Hossa has been way above average for the past few weeks on a bottom line. His puck control along the boards gets better and better, he is drawing penalties as well..thing is with all his puck control he has nobody to pass to. He looks around but all his line mates are not in good position. The guy also hits a lot and when he hits its usually a pretty big hit (not like a useless Hall hit)
They moved him on the 2nd line tonight and what does he do? Score a goal. The guy was a scrub last season and before, but it finally looks like he may be breaking out. He is consistently playing good games in both ends and the offense is starting to peak its head out more and more.
At the VERY least if there isnt a spot to move players to get him on the 2nd line then PLEASE just replace him with useless Hall on the 2nd PP unit. With that puck control he possesses he would be a great on the PP.
i have to say i really liked the altered lines in the third tonight with Hossa on the 2nd line. I think Renny should keep them intact for the game on saturday to see how it goes.
Hossa has been way above average for the past few weeks on a bottom line. His puck control along the boards gets better and better, he is drawing penalties as well..thing is with all his puck control he has nobody to pass to. He looks around but all his line mates are not in good position. The guy also hits a lot and when he hits its usually a pretty big hit (not like a useless Hall hit)
They moved him on the 2nd line tonight and what does he do? Score a goal. The guy was a scrub last season and before, but it finally looks like he may be breaking out. He is consistently playing good games in both ends and the offense is starting to peak its head out more and more.
At the VERY least if there isnt a spot to move players to get him on the 2nd line then PLEASE just replace him with useless Hall on the 2nd PP unit. With that puck control he possesses he would be a great on the PP.
Yea I definitely agree. I was thinking about this during the game too. The one problem is who will center that line? Straka-Nylander-Jagr will most likely (and should be) still intact, so that leaves Shanahan, Prucha, Hossa and Cullen for the 2nd line duties. I was going to say move Cullen to the 3rd line, which I think they still should do, but then I don't know who centers line #2. Shanny? Prucha? I don't know.
Breaking up the top line doesn't seem as outrageous as it did a few weeks ago, and I'd be curious to see Shanahan and Nylander together. But does that top line work?
Breaking up the top line doesn't seem as outrageous as it did a few weeks ago, and I'd be curious to see Shanahan and Nylander together. But does that top line work?
The lines at the end of the game seemed fine. Maybe it was just a fluke, caused by the embarrassment of being down 5-0, but everyone seemed to be moving the puck well. I'd give a shot.
And I think Hossa has earned the chance. He hasn't lit up the score sheet, obviously, but he hasn't been maddeningly inconsistent (or maddeningly consistent at refusing to backcheck) as many of our other revolving-door wingers have been.
So far this season Hossa has scored points when given an oppurunity to play with good players.
Yea, I've noticed that as well.
I don't know about anyone else, but I am happy that Renney stuck with Hossa all this time because I think he has been projected to be a player hes not and he can (and hopefully will) be a solid 3rd line guy that chips in 20-40 points a year.
I'd say no. I'm sure he could play on the 2nd line without detracting too much, but I'd be careful not to make him try to do too much, and undo a lot of the good things he presently has going for him.
I'd say ya especially if the 2nd line is Shanny-Nylander-Hossa. Line's got good size, a shooter, a mucker and a playmaker. If these guys develope any chemistry then it could really work. Also the Jagr-Straka-Prucha line deserves some time to see if they develop. Another thing it puts Cullen back on the 3rd line where he belongs and Betts on the 4th. Pretty good balance down the middle. Might be worth a shot. Better than anything else thats been tried lately!
Yea I definitely agree. I was thinking about this during the game too. The one problem is who will center that line? Straka-Nylander-Jagr will most likely (and should be) still intact, so that leaves Shanahan, Prucha, Hossa and Cullen for the 2nd line duties. I was going to say move Cullen to the 3rd line, which I think they still should do, but then I don't know who centers line #2. Shanny? Prucha? I don't know.
let straka or nylander center the 2nd line.. it's time to break up that one line and start spreading the offense.. it's time this team stops being a one line team and utilizes all the talent it has..
also anyone notice the play of prucha lately.. kids been playing his balls off.. he deffinitely deserves more ice.. and as for hall W*F has he done all season.? how does he maintain a roster spot night after night.? to top that off, tonite malik really just wrote himself off as a top 4 d-man on this team once and for all in my eyes.. his play is horrid..
Liked the look of the Shanny/Nyls/Hossa like tonight.. I never want to break up the usual top line, but i'd be willing to give the lines that fueled our comeback a chance to play together again.
You at least keep Jagr and Straka together (the issue being having to play Straka in the middle), try out Shanny and Nylander, a decent third pairing in Ward and Cullen, and the checking/energy of Hollweg and Betts.
Of course, none of the line shuffling addresses the defense...
let straka or nylander center the 2nd line.. it's time to break up that one line and start spreading the offense.. it's time this team stops being a one line team and utilizes all the talent it has..
also anyone notice the play of prucha lately.. kids been playing his balls off.. he deffinitely deserves more ice.. and as for hall W*F has he done all season.? how does he maintain a roster spot night after night.? to top that off, tonite malik really just wrote himself off as a top 4 d-man on this team once and for all in my eyes.. his play is horrid..
Great points.
I agree, spread the offense out and break up the one line before we go making a trade for a center. A team should always attempt to solve it's problems internally before looking for an external solution.
As for Pruchs, all he's needed is ice time. The guy gets ice time, he feels confident, and starts scoring like wild-fire again.
I'd never thought I'd find myself wanting to hear German Disco-pop....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg B
Some guys here have mentioned thinking in terms of pairs rather than lines.
You at least keep Jagr and Straka together (the issue being having to play Straka in the middle), try out Shanny and Nylander, a decent third pairing in Ward and Cullen, and the checking/energy of Hollweg and Betts.
Of course, none of the line shuffling addresses the defense...
As someone else in this thread said it, I forget who... we have a bunch of "revolving-door wingers." Let's use that revolving door to spread everything out and create a more balanced attack. One thing Renney was able to do last year early on was roll 4 lines. Now, he rolls three, and the top line is getting tired, real quick. Let's alleviate some pressure off of that line.
As for the defense, only a prayer could address that issue.
I say go for it. If Prucha - Straka - Jagr can hold it up, it would be gold if Nylander could feed Shanahan on the 2nd line. Hossa is skilled with his stick and has developed his defensive game, give him a chance. This team cannot be successful with only one line.
The problem is, Straka is much better off as a winger.
Kicking Hossa upstairs to the second line may be the only thing left to do with him especially if plays alongside a couple of aces like Shanahan and Nylander. That way all he has to do is patrol his wing well and be ready to pounce when the puck comes his way. It might also kill two birds with one stone. Whenever he plays on the third and fourth lines, he kills any chance of manufacturing an offence since he can't connect with the other players. He still only has got two assists since November 2005. With him out of there, the lower lines might start to develop some chemistry and produce as they did in the third period last night. Renney seems to think Hossa is going to break out one of these blue moons. I hope he is right. But it's up to Renney to try and make it happen not just keep running him past us with no accountibility to the detriment most of the time of the rest of the team.
I agree that Hossa has been playing good hockey lately, his main trait has been pinning the puck along the boards and using his strength to gain possesion, i have noticed a few monster hits from him as well.
Does he deserve 2nd line Duties?
I would say yes he needs more minutes and better players around him, i think he could work very well with Shanahan, and with Cullen as center as a wild card you never know.
But long term i don't think he is consistant enough, at the same time Hockey player take time to develop and sometimes they can just goto that level at a certain age. Where they produce average stats then it all comes togther, Example:
Knuble
Beruzzi
Chara
Graves
Souray
Andy McDonald
Jason Smith
(These are examples, i'm not saying he will be the next Graves)
Both him and Prucha need extra ice-time and it could help the team. Hossa should also play over Hall on the pp, if for nothing else, his ability to keep the puck in the zone. The sad thing is that most good coaches would have figured out or tried these line combos/changes, in preseason or practce, months ago, not by accident an act of desperation in the 3rd, like Tom did.
Won't be surprised if it happens, but we've been down this road before and it didn't look good.
He's now scored a point in three games. On game was all Jagr (I think the puck hit him on the faceoff for an assist). The other two, he gets credit for the goals.
If putting Hossa on a second line moves Cullen to a third line and Betts to a fourth, so at a minimum we can see what the bottom two lines can look like optimally, finally, then so be it. Remember, Ward's somehow managed more ES points this season than Hossa, including yesterday's goal, and he didn't work out as a top six forward; ditto Betts, who also has more goals than Hossa.
Hossa hits, but he should have leveled Eaves coming into the zone before he got his first of the game. I wanna see bigger hits from him, or finding a way to not just ride out players - leaving them in the play.
I've been impressed by Hossa and moving him to the second line is good for him and it might work but its only a sign that this team is in disarray. He's def earned the chance.
Hall on the other hand... forget him. Now, I could see why Nashville moved him.
Now i'm kinda perturbed they moved Moore, because he offers more speed and grit. He hit more, and killed penalties very well... and actually scored a few big goals.
There are long stretches of game(s) where Hall does nothing but hurt this team. IM really disappointed in him.
While i am not a Hossa fan, i have been impressed that he has been able to maintain control of the puck while on our bottom lines, and has kept my eye. His control has been impressive, and in the offensive zone, he is basically creating those chances all on his own when on the 3rd and 4th lines.. i forget which game (think it was the montreal one) where he had taken the puck a couple of times around the net and created about 2-3 scoring chances... might be good to have him digging the puck out of corners and winning the battles, with secondary help from shanny and nylander..
