Line Combos: Time to stack up our lines

[PuckMagi]

I like those lines overall. I would rather have Brown with Kadri and Kapanen in the top 6... but I still think this could work quite well. I think Brown's style will go well with Tavares. He's kind of like Hyman but with more skill.

The Matthews line will be awesome.

I support these changes.

Nylander will look way better with Matthews compared to Kadri. Nylander and Kadri don't play the same style at all.

 

[Mr Hockey]

,Sure..take Johnsson off the tavares/Marner line which has been on fire....
If Johnsson is off the line then babcock really is a stubborn idiot.

And I'll bet putting brown there is just as a placeholder for Hyman..

This coach......

.

It looks to me like its just Tavares/Mitch working it together and Johnsson is just grinding like Hyman was, I wouldn't waste Johnsson's skill set on that line.

 

[TorontoTrades]

Probably trying to showcase Brown a little more for a potential trade.

 

[egd27]

WE are hurting ourselves by not stacking the lines. it's quite ridiculous. every other coach is doing it.

And yet here we sit with more points than every other coach but one.

Marleau is KILLING the Matthews line right now. Leivo was a better winger. Marleau has lost a MASSIVE step this year.

And according to the tweet Marleau is with Kadri so that should make you happy...no?

 

[Dough72]

putting Kapanen on his wrong wing neutralizes his two biggest strengths which are flying up the boards with the puck, and his wrist shot. Kapanen can create a dangerous wrist shot a handful of times each game just using his speed alone to fly up the boards and put a shot on net with a lot of power behind it. Unless you put him on his wrong wing. A wrist shot on your wrong wing means putting the puck on the defenceman's side of your body which means you need more space. If you plan to take them while rushing up the boards you either take a sneaky-quick shot which takes a lot of the power away from it, or you slow right down to create the extra space which also takes power away from it. Neither is as effective as shooting on your proper wing. Wrong wing is also bad for carrying the puck up the boards because you are far less of a threat to deke to the middle of the ice using your backhand. Defencemen can now cheat against Kapanen to cut him off along the boards. And then there's the increased degree of difficulty for passing in general which is the biggest reason players don't normally like playing on their wrong wing. Especially a player like kapanen that loves breakout passes and breakout passes at the NHL level are like laser beams which players routinely flub even on their forehand. And on top of all that I'm not sure players like Marner or Matthews/nylander would relish playing with him anyway. Simply because he is another puck carrier. I don't think Marner for example would enjoy waiting for his defencemen to give him the puck only to be ignored for his winger who is always floating for a breakaway pass. There are only so many shifts in a game and star players desperately want the puck on their stick. This is why Matthews and Marner said they love playing with hyman a player who's entire existence is about getting the puck on their stick a handful extra times each game. Kapanen is the better player but not necessarily on those two lines and especially not if he's on his wrong wing. He is more valuable as the feature player on his own line and kadri just happens to need a guy who can carry the puck through the neutral zone and be a finisher for his passes and kapanen seems like a great fit for both.

 

[gabeliscious]

This would be so fun even if it only happened for a period or so

Is this not what we see every pp?

 

[Thread The Needle]

Is this not what we see every pp?

You mean half of every pp. Without fail.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

This isn't NHL 19 and I don't know why internet people think it's that simple and that these are robots with numerized overall skill levels.

A balanced team will always be better in the long term. Do you ever think about what happens when the unstacked lines aren't on the ice?

Every team does it? Most of the league can't even score more than 1 line deep.

Besides that the Leafs already outskill and outspeed every team except maybe one. And that's with a slumping Nylander and snakebitten Kadri.

The funniest part of all these complaints is it's what Brown and Hyman excel in that the Leafs are missing on the nights where they come out with nothing.

And that Brown/Kadri/Nylander line has looked decent to me. The play has died on Nylander's stick more than it has on Brown's, but who needs to be objective.

 

[Battle Lin]

our top 3 lines gotta be,

kap/johnsson - matthews - nylander
kap/johnsson - tavares - marner
marleau - kadri - brown (hyman when healthy)

and this left handed right handed crap...ok marleau is left handed and played on kadri left wing, and kappy is right handed and plays on kadri's right wing, and they look terrible...if your skilled and can skate you can play anywhere, you think marner and willy and kappy care if they in the middle of the ice or on the left side of the ice or the right side, the main point is putting skilled guys with skilled guys and kappy would look great with matthews or tavares as does johnsson

and kapanen might be our 5th and for sure our 6th best offensive forward, so get him on the PP, the sole purpose of the PP is for offense and trying to score a goal gawd dammit

i feel babs isnt taking full advantage of all his offensive talent...you gotta at least give it a try, experiment a bit jeezes, and what better time to try now cause our goal tending sucks so we might need to score as many goals as possible

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

Kadri - - Matthews - - Kapanen
Marleau - - Tavares - - Marner
Johnsson - Nylander - Hyman

Rielly - Gardiner
Dermott - Zaitsev
Borgman - Hainsey​

 

[Griffin76]

putting Kapanen on his wrong wing neutralizes his two biggest strengths which are flying up the boards with the puck, and his wrist shot. Kapanen can create a dangerous wrist shot a handful of times each game just using his speed alone to fly up the boards and put a shot on net with a lot of power behind it. Unless you put him on his wrong wing. A wrist shot on your wrong wing means putting the puck on the defenceman's side of your body which means you need more space. If you plan to take them while rushing up the boards you either take a sneaky-quick shot which takes a lot of the power away from it, or you slow right down to create the extra space which also takes power away from it. Neither is as effective as shooting on your proper wing. Wrong wing is also bad for carrying the puck up the boards because you are far less of a threat to deke to the middle of the ice using your backhand. Defencemen can now cheat against Kapanen to cut him off along the boards. And then there's the increased degree of difficulty for passing in general which is the biggest reason players don't normally like playing on their wrong wing. Especially a player like kapanen that loves breakout passes and breakout passes at the NHL level are like laser beams which players routinely flub even on their forehand. And on top of all that I'm not sure players like Marner or Matthews/nylander would relish playing with him anyway. Simply because he is another puck carrier. I don't think Marner for example would enjoy waiting for his defencemen to give him the puck only to be ignored for his winger who is always floating for a breakaway pass. There are only so many shifts in a game and star players desperately want the puck on their stick. This is why Matthews and Marner said they love playing with hyman a player who's entire existence is about getting the puck on their stick a handful extra times each game. Kapanen is the better player but not necessarily on those two lines and especially not if he's on his wrong wing. He is more valuable as the feature player on his own line and kadri just happens to need a guy who can carry the puck through the neutral zone and be a finisher for his passes and kapanen seems like a great fit for both.

Very well written and well thought out. Easy solution...keep Kapanen on Matty's right and put Nylander on his left. Once the rush is over, all three guys are creating havoc all over the ice anyway so it doesn't matter whether they are called a RW, LW or C.

 

[ToneDog]

If we want to beat the big boys we need more from our 3rd line. Is it time to reunite Kadri with Marner ?

Hyman Matthews Nylander
AJ JT Kappy
Marleau Kadri Marner
Par Goat Brown

This gives us three balanced lines that Bab needs to ride in the playoffs. It is the only way I see Leafs keeping up with the Bruins and Lightning as the line up stands today.

 

[LeafFever]

This isn't NHL 19 and I don't know why internet people think it's that simple and that these are robots with numerized overall skill levels.

A balanced team will always be better in the long term. Do you ever think about what happens when the unstacked lines aren't on the ice?

Every team does it? Most of the league can't even score more than 1 line deep.

Besides that the Leafs already outskill and outspeed every team except maybe one. And that's with a slumping Nylander and snakebitten Kadri.

The funniest part of all these complaints is it's what Brown and Hyman excel in that the Leafs are missing on the nights where they come out with nothing.

And that Brown/Kadri/Nylander line has looked decent to me. The play has died on Nylander's stick more than it has on Brown's, but who needs to be objective.

Because other NHL coaches on conteners do it?

 

[Battle Lin]

theres also a reason why theres 82 games, that is a heck of a lot of games...so experiment a bit you know, what is wrong with experimenting...the fact is nobody knows if it will work, i dont know, you dont know and babs doesnt know

put kappy with tavares for a few games, see how it looks, put him with matthews...have nylander with matthews and marner one game, who knows...theres nothing wrong with trying different looks and experimenting to see if things will click, who knows maybe you will see such magic that you cant separate all this talent

 

[Liminality]

If we want to beat the big boys we need more from our 3rd line. Is it time to reunite Kadri with Marner ?

Hyman Matthews Nylander
AJ JT Kappy
Marleau Kadri Marner
Par Goat Brown

This gives us three balanced lines that Bab needs to ride in the playoffs. It is the only way I see Leafs keeping up with the Bruins and Lightning as the line up stands today.

I think you've got to keep Marner and Tavares together, they're one of the best duo's this season.

Maybe Marleau can work with them?

Marleau-JT-Marner
AJ-Matthews-Nylander
Hyman-Kadri-Kapanen
Moore-Lindholm-Brown

I kinda like the idea of Hyman and Kapanen on the same line. That might be the grinding/offensive 3rd line we've been wanting.

 

[Ignatius Reilly]

Because other NHL coaches on conteners do it?

As has been pointed out before, there's only one team and one coach that's ahead of us. Maybe that's because Tampa stacks their lines..... maybe not.

theres also a reason why theres 82 games, that is a heck of a lot of games...so experiment a bit you know, what is wrong with experimenting...the fact is nobody knows if it will work, i dont know, you dont know and babs doesnt know

put kappy with tavares for a few games, see how it looks, put him with matthews...have nylander with matthews and marner one game, who knows...theres nothing wrong with trying different looks and experimenting to see if things will click, who knows maybe you will see such magic that you cant separate all this talent

Maybe it'll work, and maybe it won't and we'll sink in the standings and lose a chance at home ice.

Are you willing to risk it? None (NONE) of the team that works with this team every day is. Maybe they see things you don't see during all those other hours they spend with the team. Maybe they've seen and learned things about hockey in their lifetimes of playing and living and working in it that you haven't.

What's your job? Would you change the way you did it because someone who's not in the business said you should?

 

[Battle Lin]

^ trying different line combos for 2-3 games will sink your season lol, what u talking about bro...and really its not like we even playing good hockey right now with our current lines

 

[ToneDog]

I think you've got to keep Marner and Tavares together, they're one of the best duo's this season.

Maybe Marleau can work with them?

Marleau-JT-Marner
AJ-Matthews-Nylander
Hyman-Kadri-Kapanen
Moore-Lindholm-Brown

I kinda like the idea of Hyman and Kapanen on the same line. That might be the grinding/offensive 3rd line we've been wanting.

JT does not need Marner and vice versa. Kadri needs somebody and the only one he was worked well with is Marner. Marleau only works with Kadri and Marner as well.

 

[Funk21]

Probably trying to showcase Brown a little more for a potential trade.

Let’s hope so, look I like Brownie and in an ideal world we could afford to keep him. Unfortunately he will be a cap crunch casualty.

If we could get a really strong 4th liner or give a + to get a top 4RHD that would be ideal. Chances are the plus would be pretty significant.

 

[LeafFever]

Brown really is an easy trade. Not too pricey, decent contract and scored 20 goals as a rookie,

 

[Battle Lin]

hyman gets to play with tavares marner, then brown, even marleau, who's next moore and lindholm? how bout gauthier babcock? put him in your 6 why dont ya

why not kappy? kapanen was on pace for a 30goal 30ass year before babs took him out of the top 6...its like babcock wants to try every single line combo possible without putting matthews, tavares, marner, nylander, kappy, and johnsson in the top 6...these are your top 6 offensive guys, just put them all together and have a look, at least for 1 dam game

and how does moore get on the PP before kappy, and marleau jeezes christ...just put your best offensive guys in your top 6 and put your top offensive guys on your PP

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

Hyman - - Matthews - - Marner
Marleau - - Tavares - - Nylander
Johnsson - - Kadri - - Kapanen
​

 

[Le Cobra]

The super stack:

Matthews - Tavares - Marner

Johnsson - Nylander - Kapanen

Marleau - Kadri - Brown
Ennis - Goat - Moore/Hyman

Gardiner - Rielly
Dermott - Zaitsev
Hainsey - Oz

That second line is formidable on its own.

 

[sxvnert]

Ugh.. Why is brown so high in the lineup. Come on Babcock swap Brown with Kapi.

Brown fills Hymans role to a tee so JT and Marner cant get used to having a third skilled player on the same line. Otherwise his son will never get back into the top six.

 

[sxvnert]

JT does not need Marner and vice versa.

They complement each other better than any other duo on this team. Without that duo this team would never score again.