Line Combos: The Line Construction Thread

[Hivemind]

Then Kuzya at center, because he's a natural center.

Kuznetsov is a winger as well. He played wing in the KHL, and he's been utterly destroyed in his own zone as a center in the NHL.

 

[Burakovsky95*]

I just want to be sure we are on the same page. Bura is going to be the gunner on that line. Bura has 1 goals in his last 16 games and none in his last 8.

Burakovsky has been known as a shooter his entire time in Sweden and the O. His move to center and what they've told him to focus on has obviously taken away from that so far.

 

[txpd]

so much so that he has 1 goal in 16 games?

 

[Burakovsky95*]

so much so that he has 1 goal in 16 games?

Can you not tell he's a shooter? I thought that was obvious. He's turned into the distributor on that line because what option does he have with Brouwer and the newly formed Johansson?
He had 41 goals last year in Erie.

 

[txpd]

Can you not tell he's a shooter? I thought that was obvious. He's turned into the distributor on that line because what option does he have with Brouwer and the newly formed Johansson?
He had 41 goals last year in Erie.

that backstrom's first job is to feed ovechkin it doesn't keep him from scoring some on his own. I hope you are not suggesting that Johansson is a shoot only player. You have been a Caps fan long enough to remember that he wouldn't shoot before this season.

I love burakovsky. lets not start saying that Johansson and Brouwer and the puck moving defense on the ice when he is are killing his game.

 

[Burakovsky95*]

that backstrom's first job is to feed ovechkin it doesn't keep him from scoring some on his own. I hope you are not suggesting that Johansson is a shoot only player. You have been a Caps fan long enough to remember that he wouldn't shoot before this season.

I love burakovsky. lets not start saying that Johansson and Brouwer and the puck moving defense on the ice when he is are killing his game.

What does past Johansson have to do with Burakovsky...? He is very much so a shoot first player now. Backstrom doesn't shoot nearly enough which is a widely complained about thing on this board. Brouwer is definitely a passenger on that line but I have no idea what you're talking about with the "killing his game" stuff.

All I said was that he's been known as a shooter...

 

[txpd]

my point is that its a matter of degrees. I understand that burakovsky will get more assists than goals. I don't understand why that means he will cant score at all.

I don't buy that passing the puck to Johansson precludes bura from getting his own chances and finishing some. 1 goal in his last 17 games isn't good.

 

[Mickstix]

Well, I've seen most ever forward on the team with a right hand shot get a chance at 1RW.. Hows about our new head coach address the 2nd line being a complete anchor?? At least the 3rd line can cycle, not that it ever adds up to a shot on goal or anything, but at least it's something.. 4th line, meh.. Even they look better than the 2nd.. But for god sake, try something different on the 2nd ****ing line!

 

[FloridaCap]

Well, I've seen most ever forward on the team with a right hand shot get a chance at 1RW.. Hows about our new head coach address the 2nd line being a complete anchor?? At least the 3rd line can cycle, not that it ever adds up to a shot on goal or anything, but at least it's something.. 4th line, meh.. Even they look better than the 2nd.. But for god sake, try something different on the 2nd ****ing line!

First step is to trade Brouwer for a ham and cheese sandwich.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

First step is to trade Brouwer for a ham and cheese sandwich.

A bag of pucks and a rack of sticks would be better

 

[Mickstix]

A bag of pucks and a rack of sticks would be better

Im getting the feeling the pecking order of forwards is 8,19, and 20.. Trotz is pretending he's a super star or something?

 

[Hivemind]

90-65-20 was the best line on the team for quite a while.

 

[txpd]

Im getting the feeling the pecking order of forwards is 8,19, and 20.. Trotz is pretending he's a super star or something?

I think that's ridiculous. I think Trotz wants a a mixture of elements on his scoring lines and Brouwer brings what Trotz wants for that spot. Why not just say Wilson is the 3rd in the pecking order. He is entrenched on a more important line while not having the polish as yet for pp or pk duty.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

90-65-20 was the best line on the team for quite a while.

And they stopped dead in their tracks...

 

[artilector]

I think Bura seems a pretty natural shooter. And I think one can easily trace his lack of good scoring chances to MJ and Brouwer's inability to set him up. He's doing a lot of work as a center, he's still figuring out all the responsibilities (especially defensive), he is trying to retrieve & distribute, MJ is trying to shoot and is not a particularly creative passer, Brouwer is a pretty bad passer.. hence the result with Bura. If he played wing with a decent 2C, I think he'd definitely have a lot more shots and quite likely a bunch more goals.

I don't think it's bad that he's learning the center position, but I think it's pretty easy to see that this, especially with his current linemates, is limiting his own goal-scoring opportunities.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I think Bura seems a pretty natural shooter. And I think one can easily trace his lack of good scoring chances to MJ and Brouwer's inability to set him up. He's doing a lot of work as a center, he's still figuring out all the responsibilities (especially defensive), he is trying to retrieve & distribute, MJ is trying to shoot and is not a particularly creative passer, Brouwer is a pretty bad passer.. hence the result with Bura. If he played wing with a decent 2C, I think he'd definitely have a lot more shots and quite likely a bunch more goals.

I don't think it's bad that he's learning the center position, but I think it's pretty easy to see that this, especially with his current linemates, is limiting his own goal-scoring opportunities.

Mojo is a fairly good passer. Far from being as good as Nicky, but he's pretty decent, especially on the power play. His saucer pass is crisp and lands flat nearly every time.

Kuzya would complement Bura nicely, but they are a bit too young and not gritty enough, hence Brouwer plays with them. 92 and 65 would get pinned in their own zone.

 

[Halpysback*]

What is this thing people keep saying "Brouwer brings"?

 

[txpd]

What is this thing people keep saying "Brouwer brings"?

well....nothing. right? he's useless. he takes up skates and bench space. trotz and his gang behind the bench are just blind to it. they watch the game video and they like what they see. as opposed to say, fehr.

we of course, see it differently. he's an empty jersey.

 

[artilector]

well....nothing. right? he's useless. he takes up skates and bench space. trotz and his gang behind the bench are just blind to it. they watch the game video and they like what they see. as opposed to say, fehr.

we of course, see it differently. he's an empty jersey.

Glad to see you're coming around.

 

[g00n]

As noted in today's GDT it looks like Trotz is weighing faceoff percentage heavily in his lines. Bura and Kuz are bad at them, so they get benched. Beagle and Brouwer* are good at them, so they get extra playing time and higher line assignments than you'd expect. The result is low scoring grinding that's veteran heavy particularly late in the game when a defensive zone faceoff loss can mean zero points on the night.

Unless our offensive guys can get better at taking draws we're stuck. All we can do now is shuffle the lines a bit while they learn, or hope the grinding will somehow produce goals.

*(But what I'm not sure Trotz has noticed is that Brouwer is sub-50% in even strength faceoffs. His high percentage is propped up by power play faceoff wins. Which means his line assignment should NOT be based on faceoff proficiency at all.)

So...


Ovechkin - Backstrom - Wilson/Kuz
Johansson - Fehr - Kuz/Wilson
Burakovsky - Beagle - Ward
Laich - Latta - Brouwer

Scratch: Chimera (until Laich is hurt again)

 

[ChibiPooky]

That's weird. Why would he (or anyone) be better on the draw on the PP? Is it just the numbers advantage that makes it easier to win? Does anyone else see a similar increase in FO% from even strength to PP?

 

[g00n]

That's weird. Why would he (or anyone) be better on the draw on the PP? Is it just the numbers advantage that makes it easier to win? Does anyone else see a similar increase in FO% from even strength to PP?

I didn't expect to see that and I didn't notice it at first. I haven't looked around at other teams to see if it's common league-wide but it's unique among Caps. I also haven't looked back at previous years.

Maybe the PP draw is simplified to a strength he has.

 

[txpd]

faceoffs should be a team stat. a face off not cleanly won becomes a fight among the other players for the puck. on the pp the caps have an extra stick going after the puck while the pk has to play it safe.

so....pk faceoff % should be taken into account. they are as hard to win as the pp faceoff is easy to win.

also...brouwer's even strength face off percentage is effected by the ability to win a puck battle by his linemates.

example. ovechkin scored numerous goals off the face off last season. backstrom would fight to a stalemate and the puck would drift into the face off circle. Johansson would step in and tap a quick pass to Ov for the shot. Johansson's touch of the puck earned Backstrom a face off win. Had the opponent beaten Johansson to the puck, Backy gets a faceoff loss

 

[g00n]

faceoffs should be a team stat. a face off not cleanly won becomes a fight among the other players for the puck. on the pp the caps have an extra stick going after the puck while the pk has to play it safe.

so....pk faceoff % should be taken into account. they are as hard to win as the pp faceoff is easy to win.

also...brouwer's even strength face off percentage is effected by the ability to win a puck battle by his linemates.

example. ovechkin scored numerous goals off the face off last season. backstrom would fight to a stalemate and the puck would drift into the face off circle. Johansson would step in and tap a quick pass to Ov for the shot. Johansson's touch of the puck earned Backstrom a face off win. Had the opponent beaten Johansson to the puck, Backy gets a faceoff loss

If all of that's true then why isn't this a thing with every line and every team? Come on. No excuses.

 

[txpd]

I am just telling you what the rules are. how is that an excuse?

if a faceoff is not won at the dot and other caps players fight and win control of the puck, the fo win goes to the caps face off taker.

here....in this face off the puck actually goes into the Oil control sector. Johansson beats the Oilers to the puck and passes to Ov. that FO win goes to Backstrom.

Meanwhile you assume pointing out the value of the wingers in a face off is an excuse for failure, while ive twice now pointed out Johansson being good at this.