Line Combos: Kapanen with Matthews

mapleleafs34

Registered User
Apr 7, 2011
1,092
1,288
Marleau-Matthews-Kapanen
Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Brown-Kadri-Nylander
Who Cares x 3 lol

Kadri needs to get going offensively and having Nylander with him will just do that. That gives us 3 legit scoring lines.
 
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Trapper

Registered User
Nov 21, 2013
23,746
11,015
Kap is showing that he deserves to play on the top lines
He's been very exciting since moved to that line.
Small sample size so I hope he can keep it going.
If he's smart, he will realize he just won the lottery. All he needs to do is use his speed and body to disrupt, be first on pucks and dish to Matthews. He might just have the best job in the NHL right now.
 
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hotpaws

Registered User
Nov 21, 2009
21,584
6,166
He's been very exciting since moved to that line.
Small sample size so I hope he can keep it going.
If he's smart, he will realize he just won the lottery. All he needs to do is use his speed and body to disrupt, be first on pucks and dish to Matthews. He might just have the best job in the NHL right now.
except he can do much more than just be a Hyman clone since he has skill and a decent iq
 

Trapper

Registered User
Nov 21, 2013
23,746
11,015
except he can do much more than just be a Hyman clone since he has skill and a decent iq
Of course he does that's the beauty of it.
But individual points mean more to fans than Babcock. If he wants to stay, he must do those things for the coach.
 

BlueForever75

Registered User
Oct 4, 2017
5,691
2,303
Marleau-Matthews-Kapanen
Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Brown-Kadri-Nylander
Who Cares x 3 lol

Kadri needs to get going offensively and having Nylander with him will just do that. That gives us 3 legit scoring lines.

I agree that if Kapanen continues to play well with Matthews there is no need to take him off the line. Nylander playing with Kadri would definitely give us 3 complete lines.

4th line should be Gauthier-Lindholm-Johnsson/Leivo.

As much as people don't like Gauthier, I would give him a steady role this season. He is sound defensively, and I would give him one full season under Babcock to see what he can turn him into.
 

hotpaws

Registered User
Nov 21, 2009
21,584
6,166
Of course he does that's the beauty of it.
But individual points mean more to fans than Babcock. If he wants to stay, he must do those things for the coach.
i agree but i'll add i'm starting to find it difficult to know what Babs values

i.e. Brown has been trash but Levio got demoted to the 4th line which surprisingly had a good game while the Kadri line still struggled
 

hotpaws

Registered User
Nov 21, 2009
21,584
6,166
I'd like to see these lines once Willie's signed

Marleau-Matthews-Kapanen
Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Levio-Kadri-Nylander
Johnson-Lindholm-Brown

I'd prefer these even more but Hyman will never leave our top 2 lines

Kapanen-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Tavares-Marner
Hyman-Kadri-Levio
Johnson-Lindholm-Brown
 

Rolo

Registered User
Aug 9, 2011
2,645
1,324
Marleau - Matthews - Kapanen
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Leivo - Kadri - Brown
Johnsson - Lindholm - Ennis

Reilly - (d-man from Nylander trade)
Gardiner - Zaitsev
Dermott - Hainsey

Andersen
Sparks

;)
 

zeke

The Dube Abides
Mar 14, 2005
66,937
36,957
Babcock has worn us down so much that we see kappy as willy's replacement, instead of the much, much more logical:

Kapanen - Matthews - Nylander (fastest line in nhl? most skilled line in nhl?)
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Marleau - Kadri - XXXXXX (rekindle last year's strong, tough usage partnership)

XXXXX = any of Brown/Leivo/Johnsson/Lindholm/Ennis/Grundstrom/Engvall
 
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Field of Dreams

Registered User
Oct 10, 2011
1,745
994
Port Credit
He's been very exciting since moved to that line.
Small sample size so I hope he can keep it going.
If he's smart, he will realize he just won the lottery. All he needs to do is use his speed and body to disrupt, be first on pucks and dish to Matthews. He might just have the best job in the NHL right now.

Yes, it has been a small sample, but we can all agree what we've seen so far suggests good things. If the Matthews/Kapanen chemistry proves to be effective over time, I'd hazard to say Nylander should be on the Kadri line. We can't realistically expect Matthews line to produce more than they already are, and adding a guy with elite vision and skill to the third line will allow us to leverage our depth to a much greater extent. Nylander/ Kadri will be free to torment opposing teams weakest lines/ pairings.
 

newfdizzle

Registered User
Feb 16, 2012
21
8
I can't believe how turned up people get over line combinations 4 games into the season when our offense is dominating. Relax guys. Even if Ennis plays with Matthews, he's not hurting him. I agree that Kapanen is a way better fit, but some of you guys get pretty worked up over nothing. Ennis meshed well with Matthews in preseason, giving him a few games there never hurt anyone and Babs made a pretty good sub with Kapanen. It's all working just fine. The only thing I wouldn't do is separate Tavares and Marner, that's a match made in heaven... but let's just give it 20 games before we're freakin out!
 

Liminality

Registered User
Oct 22, 2008
13,366
4,013
Babcock has worn us down so much that we see kappy as willy's replacement, instead of the much, much more logical:

Kapanen - Matthews - Nylander (fastest line in nhl? most skilled line in nhl?)
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Marleau - Kadri - XXXXXX (rekindle last year's strong, tough usage partnership)

XXXXX = any of Brown/Leivo/Johnsson/Lindholm/Ennis/Grundstrom/Engvall
I don't think Babcock is the reason. People were speculating Marleau with Matthews and Nylander as soon as he was signed and it seemed like the logical choice. I mentioned pretty much the exact same lineup in a pgt a couple nights ago cause I agree that 3rd line does need that type of pairing again.

I had Marleau on the right and Leivo on the left, not sure if that's possible but I'm not sure if Brown on that 3rd line would be enough offense.
 

Eb

Registered User
Feb 27, 2011
7,806
610
Toronto
They've definitely looked good together in two games. We'll see if this will continue...

If it does, Nylander gets a shot at "leading" his own line with Kadri and Johnsson/Leivo.
 

FabledKnight

Registered User
Feb 20, 2008
642
126
Marleau Matthews Kapanen (feels good to write this line)
Hymen Tavares Marner (GTA line)
Leivo Kadri Johnsson
Gauthier Lindholm Brown
Ennis

Reilly Dermott
Gardiner Zaitzev
Marincin Holl/Oz
Hainsey
 

HamiltonNHL

Parity era hockey is just puck luck + draft luck
Jan 4, 2012
20,976
11,492
Hymen Tavares Marner (GTA line)

Let's be clear here.

Don't get the a and e wrong. Grade 11 Health pictures [?NSFW]

hymen.vs.hyman.jpg
 

Iapyi

Registered User
Apr 19, 2017
5,072
2,362
Canadian Prairies
Everyone else already knows, it's just you bud lol

aww, you are such a genius. Everyone else knows what btw? I haven't stated an official declaration. I have pointed out the fact that who the "best" player is is subjective. If you can't comprehend that I can't help you pal.
 

Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
41,190
32,848
St. Paul, MN
Id much prefer to see Nylander back there when he signs to get the line going more dominant at even strength, the one thing I don’t like about Babs and Kapanen is that he’s trying to turn them into a Hymen clone it seems, but the guys a lot more skilled than that. Like that he’s getting more of a chance though.

Ir does seem as if the Kadri line could use a big boost, so having Nylander on that line would definitely help them offensively, and since Nylander is great 5v5 it would certainly help fit in well with them during their shutdown role. Good problem to have either way.
 

BodaciousBeefBazooka

Go Leafs Go
Apr 4, 2013
3,730
1,324
Toronto
Matthews has kapanen now. Tavares has marner. Kadri has brown...I guess. Nice 1->2 punch per line. Throw in a few complimentary players like Hyman that dig and fetch pucks and you are golden. We need a piece of two on the back end for upgrades and we are laughing.
 

Leafling

Registered User
Oct 24, 2015
503
182
i agree but i'll add i'm starting to find it difficult to know what Babs values

i.e. Brown has been trash but Levio got demoted to the 4th line which surprisingly had a good game while the Kadri line still struggled

Bit harsh analysis, i only caught the extended highlights and from what i saw kadri line with brown had pretty decent chances including a post

Ofcourse nylander will make that line go crazy but i think that line will be fine , i mean they were not minuses on a 7-4 night so they weren't bad
 

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