Once Pasta is back Cehlarik needs to be called back up and put on the third line with Heinen. It's a mistake to enter the playoffs with so many low scoring threats in the lineup. The fourth line needs Wagner on it to give it some chance of scoring. He's a fourth line player, and a very good one. Just look at the bottom six of elite teams. They have some scoring/playmaking threat. The Bs do not need a fourth liner on the third line combined with a fourth line composed of players who ALL are among the very worst in the NHL in goals per 60 minutes. Some folks way undervalue what Cehlarik can contribute. He is good at taking the puck away in the neutral zone and defensive zone. He does not make that many turnovers, as a couple folks on here have way overblown (hint: look at his takeaway/giveaway ratio and compare it to the rest of the team -- might surprise some people). Most importantly, he is offensive-minded, and if given a consistent chance with other players with offensive skill can make plays that result in points.
This team is absolutely 100% not going to win a Cup with a fourth liner on the third line, and a fourth line of awful scorers. I'm happy that gritty, hard defensive play puts the jimmies on some folk's sundaes, but it will be a failed strategy if the third line is also offensively anemic due to Bruce's fascination with non-offensive players in the bottom six. I love what the fourth line brings, however it needs to be Acciari-Kuraly-Wagner (Nordstrom), period. Wagner's chances generally come off the great D the fourth line plays when there is chaos on the ice. He is not effective when the play is set up in the zone. The great stuff he does will not be as likely to occur on the third line. Third line needs to be Heinen-Coyle-Ceharik. Those are third line players. That gives you a third line that at least has the potential to score and can play responsible enough defense. There has to be a balance of O and D. Not too keen on seeing this team entirely live and die with merely the top 6 once they face elite competition over a 7 game series.
This team has all the potential to make some noise if fully healthy and the right pieces are in the right places. Otherwise it will come up short due to the usual lack of finish and lack of secondary scoring that has been bemoaned so much. Bottom six scoring matters in the playoffs when games and series are close.
