Line Combos: 14/15 Coaching Options Thread - Updated Lines/Practice/PP/PK/Captaincy

[CobraAcesS]

This is the one thing that I think Roy screwed up on royally. He compounded the teams's problems by constantly shuffling the lines. A couple or few times would have been understandable, but there's been almost no consistency at all to develop chemistry, after some fairly big positional and roster changes in the top 6.

The team can't score, and they can't read off each other in the defensive zone, but he thinks it's smart to keep moving the pieces around.

He talks a lot about them not panicking, but it feels like he's ben panicking since the start of training camp when he left the lines he talked about in the summer together for 1 preseason games, and continually shuffled things up, never really kept the same units together for more than a couple games all year.

It usually isn't even a couple games that they're together either. It's like one half of one game and one or two periods of the next game.

 

[bohlmeister]

It's hard having set breakout plays when your defensive shape can be anything. In a normal defensive system where you have defenders low, usually the center somewhat low and the wingers high it's easier to get the puck up the ice quickly since you know where players usually are and the center is in a good position to help relieve the defenders.

So then we are leaning on the worst players on our team to make plays out of nothing. Sure sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.

 

[cgf]

O'Reilly - Duchene - McGinn 19 min/night
Tanguay* - MacKinnon - Iginla 16 min/night
Landeskog* - Malkin - Everberg 15 min/nigh
Talbot - Winchester - Briere 10 min/night

Hejda - EJ 24+ min/night
Stuart - Barrie 20+ min/night
Guenin/Holden - Redmond/Guenin <16 min/night

*Tanguay and Landy swap once Landy and MacK have stopped playing like ass and wouldn't keep dragging one another down and after that stick with it. Maybe drop McG to the third line, pump iggy up to the first line and stick tanguay next to landy and mack if they're clicking together, but that would be a month away. Then pray that our struggling forwards start getting their **** together, and that we can get one of the rentals who might sign with us for a 2nd, a goalie prospect, and a non-Bleackley/Bigras/Siemens prospect, plus conditional pick(s) if the guy will sign an extension.

As is Landy and MacK's frustration and struggles are just making it harder for one another so they need to get broken up for a little bit. Playing with Malkin and Everbeast should help Landy get back to his roots on the ice, while Tanguay and Iginla would help calm MacK down offensively and get him some confidence. We've seen ROR, Dutch and McG do work together and the 4th line needs Winchester to get healthy quick, Cody's had too many bad games and needs to sit for a bit, while Cliche is Cliche. Getting Winch and Talbot on the ice together would let the 4th line actually do well at getting the puck back, and sticking briere on that line with them could help avoid giving the puck back immediately so that the 4th line could actually spell the other lines without relying exclusively on Varly.

 

[bohlmeister]

I had to quit playing with the Avs in NHL 15. Thumbs got too sore from the man to man coverage.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Sounds like an interesting practice today

 

[shadow1]

Seeing O'Reilly, Duchene, and McGinn together at the end of last game was a breath of fresh air. It was a great line last season.

 

[Freudian]

Seeing O'Reilly, Duchene, and McGinn together at the end of last game was a breath of fresh air. It was a great line last season.

I don't even remember that, but I checked out mentally after the Barrie turnover that led to 5-2. Not that they were going to come back before that, but that killed the game dead and my interest with it.

 

[shadow1]

I don't even remember that, but I checked out mentally after the Barrie turnover that led to 5-2. Not that they were going to come back before that, but that killed the game dead and my interest with it.

The game was over by the time they were put together, but it looks like it's going to stay that way based on practice reports.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

The game was over by the time they were put together, but it looks like it's going to stay that way based on practice reports.

And if we're lucky, they'll manage to stay together on a line the entire game.

 

[Pokecheque]

Has anyone checked how Roy's deploying his players? From the looks of it he has exactly one line he trusts to take defensive zone draws (whichever line has O'Reilly on it) while he shelters to certain degrees the other three.

As far as the D goes, I REALLY have no idea. He sheltered the hell out of Holden and Barrie last season...is he still doing so now?

 

[cgf]

The game was over by the time they were put together, but it looks like it's going to stay that way based on practice reports.

Yeah, Patty switched it to
ROR - Dutchy - McG
Landy - MacK - Iggy
Tangs - Malkin - EB
Cody - Cliche - Talbs

If he sticks with that I'm ok with it, though if landy and mack keep dragging each other down we have to break them up for a little bit. So hopefully they just click into life...

 

[Freudian]

As far as the D goes, I REALLY have no idea. He sheltered the hell out of Holden and Barrie last season...is he still doing so now?

Offensive zone start%

Redmond 62%
Guenin 56%
Barrie 53%
Holden 49%
Stuart 47%
Hejda 46%
Johnson 44%

Guenin and Redmond are obviously sheltered. Barrie somewhat but on the other hand he should probably get more offensive zone starts since he's an offensive guy.

 

[Pokecheque]

Wait, WHAT? Guenin gets more sheltered than Barrie!? That's just silliness. Don't have him in the lineup if you're gonna do that with him.

And Holden around the 50/50 mark is pretty telling to me. He was far more sheltered last season, though I could be wrong.

 

[cgf]

Wait, WHAT? Guenin gets more sheltered than Barrie!? That's just silliness. Don't have him in the lineup if you're gonna do that with him.

And Holden around the 50/50 mark is pretty telling to me. He was far more sheltered last season, though I could be wrong.

But...but...he's such a great PKer...

 

[ThatAvsGamer]

I thought this for a long time, but never said anything. Mcleod should be stripped of his "A". I say Duchene deserves it. One of the only players on the team that gives it all every game.

A player who should be a healthy scratch shouldn't be an asisstant.

 

[Avs_19]

Stripping him of the 'A' because he isn't a good player is a bit extreme. He's probably a good leader in the dressing room and someone the other players respect.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

They should strip him of the A because he never should've had it nor should he be on the ice for half the time he is. Really I question if he's an NHLer sometimes.

 

[Avs_19]

They should strip him of the A because he never should've had it nor should he be on the ice for half the time he is. Really I question if he's an NHLer sometimes.

The 'A' is done. They must feel like he's a good leader if they gave it to him. I also think it's just a bad look if you start stripping players of letters.

I'm not going to argue the second part. When he got the extension I said it was crazy because he's pretty much done. He doesn't bring much to the table and already has trouble keeping up and it's only going to get worse as he gets older. You want to show loyalty to a good team player, then give him a one year extension before the season begins. Don't give a player like that another three years. Doesn't matter if it's for $1.3M or league minimum, don't lock fringe NHL players up for that long. It's dumb.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

The 'A' is done. They must feel like he's a good leader if they gave it to him. I also think it's just a bad look if you start stripping players of letters.

I'm not going to argue the second part. When he got the extension I said it was crazy because he's pretty much done. He doesn't bring much to the table and already has trouble keeping up and it's only going to get worse as he gets older. You want to show loyalty to a good team player, then give him a one year extension before the season begins. Don't give a player like that another three years. Doesn't matter if it's for $1.3M or league minimum, don't lock fringe NHL players up for that long. It's dumb.

They must've felt like Stuart and holden were good players when they gave them those contracts. Right now I'm not confident in Roy/Sakic's decisions.

No, I agree you can't strip of the A right now, it would come off as desperate and sad really. They should do it in the offseason a low key move nobody would actually notice only us. I mean I doubt anyone on the main board knows Mcloed has an A right now, if Duchene gets it next year nobody would question or think anything of it.

definitely agree on the 2nd part as well pure stupidity.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Friedman's 30 Thoughts - http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/30-thoughts/

12. The Stars are in a bit of a tough spot. Owner Tom Gagliardi did his part, spending on the roster. They gave Anaheim all the Ducks could handle last April and were a trendy dark-horse pick for 2015. They’ve got one home win. (“If you’re going to stink,†Gord Stellick always says, “Stink on the the road.â€) My sense is Nill sees they’re getting there, but aren’t as ready to contend as the organization would like, especially on the back end. That’s why, in a desperate search for right-handed defenders, Klingberg gets the first chance, not an external acquisition. Better to save your assets if you believe the solution could be in-house. Klingberg looked really good against the Kings.

This is exactly why I'd like to see Duncan play NOW... yet we're still giving minutes to Nate 'The General' Guenin.

If they loose against NJ tonight, they better do something productive and stop clinging to the idea that the team as is, is going to turn it around.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Friedman's 30 Thoughts - http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/30-thoughts/



This is exactly why I'd like to see Duncan play NOW... yet we're still giving minutes to Nate 'The General' Guenin.

If they loose against NJ tonight, they better do something productive and stop clinging to the idea that the team as is, is going to turn it around.

I'm amazed at how Klingberg must have improved over the summer. He wasn't even good enough to make it as one of 6 d in the lineup for Texas in the Calder Cup finals last year and now he's looking awesome in Dallas.
I feel bad for his big bro who's kinda busted. In all fairness to Carl though, he's good enough to be in the NHL now imo. Maybe in a 4th line role while he works his way up a line.

 

[InjuredChoker]

I'm amazed at how Klingberg must have improved over the summer. He wasn't even good enough to make it as one of 6 d in the lineup for Texas in the Calder Cup finals last year and now he's looking awesome in Dallas.
I feel bad for his big bro who's kinda busted. In all fairness to Carl though, he's good enough to be in the NHL now imo. Maybe in a 4th line role while he works his way up a line.

klingberg was injured. had hip surgery that played role in him not cracking the stars lineup earlier.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

klingberg was injured. had hip surgery that played role in him not cracking the stars lineup earlier.

My bad. I thought he just wasn't in the lineup. I knew he came over after his euro season ended but thought they took him out of the lineup after a few regular season games.

 

[cgf]

Stripping him of the 'A' because he isn't a good player is a bit extreme. He's probably a good leader in the dressing room and someone the other players respect.

Pretty much. He must be great in the lockerroom.

That said, Duchene should get an A at some point. He puts too much pressure on himself when things aren't going well, but he's really maturing into a leader so I'd be for rotating the A's between him, Iggy and McCleod next season, and definitely for giving him Iggy's A when he leaves.

 

[Pokecheque]

In the end, it's just a patch on a jersey. It's clear who leads the team both on the ice, off the ice, and is pretty much the public voice for them amongst the players. Obviously Cody Mac is well-liked by the players, which is why he wears the A and he got that ****ing extension. I'm sure in due time Dutchy will get one.