Line Combos: How do they generate some 5on5 offense?

[PlayMakers]

Marsh - Bergeron - Smith
DeBrusk - Krejci - Coyle
Ritchie - Studnicka - Bjork
Kuraly - Frederic - Wagner

I want to see Coyle and Krejci together, and I want to give the kids some time at center.

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[AngryMilkcrates]

Shooting

 

[DominicT]

You take Coyle off that third line then what should be a strength now becomes a weakness

 

[Dr Hook]

I kind of hate even throwing this out there because it is a longstanding problem, but a little puck luck would not go amiss right now. Sometimes that is all guy needs to get some confidence back and start putting them in more consistently. I am thinking of Kase and Bjork here, and DeBrusk to some extent also. The D men could ue a bit as well.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

The elephant that has been in the room for years. A legitimate 2nd line goal scorer. We just played one in Palmieri. Someone of that ilk.

 

[duffy]

Shooting

And hitting the net!

 

[smithformeragent]

Getting Pastrnak back healthy helps in the regular season.

Playoffs, when teams commit more to shadowing and shutting down offensive lines, same old shit as the past three seasons.

 

[Dizzay]

Put Debrusk with Coyle and Smith with Krejci.......pretty simple

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

The elephant that has been in the room for years. A legitimate 2nd line goal scorer. We just played one in Palmieri. Someone of that ilk.

Not that I disagree, but keep in mind Palmieri is NJ's 1st line winger. Any team adding another teams best winger to the 2nd line is a surefire improvement.

But yes, I agree, we've needed to fill that spot for a while, with many failed attempts. Perfect year to get a UFA in the off-season for nothing, unable to do that, so it likely leads to us giving up yet another round of assets to patch the hole.

 

[duffy]

I kind of hate even throwing this out there because it is a longstanding problem, but a little puck luck would not go amiss right now. Sometimes that is all guy needs to get some confidence back and start putting them in more consistently. I am thinking of Kase and Bjork here, and DeBrusk to some extent also. The D men could ue a bit as well.

You create puck luck by hard work and going to the dirty areas which is not where you will find JDB or Bjork and Kase seems to get hurt when he goes there! This team is way too light, doesn't pass well, and doesn't shoot well, so barring a huge multi player trade? I could see us sneaking in to that last playoff position if our goaltending is Outstanding. Some on this board want to see ZS in the lineup and I agree, he can't be any worse then the plugs that I've watched since the bubble started last year.

 

[Saxon Eric]

Marchand with Krejci

 

[chizzler]

You take Coyle off that third line then what should be a strength now becomes a weakness

I think doing this puts Coyle back to the problems in Minny. Keep him at center a don’t mess with that. Bring down DeBrusk.

 

[CombatOnContact]

I like that we're finally seeing Marchand-Bergeron-Krejci. In desperate times, this is our best group (sans Pastrnak) in a 5-5 situation.

Moving Debrusk to the top line will hopefully give him the spark needed to get going. He was pretty invisible in Jersey.. Cass is probably best to keep Ritchie-Coyle-Smith together as much as possible, when healthy. Need at least one line developing some consistency.

If it were me, I'd go with:

Marchand-Bergeron-Studnika (double shift Krejci here sometimes)
Debrusk-Krejci-Bjork
Ritchie-Coyle-Smith
Frederic-Kuraly-Wagner

 

[missingchicklet]

Perhaps rearranging the lines can help some, but so far it seems like lack of scoring talent and lack of taking good shots are the main issues. Too many useless perimeter shots, combined with not enough net-front presence seem to be an issue so far. Additionally, the bottom 9 and D have done a piss poor job of passing to players set up to take a good shot, electing instead to fling a weak wrister toward goal or making a pointless pass. Same issues to some extent as last season.

 

[LSCII]

I swap Coyle and Krejci out. By moving DK down, you can potentially give him a mismatch and generate some chances that way. Added bonus is DK and JDB will not be on the same line

 

[LSCII]

Shooting

Nah. They've had plenty of shots. Problem is they aren't crashing the net and screening.

 

[Oates2Neely]

Trade for some offensive minded talent. Team lacks offensive creativity. Chicago will be rebuilding soon, trade offer for Kane. Or move on Dubois.

Studnicka looks lost. Bjork is quick but not a scorer. DeBrusk is a coin toss. After Bergeron Krejci we only have Marchand and Pastrnak who can create in offensive zone. Major problems here in 2 years

 

[NDiesel]

Marsh - Bergeron - Smith
DeBrusk - Krejci - Coyle
Ritchie - Studnicka - Bjork
Kuraly - Frederic - Wagner

I want to see Coyle and Krejci together, and I want to give the kids some time at center.

I would do the exact line as you, maybe swapping Ritchie and Debrusk as well as Coyle and Smith.

 

[Dr Hook]

You create puck luck by hard work and going to the dirty areas which is not where you will find JDB or Bjork and Kase seems to get hurt when he goes there! This team is way too light, doesn't pass well, and doesn't shoot well, so barring a huge multi player trade? I could see us sneaking in to that last playoff position if our goaltending is Outstanding. Some on this board want to see ZS in the lineup and I agree, he can't be any worse then the plugs that I've watched since the bubble started last year.

No, they are not going to get dirty goals, but the three of them have taken a ton of shots and if a few more went in- off a stick or skate, in off the edge of the post, a double deflection on the way in- it would help.

 

[McGarnagle]

Marchand-Bergeron-Studnicka
Ritchie-Krejci-Frederic
Debrusk-Coyle-Smith
Bjork-Kuraly-Wagner

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Marchand-Bergeron-Studnicka
Ritchie-Krejci-Frederic
Debrusk-Coyle-Smith
Bjork-Kuraly-Wagner

At that point, I’d say lines 2 and 3 switch.

 

[McGarnagle]

At that point, I’d say lines 2 and 3 switch.

Ice time should even out for them. I'm less concerned about the status of who is 2 and who is 3. I just stylistically like those combos

 

[duffy]

No, they are not going to get dirty goals, but the three of them have taken a ton of shots and if a few more went in- off a stick or skate, in off the edge of the post, a double deflection on the way in- it would help.

I would agree if they actually could shoot! They all shoot like a pass and goalies just wait for it to drop in their glove. Other than Pasta, we have zero shooters! Our defense can barely reach the net with a shot and opposition D knock down shots with their hands and clear the zone. Shots should be blistered at the net not lobbed. I think if we had gotten OEL and Hoffman our goals per shots would have improved significantly.

 

[BruinsPortugal]

Coyle was terrible in those 2 games but taking out of center is not the answer.
Marchand and Bergeron can play with anyone so that’s whatever.
i’d do
Ritchie Krejci Smith
Debrusk Coyle Studnicka
Bjork Kuraly Frederic

 

[BruinDust]

When healthy:

Marchand - Bergeron - Pastrnak

Debrusk - Coyle - Kase

Ritchie - Krejci - Smith

Frederic - Kuraly - Bjork