putting someone on the 4th line with speed/hands/good shot increases our odds of a goal maybe

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

I think our third and fourth lines will have the best opportunity to score in this series. Phoenix is making a note of keeping our top six from playing with the space they like.

I hope not.

We've been there before, where our top players disappear and we have to rely on grinders to score. That's usually when teams lose a playoff series.

[Lidstrom for life 20]

Fact that Abby and Miller played together @ MSU is the key; also putting someone on the 4th line with speed/hands/good shot increases our odds of a goal maybe

Wait...so because they played together at MSU Babcock doesn't want them on the same line? I don't get it...

[Rivalred 630]

Wait...so because they played together at MSU Babcock doesn't want them on the same line? I don't get it...

I thought Abbey is playing on the 3rd line?

Maybe I got my wires crossed

[Lidstrom for life 20]

I thought Abbey is playing on the 3rd line?

Maybe I got my wires crossed

Thats not what it says in the article but I kind of like that idea better. I think Cleary-Abs-Miller would be a good checking line and then we could put Draper-Helm-Eaves back together.

[redwingfan19 293]

I hope not.

We've been there before, where our top players disappear and we have to rely on grinders to score. That's usually when teams lose a playoff series.

thats what happened in the anaheim series but the wings squeaked that one out, expecting huge games from the top 6 tonight

[CenterIce 83]

Yeah, not sure I understand this move, seems like it really wouldn't matter. I guess it gives the 4th line a bit of scoring ability while giving the 3rd a bit more grit.

This.

[RedFlag85 33]

3rd Line: Triple D Club.

[titanium2 867]

3rd Line: Triple D Club.

The 3D line. 3 players with D first names and the fact that it's the third line.

[titanium2 867]

Ok seriously, what is up with that 3rd line? They're a combined minus 6 or something like that. Are they just getting outsmarted or what?

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Ok seriously, what is up with that 3rd line? They're a combined minus 6 or something like that. Are they just getting outsmarted or what?

Well, they did just get put together.