Quote:
Originally Posted by Bingo
Agreed
And I'd add in after a goal for or against. Don't let a team get right back at you. Don't let a team pile on after scoring.
Don't get that third pairing out there with the fourth line or the Monahan line. They do all right with Bennett.
I don't know about 22 minutes for a forward line, but 16s for the top two lines (five on five) would leave just 18 minutes for the bottom two lines five on five. Give 11 to the third line and 7 to the fourth
Up front give 21 to the top two pairings and that would leave just 8 five on five for the bottom pairing.
Do that and you may not have the gas to go deep, but you win the first round.
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Yes, definitely a simplification on my part on the ice times. But we are in agreement that the lions share of ice time should go to the skaters that can have the most net positive effect on the game.
Shelter the 4th line and 3rd pairing. Give them some softer situations to deal with, and give it to them at times in the game that is not going to be detrimental to momentum.
Totally agree with you on the momentum comment for after a goal. Unless they were on the ice for the goal against, we should come right back with Backlund's line and get some positive momentum going.
The importance of momentum can't be understated. If you have a team on the ropes, don't give them anything that can let them get back into it. The most dangerous times of any game are the first two minutes and last two minutes of a period. Those should be times when you have the big boys out there to stack the deck in your favor.
Maybe it is just recency bias on my part, but it seems like we've given up quite a few goals in the last few minutes of a period, or at the start of a period, which tends to coincide with when our bottom lines are on the ice.
