Line Combos: Your lines TOMORROW vs the Panthers

[DKH]

I start Sway game 1 because Bennett is out. This is the one you HAVE to steal in Florida.

Seeing it this way as well

If Swayman looks a bit off you go Ullmark and give Swayman a break and can come back

I go Swayman until his play sags

Biggest issue I saw from the Pastrnak line was their inability to enter the offensive zone. Boqvist is one of our better forwards at zone entries. I think once that line can enter the zone, the 5 on 5 points will come.

Geekie isn't an issue there, but I don't think he has been seeing the ice that well. I think if he simplifies his game on the 4th line, Maroon, Beecher, and Geekie could be a great forechecking line and Maroon will eventually catch up once Beecher and Geekie are on the forecheck.

Good stuff - Monty would get crushed trying it now if it went South but I am curious how that would look

Boqvist scouting reports in 2017 was he was an offensive center and sees Ice well

 

[DKH]

seems like ullmark is getting a lot of attention for a possible game 1 start.
i'd probably start the .950 guy from round 1, but i guess extra rest off an emotional
series isn't the worst plan when you have another #1 guy

I would not kill Monty for this but Swayman in zone

Ullmark won games 3 and 4 in Florida and was first star in game 4

It’s not like he can’t beat them in playoffs on the road

7 F who were in games 3 and 4 Bruins won by 10-4

Marchand
Pasta
Zacha
Coyle
DeBrusk
Frederic
Lauko

The 5 gone

Hathaway
Nosek
Foligno
Bertuzzi
Hall

 

[Gee Wally]

No matter which goalie he goes with if he wins Monty is a genius. If they lose Monty is an idiot. Damned if you , damned if you dont.

 

[bruins19]

Seems impossible he does any time soon without injuries. And the closer Peeke is to returning, the less likely we are of ever seeing Gryz skate for Boston again.

Unless injuries make us put him in, agreed that he has likely reached the end of his Bruins journey. I will be curious to see who offers him a contract and for how much.

 

[RiverbottomChuck]

Marchy-Coyle-Pasta
Debrusk-Zacha-Braz
Geekie-Freddy-Heinen
Boqvist-Beecher-Maroon

Mac-Lindy
Carlo-Lohrei
Peeke/Spoon-Shatty

 

[Gee Wally]

You gotta go with size and size that can take a pounding.
Cats physical forecheck is their bread and butter.

Then we must get bodies to the net and ffs shoot the puck

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

I’m not sure but I think we keep that JVR line cause we’re gonna need some physicality.

I also stay with Swayman. His numbers are fantastic. He’s in the mythical “zone” so let it be.

Need McAvoy to play much better.

 

[TD Charlie]

Truthfully, I don’t even care. Just give me more Lohrei and Wotherspoon, and give ‘er hell every night

Let’s f***in go fellas

 

[Aussie Bruin]

I think we may see Peake in the line up at some point.

All I know is they need to start Linus. Sway 100% needs a break plus Linus’ numbers agains Florida are better.

Yep, Ullmark for me. Give Sway a break, he's seen a ton of rubber in the last couple of weeks. I basically see G1 as a free hit for the Bruins, so put Linus in and see how he's handled not playing much lately. I'd rather do that now than have to throw him in completely cold in a more critical game 4 or 5 or whatever.

It's hardly like you're going to the backup. He's the join number 1 who's taken half the workload all year, is a recent Vezina winner, done nothing at all wrong that warrants consigning him to the bench, and as you said has a good recent record against the Panthers. See what you have, and freshen up your other guy in the process. Win/win.

And if it only takes one game out for Sway to lose his form then, to be blunt, that's pretty weak. He'll be fine.

 

[Hookslide]

Marchand - Coyle - DeBrusk
Zacha - Boqvist - Pastrnak
JVR - Frederic - Brazeau
Maroon - Beecher - Geekie

Lindholm - McAvoy
Lohrei - Carlo
Wotherpsoon - Shattenkirk

I am a Geekie guy and have liked what he has brought this year although I thought last game I might have tried Boqvist with Pasta and Zacka and I think you are right to suggest that now........

 

[Hookslide]

Marchy-Coyle-Pasta
Debrusk-Zacha-Braz
Geekie-Freddy-Heinen
Boqvist-Beecher-Maroon

Mac-Lindy
Carlo-Lohrei
Peeke/Spoon-Shatty

no

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

Yep, Ullmark for me. Give Sway a break, he's seen a ton of rubber in the last couple of weeks. I basically see G1 as a free hit for the Bruins, so put Linus in and see how he's handled not playing much lately. I'd rather do that now than have to throw him in completely cold in a more critical game 4 or 5 or whatever.

It's hardly like you're going to the backup. He's the join number 1 who's taken half the workload all year, is a recent Vezina winner, done nothing at all wrong that warrants consigning him to the bench, and as you said has a good recent record against the Panthers. See what you have, and freshen up your other guy in the process. Win/win.

And if it only takes one game out for Sway to lose his form then, to be blunt, that's pretty weak. He'll be fine.

I think we will see Linus tomorrow. I don’t think that’s a good decision, though. It’s not “weak.” It simply makes sense to stick with a guy who is playing lights out.

 

[xStanleyCupsFor]

I think we will see Linus tomorrow. I don’t think that’s a good decision, though. It’s not “weak.” It simply makes sense to stick with a guy who is playing lights out.

You cannot take Sway out of that net. Do NOT play around with winning mojo. Don't overthink it Monty. If they lose game 1 then you can come back with Ullmark and give Sway his rest.

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

You cannot take Sway out of that net. Do NOT play around with winning mojo. Don't overthink it Monty. If they lose game 1 then you can come back with Ullmark and give Sway his rest.

Exactly

 

[Aussie Bruin]

I think we will see Linus tomorrow. I don’t think that’s a good decision, though. It’s not “weak.” It simply makes sense to stick with a guy who is playing lights out.

But why should he stop being lights out just because he misses one game? He played on Saturday, and even if he sits for one will probably play again on Wednesday. It's 4 days. Where's the issue?

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

But why should he stop being lights out just because he misses one game? He played on Saturday, and even if he sits for one will probably play again on Wednesday. It's 4 days. Where's the issue?

There’s no issue. Both perspectives make sense. I think staying with the hot hand outweighs the need for Ullmark to get action and for Swayman to rest.

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

Swiayman needs a break after the last two weeks of horseshit in front of him.
Start Linus and then put Swayman right back

 

[Aussie Bruin]

There’s no issue. Both perspectives make sense. I think staying with the hot hand outweighs the need for Ullmark to get action and for Swayman to rest.

Yeah you can make arguments either way. I'm always just a bit suspicious of this 'goalie juju' stuff!

But if they stick with Sway I'll get it. We'll see what happens. In a sense there are no bad options.

 

[sarge88]

But why should he stop being lights out just because he misses one game? He played on Saturday, and even if he sits for one will probably play again on Wednesday. It's 4 days. Where's the issue?

I know it’s playing with fire because every day Ullmark sits, the possibility of rust increases…but the other side of the coin is that Swayman is so locked in right now, why not take advantage of it and ride it out until he doesn’t play well?

Considering they split the load in the RS, I’m not worried about a 25 year old getting tired because he played in 6 games over 14 days.

If he were 33, I might think differently.

 

[KrejciMVP]

Sway every game unless down 3-1 or 3-0 in a series

Sway one of the best in the playoffs so far, can't sit him

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

Yeah you can make arguments either way. I'm always just a bit suspicious of this 'goalie juju' stuff!

But if they stick with Sway I'll get it. We'll see what happens. In a sense there are no bad options.

The last thing we should be worrying about is goaltending

 

[Beesfan]

Defense was great, so I keep it in tack, offensive still slumping, so I switch it up.

Marchand/Coyle/Pasta
DeBrusk/Zacha/Geekie
JVR/Frederic/Brazeau
Boqvist/Beecher/Maroon

Lohrei - MacAvoy
Lindholm - Carlo
Wotherspoon - Shattenkirk

Swayman
Ullmark

There is a case to be made for Ullmark in net. It would be a nice gesture of faith in him, gives Sway some rest, Game 1 is probably the least crucial game of a series, etc. However, nearly all teams this time of year do ride a No. 1 all the way through and Swayman has been the best goalie in the playoffs thus far. I think you just make him the No. 1.

 

[Comedy of Errors]

Side by side the Panthers are loaded with talent. The bruins will need to overachieve to win this series. They need the same kind of upset the Panther performed last year.

Taking Swaymen out now would be the biggest mistake of the series. He has been the only thing that has kept the Bruins in contention and will have to be as good for them to move on.

More Bruins have to step up, plain and simple, or it will be over in 5, maybe even 4 games.

 

[Joe Zanussi]

I haven’t seen all the positives from Shatty that some others have. I’m not angry w him (save that fro Gryz) but I’ll take Peeke or Forbort for sure.

 

[bob77]

I would think against the Panthers Forbort is ahead of Gryz on the depth chart.

Peeke has to start as soon as he is ready. Playing Shatts is driving up the minutes for McAvoy. They've got 2 rookies on the ice, and still Shatts is barely playing and getting the most sheltered minutes possible when he does get on the ice

Until they actually let Forbort play, we don’t know where he is on any sort of depth chart. Peeke will probably be as rusty as Forbort would be. Peeke needs to replace Shattenkirk as soon as possible. Could Forbort play better than Wotherspoon defensively? Or Lohrei for that matter. The big boy hockey seems like it will start now. A lineup with Wotherspoon, Lohrei, and Shattenkirk seems soft for battling along the wall, corners, and net front. I know people get all enamored by the offense skills, but they probably won’t be of much use in this series. And besides, Lohrei had two plus and two minus in 5 games. One plus being the Geekie 0.1 goal. I’d play these 6 when ready

Lohrei / Gryz/ Wotherspoon w McAvoy
Lindholm w Carlo
Forbort w Peeke/ Wotherspoon

I would not play Shattenkirk.

The bottom line is the battles are going to be a lot tougher.