Come on Caps
Will be keeping a close eye on Sanford and Orlov tonight. I can't tell whether Orlov struggles with communication with his defensive partner, or just picks bad moments to pinch in, but there were moments in the Pens game where 9-74 didn't look in sync or like they were making good decisions as a pair. Carlson needs someone defensively sturdy next to him if he's to be a strong 1D - right now I feel like we have three second pair Ds and three third pairing Ds... that has to change if we want hardware.
Meanwhile, in a funny way, if 90-19-65 continue to play really well together Trotz is left with very little flexibility - Backstrom is the only alternative at 1C, and Mojo and Bura provide the third line options. You're not going to see Oshie, Ovi or Winnik on the third line, nor are you going to see Eller or Williams on the fourth.
That's why it'll be really interesting to see how Sanford plays on the third line tonight and in the coming games - if the third line doesn't work with Sanford or Connelly at 3LW, Trotz will have to put Mojo or Bura at 3LW. If the third line can work, the top-6 is still shuffleable if need be - 8-19-65, 90-92-77, anyone?