Monday, September 20, 2010

Best forward line in the NHL?

Check out this forward line for the New Jersey Devils. I predict that is going to be one of the top lines in the NHL this season. Travis Zajac is an up and coming stars in the NHL and Zach Parise is establishing himself as one of the top American forwards in the NHL. This line combination will have Devils fans licking their chops. Last season Parise and Zajac finished 1st and 2nd overall in the Devils scoring, Kovalchuk was picked up in a trade from Atlanta on 02/04/2010 and added 27 points in 27 games (10g-17a-27pts).
MacLean opened training camp yesterday by assembling what could be one of the great lines in hockey, putting Kovalchuk on right wing with Zach Parise on the left and Travis Zajac in the middle.

"To play with those two guys, I'd play in goal," Kovalchuk said. "That's my first experience [as a right wing]. Hopefully it's a good one."

Part of Kovalchuk's success has been his ability to play the off-wing, a righty on the left, where speed affords better-angle shots.
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"Thinking all summer of the different combinations you could have, we'll see what they can do," MacLean said. "There's definitely enough pucks."

"I didn't see it coming," Parise said. "I was assuming he'd be playing left wing, so it was a nice surprise.

"Hopefully, it will give us some time to develop chemistry among the three of us. I don't think anyone's reading anything into it. But it would be a fun line if we did play like that."

Parise said he teased Zajac that he "might not get 100 shots this year."

"He may have 100 assists," MacLean countered. [Read more]