Big news of the day at Caps practice was the move of Brooks Laich to a third line with Jason Chimera and Joel Ward. Even as recently as a few days ago Laich said he’d rather have a couple of games under his belt to get comfortable. He’s spent almost all of training camp at his familiar left wing.
Guess he’ll probably have to make due with one game – the preseason finale tomorrow against the Chicago Blackhawks at Verizon Center. Laich has played the position before, of course. Just not for consistent stretches. That looks like a nice shutdown line with size and speed. Ward is a noted two-way player and Laich was Washington’s best defensive forward last season with a north-south game you don’t always see among top-six players. Chimera is a big body at 6-foot-3, 213 pounds and one of the fastest skaters in the league.
That move would also ease a crowded top six with veteran Mike Knuble slotting back at his normal right wing position and Alex Semin moving to his natural left wing spot. Knuble was given the day off on Friday for the preseason game vs. Buffalo. Having said that – both Laich and Boudreau tried to downplay the switch saying only that it could prove a valuable experiment and be a natural fit later in the season. As you’d expect, no guarantees from anyone that Chimera-Laich-Ward will be the opening night third line against Carolina. When will it happen?
“At some point. Boudreau said. “When you tweak it and look at it you think ‘They’d be a pretty good line that might be able to score some goals’ and at the same time they can all skate. They’re big, they’re strong. They should be able to check other team’s top lines. They’re responsible.”
As for his depth at wing, Boudreau would only concede that it gives him options on different nights. There are technically five right-handed, right wingers that have had strong camps. Some of them can move to the left side. Laich can move to center.
“We’re still mixing and matching, trying to find combinations,” Laich said. “Maybe we’re not going to use it right away, but if our line has a good game tomorrow then maybe in the back of [Boudreau’s] mind he says this line can do that job. Maybe six weeks from know there comes a game where we need that.”
Don’t think the players haven’t thought about it, though. Chimera and Ward both said it seemed like a natural fit and talked about the possibility from the first day of camp.
“It’s a line that can grind guys down and create some offense,” Chimera said. “It would be a good line. If we can get some chemistry going tomorrow and hopefully be a good line that can stick together for a long time.”
The lines at practice today – and wouldn’t read too much into those last two – went like this:
Ovechkin-Johansson-Brouwer
Semin-Backstrom-Knuble
Chimera-Laich-Ward
King-Perreault-Hendricks
Eakin-Halpern-Sjogren
Jay Beagle was given the day off after suffering a minor injury during Friday’s game. But he is expected to play against Chicago. Michal Neuvirth, himself recovered from a minor injury, will start in goal against the Blackhawks.
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