Tocchet liked the way Capobianco was progressing up until suffering a torn ACL two years ago. He's pleased to have Capobianco's skill set back in the fold.
"He can add that offensive defenseman with a great shot," Tocchet said. "He's got a great one-timer. Really good breakout pass. He can join the rush. You're always looking for that type of defenseman. It's no different than when he's down there in Tucson controlling things, I told him tonight, do the same thing, have that confidence. Just because it's a different level. I'm anxious to see how he plays. It's fun. I want to see how he does."
Up front: Tocchet is pleased with the forward lines' performances. All forward units will remain the same Monday night. The top three lines have combined for 11 even-strength points through two games; the fourth line has been a stabilizer.
"I think each line has done something the last two games to warrant them to stay together," Tocchet said. "You know, we're trying to spread the minutes out. We're a four-line team. I got the fourth line out there about 12-13 minutes (Saturday) night and that helped us.
"The way I want the team to play and the way we're built, we're a four-line team. We really are asking guys to reload, track, and play harder in the middle of the ice. To be able to do that, it's tough to play 19-20 minutes. The players we have, we're built with quicker speed, so I'd rather do the four lines. And so far, it's helped us, I think, for the 60-minute game. For the most part, I've liked our energy level, and I think that's because of the four-line system."
