from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,
While five-on-five play was the focus of the first scrimmage, special teams are on the menu for Friday’s and Sunday’s scrimmages. One unit features Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha on the flanks, Tyler Bertuzzi in the bumper role, Bobby Ryan in front of the net and Danny DeKeyser on the point. The other has Filip Zadina and Sam Gagner on the flanks, Robby Fabbri in front of the net and Filip Hronek and Jon Merrill on the points.
Both units have at least one player (Ryan, Gagner, Hronek) who shoots right, a balance that should allow for multiple looks, once it's set up.
“We’ve been hoping for righties so we could have a righty-lefty, especially between the net-front and the bumper,” Blashill said. “That means that that is a dangerous play, when you have a lefty-righty in those situations. That makes your low plays that much more dangerous, which can open up some of your high plays as well. So having a righty on each unit does give us a balance, and we’re excited about those opportunities.
“It still comes down to scoring those dirty goals around the net. It still comes down to managing the puck. But it gives us a chance to be more successful.”
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