The CHI/DET game ending well before ours is a good thing for sure. We'll know our fate and will be able to rest Pekka if we need to. Although that would be nearly a week without him playing in a game so even if he does play tomorrow he'll still have at least 4 days without a game.
Lots on this board think that's the only stat that matters. It's like saying football linemen suck because they don't score touchdowns.
thats a horrible comparison... linemen dont have the chance to score touchdowns. sk is playing on our scoring line, really our "top" line, with fisher and erat.. if he is going to just kill penalties and play defense, then he needs to be off that line.
we saw how sk played last playoffs (sheesh).. will be interested to see how he adjusts this go around..
SK74 is definitely struggling offensively but that is not really surprising. He has some talent we all know that but offensively he is a passenger. If his line is doing well then he is doing well. He is hardly ever the offensive catalyst on his line. Fish is the same way to an extent. The catalyst on that line is without a doubt Erat. As Erat goes that line will go. I'm not too worried about them. As long as they continue to play good defensive hockey I know the scoring will come around.
SK74 is definitely struggling offensively but that is not really surprising. He has some talent we all know that but offensively he is a passenger. If his line is doing well then he is doing well. He is hardly ever the offensive catalyst on his line. Fish is the same way to an extent. The catalyst on that line is without a doubt Erat. As Erat goes that line will go. I'm not too worried about them. As long as they continue to play good defensive hockey I know the scoring will come around.
I disagree. Mike has made plays on his own w/o Erat or Erat even being in the game. Kostitsyn has made a couple too on his own but that was w/ his brother AK. I just think that if one person on that line isn't playing well it affects the whole line. They all three have to play well for that line to be good. Erat has to be great on the boards, Mike has to be great in the middle and in front of the goalie and SK has to be able to get and keep the puck in and not get cherry picked by the other team players to take the puck the other direction and all three need to connect better w/ their passes. When all three are on their game, it's a dangerous line but when they aren't then they are less effective. It probably is also teams tightening up their game since its the end of the season and not giving that top line chances to score/develop as a line. Whatever the case is, all three have to play well if that line is going to be a threat as they all rely on the other to be effective, especially between Erat and Mike.
I disagree. Mike has made plays on his own w/o Erat or Erat even being in the game. Kostitsyn has made a couple too on his own but that was w/ his brother AK. I just think that if one person on that line isn't playing well it affects the whole line. They all three have to play well for that line to be good. Erat has to be great on the boards, Mike has to be great in the middle and in front of the goalie and SK has to be able to keep the puck in and not get cherry picked by the other team players to take the puck the other direction and all three need connect better w/ their passes.
That's why I said to an extent. Fish will create something himself every once in awhile more than SK but still not much at all. Erat does all the heavy lifting on that line. He creates space with his skating in open ice with the puck and controlling it along the boards , wins the battles(SK hardly ever wins battles), and creates the room for the other two.
Fish will win some battles but he turns the puck over a good amount when pressured in the offensive zone.
SK needs space to create his magic and 98% of the time he can't create that space for himself.
That's why I said to an extent. Fish will create something himself every once in awhile more than SK but still not much at all. Erat does all the heavy lifting on that line. He creates space with his skating in open ice with the puck and controlling it along the boards , wins the battles(SK hardly ever wins battles), and creates the room for the other two.
Fish will win some battles but he turns the puck over a good amount when pressured in the offensive zone.
SK needs space to create his magic and 98% of the time he can't create that space for himself.
I agree on the part about Erat playing a big roll on that line but I still think that Erat has to have both Mike and Kostitsyn playing well in order for that line to score:
For that line I would rate of importance as follows:
Erat first (has to be great on the boards and make great passes to Mike to even create scoring chances)
Mike (has to score in front of the goalie's crease to make scoring chances or pass to Erat/Kostitsyn to have them score)
Kostitsyn (great sniper if he has distance to add to the scoring and also help keep the puck in)
Lately though all three have been having a hard time even keeping the puck in to even try creating or getting scoring chances. If they can work on keeping the puck in they may have a better chance at scoring. The other team seems to clear it out before they can even get anything going. So they need to get the puck in and work the boards to keep it in.
Hi guys, Flyers Fan here coming in peace and seeking some help.
Firstly, Congratulations on making the playoffs and drawing the red wings.
Every year i make a playoff pool in which every player on every team is selected. There are always some fringe players who might play and might not play and since i am not so familiar with playoff teams other than the flyers it is always difficult to predict which players will dress for game one.
So if you could help me out, please give me the Game #1 playoff line up for your team (ie. Line 1, Line 2.. etc) including defensive lines.. it would be greatly appreciated.
Hi guys, Flyers Fan here coming in peace and seeking some help.
Firstly, Congratulations on making the playoffs and drawing the red wings.
Every year i make a playoff pool in which every player on every team is selected. There are always some fringe players who might play and might not play and since i am not so familiar with playoff teams other than the flyers it is always difficult to predict which players will dress for game one.
So if you could help me out, please give me the Game #1 playoff line up for your team (ie. Line 1, Line 2.. etc) including defensive lines.. it would be greatly appreciated.
the 2 wing spots will probably be fluid depending on home ice/what we need. I thinl on the road you see 2 out of tootoo/yip/halichuck and at home tootoo/smith/wilson
I think depending on What Trotz is looking for other choices for the lineup could be Smith if Trotz is looking for offense and Hali is he is looking for 2 Way play. Have a hard time seeing Wilson get in unless injuries. I think the top 9 forwards will stay the same the whole series and the 4th line will switch up a bit.
I think depending on What Trotz is looking for other choices for the lineup could be Smith if Trotz is looking for offense and Hali is he is looking for 2 Way play. Have a hard time seeing Wilson get in unless injuries. I think the top 9 forwards will stay the same the whole series and the 4th line will switch up a bit.
Trotz moved AK onto Leggy's line in third period again, so I expect to see:
74-12-10
46-11-47
57-13-27
15-28-18
Smith should be in regardless. He is perfect for that 4 line with limited minutes and shot first mentality.
tootoo should be in for games 1 and 2 at home.. the energy he brings is unreal. and on top of that, if he goes with the body and maybe can get detroit off their game.. also bang and bruise them for the long 7 game series.. detroit doesn't want to play physical with us.
weber .... GO SMASH!! I expect to see him going with the body hard
Our depth is impressive for sure; we're gonna' sit a 15g and 14g scorer, at least one of them. Smith only plays at home unless we have a C injured - Trotz isn't gonna' trust him where we don't have last change.
Got a question about what the TOIs will look like for the lines? We all know Weber and Suter will eat 30 minutes a game but will Trotz condense the top two scoring lines?
Scoring wise the Preds have 2 20 goal scorers and 10 15 goal scorers. ( I count Smith because he skyed #15 with the open net.)
Detroit has 4 20 goal scorers and 6 15 goal scorers.
Defensively, it should be easier for Nashville to stop Detroit. With Weber and Suter eatting 30 minutes and Gaustad, Legwand, Fisher, Spaling, and Halischuk. The Preds could run the top 2 lines a lot and a shutdown line with the "3rd" line to rest them all.
