TIME TO PLAY FOR REAL

Niklas Kronwall

Thunder Bay, Ont.- The tune up games are over and Sunday marks the beginning of the 2011-12 CCHL regular season.
>>>For the Timberwolves, they take a 6-0 pre-season record for what it's worth, set their opening game roster and are looking forward for their tilt against the Calgary Chinook.
>>>"We're ready," said Thunder Bay GM Blake Wendt. "We have our team and are more than ready to get this thing going for real. Obviously there are some things we'd like to and need to improve on from the pre-season, especially our special teams [zero power play goals, and three short-handed goals against]. We'll keep a few guys up on a reserve/practise-basis and move them in and out for a few games to get a real good feel for our lines and pairings."
>>>So, how will things look on for the opener do you ask? Here you go...
First line: Matt Duchene centring Patrick Sharp and Marian Gaborik
Second line: John Tavares centring Milan Lucic and Rick Nash
Third line: Shawn Horcoff centring Cal Clutterbuck and Mike Knuble
Fourth line: Blair Betts centring Taylor Pyatt and a double shifted Gaborik
First D pairing: Dion Phaneuf and Jordan Leopold
Second D pairing: Marc Staal and Niklas Kronwall
Third D pairing: Nick Schultz and Anton Volchenkov
Starting goaltender: Henrik Lundqvist with James Reimer backing up
Reserve: D John Carlson, D Carl Gunnarsson, D Douglas Murray, F Antti Miettinen and F Colby Armstrong
Captains: Sharp [C] - Nash [A] - Schultz [A]