Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina
Yeah it's the constant "Johnny slowing down the play" when he enters the zone that is a big problem. i don't know how to fix it.
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And it's like it changed over night.
That line was legitimately dangerous for a three season stretch, and then it was just like it was overnight that suddenly it was done.
Part of that it is that it's always been too reliant on Gaudreau to do it all, but at the same time it didn't matter previously because you wanted the puck on his stick anyways and I'm not sure you can say that anymore. He just wasn't the same elusive player at 5v5 in the offensive zone in 19-20 that he was in previous years.
Here is a look at Gaudreau+Monahan at 5v5 since they've been together.
They were great for a three season stretch from 16-19, and really their best season was actually in 17-18 under GG.
Overall they were always a line that played high event hockey and traded chances but they were able to come out ahead.
But then last year the High Danger chance rate just dropped off a cliff. The corsi rate didn't change a whole lot in that time, but the ability to get to the high danger area just disappeared.
I think a big part of it is that Gaudreau was just off last season, and I think Monahan has been less effective since he's had all his hand issues as well, but I wonder if some of it is coaching too.
We heard a lot coming into last season about playing "Playoff" hockey, and not taking as many risks with the puck or cheating to create offense and I think that impacted this line the most.
They are never going to be a get it deep and cycle line. They need to play fast to be able to generate offense and I don't think they were doing that in 19-20.
I feel like last night (in the first period at least) they looked more like they did from 16-19. They were playing quicker, taking more risks with the puck, and the big thing to me was that the defense was jumping in and being more aggressive and activating in the offensive zone.
The thing with the Gaudreau stop at the blue line is you need the d-man to jump into the play to give him a trailing passing option for it to work and the d-men didn't activate at all last year.
It's only one game, and they struggled in the final 40, but it is really intriguing to see if this line can have a bounce back season, especially if the defense plays aggressive like they did in the first period last night.