Line Combos: Build a lineup poll #7: 3LW

[majormajor]

OK, I am getting on a soapbox and going a completely different direction here. Seems to me putting Fligs on the left side in the top two and Boone on the 3rd line is insanity. Its doing the same thing over and over and over and hoping for different results.

Grigorenko

• I am assuming Koivu or Boone begin the year as the #3C so Grigs doesn't fit there
• Grigs is a left handed shot so I expect he is more suited to LW than RW.
• We also know Grigs is not the most physical player so burying him on the 4th line makes zero sense unless the team wants him to fail

Part of the point of coaching is to put players in the best position for them to succeed. Grigorenko has playmaking ability and can also score a little. At 26 he's entering his prime and should be coming into camp with lots of confidence after two pretty successful KHL seasons. Personally I would have voted Grigs at 2LW but clearly the majority of you want to see are more comfortable with the same non-offensive crap again this year (just one more year older and one more year removed from his best days).

Don't get me wrong, I like Fligs but I liked Derek Mackenzie too, didn't mean I wanted to see him centering the second line.

So give me Grigs at 3LW. He has to earn it but I WANT Grigs to earn that 3LW and then push Captain for playing time higher in the lineup.

Edited to change my choice of words above

I think you might be right about Grigorenko. He'll be good. It's a lot more common for KHL wingers to play off-wing. They can get away with it because the rink is wider, though their newest rinks are slimmed to NHL proportions. Perhaps Grigorenko switches to LW here. "4th line" though I don't think has anything to do with physicality, it hasn't in many years. If Grigorenko doesn't fit there it might be because he is too good and needs more minutes.

You're mixing things up with Foligno.

- Insanity is using that "definition of insanity" line over and over again. It's an overused folksy definition that doesn't relate much to insanity.

- For the most part Foligno has been on the shutdown "third line" for years. Torts says he wants to put Foligno in a position to be more offensive, acknowledging that you have to lower your expectations for scoring when you're playing shutdown next to the great playmaker Boone Jenner.

- He did play a lot of minutes, but as a shutdown guy. And he did it supremely well. The analytics crowd got him on 5-6 Selke ballots.

- When Foligno was playing with Dubois and Bjorkstrand they were the best trio the team had all year, outscoring opponents 10-1.

- So Foligno on a scoring line is quite the opposite of "failing over and over again" - it's changing Foligno from a low scoring checking role to a scoring line role, where things worked offensively in the past.

...and yet most fans are good with re-signing Fligs assuming he recognizes his role is as a 3rd line player and of course with a significant pay cut. Which is it?

It's what DSL said. Most fans are brutally underrating their own captain.

I'm also not going to love Koivu on the 3rd line at center...he was a 4th line guy in Minnesota and if you've got Jenner on the LW, that line is already a little slow.

Fair point. Koivu could use some Robinson or Foudy to help him out. Jenner is perhaps too slow. I personally want to see Foudy develop his offense more in Cleveland, so I'd go with Robinson there. Will change my vote.

 

[DarkandStormy]

Is Cleveland having a season?

 

[Viqsi]

- Insanity is using that "definition of insanity" line over and over again. It's an overused folksy definition that doesn't relate much to insanity.

You get a cookie just for this alone.

Seriously, I'm to the point where as soon as I see "definition of insanity" trotted out, I just mentally throw away anything else that person is saying. It's an overused thought-killing cliché, and one of my biggest pet peeves.

 

[koteka]

It's an overused thought-killing cliché, and one of my biggest pet peeves.

I always want to say “Not according to the dictionary.” And then post the actual definition.
Definition of insanity
1 dated : a severely disordered state of the mind usually occurring as a specific disorder

2 law : unsoundness of mind or lack of the ability to understand that prevents one from having the mental capacity required by law to enter into a particular relationship, status, or transaction or that releases one from criminal or civil responsibility

3a: extreme folly or unreasonableness
the insanity of violence
His comments were pure insanity.
b: something utterly foolish or unreasonable
the insanities of modern life

 

[Aurinko]

We were overrun with the notion that Domi thrives with a physical player on his wing, so I want to see it tried is the short version of my logic.

EDIT: And by thrives, I mean putting up points. Offense. My goal in putting Nick on Domi's wing was to have goals get scored.

I'm very sceptic on Domi staying as a center under Torts, unless there is a reliable winger backing him up.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

I'm very sceptic on Domi staying as a center under Torts, unless there is a reliable winger backing him up.

This exercise finds him with Nick and Cam.

 

[AndBoomGoesTheCannon]

The definition of insanity is Devils fans thinking that because the season is shortened, Ryan Murray will play every game.

 

[Monstershockey]

Is Cleveland having a season?

They are selling ticket plans for this season right now. I guess they are still going by the tentative February 5th start date. They haven't sent anything out to season ticket holders about when or if they are starting.