Line Combos: 1st vs. 2nd line - time to split up Ehlers - Little - Laine? Mod Warning Post #552

[Dayofthedogs]

Not quite sure what you mean by that, but if Maurice doesn't want those 5 against McDavid, then don't put those 5 on the ice together. Edmonton can't force them to put Myers/Kuli with CWL.

Also Maurice has already said a couple times he will change lines for better road matchups. If Maurice doesn't like CWL versus McDavid, then he can switch Connor and Perreault, or Laine with Ehlers.

With the amount of minutes McDavid play there is no way to ensure that.

Coming off of special teams and such you pretty much need 2 d pairs to match against every line.

You're right he could never put those 5 out but that could mean Benny and Poolman get a look with those 3.

Either way I don't like those 3 forwards together in their own end.

 

[Maukkis]

Not having last change can be a hell of a thing.

This. Maurice has apparently said that the approach to road games will differ from the one to home games. (don't have a link, but someone mentioned that Maurice had said this in an interview)

It makes perfect sense, though. We have not been able to use the Lowry line nearly as well on the road, which is a massive blow.

 

[Dayofthedogs]

This is the line combo thread right?

 

[behemolari]

I don't either like Ehlers or Byfuglien playing styles but you can't argue they both are absolutely core players and extremely valuable to the team. Maybe just not fit for Laine who plays very different game.

This is the line combo thread right?

This is new Laine thread since his own thread was closed

 

[Zhamnov5GoalGame]

I don't either like Ehlers or Byfuglien playing styles but you can't argue they both are absolutely core players and extremely valuable to the team. Maybe just not fit for Laine who plays very different game.



This is new Laine thread since his own thread was closed

Correction. The Laine thread was re-opened quite a while ago.

 

[Zhamnov5GoalGame]

I know I've beat this drum a couple times but how do we feel about 1st line Lowry until Chef comes back?

At least on the road.
Something like

Connor/Lowry/Wheeler
MP/Little/Laine
Ehlers/Copp or Roslo/Armia

Our 4th line is gonna be a 5-7 min a night dumpster fire no matter what at the moment.

With the 9 forwards above there are a few combinations that could probably give us 18 mins a night each. Leaving about 6 mins for the 4th line and not burning anyone out too hard.

I don't ever see Mo using Lowry in any role other than a shut down line (because he is SOOOOO good at it).

I'm just most worried about MHD.
That looks bad on paper.
MLA was so good last year.
Would switching Copp and Matthias make the 4th line better without weakening the 3rd line???
Something to consider.

 

[Maukkis]

I don't either like Ehlers or Byfuglien playing styles but you can't argue they both are absolutely core players and extremely valuable to the team. Maybe just not fit for Laine who plays very different game.

See, this is a prime example of a good opinion. It leaves space for others' opinions, while making it very clear what the poster thinks.

I have absolutely no problem admitting that sometimes Ehlers is too quick for his own good; he occasionally tries to enter the zone without factoring in how the second wave, which is the rest of the team, is considerably slower than him and therefore is not able to support him, which can lead to a turnover (for reference, think back to the first Nashville game of this season, in which Ehlers was wrecked by the Preds' defense because of trying to do too much by himself). That is something that he simply must learn to do, and when he does it, he will become a very valuable line driver for the team. However, that does not mean he is greedy - not in the slightest. That is an imperfection, which he can and probably will learn out of.

Buff has improved his game a lot from last year, and as people have already stated, I reckon it is a result of his minutes having been cut down and his assignments having become easier. He no longer takes many unneeded risks, which has shown in his on-ice play. Now he looks steady and actually plays well defensively, while retaining his ability to move the puck and join the rush. As a result, Buff has been considerably more steady than before.

 

[Maukkis]

I don't ever see Mo using Lowry in any role other than a shut down line (because he is SOOOOO good at it).

I'm just most worried about MHD.
That looks bad on paper.
MLA was so good last year.
Would switching Copp and Matthias make the 4th line better without weakening the 3rd line???
Something to consider.

I would not worry. I doubt they'll play much at all; Maurice seems to be about trusting the players he ices, and if he doesn't trust someone to play many minutes, that someone will be warming the bench a lot. Moreover, the third line needs to be very strong to make up for the absence of Scheifele; someone has to take care of the toughest matchups, and Maurice knows what Lowry's line can do in that regard. I think he wants Copp-Lowry-Armia to stay together, for all three are able to take care of the tough matchups.

 

[Ippenator]

Take my lead here and give me some input on what kind of line combos you'd like to see.

Considering we have a few injuries and some shiney new toys to play with maybe we can all veer this thread back to something a little more fun and up beat.

We know how you feel about Ehlers. 99 percent of us disagree. Life goes on.

The mods don't want to spend new year's day sifting through this bull****.

Let's give them a break.

Not a bad idea really. Of course the situation with injuries is quite challenging at the moment. I have to say that your lines seem like worth of trying, but I would maybe try them only if these lines wouldn’t work:

Connor-Wheeler-Laine

I liked how this line looked like against the Islanders.

Perreault-Little-Armia

Otherwise I would have thought of Ehlers here, but him and Little are even worse together than Little and Laine. And anyway Perreault and Armia should both get lots of more ice time at the moment. Both are pretty hot right now.

Ehlers-Lowry-Roslovic

This line might not work at all, but maybe it after all would be worth a shot if the other lines would work too. Lowry could bring stability with defence and strength. But Lowry isn’t much of a playmaker, and Ehlers definitely would need a very good playmaker in the same line with him. I doubt Roslovic is that, at least yet. If this does not work, put Ehlers to play with Wheeler maybe.

Copp-Hendricks-Matthias

4th line minutes and matchups. Nothing special expected from these guys, but if they manage 0-0 with their play as often as possible, they have done their job well.

 

[Zhamnov5GoalGame]

Ehlers-Lowry-Roslovic

Is that the line you see Maurice sending out to defend against McDavid?

Perreult-Little-Armia can take a tough match but you need two lines to do that. Your listed lines only has 1 line that can be used to shut down other teams. On nights when we are clicking we could outpace other teams but over all we would have a really tough time (especially on the road) with any line up that doesn't feature Lowry on a shut down line.

 

[Maukkis]

Is that the line you see Maurice sending out to defend against McDavid?

Perreult-Little-Armia can take a tough match but you need two lines to do that. Your listed lines only has 1 line that can be used to shut down other teams. On nights when we are clicking we could outpace other teams but over all we would have a really tough time (especially on the road) with any line up that doesn't feature Lowry on a shut down line.

I see it that way, yes. So far, Lowry has brought the best out of Copp and Tanev, so I expect him to keep that line intact as much as possible (which means that Copp stays with him). Also, Armia has history of playing with Lowry, and Maurice put Armia in that position in the last two games.

You need to remember than as the away team, line matching is not an easy feat. It is the home team that can dictate the matchups (nearly) freely, so we have to adjust to what the Oilers do. That is not likely to include Lowry playing against either McDavid or Draisaitl, which complicates our position. That is exactly why I see us running three lines; CWL, PLE and CLA. Three lines that can compete, which makes the Oilers' job tougher.

 

[Halberdier]

It's funny that PoMo again needed an injury to be able to make the right decisions. Currently CWL seems to be a lot better than CSW was for the last 15 games or so. Also PLE seems to be better than ELL ever was.

Just imagine Perreault not getting injured. Kyle Connor would be still playing AHL or sitting on the PB.

 

[ps241]

This is the line combo thread right?

It’s origin came from too much line combination (complaining) in the Laine thread. Mods decided to open a dedicated thread for that topic.

 

[Psych0dad]

It's funny that PoMo again needed an injury to be able to make the right decisions. Currently CWL seems to be a lot better than CSW was for the last 15 games or so. Also PLE seems to be better than ELL ever was.

Just imagine Perreault not getting injured. Kyle Connor would be still playing AHL or sitting on the PB.

Don't worry, he won't take notes. Once Chef is back, it's gonna be all CSW and ELL looking lost again.

At least that is my expectation with Maurice.

 

[PhilJets]

There was a time in JETS 2.0 history that
Buff was the only Jets offense.

Now we are debating which
of the 2 top 10 RW in the league should play with Schiefele?

Discussing all this great line combos, are good in its own right.


Time has changed indeed.

GOOD TIMES incoming

GO JETS GO!

 

[puck stoppa]

Don't worry, he won't take notes. Once Chef is back, it's gonna be all CSW and ELL looking lost again.

At least that is my expectation with Maurice.

Results speak for themselves though. Where we sit in the standings I think the coach is doing alright.

 

[ps241]

I think with the injury to Schiefele and the Laine Scheif option off the table for two months it’s a great time to relax and let it play out for a while. Laine is now on the top line of the team and they look pretty decent so far. I agree with Ducky10 when he says he sees Pate exerting himself more and trying to force his game on the other team. To me he is also playing with a simmering almost angry edge of a guy that is just about ready to find another level.

I said it before but I believe his best work is going to come in the playoffs this year and that’s really where we are going to need him the most.

 

[Lowered Expectations]

Some people are worried with Connor and Laine on same line. When Lowry returns, could this be an option:
Laine - Lowry - Wheeler
Frenchie - Little - Ehlers
Connor - Copp - Armia
Matthias/Dano - Hendrix - Roslo/Taney

Lowry have deserved a chance IMO and that 1st line should be good enough defensively and still contains a setup man and sniper. Each are elite in their business.

2nd line works as it is.
3rd line will be alle to contain opponent top lines with Copp and Armia. Connor is OK on forecheck and adds scoring power.
4th line is open for discussion and changes.

 

[Halberdier]

I do get why some people is worried about Farmer - Hart - Complimentary winger playing in the same line as it has not been the greatest defensively, but I don't get why people are against O'Connor and 8th best Jets forward playing on the same line as it just should not be worse than Fly and Amish playing the same line.

It's not a surprise that CWL is not the greatest defensively as none of those forwards are great defensively.

If we are looking previous two games, however it's clear that we did not lose because CWL (or later PWL) could not play well defensively, but we did lose because that 1st line was the only combination to do their job, with no secondary scoring. Also the 1st line could not capitalize all their changes hitting posts etc., but at least they did have some changes.

It's not a secret that this team needs Lowry and Scheifele back, but so far they have playing quite good, if you forget that awful game against Minny.

 

[grieves]

How are we liking the new roster setup? The results as of today are quite solid (8-2-1).

All the guys from ELL have really upped their game since that abomination was dismantled.

Gotta hand it to Wheeler playing C. He is doing a very good job relative to expectations. Road games are still tough, but for what that line is (2 babies and a winger playing C), it is performing its top line role quite well. All they got to do is get over the next Anaheim road game and it should be smooth sailing until Chef gets back.

In my books, the question in the thread title has been answered. It was time, and it will always be time to split up ELL.

 

[csk]

I do get why some people is worried about Farmer - Hart - Complimentary winger playing in the same line as it has not been the greatest defensively, but I don't get why people are against O'Connor and 8th best Jets forward playing on the same line as it just should not be worse than Fly and Amish playing the same line.

It's not a surprise that CWL is not the greatest defensively as none of those forwards are great defensively.

If we are looking previous two games, however it's clear that we did not lose because CWL (or later PWL) could not play well defensively, but we did lose because that 1st line was the only combination to do their job, with no secondary scoring. Also the 1st line could not capitalize all their changes hitting posts etc., but at least they did have some changes.

It's not a secret that this team needs Lowry and Scheifele back, but so far they have playing quite good, if you forget that awful game against Minny.

Wheeler is great defensively (though not when playing centre)

 

[Maukkis]

CWL is simply horrific defensively, but their offensive talent cannot be denied (although Connor has cooled off recently; this I won't hold against him, though). PLE has surpassed all expectations I had for them and then some.

The home stand, along with the return of Lowry should ease the matchups of CWL. Maurice has not seemed to have much confidence in them, which has shown in their deployment. In that regard, Lowry is exactly what the doctor ordered; an option that should help Maurice shelter the top line.

 

[grieves]

CWL is simply horrific defensively, but their offensive talent cannot be denied (although Connor has cooled off recently; this I won't hold against him, though). PLE has surpassed all expectations I had for them and then some.

The home stand, along with the return of Lowry should ease the matchups of CWL. Maurice has not seemed to have much confidence in them, which has shown in their deployment. In that regard, Lowry is exactly what the doctor ordered; an option that should help Maurice shelter the top line.

It's always good to get the worst possible angle on the first line .

Overall you are happy with the roster decisions? I mean the how the whole team is functioning.

 

[Maukkis]

It's always good to get the worst possible angle on the first line .

Overall you are happy with the roster decisions? I mean the how the whole team is functioning.

It's true, though.

As for the question: considering the circumstances, yes, I am quite content. The second line has been excellent, even better than the first line during this eleven-game stretch. The third line is yet another victim of injuries, but it has been at least respectable, and when Lowry comes back, it should stabilise the bottom six as a whole - that is what happened last time. The only major flaw is the top line, but it has to be remembered that it is far from optimal. Scheifele's return will help.

The question is, what will happen when Scheifele comes back, but that's a bridge we can cross when we come to it.

 

[grieves]

It's true, though.

As for the question: considering the circumstances, yes, I am quite content. The second line has been excellent, even better than the first line during this eleven-game stretch. The third line is yet another victim of injuries, but it has been at least respectable, and when Lowry comes back, it should stabilise the bottom six as a whole - that is what happened last time. The only major flaw is the top line, but it has to be remembered that it is far from optimal. Scheifele's return will help.

The question is, what will happen when Scheifele comes back, but that's a bridge we can cross when we come to it.

There are many variations of the truth with different points of emphasis. You have yours, as do we all.

I'm glad you are content. I am also content.