Coach Al Sims and captain Colin Chaulk retired, and now so has the goaltender who backstopped them to four championships between 2008 and 2012.So, as the Komets deal with their 2-1 deficit in the best-of-seven IHL semifinals, the question is: What do do now?
My solution would be breaking up the top line of Justin Hodgman, Colin Chaulk and Matt Syroczynski. It has accounted for six of the Komets' nine goals.
If the Komets don't get offensive production from the second and third lines, they won't be able to win this series.
Sean O'Connor had two goals in the first game of the series but has been fairly silent since. Defenseman Guy Dupuis has the other goal, on a power play.
I would spread the wealth and see whether it gets other players going.
Here's what I'm thinking:
- Top line: P.C. Drouin-Colin Chaulk-Sean O'Connor
- Second line: Justin Chwedoruk-Leo Thomas-Matt Syroczynski
- Third line: David Hukalo-Justin Hodgman-Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock
- Tuesday's edition of "We've got Game," with Justin Cohn and Ben Smith, will be awesome. Our lineup of guests will include Komets president Michael Franke, and we will ask him about the future of the IHL. Also, we will have the Pittsburgh Steelers' Trai Essex, Mike Rothstein of AnnArbor.com, talking about the future of the Big Ten, and ESPN.com's Claire Novak will give us a tutorial on horse racing. You can listen to the show live 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, or you can listen to the replay whenever is convenient. Just use the radio button to the right when you can.
