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Ducks mulling over offensive philosophy

September 14th, 2009, 2:59 pm · 9 Comments · posted by Curtis Zupke, Staff writer

From at least the Brian Burke era, the Ducks have based their offensive philosophy on having two scoring lines and big checking line. marchant

That formula, of course, led the Ducks to the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals with Travis Moen, Samuel Pahlsson and Rob Niedermayer as the defensive shutdown line.

But things have changed. The Ducks no longer have that line, and Todd Marchant (right) is the lone returner from the checking line that finished last season.

And with more offensive punch available, the Ducks are mulling over a different approach.

“We haven’t really looked upon anything other than trying to create three offensive lines,” Coach Randy Carlyle said Monday of his preliminary thoughts.

The Ducks have a premier top line of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan. The additions of Saku Koivu and Joffrey Lupul, along with Teemu Selanne, give the club flexibility to spread out offense through the other two lines.

“With the emergence of Getzlaf and Perry and last year, Bobby Ryan, we feel we can put those guys up against anybody’s so-called No.1 line in the league,” Carlyle said.

“That’s a stepping stone. Are they going to be able to do it this year? Well, we’re going to wait and see, but we think they’re capable of doing it. When you have the ability to put Selanne and Koivu together and find a winger that can play with them. There are still some people that maybe you’d like to put in a third-line position that have offensive skills behind them.”

Reminded of Lupul’s previous linemates in his first stint with the Ducks, Carlyle  admitted he was entertaining one thought.

Lupul played with Marchant and Dustin Penner with the Ducks in 2005-06. Carlyle could try to re-create that with big Russian winger Evgeny Artyukhin playing the part of Penner.

“There’s some history there,” Caryle said. “We haven’t forgotten about that … That’s one of those things that you might look at, but we’re a long ways away from that being it’s the second day of training camp. But those are things you visualize.”

 

  

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 9 Comments

  • TiCKed says:
    September 14, 2009 at 4:22 pm

    There certainly appears to be a lot of options out there. It will be fun to watch, and see what develops.

    Just hope the many “armchair” coaches lay off while the options are tried. But I fear it won’t take long for the “fire Carlyle” talk to be started by a few malcontents, and idiot fans who’ve never warn skates, but still think they know better.

  • czhokej says:
    September 14, 2009 at 5:06 pm

    At the end, it will be Carlyle’s decision. Most of the time I do not like Randy’s coaching, and his strategy. Some games we played last season were quite ugly, mostly predictable dump and chase, with poor positioning and no net-front presence. Fortunately, Hiller made the difference. Randy wants three scoring lines, but putting Lupul on the third line will hurt both Selanne’s and Lupul’s scoring. I would like to see Ebbett, Carter and R2 (Arty) on the third line

  • Marc says:
    September 14, 2009 at 8:16 pm

    TICKed, there are plenty of people who wear skates (including, I’m told, several who have played for the Ducks) who believe that Randy should have been fired.

  • backcheck says:
    September 15, 2009 at 12:08 am

    It was obvious to anybody who’s warmed skates that Coach Carlyle had lost the team around Christmas. Give him and Bob Murray credit. It was just as obvious Coach Carlyle won them back after the trade deadline.

    As important as the lines, is the system. It goes hand in hand. Pronger was the only the guy I saw make the stretch pass consistently. How dominating will the forecheck be without Chris Kunitz, Rob Niedermayer, Travis Moen? Our defense is much faster than at anytime in recent years. Does Coach activate them more often? Coach has established twosomes on each line and worked a 3rd guy in and out for favorable matchups. How does having a genuine top line change his thinking and practice?

    We’ve gained some flash and dash at the expense of some bash & crash. This season, Coach Carlyle will be challenged to adapt and adjust his system and thinking to a very different roster and skill set.

    At the start of 2001-02 season, Scotty Bowman looked at his Red Wings roster and said, “We’ve got two different teams here.” This season, Coach Carlyle will be challenged to adapt and adjust his system and thinking to a very different roster and skill set. Just like Scotty Bowman did.

    This year, we find out if Randy Carlyle is a truly great coach or one of many decent to good coaches.

  • ASeg says:
    September 15, 2009 at 12:12 am

    Marc…that’s right on the nose. We’ve all heard rumors but I had an eye opening conversation with a damn good source… call it a lapse of judgement on their part but it said quite a lot.

  • Chaz says:
    September 15, 2009 at 10:20 am

    Artyukhin is a beast down low. He’ll plow through people and will come in handy when the game is winding down, keeping possession of the puck deep in the opponents zone. Having three scoring lines would be nice, but in the end i’d like to see Lupul with Koivu and Selanne.

  • czhokej says:
    September 15, 2009 at 4:57 pm

    One advantage of big players is that to control them and push them aside is very physically demanding. I certainly hope that R2 will be able to do exactly that - make the opposition tired, screen the goalies, push the defensemen and make their life miserable, etc.

    Back to Carlyle’s issue and players mutiny (January- February 2009): I also heard some rumors and tried to confirm it. One sport columnist substantiated the story and then the subsequent statement by Bob Murray more or less backed up the relevance of the whole episode.

    “Randy’s not going anywhere,” Murray declared in a very public vote of confidence (end of February). “If our players are thinking they’re going to use that as an excuse – because you know that’s what happens – well, the heck with that. There are going to be a lot of players out of here before he’s out of here. He’s done a heck of a job . . . he’s not the problem. And this is just my speculation: Is it possible that Kunitz was traded just because he was too vocal? Did he say too much against the coach?