Quote:
Originally Posted by 868904
I really don't want to see Gaudreau and Monahan together anymore. They are two perimeter guys and two of the worst defensive players on the team. I'm sick of seeing them hemmed in their own zone even with a really good defensive player like Lindholm flanking them.
Maybe you can live with being hemmed in their own zone when they are producing at a high clip off the rush, but after last season and the recent playoffs, I'm kind of done with them together.
I'd like to see this:
Tkachuk-Monahan-Dube/Ryan
I know both Tkachuk and Monahan are two slower guys, but they should play well on an offensive cycle as two bigger guys and one is a playmaker and the other a shooter. Dube and Ryan provide that line with speed and a forecheck. Dube provides more offense while Ryan provides more defensive conscience and also helps with the faceoffs. Who the right winger is depends on the game situation and opponent.
Gaudreau-Lindholm-Mangiapane/Leivo
You put two bulldogs in Lindholm and Mangiapane with Gaudreau, but also two very skilled finishers. Mangiapane's game is pretty similar to Lindholm in that he can finish with skill but also doesn't mind the dirty work. You need two guys on a line to do the dirty work, it can't just be one. Leivo also works here if they want some more size. When you have Gaudreau and Monahan together, there is no offensive cycle and pressure because they both can't do the dirty work.
Nordstrom/Simon-Backlund-Leivo/Ryan/Mangiapane
A bunch of two way forwards that can form a shutdown line but also provide match up advantages against other team's bottom 6. The penalty killers are also on this line so in a game with a lot of special teams, you aren't throwing your top lines out of sync as much when you've got your penalty killers playing together. So many different options.
Lucic-Bennett-Dube/Ryan/Nordstrom
This is the energy line. You need to set the tone at the beginning of the game, you put them out. You need to change the momentum during a game, you put them out. They also can play a regular shift and hopefully produce some offense. In a sense, the key player on this line, is the guy who rotates in and out, that being Dube or Ryan.
We can all argue about which line combination is best, but what Tre has done is provide Ward with so many options and combinations to suit any team or play any type of game.
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Has Monahan ever scored a goal from the perimeter? I would have to think 95% of his goals are scored from 5-10 feet out.
Anyway, there will be tinkering, there always is.