Trust me, I'm not worried about Giroux at all.
Trust me, I'm not worried about Giroux at all.
I just think that he has the wrong mix with him at the moment and that the best possible partner to take advantage of his skills is Couturier, who just happens to be more valuable at C because of his defensive play. It's not that Giroux can't play center, it's just that he's so good at both it really doesn't matter and he can just play wherever is best for his linemates (and Couturier has to be at C).
The problem is JVR and TK are guys you have to set up for chances but they're not really going to get the puck back to Giroux enough, so it's either "Giroux passes to them -> goal" or nothing, which wastes his own goalscoring ability. Compare that to Couturier, who is a great possession player and playmaker too, who can actually set Giroux up for goals... while BOTH of them can set up TK.
And, like I said, an added bonus is it will help Patrick out because he's playing great right now, with minimal winger help. Obviously Lindblom+Voracek is a huge upgrade over Laughton+Simmonds
Stone could also be that guy to get pucks...man his stick is good.
Trust me, I'm not worried about Giroux at all.
I just think that he has the wrong mix with him at the moment and that the best possible partner to take advantage of his skills is Couturier, who just happens to be more valuable at C because of his defensive play. It's not that Giroux can't play center, it's just that he's so good at both it really doesn't matter and he can just play wherever is best for his linemates (and Couturier has to be at C).
The problem is JVR and TK are guys you have to set up for chances but they're not really going to get the puck back to Giroux enough, so it's either "Giroux passes to them -> goal" or nothing, which wastes his own goalscoring ability. Compare that to Couturier, who is a great possession player and playmaker too, who can actually set Giroux up for goals... while BOTH of them can set up TK.
And, like I said, an added bonus is it will help Patrick out because he's playing great right now, with minimal winger help. Obviously Lindblom+Voracek is a huge upgrade over Laughton+Simmonds
Actually after that west coast swing the Patrick line was broke up, remember?I do not disagree with your assessment of how G is being wasted. But someone (or two, or more) is always being wasted with this version of the Flyers' forwards. It's impossible to keep straight which line improves and which suffers, and by how much, when changes are made. It's maddening. Patrick has already played extensively with Lindblom and Jake, and after their West Coast swing, it just wasn't effective at all. And JvR with Simmer has also been tried, also not good.
So I'm just considering wins earned, and recently earned. Even if goalies are mostly responsible for all of them? So be it, forward lines do not get changed! Who knows, maybe TK will learn how to deal with the hand he's been dealt (first guy on puck retrieval duties on first line? wtf), JVR isn't a dumb player, and if they manage to click somehow, it's worth the experiment. ESpecially while they're winning!
Just hold off on changes until they lose...2 games? After all, they have a rookie deeman to integrate into the mix now!
Yup, I'm just saying I think things can be better and I'd rather change them sooner than later.
Yes. I'm also saying things could be better but I would rather not change them until we're (somewhat) forced to. Because we've tried it before.
Aka EXACTLY the most recent misfortune to fall upon Ghost
