Saturday, April 2, 2005 | By Philip Croucher, Halifax Daily News

Head coach Al MacAdam knows what he wants from his fourth line this post-season.

The question that remains, however, is who will be called upon to deliver it.

"The fourth line has to be a high-energy line. That is my feeling," said MacAdam, after a Halifax Mooseheads practice this week. "Not high energy in the fact they're all over the place, but a high-energy line that you can throw out, sit them for a while, then throw out again and they bring that to the game.

"They should energize our team at certain points."

The Mooseheads didn't have a set fourth line this season, and it's conceivable that could continue in the playoffs.

For the most part, the fourth line was different combinations of the following players: Kevin Cormier, Bryce Swan, Kenzie Sheppard, Ryan Hillier, Justin Saulnier, James Pouliot and Ryan Moore.

Austin Corredato also saw time there, including the final game of the regular season against Cape Breton.

MacAdam expects to set his starting lines on Thursday, a day before Halifax's playoff opener against a yet-to-be-determined opponent at Metro Centre.

"I guess who is hot is going to play, and who's not is going to stay in the stands," said Cormier, the Mooseheads 18-year-old enforcer. "We had the full season to prove ourselves for playoffs. And now the real season begins, and I think who ever is going to be hot is going to play."

Cormier should be a leading contender for one of the three spots. The Phoenix Coyotes draft pick played in 60 games during the regular season, which is most out of any of the above eight, except for Corredato, who saw most of his ice time on the third line.

Cormier is the league's most feared enforcer, and although there's not much fighting in the playoffs, his presence alone can generate much-needed space for his teammates.

"For me to get in the lineup on the fourth line, I'm not going to have to play the roll of a tough guy. Not like a goon, more of an enforcer," Cormier said.

"Go into the corners and try and get the top players from the other team off their games. Just go on the ice, play good defence too. If I get a couple of points, that would also be nice."

The player who arguably made the strongest case down the stretch was Swan, a 17-year-old rookie. The energetic forward played in eight of the team's final nine games, and saw some action on a top-three unit with Daniel Sparre and David Brine.

"I smile enough as it is but Id be smiling even more (if I could get in there)," Swan said of the playoffs. "It would help your confidence too. Playoff hockey is the type of hockey I like to play.

"In your face hockey I think I'd do pretty good."