Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
This is something that didn't get enough play. That line was not very good this season and he never made any adjustments. Just kept it together in hopes that they would magically regain their form from the season before even though it was painfully obvious that Frolik was dragging that line down all season and Tkachuk wasn't being fully utilized playing with two slumping players.
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IMO the line should've been split up before the season even started.
How were we going to contend? By being a 3 line team that had 2 scoring lines and an elite checking line. How do you get there? By letting Tkachuk drive one of the scoring lines and getting Backlund and Frolik to be your elite 2-way checking line. In order to get two scoring lines you had to develop Bennett or Jankowski into a 2nd line centre. In order to do that you had to play them with some good offensive players to get their confidence going. Just amazing that Glen did not seem to see any of this.
Why did we never roll with...
Gaudreau-Monahan-Ferland
Tkachuk-Jankowski-Bennett
Frolik-Backlund-Brouwer/Versteeg
OR
Tkachuk-Monahan-Bennett
Gaudreau-Jankowski-Ferland
Frolik-Backlund-Brouwer/Versteeg
The 2nd lineup in particular would've had each of young offensive players (Bennett/Janko) with 2 more established players and put in situations to succeed offensively. Which line is the opposition going to send their best checkers against? Both the top two lines look very dangerous and you can use Backlund/Frolik as a shutdown line.
I'm sure Treliving imagined some lineups like this. IMO that was the type of lineup that we needed in order to succeed. That Gulutzan put the struggling Bennett and Jankowski with a 4th line grinder in Hathaway shows you just how limited his vision was and how he really completely failed to put those two in situations to succeed for the majority of the year.