In the NHL, line combinations put together in practice can last through one shift or a season – or something in between. They can be torn apart, reassembled, juggled, and perhaps even spindled or mutilated on a coach’s sheet, all within a span of about five minutes in a period.
So it would be folly to assume too much about the longevity of the combinations Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville has put together with Wednesday’s 2006-07 season opener against Dallas at the Pepsi Center approaching.
“We’re just trying a couple of things,” Quenneville said after the Avalanche’s Monday practice. “How long they last, their play will dictate that.”
But they’re at least interesting, in part because of the multinational “Kid Line” combination of Quebec City-born Paul Stastny centering Poland native Wojtek Wolski and Slovak Marek Svatos.
“We said at this practice that our average age must be something like 21,” Svatos said. “They’re two great players and I’m glad to be playing with them.”
Svatos is 24, and as a Slovak, he is aware of the legend of his linemate’s father – Peter Stastny, a proud Slovak who defected from what then was Czechoslovakia in 1980, had a Hall of Fame NHL career, then put together the Slovakian national teams after his homeland regained its independence.
Paul Stastny and Wolski are 20.
They don’t call Svatos “Pops,” but they’re aware the Slovak is a proven NHL goal-scorer in the wake of the 32 goals he had last season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in March. The recovery limited Svatos’ work in training camp, and he played in only the final two exhibition games.
“He’s not that old,” Wolski said. “As a young line, we have a lot of energy and I think there’s a lot of skill, so we’re not too worried about that other stuff.”
By that, Wolski meant aspects of the game young NHL forwards traditionally have to learn about, and often the hard way – including holding their own at the defensive end of the ice.
“We just have to play our game and the rest takes care of itself,” said Stastny, a former University of Denver standout. “They put us together for a reason. We’re not the same players … and they think we can do well together.”
It’s all a matter of semantics, but the No. 1 line remains Joe Sakic centering Milan Hejduk and Andrew Brunette. The other lines Monday were Antti Laaksonen-Brad Richardson-Mark Rycroft and Brett McLean-Tyler Arnason-Ian Laperriere. If all those remain the same, the “Kid Line” probably could be considered and used as the second or the fourth line, ruling it out as the conventionally defensive-minded third line.
“Both wingers have had some experience,” Quenneville said of his youngest unit. “And I’ve been around where kid lines, with excitement, the enthusiasm, the speed, the skill, all can come together. ‘Woly’ and Paul were together in training camp, and they had some chemistry going. Marek is coming along more every day and getting a jump in his stride. … We know they can play offense at our level. The consistency of playing the team game is what we’re aware of as a coaching staff. And that’s what we’re trying to instill in our team, how well we play without the puck.”
Footnotes
The team’s annual faceoff luncheon is today at the Downtown Marriott Hotel … Veteran defenseman Jordan Leopold, acquired in the Alex Tanguay deal with Calgary, skated with his teammates in the early part of the Monday workout. Quenneville said the team was being too optimistic hoping to have Leopold, who underwent summer hernia surgery, in the lineup by the fourth game of the regular season. “He’s a little behind that now,” Quenneville said. “We probably are looking a little later in the month of October.”
Staff writer Terry Frei can be reached at 303-954-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com.
