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Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper
Personally, I don’t think the system has changed at all. Why would he change the system that produced a 50 win season for him? In terms of “high pace” and “quick transition,” really you’re talking about one line here (top line) because Backlund’s line is still around and they’ve always been a dump and chase, grind it out kind of line. The 4th was mostly Lewis and Lucic, so they weren’t fast and the 3rd line was overall pretty mediocre last season.
So that brings us to last season’s top line. Without a doubt, they were fast, quick and could easily score on the rush. But a lot of that was driven by Gaudreau who is one of the best players in the league at gaining the zone with possession and he along with Tkachuk/Lindholm also dominated the transition game with their ability to kill plays quickly in the defensive zone which gave them more opportunities to counter attack on the rush.
But alas, 13/19 aren’t here anymore and nobody else on this team currently has the ability to stretch the ice or rush the puck up ice efficiently anymore. It’s not a system thing that’s the problem, it’s an individual skill thing at the moment. We lost the components that made this team incredibly dangerous on the rush. So, If Huberdeau wants to “play fast” like he did in Florida, then he needs to find a way to get better at holding on to pucks in the neutral zone, break down defensive structures and then find his linemates in transition like Gaudreau use to. Otherwise, it’s just an over-reliance on Kadri right now to mostly push the pace and he just doesn’t have the same playmaking skills, vision or one on one moves to be a dominant rush player.
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Everything you say is true, and I know the system hasn't changed-but last year, even the second and third lines seemed to be able to transition and push the pace. Like I said, we were one of the best 5 on 5 teams last season. Just seems like we are playing slower, and waiting for the play to come to us.
You're also right that not having 13/19 on the team makes a huge difference, and trying to fill the gap with players that are new to the system has been difficult.