Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 3071341" data-attributes="member: 2012">Ekman ready to play alongside CrosbyCanadian Press9/18/2006 4:35:43 PMMONCTON, N.B. (CP) - Apparently Nils Ekman can do no wrong.Fresh off a career-high 57 points (21-36) last season where he played alongside Hart Trophy winner Joe Thornton in San Jose, Ekman gets ready for a new centre in a new city and it's not exactly a downgrade.Nils Ekman, meet Sidney Crosby."It's exciting, I feel honoured," the 30-year-old Swede said Monday after practice at the Moncton Coliseum. "I want to do well here as well, maybe help Sid win the points title this year. It'll be a fun journey, I'm sure."Ekman has skated with Crosby and right-winger Colby Armstrong since camp started and head coach Michel Therrien says that's the plan to start the season."We believe that's going to be a pretty productive line for us," said Therrien. "(Ekman) plays well at both ends of the ice and he's got the speed to play with Sidney Crosby."Crosby and Ekman have the wheels and Armstrong - who found chemistry with Crosby last season - is the masher in the unit."Nils has a lot of speed and hopefully he can open up the play with that," said Crosby. "Arm will be more of a physical guy, get us the puck. I think we complement each other."Pittsburgh's second forward line at this point will feature rookie Russian Evgeni Malkin at centre with veteran Mark Recchi on the right and Ryan Malone on the left. Therrien said Malkin would sit out Tuesday's pre-season opener in Halifax against Ottawa but suit up for his first NHL game Wednesday night here against Philadelphia.Ekman gets his first real look with Crosby in Halifax. Just a few months ago he was patrolling the left wing with Thornton at centre and Rocket Richard Trophy winner Jonathan Cheechoo on the right."Yeah, we played well, we had chemistry," said Ekman. "We had some success, even though it felt like a big failure when we didn't go as far in the playoffs as we wanted to. But I enjoyed it, it was fun playing with those guys and being part of their success."And life in the Bay Area was good. He was hitting his stride as a first-line NHLer and tremendously enjoyed his digs."We built our home there, my wife and I and our little son," said Ekman. "We enjoyed life there very much. Moving is always tough. But I've got positive vibes here. It's going to be fun to come to a new city and new team."He insists he has no idea why Sharks GM Doug Wilson moved him to Pittsburgh on July 20 in exchange for a second-round draft pick."Not really. I was surprised, yes," said the Stockholm native. "I'd rather look forward and think about what I'm going to do here so I really haven't thought about why I was traded. I haven't asked."No better way to move on than to go from the reigning NHL MVP to a potential future MVP."Sid's a lot faster, he just flies, he's got the jets," Ekman said when asked to compare the two. "Joe has a different style. When Sid has the puck he tries to speed everything up and no one can keep up with him. Joe, on the other hand, he kind of slows everything down. He holds down to the puck so well, he uses his long reach, and he sees the ice so well."But they both have a lot of success at what they do. They're both amazing players."Armstrong, who had 16 goals in 47 games last season, has been impressed with his new linemate."He's fast, he's got unbelievable patience with the puck," said the 23-year-old from Lloydminster, Sask. "He really opens up the game with his speed. I think our chemistry is coming day by day."Note: Asked whether he'd be a good sleeper pick in a hockey pool given his spot on the top line, Armstrong responded: "My buddies have been picking me for the last five years - they're idiots."</blockquote>

Verification