Our offense does not seem to be clicking lately. The G line has been good all season, but lately they haven't been producing much and neither has the rest of the offense. They got pretty badly outplayed all together tonight by a bottom-feeder, aside from bob who saved us. Honestly, there is way too much talent on this offense to be getting outplayed by the Isles. I think its time to shake up the line combinations to try and get the offense going again. I don't see anything wrong with changing up all the lines. I think some of the guys in the bottom six deserve a little more ice time. Something like this would be a good way to wake up this offense.
Wasn't JVR put on the third line to limit his minutes due to his injury? Aren't Hartnell and Giroux one of the best duos this season in terms of production?
Hartnell-Giroux-Jagr has been our best line for a while now? why separate it when Jagr definitely seems to be struggling with a groin injury at the moment. Look what G has done for Hartnell, why take them apart?
Ever since talbot and Voracek have been anchored by Briere that line has seemed to be creating some offense. They have started to develop chemistry if you ask me
JVR-Schenn-Simmer have all played pretty well together. The last couple of games I have been impressed with Schenn. JVR playing with a speculated injury is slowing him down IMO.
Dirty Harry-Couts-read have been an excellent line for the lat couple of games. Especially Couts, he has been playing freaking great late and is getting limited offensive minutes.
All in All they are one of the best scoring teams in the league and I see no reason to change because the top line basically has struggled the last couple of games. The other lines have stepped up and played well in their offensive absence.
In the last 5 games they have 17 goals... I don't really think offense has been a problem when losing.
I realize Hartnell and Giroux have been productive all season, but i also think that "chemistry" is overrated by people sometimes. Whoever is put with Claude Giroux and given top line minutes is going to put up numbers. It's time for guys like Read and Couts to be rewarded by getting some more PT. Also, if these players were "injured" that badly, they wouldn't be playing at all. I don't buy that as an excuse for not producing.
Giving Read and Couturier more time could easily be detrimental. They haven't played anything like an NHL schedule, with this level of competition and travel. Lavi is doing a good job with their ice time IMO. Burning them out hurts the team overall.
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Whoever is put with Claude Giroux and given top line minutes is going to put up numbers.
Not necessarily. JVR and Giroux have never especially clicked together. The other players who filled in during Jagr's absences from the lineup this year didn't light it up merely by playing with Giroux.
I realize Hartnell and Giroux have been productive all season, but i also think that "chemistry" is overrated by people sometimes. Whoever is put with Claude Giroux and given top line minutes is going to put up numbers. It's time for guys like Read and Couts to be rewarded by getting some more PT. Also, if these players were "injured" that badly, they wouldn't be playing at all. I don't buy that as an excuse for not producing.
read had his chance when jagr was missing and he didnt seem to contribute if you ask me and numbers
Giving Read and Couturier more time could easily be detrimental. They haven't played anything like an NHL schedule, with this level of competition and travel. Lavi is doing a good job with their ice time IMO. Burning them out hurts the team overall.
It is hard not to want to see Couturier more. I don't think I have been as excited about a prospect since Eric Lindros. He just seems to be smarter than everyone else on the ice. A few games ago Clement(?) said it is as if he sees the ice as we do watching it for the elevated camera angle.
OP, you'd put Jagr, a Hall-of-Fame RWer, on the LW? That makes no sense. I'd make a couple of simple changes, but neither of them involve breaking up the 1st line:
I'd be cool with shaking up the lines, but I don't think you can break up G and Jagr. They've been a little off lately, but it isn't going to be lights out every night. I'd be up for something like this:
Why are people suggesting breaking up Schenn and Simmonds? The past week or so, they have been playing really well together, and I think it would be a mistake to break them up right now.
I realize Hartnell and Giroux have been productive all season, but i also think that "chemistry" is overrated by people sometimes.Whoever is put with Claude Giroux and given top line minutes is going to put up numbers. It's time for guys like Read and Couts to be rewarded by getting some more PT.
I agree 100%. with the bolded. ANYONE would produce w/ Claude Giroux.
So, to maximize our resources, I propose the following lines:
In fairness to Briere, the current line with Talbot and Voracek is showing some promise, although they weren't great last night.
Hartnell - Giroux - Jagr - should remain together
Talbot - Briere - Voracek - is jelling
vanRiemsdyk - Schenn - Simmonds - has been a really good line the last few games
Zolnierczyk - Couturier - Read - great rookie energy line that can be left out on the road when the other team tries to put its 1st line out - Flyers are happy to be caught in that 'mis'match up!
Rinaldo-Betts-Shelley - able subs. I like Zac in the lineup too, but lately they've decided Harry Z is the 12th forward, which he's earned.
I don't see the need to shake up the lines at all, given that a couple of these ARE recently constructed.
I am also really starting to go back and forth on the idea of trading any of these forwards for a Dman. I'd rather deal Phantoms and picks than tear this group apart.
Giving Read and Couturier more time could easily be detrimental. They haven't played anything like an NHL schedule, with this level of competition and travel. Lavi is doing a good job with their ice time IMO. Burning them out hurts the team overall.
Read has hardly been sheltered so far, he's averaging over 17 minutes per game. I agree with you overall though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xegiie
read had his chance when jagr was missing and he didnt seem to contribute if you ask me and numbers
Eh, Hartnell-Giroux-Read looked really good against Chicago. They could be a strong line I think if they were given some more time. Of course we're missing Jagr when he's out of the lineup, or like the past couple of games when he's almost been detrimental to the team fighting through an injury. The forward depth we have is good enough to allow us to continue fighting though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Deckard
I think we had three lines with good chemistry this season:
This is the main trouble I see as well. That and continuing playing Brière as center.
I've been advocating calling up Wellwood for a while. I'm not so sure anymore, since Zolnierczyk's been pretty solid with Couturier and Read. I didn't really think he'd hold up when the fourth line got better like that, but so far so good.
would that work? It would probably mean distributing the ice time even more evenly on even strength, I suppose. The way Brière has played for the most time lately (excluding his hat trick game against Sens) he kind of deserves to be dropped to the "fourth" line.
Read has hardly been sheltered so far, he's averaging over 17 minutes per game. I agree with you overall though.
Eh, Hartnell-Giroux-Read looked really good against Chicago. They could be a strong line I think if they were given some more time. Of course we're missing Jagr when he's out of the lineup, or like the past couple of games when he's almost been detrimental to the team fighting through an injury. The forward depth we have is good enough to allow us to continue fighting though.
This is the main trouble I see as well. That and continuing playing Brière as center.
I've been advocating calling up Wellwood for a while. I'm not so sure anymore, since Zolnierczyk's been pretty solid with Couturier and Read. I didn't really think he'd hold up when the fourth line got better like that, but so far so good.
would that work? It would probably mean distributing the ice time even more evenly on even strength, I suppose. The way Brière has played for the most time lately (excluding his hat trick game against Sens) he kind of deserves to be dropped to the "fourth" line.
Problem with Briere to the wing and Talbot to center is that the team is already 27th in faceoffs and that would only make it worse.
These have been our best two lines recently. The other lines have been terrible. I would shut down jagr until he's healthy. He can't even move out there.
Problem with Briere to the wing and Talbot to center is that the team is already 27th in faceoffs and that would only make it worse.
Yeah, I know. Brière is frustrating as hell to watch right now though. He's almost back to the way he played when he first got here. I wasn't a member on this forum back then, but I remember on another how pretty much everyone there hated that contract a few months in on it, thinking ahead to when his actual salary would drop and we could perhaps convince him to waive his NMC to go to a team that could use the help to reach the cap floor... Then he shut most people up with his play in the playoffs.
