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Old 11-10-2018, 10:57 PM   #1
JT96912
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Default James Neal on 2nd line? Umm NO!

The three M line was awesome 2 years ago. It was good 1 year ago. It was very good THIS year when Peter's left it alone. Why Neal? Cause we paid him the money? He is slow. He isn't sniping at all. He isn't playing defense. COM'ON Peters! Stop the madness!
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Old 11-10-2018, 10:59 PM   #2
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He's been pretty good on that line. The goals will come. He was as close as anyone in that line to scoring, and he did some good forechecking.
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Old 11-10-2018, 11:02 PM   #3
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I don't mind it. You need to spread out the talent between lines a little more on the road but I think he's been ok even when he's not scoring. He is clearly a better player than Brower, makes way better decisions with the puck and cycles well.
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Old 11-10-2018, 11:05 PM   #4
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He's been pretty good on that line. The goals will come. He was as close as anyone in that line to scoring, and he did some good forechecking.
Opinion or fact? Chucky is better offensively and defensively with Frolik. Chucky is a great player that played his rookie year with these guys, he has chemistry with them. Why put him a 30 year old that's slow? Money? Forced?
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Old 11-10-2018, 11:06 PM   #5
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I'm happy with either one. Neal needs guys to set him up and the third line has looked good with Frolik, if he can get Bennett going thatd be huge

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Old 11-10-2018, 11:09 PM   #6
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Why would the Flames sign a proven NHL scorer to a big long term contract and then play him on the third and fourth lines with players that can't score.

He needs opportunities to play with good players to get on track.

Frolick is two years older than two years ago. (funny how that works) The 3M line was a disappointment last year. Changing things up is not a bad thing.
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Old 11-10-2018, 11:15 PM   #7
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The 3M line was playing great when Peters made the switch, was confused at the time and still baffled.

Neal is so slow right now I hate to see what he looks like in 3 years, especially if he's not scoring.
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Old 11-10-2018, 11:19 PM   #8
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Great thread
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Old 11-10-2018, 11:30 PM   #9
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The three M line was awesome 2 years ago. It was good 1 year ago. It was very good THIS year when Peter's left it alone.
The line as brutal last year and was terrible to start this season. Once Peters fiddled a little, sat Frolik for a game and reunited them they were better. Not leaving it alone is what worked, so maybe that'll work again.

Neal's been pretty good lately good, lots of quality chances. He'll get an a roll here soon.

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Why Neal? Cause we paid him the money?
Peters has been pretty consistent. We paid Derek Ryan, a guy labeled as Peters "boy" and he was sat.
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Old 11-10-2018, 11:34 PM   #10
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I would say I am more concerned with Backlund’s play on that line as opposed to Neal
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Old 11-10-2018, 11:41 PM   #11
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Two points tonight and we are finding something to complain about.

Way to enjoy the win
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Old 11-10-2018, 11:46 PM   #12
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I'm pleased that you spelled his name right, at the very least.
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Old 11-10-2018, 11:47 PM   #13
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Old 11-11-2018, 12:04 AM   #14
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Neal is where he belongs 3rd line, absolutely disappointed with Neal all around. Ok dude your struggling to produce points but for a guy that has been a heavy hitter his entire career at least start hitting Neal. SMH he is playing just lazy hockey shift after shift. 5m per season and he playing like a 1.5m at the end of career chump.
25 goals last year and playing as bad as he is is not nearly good enough.
Neal might very well be the playing the worst hockey of all the forwards.
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Old 11-11-2018, 12:32 AM   #15
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IMO a modern good line is as follows:

Forward A - Mobile speedy waterbug (Gaudreau / Czarnik / Frolik / Dube fit this)
Forward B - Size-ey scorer (Tkachuk / Monahan / Neal / Jankowski fit this the best)
Forward C - Responsible, mobile player (Backlund / Lindholm / Bennett / Ryan fit this the best

Not to oversimplify but good lines are probably going to have one player from each of these groups. And yeah, some players are going to overlap (Jankowski is arguably in category C, Bennett might actually be in category A or B) but in general, my point is this:

You need a bit of variety on a line to keep it dangerous. Loading players from one of the above categories up on one line is probably a doomed idea because it means you'll probably miss a player from another category.

So when you load up a Tkachuk-Backlund-Neal line, suddenly you're missing that waterbug player that Frolik and Czarnik have been. Of course there's more to it than that - ability to play a given forward position being paramount, but that's the crux of why I don't think this line works. Neal and Tkachuk are two very good players who are too similar.

On the other hand that's what makes 3M so effective.

it's not just 3M, either. Look at Sidney Crosby's line in recent years. On his left he's usually had a Czarnik type - whether Jake Guentzal or Conor Sheary. On his right he consistently had a Tkachuk type in Hornqvist. And he himself is the prototype center. Or look at another one of my favourite lines, Saad-Toews-Hossa. Again, Toews is a prototype center. Hossa, yes, was a massive body of a player, but what really stood out about him to me was always his speed. On the opposite side you had a guy in Saad who did a lot of the dirty work. It was a balanced line. And that's what Tkachuk-Backlund-Neal is not. And on the same note I think you run into the same issue with a Gaudreau-Monahan-Neal line. The balanced line appeared to be Gaudreau-Lindholm-Neal and they actually did score a goal together. The other balanced line appeared to Bennett-Backlund-Neal - I don't remember if they scored but they were pretty dangerous together as in this case Bennett moreso took on the waterbug role. And my preferred situation for Neal would be Czarnik-Bennett-Neal.

Or maybe I'm wrong and this is just a small sample size rearing its ugly head.
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Old 11-11-2018, 12:39 AM   #16
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The three M line was awesome 2 years ago. It was good 1 year ago. It was very good THIS year when Peter's left it alone. Why Neal? Cause we paid him the money? He is slow. He isn't sniping at all. He isn't playing defense. COM'ON Peters! Stop the madness!
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Old 11-11-2018, 12:59 AM   #17
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I agree, Neal does not look like a good fit on that line and Backlund/Frolik have had great chemistry. It makes you think there might have been something to that report about Neal being unhappy with his ice time and Frolik being the odd man out.
I don't understand what Peters fascination with Ryan is either. He should be on the fourth line, if not the press-box.
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Old 11-11-2018, 01:21 AM   #18
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Backlund / Frolik / Bennett as defensive matchup

Gaudreau / Lindholm / Neal
Tkachuk / Monahan / Czarnik

Spread the love a bit and then bury the “new” 3M
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Old 11-11-2018, 01:24 AM   #19
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Double post
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Old 11-11-2018, 01:43 AM   #20
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Backlund statistically is one of the best defensive forwards in hockey for the last two years. He did not get that way by himself. We could always put the 3m line against another teams first line and be confident the last couple years. I'm just saying they're is confidence in that line defensively. Neal takes away that. I don't think it's a coincidence we've struggled to score since the switch.
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