Protected forward lineup to start the game:
Tomas Hertl - Joe Thornton - Brent Burns
Patrick Marleau - Logan Couture - Joe Pavelski
Tommy Wingels - Andrew Desjardins - Matt Nieto
James Sheppard - Freddie Hamilton - Tyler Kennedy
Todd trying a couple new things. I don't like Pavs on the wing because none of those players are great at puck retrieval and it thins out our other lines. That line could just be being used to shut down the Wild's first line because they'll be killer defensively.
Desi as a third line center isn't good. I'm hoping their game plan is to play the simplest type of game possible: get pucks deep, retrieve, shoot, and crash the net. They could succeed if they don't try to do anything too complicated, Wingels can make that line work. Nieto is back which I'm happy about, how the time off gets him extra motivated to play.
TK demoted to the fourth line, Todd sending a message. Hamilton up from Wooster where he has been playing really well. His first stint up here was bad but he was given top six minutes which he wasn't ready for. Hopefully the smaller role will suit him.
Scratches are Havlat, Stuart, and McCarthy. Todd eluded that Havlat is scratched because of performance and that Stuart is nursing some injuries. McCarthy is just garbage and should never play.