Chimera - Laich - Ward was an effective shutdown line for the first ~third of the season, but hasn't seen much time as a line since then. Chimera - Halpern - Ward was also moderately effective.
Shutdown lines don't have to be great "defensive zone" players. A strong cycling/possession line can simply pin the opponent into their zone. Especially if your shutdown pair has a quality puck mover on it, who can help start the breakout and ensure the transition reaches the other zone with possession. A healthy Green was a huge part of why our shutdown lines were effective during the very beginning of the season.
The problem is that we are now a team that concedes the puck in order to set up the trap and force the other team into a turnover which we can quickly then transition for a scoring chance. Many times we dump it we have just one guy go in or no guys at all. We're set up to control the neutral zone not the offensive zone based on our style. We get even more conservative (if you believe that) when we get a lead so our shutdown line is either playing in the neutral zone or our own zone.
So its hard to think that way. We spend the majority of games without the puck and either in the neutral zone collecting and chipping it in or in our zone chasing around the other team to get the puck.
* Scratching Perreault for a road playoff game in Boston would not be an outrage. If you saw what boyle did to perreault in the final game and you know how the bruins play, avoiding that situation might be a good idea.
* I dont think Johansson is better at wing. I think he capable at wing and his speed creates matchup problems for some teams in transition. Going forward Johansson is going to be a quality 2nd line center. Lets just remember how young he is and much impact he can be at such a young age. he's a game breaker.
yea.....not sure how most people dont see this. He is a very good young player with all sorts of potential to become great.
Have people suggested trading Johansson, or simply making sure you have insurance so that if he's not ready to prime time, you have someone to do the heavy lifting while he matures at his own pace?
As for his position and role, I'd agree that he's a center. A permanent switch to wing isn't in the cards, in my opinion.
Entering this season, I was high on Johansson and wanted a veteran center so that if he faltered at all, there was someone there to pick up the slack.
Have people suggested trading Johansson, or simply making sure you have insurance so that if he's not ready to prime time, you have someone to do the heavy lifting while he matures at his own pace?
As for his position and role, I'd agree that he's a center. A permanent switch to wing isn't in the cards, in my opinion.
Entering this season, I was high on Johansson and wanted a veteran center so that if he faltered at all, there was someone there to pick up the slack.
I seem to recall his name being thrown around near the trade dealine
I would trade Johansson for a very very good established player. But that's it.
I don't think he's got center potential. His play off the puck was absolutely terrible this yeat and the incredible defense he brought last year seems to have disappeared.
With Perreault on board (McPhee is incapable of trading away an RFA) he won't necessarily have a chance to play back into that role.
I think he'll be a dandy winger. A very poor man's Hossa potentially.
I'd still like to see him at center after the sophomore slump season is behind him, but even if wing is his upside, that's fine by me.
After a 13-14-27 on 69 games line as a rookie I don't see a 14-32-46 line in 80 games on a team that as a whole struggled as much as the Caps did this year as much of a slump.
yes. several have suggested trading johansson. one regular here(thinking its bcf, but could be wrong) has not approved of him sense being chosen because of his concussion history as a starting point.
otherwise there are more that want acquisition of a top end 2c with a lenthy commitment. johansson is not really a 3c and if the caps are committed to another player at 2c they really dont have a roster spot at center for 90.
i think that bunch is very unhappy with the idea of waiting for johansson to completely develope. they would rather get a 2c now and move johansson.
After a 13-14-27 on 69 games line as a rookie I don't see a 14-32-46 line in 80 games on a team that as a whole struggled as much as the Caps did this year as much of a slump.
IMO he is progressing just fine...
agreed.....ups and downs here and there as with any player that age.
Re: Johansson, I think most here would trade him in a package for a legit established 2C, but are more than happy to let him develop otherwise.
It would be really interesting to see how Perreault fares against the big bad Bruins in playoffs. If he manages to be slippery enough to avoid punishment, I think it gives the Caps a legit reason to keep him on the team and perhaps consider the 3 scoring lines thing again.
And as long as Semin is here, I think MP is not out of the question as a 2C. Yes it's imperfect, but could be decent and cheap, leaving more money to be spent elsewhere. Until we see evidence that MP gets abused physically or on the defensive end in playoffs, it's still too early to write him off, I think.
Aside from winning, I'm most interested in seeing how Perreault performs this postseason.
He is not ideal, but he could actually be a viable option at 2c. He has been very impressive this year. If he keeps it up, I'm sold. NB, I'm only excited about him as a 2c given Mcphee's inability to get a real one.
Aside from winning, I'm most interested in seeing how Perreault performs this postseason.
He is not ideal, but he could actually be a viable option at 2c. He has been very impressive this year. If he keeps it up, I'm sold. NB, I'm only excited about him as a 2c given Mcphee's inability to get a real one.
If he performs at a 2C level in the regular season and the playoffs, IMHO that makes him a 2C, no? Or is there some other qualification that makes someone a "real" 2C?
Aside from winning, I'm most interested in seeing how Perreault performs this postseason.
He is not ideal, but he could actually be a viable option at 2c. He has been very impressive this year. If he keeps it up, I'm sold. NB, I'm only excited about him as a 2c given Mcphee's inability to get a real one.
you rate perreault higher than johansson? now and in the future?
If he performs at a 2C level in the regular season and the playoffs, IMHO that makes him a 2C, no? Or is there some other qualification that makes someone a "real" 2C?
He scored at a 38 point pace. With a former 40 goal scorer on his wing. So he has not het performed at a 2c level over the course of a season.
you rate perreault higher than johansson? now and in the future?
I can't read the future, but right now, as a center, Perreault wiped the floor with him. His compete level was higher, his boardwork was stronger, his defense better...even his physical play and faceoffs were substantially better. Not bad for a shrimp.
Point production obviously goes to MJo, but much of that came at wing (nbtw dug up the numbers recently). Perreault is a passable center right now.
Help Perreault to succeed somewhere else. If Semin doesn't return, if Kuznetsov stays in Russia, there is obviously much to rethink with regard to the roster, where to find production, and where to slot in guys for whom there isn't a lot of room. I prefer to be positive regarding the Russians, though.
Sure, but the concern here is that we still don't have a ton of room under the cap. Keeping RFA's is much cheaper than keeping UFA's. We have to resign (with cap hits from capgeek.com):
Assuming Knuble and Halpern go, there will still be room within the fourth line. In order to bring in that second-line veteran center, not necessarily knowing what the cap will be next year, it either means many of the UFA's are let go or sign for a massive home-team discount, or that the some UFA's are let go and RFA's are traded.
The team is up against the cap now. A rework will be difficult.
And I really don't mind flipping centers or RW's on any of the top three lines. We've juggled our lines so much this season that Hunter, Evason and Johnson look like three-ring circus clowns. What I do mind is that we actually use the first and second line on the power play, along with true defensement at the point. Our normal, juggled lines look much better playing 5-on-5 than our powerplay units.
Playoffs are the gut-check this year. Lack of performance will force some players to be let go via free agency (Semin, Wideman) or via trade, as it will be hard to plan for next year when no one knows what the CBA will bring in terms of a new cap.
He scored at a 38 point pace. With a former 40 goal scorer on his wing. So he has not het performed at a 2c level over the course of a season.
But it would help if he were given the true 2C treatment. How much of MP85's games were spent off the second line? MP85 didn't start getting more than 10 minutes of ice time consistently until mid-January, and spent large chunks of time on the fourth line prior to that.
A "true 2C" should end up on the second half of a PP unit. Not MP85. Of those 16 goals MP85 has scored this year, MP85 has two on the power play, and those were very recent.
The games where MP85 played on Semin's line were the games that both MP85 and Semin had the most impact.
I generally agree BR, We lack an identity. I just dont like Laich as our shutdown guy, maybe because I had only seen him in a scoring role for years.
MJ has good D awareness, maybe not the strength needed to be a playoff shutdown guy. Since Hendricks hits, he is our Greg Adams. The key to making it work is Beagle.
I like Brouwer up top over being a checker. I think he easily is our best net presence. Get your ass right in toolboxs face and let er go. But he can slide back to 3RW in a jiffy.
Things will be shuffled more than any playoffs in recent memory. Line matching doesn't always make sense but there are matchups to pursue and others to avoid. Bryan Murray on the road would swap out a scoring winger for Gaetan. Right on the faceoff, away from the play, standing next to the bench. I have a hunch Dale will be busy. The big question is how he chooses to use Ovi vs Chara. Preferred matchup or not.
Back on topic, MP should be able to sneak in around the B's big plan to stop Ovi. He is a crafty player that is getting things done in very little TOI.
I think it is Chara vs Ov. Chara will be so busy marking OV that there should be plenty of time and space for the rest of the line mates to make hay.
Wow I am really in the wrong thread. I'm lost. Where should this comment be?
