KIDWCKED
02-21-2010, 03:41 PM
c\p By Eric Duhatschek, The Canadian Press Posted Saturday, February 20, 2010 10:22 PM ET
VANCOUVER - Auditions for a place on Canada's top line continued Saturday, with the Philadelphia Flyers' Mike Richards, who started the Olympics as Canada's 13th forward, now playing alongside Sidney Crosby.
Talk about moving up fast.
Richards is the third player to get a tryout with Crosby, following Patrice Bergeron and Jarome Iginla, and the goal for coach Mike Babcock, is to develop some chemistry on his top line at some point in Sunday's game against their rivals from the United States before medal round play begins.
According to Babcock, Richards' inclusion on that line permits Rick Nash to switch to the right side, where he is more comfortable, and Richards "is a good give-and-go player. We thought it might be a good thing."
Richards and Crosby have played together previously on world junior teams, but in the NHL, they are fierce divisional rivals. But as Richards said Saturday post-practice: "It's easier to play with him than against him."
"I've played with some talented players before, with Peter Forsberg when he was with us," continued Richards. "You've just got to expect the puck at all times and never count him out of the play. I mean, he's a fast player, so you try to give him the puck with speed."
Babcock ran his team through practice at the Brittania Ice Centre late Saturday afternoon, which followed hard on the heels of the U.S. skate. Two games in, Canada hasn't lost, and if they do drop a game, it can only be Sunday's against the Americans. After that, the tournament shifts into a single-elimination format. The feeling-out process will be over. The tournament becomes win-or-go-home.
"The path to where we want to go is a lot easier if we win tomorrow," said Babcock.
VANCOUVER - Auditions for a place on Canada's top line continued Saturday, with the Philadelphia Flyers' Mike Richards, who started the Olympics as Canada's 13th forward, now playing alongside Sidney Crosby.
Talk about moving up fast.
Richards is the third player to get a tryout with Crosby, following Patrice Bergeron and Jarome Iginla, and the goal for coach Mike Babcock, is to develop some chemistry on his top line at some point in Sunday's game against their rivals from the United States before medal round play begins.
According to Babcock, Richards' inclusion on that line permits Rick Nash to switch to the right side, where he is more comfortable, and Richards "is a good give-and-go player. We thought it might be a good thing."
Richards and Crosby have played together previously on world junior teams, but in the NHL, they are fierce divisional rivals. But as Richards said Saturday post-practice: "It's easier to play with him than against him."
"I've played with some talented players before, with Peter Forsberg when he was with us," continued Richards. "You've just got to expect the puck at all times and never count him out of the play. I mean, he's a fast player, so you try to give him the puck with speed."
Babcock ran his team through practice at the Brittania Ice Centre late Saturday afternoon, which followed hard on the heels of the U.S. skate. Two games in, Canada hasn't lost, and if they do drop a game, it can only be Sunday's against the Americans. After that, the tournament shifts into a single-elimination format. The feeling-out process will be over. The tournament becomes win-or-go-home.
"The path to where we want to go is a lot easier if we win tomorrow," said Babcock.