Thursday, September 6, 2001
New linemates tip the scales at some 666 lbs.
By ERIC FRANCIS -- Calgary Sun
If 666 is indeed the number of the beast, it's only fitting the top
line at Team Canada's orientation camp weighs in at exactly that figure.
Dominating the first red/white scrimmage with four goals in a 5-1 win, the
towering trio of Eric Lindros, Keith Primeau and Owen Nolan created a buzz at
Father Bauer Arena yesterday over more than just their incredible size.
"The comment made by the coaches when we put that line together was that by
the time they get to the puck, they each might have a piece of it," laughed
coach Pat Quinn of this week's poster boys for Alberta beef.
"Certainly, they were dominant out there. I had said 'no contact' out there
but still you don't want to get in their way because they're all big, strong
guys."
While Canada's international hockey trademark of physical play hasn't
served the country well the last decade, the fact is Lindros (6 ft. 4 in., 236
lb.), Primeau (6 ft. 5-in., 220 lb.) and Nolan (the runt at 6 ft. 1 in., 210
lb.) also have all the skills necessary to excel on the wide Olympic ice
surface. Two-goal efforts from both Lindros and Nolan yesterday symbolized the
belief Canada will arrive in Salt Lake City with a delicious combination of
speed, size and skill to burn.
"Before the scrimmage, when they said they didn't really want much contact,
we kind of looked at each other and figured the three of us should just head
back to the dressing room then," laughed Primeau, who scored a career-high 34
goals and 73 points last year in Philadelphia.
"Eric said on the bench, 'You guys aren't too excited about scoring goals
but it's been awhile for me.' "
With Nolan already named to the Olympic squad and Primeau and Lindros
shoo-ins to represent Canada as they did in Nagano four years ago, the Beastie
Boys may just remain a unit come February.
"It surprised me, we fit pretty well together," said Nolan, 29, San Jose's
scrappy captain who's unaccustomed to being the smallest man on any line.
"With two, big six-foot-five guys beside me, it's a lot of fun. There's a
whole lot of beef skating around."
Versatile in many ways, Lindros and Primeau are both natural centres,
allowing them to rotate faceoff duties depending on the location and
situation. It's an ability that could come in handy given the international
rule that will see linesman drop the puck after 15 seconds regardless of
whether both opponents are in the faceoff circle.
"I've played with Keith before so I know what he's up to and he's a great
player in his own right," said Lindros. "It was a lot of fun playing with
those two."
The second-best line yesterday was the Pierre Turgeon-Theoren Fleury-Jarome
Iginla unit, which created plenty of scoring chances. While coaches insist the
lines are strictly experimental, the other trios include Mario Lemieux-Paul
Kariya-Brendan Shanahan; Jason Arnott-Alex Tanguay-Anson Carter; Steve
Yzerman-Ryan Smyth-Mike Peca; and Joe Nieuwendyk-Mark Recchi-Brenden Morrow.
"No Olympic team is going to be as big as this team," said assistant coach
Ken Hitchcock, who has 23 of 33 skaters weighing more than 200 lb.
"That (Lindros) line is a power line but it's a power line with the puck.
The strength of this team is putting the puck in areas others don't want to
go."
As Quinn points out, intimidation is still very much a part of the game but
can come in many forms.
"You can intimidate with speed, with size and with attitude," said Quinn.
"Intimidation will always be there for Canadians. But the straight physical
aspect, where you just hammer people, hasn't really worked. If there's contact
available, we'll take it but we're not going to think we can pound these guys
and they'll run in fear from us ... It may be a strength but it has also been
an Achilles heal for us we're trying to get away from."
- - -
HOW THEY LINE UP:
FORWARD LINES
Primeau - Lindros - Nolan
Kariya - Lemieux - Shanahan
Tanguay - Arnott - Carter
Smyth - Yzerman - Peca
Fleury - Turgeon - Iginla
Recchi - Nieuwendyk - Morrow
DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS
Stevens Niedermayer
Blake - McKee
Brewer - MacInnis
Morris - Desjardins
2002 Games Columnists
