What Ward is saying isn't wrong - if you can have your 4th line get the occasional shift in against the other team's top line, it really helps with game management. And this happens in almost every game for almost every team.
The question is: HOW MUCH can you get away with it? And that is where I challenge his statement. If we're talking one shift per period - great. But when you start talking about rolling 4 lines, and giving the 4th line 13 or 14 minutes, now you are putting your team at a disadvantage. The top 3 lines should be playing more than the 4th line, simply because they are better.
The other problem, as GranteedEV was saying, is that if your 4th line isn't very good, then that makes everything all the worse.
When I look at our roster, my first thought is not: I sure would like to get that 4th line more ice time!
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