Rick Stephens

because the next stretch is going to be intense again.

It's going to be physically intense.

We're going to get challenged mentally as well.

We're going to try to take care of our stuff, but there's a whole league out there that's playing.

It's trying to grab points too that you can't control necessarily unless you take care of yourself.

I think we'll be ready for both the physical and the mental load that it demands, and sometimes having that break prepares you better for what's coming.

However, as we mentioned, one of the key components here is that there are healthy players who are going to be coming back into the lineup.

Rick identified some of the placeholders who were not only doing placeholding for...

players who were over at the Olympics, but also for injuries that are close to returning as well.

And Marty St.

Louis acknowledged that this week, that guys are getting healthy and are going to return to the lineup.

We have healthy bodies that are going to come back in.

We're going to have to make hard decisions, but making hard decisions is a good place to be because you have some good options, and we'll cross the bridge when that comes.

On the defensive side of things, Mathis and Gooley probably pretty cemented there as the top pairing.

And as you had talked about earlier, it's really going to come down to who's going to be on the third pairing with Carrier.

Is it going to be a Jack guy or is it going to be a Struble?

And in terms of the crease, I think nobody would argue with the fact that Dobesh has solidified himself as the starter.

And so it should be Dobesh as your general starter with Montembeau backing him up.

All right, so you've heard from us.

Now we want to hear from you.