Quote:
Originally Posted by moon
Just out of curiosity (not trying to be argumentative I just can't think of any) which teams do you think run with 2 goons and run 3 lines and it works?
Also, if the 3 lines are struggling it would be nice to have a 4th line to throw out there that isn't a complete liability let alone an offensive blackhole. One of the things that have made teams like Chicago Boston and LA so success recently is having 4th lines they can throw out anytime, against any opposition and not being terrified of the results.
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The Leafs have Mclaren and Orr in the lineup regularly on the 4th line.
The Canucks have Kassian and Sestito (although Kassian is a better player than normal goons).
Avalanche have Bordeleau and Mcleod who play regularly.
Boston only has Thornton as a regular but that's only because they have team toughness everywhere else.
Montreal has Prust, Moen, and Parros playing regularly.
Chicago has Bollig and Brookbank as regulars.
All the other teams have at least one goon type guy, and the Flames have gone many nights where McGrattan was the only "goon" to dress. I think it's really overblown on this board how much ice the goons get.
And really, the past Dallas game has been the only game where the Flames have been bullied around this year. All the games prior to this, no one really wanted to mess with the Flames because of the deterrents. The Leafs thought they would but McGrattan and SOB set their tough guys straight.
At the end of the day, Lines 1 to 3 have to produce for this team to win. The 4th line isn't going to make the difference between winning and losing.