(Please Note: Some questions have been edited for clarity.)
Why is Ethan Bear getting scratched so much? - @mattdogg53
For those who aren't up to speed, as of late there has been a three-man rotation for the final two defensive spots. One of Ian Cole, Brendan Smith or Ethan Bear has had to sit out healthy.
Why?
"We really just want to keep everyone sharp, that's why we've rotated guys in and out. Starting next week we'll definitely have to know what we're doing, but it may be one of those things where it is depending on the opponent for who we use and the pairs we use. More than anything right now, we're just trying to keep all those guys in the mix."
That's what Rod Brind'Amour had to say when asked about it after Thursday's morning skate. So, there's your answer.
Looking into D pairings. The top two pairs seem set with 74-77 & 76-22. What combination will the third pair settle in for the post season? Between Cole-Smith-Bear seems something's missing IMO. Do you see Chatfield getting a playoff shot here? I can see Smith with Chatfield. - @yyzman442
See above for the answer to the first question.
In regard to the second, I don't foresee Chatfield being called up if all three of Cole, Smith and Bear are healthy. Injuries can obviously change things, but Chatfield is an important anchor for the Chicago Wolves right now, who are about to embark on a playoff run of their own.
It's nice to see the belief in Chatfield though, I think he's going to be a very important piece come September. But let's not rush to that, there's other important things on the horizon first.
Is Pyotr Kochetkov the second coming of Cam Ward? - @chilzz919
I know there's a bit of tongue-in-cheek with this question. Or at least that's the manner I'm going to operate under with it.
I'm glad everyone's excited to see the kid play. Heck, I am too. How could you not be?
I know there's a lot of hype behind him, but the numbers reflect what the numbers reflect so far. Antti Raanta's
