VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Jim Montgomery tinkers. He switches, he rotates, he swaps, he changes. It's something that has become commonplace during his first season behind the bench, with new forward lines appearing and often changing during games.
Part of it is a necessity, when forwards get hurt and need to be removed from the lineup. Part of it is for matchups, when the Stars are on the road without last change, Montgomery chooses to configure three lines he feels can match any opposing line. Part of it is a meritocracy, elevating players he feels are playing well to top-six roles.