I put this off as long as I could, hoping that I would know a little better what the lines might be for our offense in the post-season – but Paddock is taking advantage of the last few weeks to experiment with combinations on every single shift. So, I will give you a look at what we have in the stables, but can’t really speak to the arrangement of these players after next week. I have grouped them into two classes, finesse and force, for the sake of convenience. And yes, we really do have eight left wings – and two centers - on our roster.

Finesse Force

Derek Armstrong (C) Manny Malholtra (C)

Brad Smyth (RW) Chris Kenady (RW)

Ken Gernander (RW) Brad Mehalko (RW)

Dave Deurden (LW) Tony Tuzzolino (LW)

Jeff Toms (LW) Ryan Tobler (LW)

Todd Hall (LW) Richard Scott (LW)

Boyd Kane (LW)

Unlikely to see the ice

Jason Dawe (RW) Benjamin Carpentier (LW)

For today, lets’ look at the finesse side of things – our snipers

Derek Armstrong (C) is the heart and soul of our offense, and is currently in the hunt for the AHL scoring title with just short of 100 points and a team-leading +20. Named MVP of the Pack the last two years and also the MVP of the Calder Cup playoffs last year, Army was named a Second team AHL All-Star last year and a First team All-Star this year. He has excellent hands, great passing skills and good speed – on a breakaway he is hard to beat, but we don’t see that too often - as a play-making center, Army appears to prefer to pass once he hits the blueline rather than take the shot himself. I don’t think his linemates mind too much, though, with more than twice as many assists as goals (although there is nothing to be ashamed of with 30+ goals!) Army is the ideal linemate for anyone who needs to rack up a few points.

Brad Smyth (RW) was a fixture on Army’s line until recently – and indeed these two grew up together, actually skating at the same rink as kids. However, back then Shooter was a figure skater – and you can still see it in his wide-legged, uncertain stance and regular tumbles to the ice. I don’t care all that much, though, because he has the ability to put the puck in the net from inhuman angles, and is on track to top 50 goals this year, the first person to do so since he did it 5 years ago. Shooter was named a First team AHL All-Star this year, his first time since 1996. Army and Shooter were split up earlier this year and both have managed to learn to play with other people – Army learned to pass to someone other than Shooter, and Shooter learned to get a pass from someone other than Army. Shooter had a rep last year as a puck-hog and a prima donna (including an interview in which he repeatedly referred to himself in the third person, as in ‘Brad Smyth has the most goals in the league’), but he has greatly improved his team play since then. He does, however, still warm up by himself, throwing pucks at the net from the goal line during drills, rather than waiting his turn for a pass like everyone else.

Kenny Gernander (RW) is the Pack’s captain, and has been so since the team took root in Hartford 4 years ago. Its hard to say much about Kenny’s play these days, as I am left with the distinct impression that I am seeing a much-watered down version of the fierce leader we saw last year. Indeed, he has a third fewer goals this year than he did last year, and it is sad to see him struggle to put the puck on net or keep up with the play. Ironically, I have noticed him taking the body more this year, but I wonder how much longer that will be a feasible option for him. Personally, I would like to see Kenny find a home behind the bench next year and begin to develop more fully the motivational skills we have seen on the ice.

Dave Duerden (LW) came to us in a trade for Mike Harder with Louisville earlier this year, and after a quiet start has been a real boon to the Pack’s offense. He has a tendency to lurk around the net unnoticed and pop the puck home when no one is looking – which is fantastic since he seems to be the only member of the Pack that understands that the puck is more likely to go in if you are in front of the net, rather than on the sides or behind it. Dave has 22 points for the pack in 35 games (21%), although he has been –10 with us for reasons that I am not totally sure of – based on what I have observed, he seems to be a fairly solid defensive forward with good puck awareness in his own zone.

Jeff Toms (LW) you have seen before in New York. In case you don’t remember, the Rangers picked him up from the Islanders earlier this year, couldn’t really find a use for him, and sent him down to us. Jeff has 6 points in 5 games for the Pack this year since he was sent down, and this certainly makes him a solid addition to our scoring threat as we head into the post-season. For someone as big as he is (6’5") he doesn’t use his size very well, and looks more like D Wes Jarvis out there loping around the ice than I would like to see.

Todd Hall (LW/D) is a local boy who just married his high school girlfriend and wants to be a teacher when he retires from hockey. Last year he won the seventh player award, and was recently quoted extensively in an article about team prayer meetings. What this adds up to is someone that people don’t like to criticize, but in my opinion he just isn’t a very good player - not bad, just kind of average. I prefer him on offense than on the blueline because he had a terrifying tendency to take shots on his own net when back on defense, as if he was momentarily confused about which end he was playing. Up at forward, he is less likely to do damage to the team.

Boyd Kane (LW) was a player that tended to inspire "yeah, OKAY" looks whenever he was on the ice, but during his most recent banishment to Charlotte of the ECHL he has turned into a scoring machine. He has played on the top line (i.e., with Army) on a fairly regular basis, and will come to the defense of a teammate if needed, but seems unsure what to do after the face-wash – no glove-dropping has been evident yet, but if I see it I will move him over to the force column, as he has the size to make him a force to be reckoned with if he chooses.

Jason Dawe (RW) is injured, having played only four games this year in between a torn knee ligament and a broken ankle incurred at two separate games this year. He just got his plaster cast off last Friday, and has stated that if the team makes it to the third round, be may be ready to play. Although he is on the roster, expect RW Brad Mehalko (reserve) to play in his place.

Heather

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