Quote:
Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe
I actually think that the lineup (at least based on the games so far this season) should be:
Gaudreau - Monahan - Simon - this line is clicking, and I do think that Simon adds to this line. His forechecking/back-pressure/ability to play along the boards has been strong, and that's what this line really needs. It is why I wanted to see Bennett or Jankowski on this top line. As it stands, this line is experiencing success, so don't touch it.
Tkachuk - Lindholm - Bennett - I am a 'pro Bennett' guy, but no, he is not here because he deserves it or it is the right thing to do for Bennett. The other winger on this line has been mostly irrelevant IMO, and often invisible. Bennett will just make this line a bit tougher to play against, and can help to insulate Tkachuk a bit. He isn't scared to muck it up, and I think that will benefit Tkachuk a bit.
Mangiapane - Backlund - Dube - Backlund hasn't been great. Dube and Mangiapane have been (to varying degrees) rather irrelevant as the top 6 wingers. Put them with Backlund and let's see if they can gel together. Everyone is at least decent defensively, so you shouldn't be too worried about match-ups anyway.
As for the 4th line.. if Ryan continues to struggle, I am all for just continuously mixing it up. Heck, give me a line of Lucic - Ritchie - Rinaldo/Robinson. Play them 5 minutes a night to wake this damn team up. Flames have possibly been the easiest team to play against in the division. Just keep rotating guys in and out. Leivo has been completely invisible most nights. Alternatively, you can go with a Gawdin - Ryan - Leivo lineup and see if they can generate something, and play this line 12-14 minutes a game. The 4th line has been mostly bad... sometimes absolutely putrid. You should never lose because of your 4th line - and IMO, they haven't lost any games on their own. However, they haven't been a positive on this team. Just rotate everyone through the Taxi Squad until something clicks.
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I am down with stapling Bennett to Lindy-Tkachuk. It might be his last chance to show any sort of usefulness iMO.
I strongly disagree with your comment about Simon though. He's a pylon that Johnny and Monahan are making due with. There was a particular play last night that really killed me inside- Johnny and Monahan and just taken a big shift in the ozone, both back checked hard to play D, then the dman recovered and moved the puck up the ice to Simon. Johnny and Mony went to head off on a change. Simon had been seemingly near centre ice this entire shift- he wasn't in deep on the offensive rush, he was mid circle, and his back check was super weak, hence him taking that breakout pass from the d man around centre.
Instead of moving it up ice or even doing the least and dumping it, he skated the puck from the wall across center towards the benches, diagonally towards the opposing blue line. It was bizarre, because he skated right into the oncoming changed Habs players, who immediately stripped him of the puck. It was weak, it almost looked like he gave it to them. Just one example but it seems to happen consistently.