Quote:
Originally Posted by bubbsy
While in a backup role Rittich was lights out. Even Prior to the injury to smith, this team a bubble team in spite of the things I mentioned.
See in my view if the bottom 6 is only playing 1/3, are they so detrimental that our amazing top line and great (debatable) 2nd line can't make enough impact in their 2/3s of ice time.
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This line of thinking is why we're not a better team right now. Most bottom 6 forwards play roughly 40% of the game and the top 2 lines can't score every game. This isn't basketball.
Our top guys are already hitting career highs and the 2nd line is putting up a roughly similar pace to last season scoring wise. So why can't the 3rd and 4th line not help out?
That's the difference in the league, good teams have 2 good lines, but in the end, they cancel each other out and what's left is your bottom 6. The best teams in the league have the depth to make 3 dangerous lines, that's why they win so much.
When the top guys don't score, other lines pick up the slack. If anyone remembers the Penguins Stanley Cup win 2015-16, Phil Kessel played mostly on the 3rd line that post season and absolutely torched bottom pairing defensemen. If we had something even remotely close, we'd have a much better record and everyone wouldn't be losing their minds around here.