According to Jim Benton of the Rocky Mountain News, Jeff Finger is now healthy and available to play on Thursday:
Defenseman Jeff Finger, who has missed six games with a hand injury, is ready to return to the lineup but just whom he might replace is a big question. Finger has six goals this season, the most of any Avalanche defenseman.
“We’ve got some decisions to make,” Quenneville said. “Fingie could play (Thursday) night.”
This is exactly the dilemma I pondered last week at the deadline. With Finger healthy, the team has seven defensemen who really deserve to be in the starting lineup. Really, no one jumps out as a prime candidate to sit. I suppose Jordan Leopold is the best bet, but he’s been no slouch on the ice lately (anyone else remember how dreadful he was at the start of the season?). I’m curious to see how this shakes out. One thing is certain, though: a few weeks ago our defensive squad was hurting without Brett Clark. Suddenly, with the acquisitions of Ruslan Salei and Adam Foote, our defensive squad may now be the best - and deepest - in years.
I have one huge issue with the above quote, though. “Fingie?” My God, that may be the worst nickname in the history of mankind. “Finger” is bad enough (says the guy with the long-ass, hyphenated name). “Fingie” is just unbelievably bad. It’s perfectly acceptable to name your finger puppet “Fingie”. It’s absolutely, unequivocally not okay to use that nickname for a hockey player…especially one who plays with a level of toughness. I will, begrudgingly, deal with “Boods”, “Duke” and “Woolie” *shudder*, but “Fingie” is just going too far.
Honest to Roy, I would sit Hannan, but I know that isn’t going to happen. I thought he was the weakest defenseman again versus the Canucks last night … not that he was completely horrible, but noticably bad on occasion. Actually, every time Foote made a good play, which was frequent, I would yell “take notes Hannan, that is what you should be doing.”
Oh well, my guess is that Q goes with 7 defensemen and 11 forwards and benches Parker, which wouldn’t make the forward rotation much different than it has been.
Honestly. I think Finger, Sauer and Liles should probably go ona 3 way rotation of sitting, and if one of them is banged up, give them the night off.
But we’ll probably go 7 D-men with Liles on the wing or something
The only thing against the 7 D thing is that the Ducks are one of the few NHL teams where Parker is actually useful to have in the lineup against.
And I agree, Bob, Hannan has struggled…something that started right around the time I defended him here.
I would sit Hannan. Not only has he been weaker than the other guys lately, but he could use the jolt to his self-confidence. He’s not living up to his legacy in San Jose.
plus, they’d save on the water bill (Hannan showers between periods)
Hannan came instantly to mind here as well, but I’m not holding my breath.
I’m disappointed in all of you. How can you not be rooting for the “Footie” & “Fingie” line? That way, everyone can get their body part jokes out of the way.
On a serious note, Finger has played on the right side all year long. I’m not sure how flexible he’s going to be playing on the left (well, except on the powerplay. That left side is in his wheel-house). On the right we have Foote, Leopold and Hannan right now. On the left you have Xalei, Liles and Xauer. It is a really tough decision but Finger is leading the defensemen in goals so far and that’s with some very reluctant power play time at the end of the year. I think he’ll get the healthy scratch because frankly, this is a game Parker needs to be in.
Good point about needing Parker against the Ducks. Burke’s team will always be one willing to throw down with anyone. Speaking of which, AD goes off in another blog today:
http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2008/03/05/smack-em-in-the-mouth/
He makes some good points. I was bothered that Forsberg was getting roughed up the other night (mainly by Burrows and Bieksa, iirc) and nobody noticably made those guys pay. I know Footer stands up for his teammates. And of course Lappy. But they need more of that.
I’m going to go with Xauer as the healthy scratch on the blueline. Not because it makes ANY sense, but because it’s the kind of out-of-nowhere thing I’ve come to expect with Q.
PS: “Fingie” is ridiculous. As is “Footie.” I’m sure Adam prefers “Footer” 1,000 times over “Footie.”
Fingie is ridiculous. First thing I noticed from the story.
Second thing I thought was, “What the hell is Jim Benton doing writing an Avs story?” The guy’s been around for a billion years, and I don’t recall him being too involved in the Avs.
As much as I’d like to indulge my fantasy of Hannan actually sitting out a game or 10, I think the 7 defensemen dressing and Liles/Leo/Finger rotation is much more likely to happen.
Bob, you’d get bothered if someone looks at Forsberg directly in the eyes, that’s the extent of your man-crush on the guy. He wasn’t roughed up that bad. Look, it’s pretty simple - in a tight game against a division rival, with Scott Hannan on the PK, you can’t take a bad penalty. Could cost you a goal and a point or two. Forsberg’s a big boy, he can handle himself. The time and the place wasn’t right to avenge the shots at Forsberg or the run into JT by Pettinger. Plus, it might have meant a Cody McLeod “fight,” and that’s just not good for morale.
Man-crush? So. Is there something wrong with that? At least he’s worthy of a man-crush, you Hlinka hlover. You know damn well I am bothered every time someone breathes a little too heavily in Forsberg’s general direction. Sure, he can handle himself. Until he separates his shoulder, gets another concussion (remember when that a-hole Bertuzzi gave him a concussion with a hit from behind into the boards years before the Moore incident way back when?), or pulls a groin and/or stomach muscle because he is carrying an extra 200 lbs on his back through the neutral zone.
The book on Forsberg is obvious. Engage him in physical bs and you have a good chance to take him out of a game because he engages back. I wish he would quit engaging back and let someone else take care of business for him. Then maybe all of the bs would stop.