Line Combos: 2019-2020 Line/D Pairing discussions & proposals
- Thread starter Mainehockey33
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ODAAT
Registered User
I love Kuraly but think at a 3rd line spot, he`s a stretch, in the 4th line role, he`s perfect. He`s a guy that could hold things together for a brief time in a 3rd line role but not for an extended time. Just not enough offensive enough IMO
Estlin
Registered User
I've said it before: Kuraly should be stapled to the fourth line. He's perfect there. Don't fix what ain't broke.
- Mar 8, 2011
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Alberta_OReilly_Fan
Bruin fan since 1975
to be honest I want to see some mix and matching lines to 'find the right mix' through good old trial and error...
and I want established lines by Christmas... obviously injuries always play a part
I do want marchand/Bergeron to be a better force defensively this year than they were last year. was it just injuries that hurt them last year? I think kuhlman/Bjork/Heinen should all get sample games here and see if any can better pastrnak
as for pastrnak I do want to see him with debrusk... but im not sold on krejci being the best center for either pastrnak or debrusk. could it make sense to put coyle here? certainly want to see it tried... we need to be able to make a decesion whether coyle is worth a big new contract
3rd line gets an instant upgrade if krejci does drop here... 2 of Bjork/Heinen/kuhlman arent accounted for yet... mix in Ritchie and Lindholm and we got a good competition and a real stud to anchor the line
4th line im pretty happy with status quo kuhlman/wagner and I guess Nordstrom... although id like to see kuhlman get a chance to try center here
havent mentioned backes but ever since dom mentioned that theres rumors of surgery im expecting backes to spend most the year on ltir
I was hoping federic could get a chance to make the team but it looks like the plan is to let him dominate ahl for now...
we are pretty loaded up front
on defense I wanted vaakainen to get a chance to play... I dont see where there is any room
I think moore/miller are both on the trade block and there still isnt room
Clifton/krug feel like one partnership this year...
im saying that because I see grezlyck getting a chance with McAvoy...
we have to start cutting the cord with chara... let carlo hve 1 last chance to grow with chara
thats a very good defense... but it leaves moore/miller out in the cold. kamfer is a compent guy for the pressbox… and then we got kids for depth... several kids that could play 10-15 games if an injury hit
I see mostly picks coming back in trades... we got enough warm bodies to get through this season to the trade deadline
at trade deadline, if the kids havent stepped up we will be looking at another marcus Johansson type rental. other than that we are pretty loaded
and I want established lines by Christmas... obviously injuries always play a part
I do want marchand/Bergeron to be a better force defensively this year than they were last year. was it just injuries that hurt them last year? I think kuhlman/Bjork/Heinen should all get sample games here and see if any can better pastrnak
as for pastrnak I do want to see him with debrusk... but im not sold on krejci being the best center for either pastrnak or debrusk. could it make sense to put coyle here? certainly want to see it tried... we need to be able to make a decesion whether coyle is worth a big new contract
3rd line gets an instant upgrade if krejci does drop here... 2 of Bjork/Heinen/kuhlman arent accounted for yet... mix in Ritchie and Lindholm and we got a good competition and a real stud to anchor the line
4th line im pretty happy with status quo kuhlman/wagner and I guess Nordstrom... although id like to see kuhlman get a chance to try center here
havent mentioned backes but ever since dom mentioned that theres rumors of surgery im expecting backes to spend most the year on ltir
I was hoping federic could get a chance to make the team but it looks like the plan is to let him dominate ahl for now...
we are pretty loaded up front
on defense I wanted vaakainen to get a chance to play... I dont see where there is any room
I think moore/miller are both on the trade block and there still isnt room
Clifton/krug feel like one partnership this year...
im saying that because I see grezlyck getting a chance with McAvoy...
we have to start cutting the cord with chara... let carlo hve 1 last chance to grow with chara
thats a very good defense... but it leaves moore/miller out in the cold. kamfer is a compent guy for the pressbox… and then we got kids for depth... several kids that could play 10-15 games if an injury hit
I see mostly picks coming back in trades... we got enough warm bodies to get through this season to the trade deadline
at trade deadline, if the kids havent stepped up we will be looking at another marcus Johansson type rental. other than that we are pretty loaded
Clint Eastwood
Eff the Habs
- Nov 11, 2018
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Alberta_OReilly_Fan
Bruin fan since 1975
very arguable he was on the third line to end the playoffs... but guys like krejci would make up lost time on the pp and double shifting
id actually like to see krejci join Bergeron/marchand some when we needed a late goal or two in a game. krejci did one hell of an impersonation of pastrnak there on the pp last season
if the team did shorten the bench on games they are trailing...
krejci/Bergeron/marchand
pastrnak/coyle/debrusk
wagner/kuraly/Heinen
looks like a pretty solid rotation
the key for me... experiment early in the season... if the new combinations dont respond then we are a vetern team and we can put guys back into their comfortable spots later.
lets remember... we lost the playoffs ultimately because our scoring dried up when our top guys got injured. we had too many eggs in one basket. our best line in the finals was coyle/Johansson but it wasnt enough. we need to at the very least find a way to get the 3rd line dangerous but we also need to protect the top 2 lines with more guarantee that they arent so vulnurable to injuries shutting them down
I agree Kuraly is a really good player and if there is no 2nd line RW coming that would be the 1st thing I try. I don't know if he could handle it but I would give that a try . Though I can't get down with your choice of wingers, yikes! There is no doubt that the game is getting faster but you have to have some sand paper somewhere in your line up. Speed works for 82 games but it doesn't work for the 16 wins that count . If those are your 3rd liners, where is your sandpaper? It sure as hell isn't in your top 6 and it can't all be on your 4th line either. It won't work in the PO's.
I would try Coyle playing 2RW, though I feel he's a better 3C but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes.And wouldn't it be great if I'm wrong about that. I put Kuraly at 3C though I feel he's a 3c/4c tweener. Not quite a 3C but too good for a 4C. If you find the right combination of wingers for him it might work. I just don't see better options. But I gotta get some sandpaper into the line-up. I definitely put DeBrusk on his LW to give him half a chance at success and then any combination of Ritchie/Seny/Koolman. The combinations are endless, there has to be something that would work. I WANT TO SEE MORE SANDPAPER IN THE LINE-UP, GUYS THAT DON'T CRUMBLE WHEN THE GAME GETS JACKED UP TO THE NEXT LEVEL, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OF THOSE GUYS. It's not about how good you do through 82 games. It's about how good you do after the 82 games.
Bottom 6 needs to be nasty
I need to see a little more snarl on the bottom 6 if our top 6 is going to be so passive.
Bottom 6 any combination of Kuraly, Wagner, Ritchie, DeBrusk, Nordstrom, Frederic, Seny and Cehlarik.
I need to see a little more snarl on the bottom 6 if our top 6 is going to be so passive.
Bottom 6 any combination of Kuraly, Wagner, Ritchie, DeBrusk, Nordstrom, Frederic, Seny and Cehlarik.
BruinsFanSince94
The Perfect Fan ™
DeBrusk? Why are you putting a player who scored 27 goals last year in the bottom 6 and who replaces him in the Top 6?
- Mar 8, 2011
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Not sure if you’re trying to be ignorant..?
Gryz is an NHL defensemen. On a less deep team he’s a top 4 defensemen. He’s even played in that role on this team when needed and didn’t look out of place.
Vaak/Lauzon/Zboril are respectively on their own paths. One or more of them may end up being a more effective NHL defensemen. But right now Gryz is ahead of them.
BruinsFanSince94
The Perfect Fan ™
Pittsburgh had the depth to put Kessel on its 3rd line....
So wanting to actually explore that makes me ignorant? Are you sure that horse is high enough?
You may want to look up ignorant, as in one who ignores. Like as in ignoring that given a chance they might actually turn out to be better are maybe even just better suited.
ODAAT
Registered User
totally agree, he`d be ok in a pinch on the 3rd but not for an extended period, his game is perfectly suited for that 4th
Did they? They had guys like Rust, Sheary, 37 year old Kunitz, and Hornqvist in their top 6. Guentzel was in his first few seasons and hadn't broken out yet.
Clearly he is better than most of those guys, I'd argue our top 6 wingers are also just as good as those 5 ahead of Kessel. In order to create better matchups they put Kessel on line 3, which is the hope with putting Debrusk to line 3.
Big difference though is you can put any 2 guys with Crosby/Malkin and as long as their styles gel they can be effective. I'm not sure Krejci/Bergeron can carry a line like that anymore.
- Mar 8, 2011
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Or ignoring a legit NHL defensemen.
If you suggested Clifton out in favor of one of those three then maybe I would’ve agreed. But Gryz? Come on.
Gryz is a highly skilled Dman, I'm not trying to take anything away from him but to assume he can't be surpassed by someone like Uhro is nonsense to me. I'd bet that within a year or two or maybe even this season Uhro will be playing higher up in the line-up than Gryz. So perhaps not displacing him but likely surpassing him.
BruinsFanSince94
The Perfect Fan ™
That's the key. They had decent wingers with two of the best centers in the league.
Boston's centers are good but they're not Crosby/Malkin level. Now, it appears you can put a lot of wingers with the Marchand/Bergeron combination and get good production but Krejci isn't that type.
- Mar 8, 2011
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I said in my initial post that this could happen.
YOU said one of those three is replacing him to start the season.
BruinsFanSince94
The Perfect Fan ™
If Boston had a legitimate RW for Krejci, I'd be fine with trying DeBrusk somewhere down the lineup but the pieces aren't there right now. You move DeBrusk down and who's taking his place?
I got Hienen there with Coyle on the right.
I put DeBrusk on the 3rd line with Kuraly at center to give him a chance.
I get that it's not fool proof and may fail but so has every other thing they have tried.
Of course if they can acquire a legit 2RW then that would be better but that doesn't look like it's in the cards.
A lot can happen from here to the start of the season. Will it? Probably not. Can it ? Absolutely .
What if Gryz is part of a trade for a 2RW or to unload Backes?
