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Canwest News Service
VANCOUVER – A couple of springs back, Team Canada head coach Ken Hitchcock put together a line of Dany Heatley, Rick Nash and Ryan Getzlaf at the 2008 IIHF world championship.
The trio dominated most of the tournament and, Hitchcock would later recall, was maybe the best line he's ever seen.
With the Olympics around the corner, Hitchcock is an assistant with Team Canada this time around, and Heatley's name is being bandied about. But you could make an argument that Heatley is already playing on a threesome that would look good for Canada – along with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.
"That would be great," Heatley said before Sunday night's game against the Vancouver Canucks at GM Place. "We all want to be there.
"(But) there are so many great players in Canada . . . we're just going to play our best and see what happens."
Heading into Sunday night's game, Thornton led the league in points with 36. Heatley was second in goals with 18, Marleau one behind with 17. And they hadn't even played together as a regular unit until earlier this month.
Heatley, of course, is no stranger to having high-octane linemates.
In Ottawa it was Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza.
The difference now?
"Why does chemistry work with some guys? It's tough to break it down like that," Heatley said. "I guess in Ottawa, maybe that line was a little better at getting stuff off the rush.
"I think this line does more down low to create chances. Big Joe likes standing down low behind the net and we create a lot more scoring chances down low."
Another Shark who has played with a powerful trio before is defenceman Dan Boyle, who won a Stanley Cup in 2004 with Tampa Bay and its big line of Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis.
"These guys (on the Sharks) are pretty special," Boyle said. "Joe is one of, if not the best, passers in the game, Dany can score as good as anybody in the game, and Patty is a combination of both and he's got the speed."
There are 31 days to go before Team Canada's executive director Steve Yzerman will announce his Olympic roster.
There's the knock against Thornton and Marleau that they disappear when the pressure's on.
And even their coach, while praising their offence, sees room for improvement. "We'd like to see them be a little sharper defensively," Todd McLellan said.
Vancouver Province
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