Honestly, the 2nd-line C position is still an issue for me. I'm not comfortable with Kane there, winning 42% of his faceoffs. That will catch up with this team. Personally, I'd roll Kane - Kruger - Hossa though I'm not sure how that will work. But Kruger is a little better at the dot.
Or, the other idea for me is keeping 10/16/25 together and rolling Kane - Toews - Hossa. Or Sharp - Toews - Kane and Stalberg - Kruger - Hossa. There are certainly a lot of options are we will probably see all of them knowing Q.
Krüger will not be on the 4th line as Winger. Mayers is a Winger that plays Center because of the need.
If Krüger goes to the 4th line, it will be as Center
Mayers is much better in the faceoff circle than Kruger. In the playoffs, that matters, and Mayers may take those draws.
I'm not as high on Hayes as it seems many of you are. I think at this point in his development he is a 4th liner that should get about 10 mins TOI. He needs to improve his skating and defensive game if he's ever going to be anything more than a 4th liner.
For as much as the 10-16-25 line has been so effective - it's mainly 10-25, with 16 being 16. Put Kane between Sharp and Stalberg. Sharp can be faceoff insurance for Kane. Kane has the speed to keep up with the Flying "S" boys (Kruger is not slow but he's not as fast as Kane) and obviously Kane is the best passer on the team.
Then I would put Kruger with Toews and Hossa, giving 19 and 81 another very good 2-way player to play with. 16-19-81 would be a very good 2-way line and with 19 and 81 - obviously very good offensively too. Toews and Hossa are magic together when they get the puck in the o-zone. Two of the best puck takeaway and boards players in the league.
Kruger-Toews-Hossa
Sharp-Kane-Stalberg
Bickell-Bolland-Shaw
Bollig-Mayers-Hayes/Frolik (depending on the matchup)
Keith-Seabrook
Leddy-Oduya
Hjalmarsson-Olsen/Montador (if he gets healthy)
Honestly, the 2nd-line C position is still an issue for me. I'm not comfortable with Kane there, winning 42% of his faceoffs. That will catch up with this team. Personally, I'd roll Kane - Kruger - Hossa though I'm not sure how that will work. But Kruger is a little better at the dot.
Or, the other idea for me is keeping 10/16/25 together and rolling Kane - Toews - Hossa. Or Sharp - Toews - Kane and Stalberg - Kruger - Hossa. There are certainly a lot of options are we will probably see all of them knowing Q.
Have you looked at faceoff %'s across the league? Take that vs. Kane's ability to dominate the game and make plays there'd be no real issue. You can always get a winger to take a faceoff and finding an elite east-west playmaker who belongs in the middle of the ice is something that NEEDS to be cultivated. With time Kane could be near 50%...which is "elite" in and of istelf.
Hayes on the second line I like, he will out muscle some guys for Kane,throw Brunette on the PP where skating isn't an absolute priority, his office being behind the net.
That bottom line needs minimal TOI. 5-8 minutes at the most, the skating is atrocious. I'd rather see Frolik than Brunette on the bottom line, Frolik is harder to play against.
It's pretty much more than evident Monty won't be back for the postseason.
And I never said ideal lines, now did I? If I did then don't stab me.
Honestly, the 2nd-line C position is still an issue for me. I'm not comfortable with Kane there, winning 42% of his faceoffs. That will catch up with this team. Personally, I'd roll Kane - Kruger - Hossa though I'm not sure how that will work. But Kruger is a little better at the dot.
Or, the other idea for me is keeping 10/16/25 together and rolling Kane - Toews - Hossa. Or Sharp - Toews - Kane and Stalberg - Kruger - Hossa. There are certainly a lot of options are we will probably see all of them knowing Q.
IMO Sharp and Stalberg will stay together and I'm sure as heck they should. With that being said, don't be surprised to see the centers being jumbled around between Toews, Kruger and Kaner.
For as much as the 10-16-25 line has been so effective - it's mainly 10-25, with 16 being 16. Put Kane between Sharp and Stalberg. Sharp can be faceoff insurance for Kane. Kane has the speed to keep up with the Flying "S" boys (Kruger is not slow but he's not as fast as Kane) and obviously Kane is the best passer on the team.
I don't think that would work out very well. Stalberg seems to play better when the puck is on his stick and he is the one creating chances. Putting him on a line with Kane means Stalberg isn't going to be the one rushing the puck up the ice and creating, because that is Kane's job no matter who he is on the ice with.
Keith -- Seabrook
Leddy-- Oduya
Hjalmarsson--Olsen
O'Donnell
Montador (injury reserve)
Crawford
Emery
Queneville can rotate and Hossa will not get stuck the whole game on the 3rd line, but Stalberg can not be fully effective with Kane or Toews centering him. Stalberg is better with a center that is a grinder that way he can dippsy doodle and dek
and he can not do that with Kane & Toews.
I want to see other teams cool off Sharp--Kruger--Stalberg you don't break that line until it doesn't work.
Mayers is much better in the faceoff circle than Kruger. In the playoffs, that matters, and Mayers may take those draws.
He can take those faceoffs all day long. I have no problem with it. In the end, Krüger still would play Center on this line like he Centers our current 2nd line without taking the most draws on his line.
No way that Q should be splitting up 25 and 10. Sharp has been getting a high number of excellent looks since they’ve been together. Assuming Toews returns Thusday or Saturday, I’d have him centering these two immediately.
I would also start with 81 and 88 together. They have shown some good chemistry as well. Q finally experimented with Jayes on that line and I’d like to see them finish the season together as a unit, and see how they do.
As for D, I have not liked the duo of JO and Leddy but it looks like Q is determined to keep them together. I’d certainly give them PP time but try to limit their ice at ES (as a tandem) or split them up if Monty returns.
why not load up with Kane, Toews and Hossa on the same line?
I think you know the answer but if you need it spelled out. Kruger is not good enough to be anywhere near the 2nd line on this team. Kane may not be the greatest at face-offs but overall he is a more effective player when he is playing the center position.
I think you know the answer but if you need it spelled out. Kruger is not good enough to be anywhere near the 2nd line on this team. Kane may not be the greatest at face-offs but overall he is a more effective player when he is playing the center position.
Yep, I have no doubt Kane should be No. 2 C because he is better there and the team doesn't have one. Furthermore, Hossa is better with Kane than without.
Yep, I have no doubt Kane should be No. 2 C because he is better there and the team doesn't have one. Furthermore, Hossa is better with Kane than without.
Q is throwing around quotes today as if he wants to do exactly what Bubba88 said, putting Kane-Toews-Hossa with one of Kane/Hossa as LW.
Personally, I hope he is just tossing craziness out there in an interview, given we are a lock for the playoffs, to throw a possible opponent away from our plans when the time comes. After Kane played so well down the stretch at Center, I REALLY dont want to see this jumbled up.
With Toews out, players had to step up, and our teamwork had to get better. IT DID. So why in God's name would you go and screw that up for the playoffs anyway by tossing a line out there that hasn't played together all season.
Has to be just tossing this out to the media. He can't be serious...
Yeah, I loved the idea too until I actually saw it fail in action and heard and read both players saying it just wasn't working. Hossa is better at generating offense by himself than Sharp, so IMO, if you have to have a power packed line, it's Sharp-Toews-Kane.
I think you know the answer but if you need it spelled out. Kruger is not good enough to be anywhere near the 2nd line on this team. Kane may not be the greatest at face-offs but overall he is a more effective player when he is playing the center position.
This post is a weird response to that other post.
Someone brings up "why not Kane - Toews - Hossa?"
Your response: "because Kruger should not be 2nd liner"
Yet...Kruger has been 2nd line C for a while with Sharp & Stalberg and that line has been excellent.
I don't really understand those advocating for Hayes as a 2nd liner but not Kruger? Kruger gives you more flexibility as he can at least take the draws (poorly, but better than Kane or most wingers).
For me, Kruger is OK centering a line with playmakers and guys who like to have the puck on their stick. So that pretty much describes our top 5 forwards. Kruger is nothing special and surely not offensively advanced yet. But he is serviceable, doesn't make too many mistakes, and can hold his own.
bobby, I said it before. Krüger should Center our 4th line come PO time.
for me, it's easy to say we have 5 players in the Top 6 for sure
Sharp
Toews
Kane
Stalberg
Hossa
one spot is open.
Bickell - Bolland - Shaw works and is a good 3rd line, you don't change that line.
Mayers, Bollig or Frolik are not an option in my eyes. That leaves us with Jayes, Bruno and Krüger. Out of these 3, I think Krüger gives us the best chance to win.
I like what Kane did at Center, but I'm not sure if he can play that way when he plays against shutdown Centers that know what they do.
That doesn't make sense Bubba. What is wrong with Mayers? He has played just fine all year. You have to have 22 centering the 4th line. Plus, he is good enough at faceoffs that you can throw him in for the odd faceoff with other lines. Not to mention he is far more physically appropriate for a 4th line role than Kruger.
But honestly, all of this babbling about forward lines is kind of pointless. Team is 4th in 5-on-5 goals. You have 5 guys in the top 6 who scored 20 goals this year. Throw some arrangement of them out there and add a Kruger/Hayes/Brunette/whatever and they will score. Defense & special teams are far more important right now.
That doesn't make sense Bubba. What is wrong with Mayers? He has played just fine all year. You have to have 22 centering the 4th line. Plus, he is good enough at faceoffs that you can throw him in for the odd faceoff with other lines. Not to mention he is far more physically appropriate for a 4th line role than Kruger.
huh? did I say Krüger should replace Mayers? All I said is that Krüger should be our 4th line Center with Mayers on his right wing taking the draws.
Nothing is wrong with Mayers, that's the reason why I hope they extend his contract for 1 more year
bobby, I said it before. Krüger should Center our 4th line come PO time.
for me, it's easy to say we have 5 players in the Top 6 for sure
Sharp
Toews
Kane
Stalberg
Hossa
one spot is open.
Bickell - Bolland - Shaw works and is a good 3rd line, you don't change that line.
Mayers, Bollig or Frolik are not an option in my eyes. That leaves us with Jayes, Bruno and Krüger. Out of these 3, I think Krüger gives us the best chance to win.
I like what Kane did at Center, but I'm not sure if he can play that way when he plays against shutdown Centers that know what they do.
So if we stack the 1st line you want Sharp at center on the 2nd line? Sharp looks to be at his sniping best right now playing on the wing and we will need that to continue. Keep him with 25 and leave him on the wing. Toews return and centering that line would make it a force. And I like the idea of Jayes playing with Kane and Hossa. The opps won’t know which line to put their best checkers on. Now if Q will just co-operate. I doubt he will.
