Early in the year?
Wilson - Malkin - Kessel / Hags - Bonino - Hornqvist was like our second and third line throughout the playoffs last year?
HMK was early in the year.
And, who cares about what happened last year. If what happened the previous year mattered, then HBK would've worked last year. It didn't.
HGH > HMK, and it's not even close.
It's the better possession line.
It's a better defensive line.
'Shoot first Malkin' + Horny doing work that allows Malkin to play to his strengths > 'Defer Malkin + Phil forcing Geno to do the lion's share of the dirty work.
You want to sprinkle in Phil for some random shifts like they did in January, then fine.
BUT, this year, the team's best line was HGH AINEC.
Only someone who thinks hockey lines are constructed in video games would think otherwise.