The thing I don't like about splitting up Zach and Kovy is that it's hard to give out minutes to the rest of the team while still giving them around 20 each. Oh well... it's playoff time. Maybe it's better that way with the upcoming grind.
Chere and TG are saying during practice the lines look like:
Parise Elias Zubrus
Henrique Zajac Kovalchuk
Poni Josefson Clarkson
Sykora Carter Bernier
I am certainly on board with PDB breaking up Kovy and Zach and trying to find chemistry, but I think he broke up the two best lines from last night.
As I had noted prior to the Pens game about the previous line combos, the glaring issue for me was having Clarkson and Sykora on the same line.
Of our 12 forwards, they are the two that backcheck the least effectively and are our biggest defensive liabilities in our own zone (aside from Boulton and Jannsen -- who suck and should not play). Having them on the same line is a recipe for disaster.
As predicted, I thought that line would get abused defensively by the Pens, and indeed they got caught floating on several occasions and both ended up a -3 for the night (which was the difference in the game).
The biggest surprise of the night for me, however, was how dominant the Carter - Josefson - Bernier (4th!) line played. They were physical, great with puck possession and were robbed of multiple goals. The Pens really had no answer for them. They were awesome.
I think "punishing" Sykora by putting him on the 4th line, and breaking that group up, does nobody any favors. But I guess Yayo is being rewarded for what was clearly a group effort.
The PEZ line for me was "meh" last night (despite the Parise gift wrapped goal from Crosby). They may get their timing with more TOI together, and Parise/Elias has always been special 4 on 4 and on the PP. But I thought they were our third best line last night, yet remain the only one not broken up.
Zajac was in beast mode in his first game back, and was our best player last night (which is so very gratifying and relieving), so he may be a one man army moving forward. And I thought the Poni - Zajac - Kovy line showed promise and was our best line by far. If Kovy could hit the broad side of a barn last night, they should have had 1 or 2 more goals.
I still love Henrique, and slotting him with two of our best forwards (again) may jumpstart his Calder race chances, but this is him essentially failing upward. I do not think there will be much drop off in the puck possession game (although Poni is a little stronger on the puck), and maybe the added creativity will bring some sparkle. Who knows... But it is fixing something that wasn't broke.
The new Zajac line could be fantastic, and Clarkson and Sykora have been broken up (which was mandatory), so this is hardly sky is falling territory. And could certainly be successful, as this is a deep group of forwards.
But, for me, I still think our best line combos would be...
Parise - Elias - Clarkson
Poni - Zajac - Kovy
Sykora - Henrique - Zubrus
Carter - Josefson - Bernier
please be joking, he's an absolute detriment to this team
I'm not.
I'm sorry, I'm always gonna love Boulton and Janssen. They entertain me.
I'm not that upset that they're not in the line-up since it means Zajac is back. I'd be pissed if someone like Zharkov took a 4th line job from one of them though.
I am certainly on board with PDB breaking up Kovy and Zach and trying to find chemistry, but I think he broke up the two best lines from last night.
As I had noted prior to the Pens game about the previous line combos, the glaring issue for me was having Clarkson and Sykora on the same line.
Of our 12 forwards, they are the two that backcheck the least effectively and are our biggest defensive liabilities in our own zone (aside from Boulton and Jannsen -- who suck and should not play). Having them on the same line is a recipe for disaster.
As predicted, I thought that line would get abused defensively by the Pens, and indeed they got caught floating on several occasions and both ended up a -3 for the night (which was the difference in the game).
The biggest surprise of the night for me, however, was how dominant the Carter - Josefson - Bernier (4th!) line played. They were physical, great with puck possession and were robbed of multiple goals. The Pens really had no answer for them. They were awesome.
I think "punishing" Sykora by putting him on the 4th line, and breaking that group up, does nobody any favors. But I guess Yayo is being rewarded for what was clearly a group effort.
The PEZ line for me was "meh" last night (despite the Parise gift wrapped goal from Crosby). They may get their timing with more TOI together, and Parise/Elias has always been special 4 on 4 and on the PP. But I thought they were our third best line last night, yet remain the only one not broken up.
Zajac was in beast mode in his first game back, and was our best player last night (which is so very gratifying and relieving), so he may be a one man army moving forward. And I thought the Poni - Zajac - Kovy line showed promise and was our best line by far. If Kovy could hit the broad side of a barn last night, they should have had 1 or 2 more goals.
I still love Henrique, and slotting him with two of our best forwards (again) may jumpstart his Calder race chances, but this is him essentially failing upward. I do not think there will be much drop off in the puck possession game (although Poni is a little stronger on the puck), and maybe the added creativity will bring some sparkle. Who knows... But it is fixing something that wasn't broke.
The new Zajac line could be fantastic, and Clarkson and Sykora have been broken up (which was mandatory), so this is hardly sky is falling territory. And could certainly be successful, as this is a deep group of forwards.
But, for me, I still think our best line combos would be...
Parise - Elias - Clarkson
Poni - Zajac - Kovy
Sykora - Henrique - Zubrus
Carter - Josefson - Bernier
This is all dead-on. The problem with Parise - Elias - Zubrus is that you don't have someone who'll just SHOOT. Elias and Zubrus are gonna get to cute and not enough pucks will get to the net. Elias and Zubrus (and Sykora) just haven't looked great lately.
Of course, that line could easily turn it around and become our best after one game. Chemistry takes time. But that doesn't change the fact that, to me, line looks more like punishment for Parise (obviously not saying that's what Pete was going for) than a reward for Elias and Zubrus.
This is all dead-on. The problem with Parise - Elias - Zubrus is that you don't have someone who'll just SHOOT. Elias and Zubrus are gonna get to cute and not enough pucks will get to the net. Elias and Zubrus (and Sykora) just haven't looked great lately.
Of course, that line could easily turn it around and become our best after one game. Chemistry takes time. But that doesn't change the fact that, to me, line looks more like punishment for Parise (obviously not saying that's what Pete was going for) than a reward for Elias and Zubrus.
Steckal and Bozack, two of the top 25 faceoff men in the league, did so much with their 57% average that Toronto is just a few points from securing a chance at the 1st overall pick in the lottery for next year's draft. Screw Steckal that big log of a marshmallow.
This is all dead-on. The problem with Parise - Elias - Zubrus is that you don't have someone who'll just SHOOT. Elias and Zubrus are gonna get to cute and not enough pucks will get to the net. Elias and Zubrus (and Sykora) just haven't looked great lately.
Of course, that line could easily turn it around and become our best after one game. Chemistry takes time. But that doesn't change the fact that, to me, line looks more like punishment for Parise (obviously not saying that's what Pete was going for) than a reward for Elias and Zubrus.
It's a similar line to Parise-Zajac-Zubrus, and that one was very effective. What's all that different about this? They'll cycle the opposing team into the ice, and grind out a goal. It actually fits Parise's style of play better than Kovalchuk does.
I'm sorry, I'm always gonna love Boulton and Janssen. They entertain me.
I'm not that upset that they're not in the line-up since it means Zajac is back. I'd be pissed if someone like Zharkov took a 4th line job from one of them though.
Boulton is all kinds of terrible though, and takes minor penalties. Janssen only has 5 minors, and I bet nearly all of them were offsetting with someone else. Janssen is better in every facet. Boulton got a hat trick against us in our darkest hour, he'll never do it ever again.
It's a similar line to Parise-Zajac-Zubrus, and that one was very effective. What's all that different about this? They'll cycle the opposing team into the ice, and grind out a goal. It actually fits Parise's style of play better than Kovalchuk does.
I dunno, Elias isn't Zajac. Not at this point, anyway. And Zubrus hasn't been his dominant physical self lately. It could be a minor injury, it could be that he's trying to stay in one piece for the playoffs, or it could just be a bit of a funk. But I'm more than willing to give them a chance to succeed.
I'm sorry, I'm always gonna love Boulton and Janssen. They entertain me.
I'm not that upset that they're not in the line-up since it means Zajac is back. I'd be pissed if someone like Zharkov took a 4th line job from one of them though.
They may be entertaining to watch against Dallas in November, but this time a year the only thing that is entertaining is winning and neither of them help that in the slightest
since tonight's combinations were uber fail, im gonna chime in here even though i didnt anticipate posting in this thread. gotta figure deboer wasnt happy with the lines tonight so he will juggle again. i liked the lines in pittsburgh at least offensively so i wouldnt mind seeing those given another go. dont like carter in the middle on the fourth line, better suited at wing, and that line was very effective with josefson and bernier vs. the pens.
That 3rd line was borderline hot mess in Pittsburgh.
Swap Henrique (I really like him on the wing) and Poni and that looks like it could do some damage.
