Player Discussion: Bryan Little

[Ippenator]

I’m really suspecting that Little is either seriously declining or playing with some nasty injury. He is just simply bad. I understand that all you long time Jets fans have seen him play most of the times in the past very well, but seriously right now he is not that player.

I think it would be very good to at least for a while try Wheeler with Little, and if even that wouldn’t really get him going, then my suspicions would maybe be better proven. And if it would after all get him going, it should anyway be for the benefit of the team. No way there is any point in still playing ELL. This line is especially hurting Ehlers and his production. When was really the last time that either Ehlers or Laine have scored a 5 on 5 goal btw?

I’m sorry to say, but you whom still believe that ELL will start magically suddenly scoring goals, you are in for a real disappointment. The lack of chemistry between each of those three players is really bad. I still can’t understand how some people really believe that Ehlers and Laine have good chemistry. They seriously have no better chemistry with each others than they have with Little. The best thing would be to disband those three completely. Please Maurice, do the team a favor and don’t keep ELL together anymore.

 

[nobody important]

I’m sorry to say, but you whom still believe that ELL will start magically suddenly scoring goals, you are in for a real disappointment. The lack of chemistry between each of those three players is really bad. I still can’t understand how some people really believe that Ehlers and Laine have good chemistry. They seriously have no better chemistry with each others than they have with Little. The best thing would be to disband those three completely. Please Maurice, do the team a favor and don’t keep ELL together anymore

Uh-oh. The bros heard you, and they're coming for you now.

 

[kunekune]

Uh-oh. The bros heard you, and they're coming for you now.

On ice and off ice chemistry are two different things.

You don't have to be Einstein to see that Ehlers and Laine don't have on ice chemistry.

 

[Ippenator]

Uh-oh. The bros heard you, and they're coming for you now.

One of the funniest posts I have seen here for quite a while! Great job dude!

 

[nobody important]

On ice and off ice chemistry are two different things.

You don't have to be Einstein to see that Ehlers and Laine don't have on ice chemistry.

Of course they are. I was just... how do you say in English... being an ass.

 

[kelsier]

On ice and off ice chemistry are two different things.

You don't have to be Einstein to see that Ehlers and Laine don't have on ice chemistry.

They would pretty much need to loan a hockey arena where they would skate, eat and sleep and c**p 24/7 for a couple of months and forge it. Kind of saddening to see them mesh that well in the real world and then being in such a different frequency on ice. Of course then you have Little having his very own wave length to further scale the balance off the charts and not in a good way. I'd still like to see them with Scheifele just to find out how much of a difference a center can do. Too bad the Jets don't really have a third C they could be slotted with for it to make sense.

 

[portamoral]

i think ehlers and laine do have on-ice chemistry, it's just more apparent when they aren't being relied upon to carry a line offensively themselves. right now they are having to play mostly alone in the offensive zone and off the rush, and are too deep in their own zone to start things off because of the way mo has them playing.

it's much different when scheif is playing with them, driving the play himself. it allows the other 2 to open things up and get more creative where they usually thrive in the offensive and neutral zones. currently little is solely playing behind the puck and isn't able to support them offensively, whereas scheif is able to take care of his defensive assignments but is still the one anchoring the plays through himself in the O-zone once he brings the puck up the ice or makes the first breakout pass in the d-zone. when laine & ehlers have that extra support down low and off the rush, they can make magic happen since they usually are quite good at finding each other out there and making skilled plays in the offensive zone.

scheif can play this way because obviously he's in his prime, has his youth and legs and he's simply a better player so it's easy for him. meanwhile little is on the downswing of his career and playing a 200FT game is getting harder and harder for him. he will never be a defensive liability but now the offensive part of his game he once had is harder to execute, and being so defensively focused is not making things easier on him. part of this is maurice's coaching style too, it's definitely not doing a guy like little any favours. his 6% shooting percentage is also on the low side.

having said that, i see absolutely no downside to switching scheif and little right now, even following maurice's stupid logic.

right now scheif and wheeler are going hard, we know that. but other players are slumping heavily (little especially, and yes also ehlers/laine relatively speaking by their standards).

by putting scheif with the 2 youngins, all 3 of their scoring goes up. this is a fact

by putting wheeler with little and perreault, wheelers scoring may drop off a tad (will still be within his normal range though), but little's will definitely go up, and so will perreault's when he gets back. if connor is in MP's place instead, his scoring will remain about the same which is good too.

so this method has everyone producing and zero players slumping, while the current configuration has only 2/3 out of the top 6 producing. i think it's obvious which is better... right..?

...r-r-ight maurice?

m-mo..?

even something like MP-scheif-laine // connor-little-wheeler // petan-roslo-ehlers would be great

 

[Jetfaninflorida]

I might be the only one on this but I don't think Little is a problem. He'll figure it out as well as anyone can given the way Ehlers just skates around anywhere and everywhere, all the time.

 

[puck stoppa]

I might be the only one on this but I don't think Little is a problem. He'll figure it out as well as anyone can given the way Ehlers just skates around anywhere and everywhere, all the time.

Ya, I think Little is the least of our worries and will get going. But all the focus is how can we get everyone else on this roster going. No one mentions Little, they just lay blame on him, that's why Id throw Wheeler on his line for a bit to get him going, he's streaky and Wheeler drives the play and Little reads well off him.

 

[GNP]

I agree with a lot of the sentiment on here re-Little-- I just think he's invisible out there, and not getting the job done like the close of last season. Something wrong here, and this will catch up with the Jets having only one scoring line. Maybe it is chemistry, maybe Little is playing injured ??? whatever the reason , make some adjustments.

I agree with this poster that bringing Roslovic up, and playing him as the second line center is a great idea, as he's producing well this year for the Moose. Really what do we have to lose here ??? -Nothing--get on it Maurice !!! shake things up. There is also Perrault who could be put on the "second line"-- I like that idea. Another idea would be to move Laine to the 1st line, and send the speedy Connor to the 2nd line to play with Ehlers who's also very fast-"they may really click."

NOTE- If we could have 2 effective scoring lines we'd be in great shape.

 

[Lowered Expectations]

1:42 in these highlights there is pretty good chance given to Little. Also Ehlers is manhandled after his pass to Laine. Isn't that worht of penalty? Is there a one second rule or something which allows You to check a guy without a puck if he passed it less than 1 second ago?

 

[Festinator]

Happy birthday to Bryan Little!

 

[ijuka]

Ya, I think Little is the least of our worries and will get going. But all the focus is how can we get everyone else on this roster going. No one mentions Little, they just lay blame on him, that's why Id throw Wheeler on his line for a bit to get him going, he's streaky and Wheeler drives the play and Little reads well off him.

Wheeler + Little is who I've wanted paired up since before the season started. Separate line drivers in Scheifele and Wheeler and Little actually has shown chemistry with Wheeler.

Such a waste to let the second line just rot in this manner. Should I hope they keep winning in an undeserving manner or that they lose enough to make Maurice start the blender? Decisions, decisions...

 

[Zhamnov5GoalGame]

I'm 100% in the Bryan is playing dinged up camp.
I've seen every second of every Jets game since they moved here.
Little's average game is more than good enough to drive the 2nd line.
We haven't seen that game yet (this season) and I don't think he just magically lost all of his skill.

We will likely never know what is going on but I do think at some point the real Bryan Little will make an appearance.
Chemistry may certainly have a part in this but the amount of individual battles he's losing (that he used to mainly win) suggest another problem is at hand.

 

[Jets 31]

I think Little has been told he has to think defense first because he is playing with the 2 young guys , Little is a very good 2nd line center but he looks like he is more concerned about stopping goals than creating them . I don't think Maurice is going to change that 1st line until we lose a few games or they stop producing .

 

[Whileee]

I think Little has been told he has to think defense first because he is playing with the 2 young guys , Little is a very good 2nd line center but he looks like he is more concerned about stopping goals than creating them . I don't think Maurice is going to change that 1st line until we lose a few games or they stop producing .

Then I'd move Little to another line and put someone like Copp between Ehlers and Laine. Little doesn't seem to have the speed and physical drive to win battles. The problem with that line is that if they don't generate something off the rush, they don't get anything. None of them has been effective at winning board battles and generating chances that way. Another option would be to add Perreault to a line with Little and Laine, but then you need to move Connor down to the 3rd line, and I'd rather have Perreault there.

Maybe shake up sides a bit...

Connor-Scheifele-Ehlers
Laine-Little-Wheeler

 

[LoveNHL]

I would like to see a more offensive Little. It would create more space for Laine and Ehlers.

 

[Duke749]

I might be the only one on this but I don't think Little is a problem. He'll figure it out as well as anyone can given the way Ehlers just skates around anywhere and everywhere, all the time.

A lot of times he’s the 3rd forward coming into the offensive zone and Laine and Ehlers aren’t exactly being responsible with the puck. Laine still turns the puck over a lot despite scoring and his dump ins don’t help that line when Ehlers isn’t much of a board battler and Little can’t even get there in time having been the 3rd guy in, so the puck is already turned over at that point.

Laine and Ehlers have to be more responsible with the puck and to be able to win some board battles if that line is to succeed offensively. I believe they’re succeeding despite their deficiencies.

Also to those who think perhaps Little has declined drastically, you really think the guy fell off a cliff in 4 months? C’mon that’s anything but realistic. He’s much more likely playing injured which wouldn’t be a first for Little.

 

[sipowicz]

I might be the only one on this but I don't think Little is a problem. He'll figure it out as well as anyone can given the way Ehlers just skates around anywhere and everywhere, all the time.

All this talk about the n ice chemistry between Laine and Ehlers, don’t see it this season, maybe a little last season, too many are confusing the fact they are both young, Europeans and are buds off ice.

Laine’s goals come mostly on the PP and into empty nets, neither has many assssts relative to th number of games played and 5v5 with each other.

Ehlers looking more like the player he was when he first came to the Jets, the selfish individual player and not the team player we saw from him last season.

Really dont think they compliment each other well at all. As someone else said earlier in this thread, their on ice chemistry is zilch.

 

[Duke749]

All this talk about the n ice chemistry between Laine and Ehlers, don’t see it this season, maybe a little last season, too many are confusing the fact they are both young, Europeans and are buds off ice.

Laine’s goals come mostly on the PP and into empty nets, neither has many assssts relative to th number of games played and 5v5 with each other.

Ehlers looking more like the player he was when he first came to the Jets, the selfish individual player and not the team player we saw from him last season.

Really dont think they compliment each other well at all. As someone else said earlier in this thread, their on ice chemistry is zilch.

I agree. They aren’t complimenting each other right now at all. I think they need to separate those two.

 

[Asiantuntija]

I don't really see much issue between Ehlers & Laine. At least they are able to pass each other and create some kind of chances. Little can't do those thinks with neither one. I think we should drop Little to the 3rd line. Let's see what Copp can do with player like Laine.

 

[Duke749]

I don't really see much issue between Ehlers & Laine. At least they are able to pass each other and create some kind of chances. Little can't do those thinks with neither one. I think we should drop Little to the 3rd line. Let's see what Copp can do with player like Laine.

Of course you don’t.

 

[GJF]

I'm at the point at which I'm all for switching around the 2nd and 3rd line personal but then again that would need Maurice giving 3 instead of 2 lines the majority of ice time and I doubt that he'd do it.

And of course are Laine and Ehlers just as accountable to their line's lack of success as Little is.

 

[sipowicz]

I don't really see much issue between Ehlers & Laine. At least they are able to pass each other and create some kind of chances. Little can't do those thinks with neither one. I think we should drop Little to the 3rd line. Let's see what Copp can do with player like Laine.

Copp? LOL! Dude has no hands can't pass or receive a pass and you want him playing with Ehlers and Laine! LOL!

 

[scelaton]

I don't really see much issue between Ehlers & Laine. At least they are able to pass each other and create some kind of chances. Little can't do those thinks with neither one. I think we should drop Little to the 3rd line. Let's see what Copp can do with player like Laine.

Sure, have Copp center Laine and Ehlers and call it a "second line".

I suspect if they "dropped" Little between Perreault and Armia, which is what I am hoping for, it would not be the "third" line for long.