Posted by TheHockeyGuy on October 8th, 2009
Only two games into the season, Blue Jackets center Derick Brassard is getting a breather.
When the Blue Jackets face the San Jose Sharks at 10:30 tonight in HP Pavilion, Brassard’s previously held spot on the No. 1 line between wingers Rick Nash and Kristian Huselius will be filled by veteran center Antoine Vermette, while Brassard will slide to the No. 2 line with wingers Nikita Filatov and Jake Voracek.
Brassard, 22, is the oldest member of his new line, which he dubbed the “Young Guns.” He, Voracek (20) and Filatov (19) represent three of the organization’s past four first-round draft picks.
“When you look at the Sharks first line, (center Joe) Thornton is huge, and they’re going to match against Nasher’s line,” he said. “Vermy is a really strong player.
“This might give me a little break to get my legs going and get my game going.”
In previous Blue Jackets’ seasons, a 2-0 start would have precluded even minor lineup tinkering.
But expectations are higher this season, and Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock expected significantly more puck possession and scoring chances from the Huselius-Brassard-Nash line than he saw in the first two games, which were victories over Minnesota and Vancouver.
Click here to read the full article – By Aaron Portzline of Columbus Dispatch
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Tags: Antoine Vermette, Columbus Blue Jackets, Derick Brassard, NHL
This entry was posted on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 2:14 pm and is filed under Columbus Blue Jackets, NHL.
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