Player Discussion: Bryan Little

[Narow]

The whole 2nd line is slumping. Last 5 games Little 0+1 , Ehlers 2+0 and Laine 2+0. Little's assist was to JoMo's goal against PIT straight from faceoff. Laine and Ehlers scored only against MIN - PP, 4on4. Only 2 points 5on5 to 2nd line in last 5 games.

It was a bad line 5v5 last season too...

Laine for example only had 5 5v5v goals with little in 300+ minutes.... compared to 17 (or 16??) in 540 with scheifele....

I think that it comes down to Little and Laine not thinking the game the same way, and it often seems like they can't find each other on the ice. Many here have suggested that Laine should play with Scheifele and we have many times seen that he can find Laine when he gets himself open for a shot, whereas Little hasn't had the same connection with him and the times he has set Laine up for a quality shot are way too few.

To really get the most out of our offense I would like to see

Ehlers-Scheifele-Laine
Connor-Little-Wheeler

You can probably switch Connor and Ehlers if you like, but to get more scoring on a constant basis L+S and L+W should almost be a given choice for the coach.

Laine needs to earn his way back to scheifele.. cant just be gifted 1st line duty playing like that. He needs to learn and develop.

 

[razorsedge]

Little looks lost out there having Laine and Ehlers as his linemates. Ehlers is all over ice like a skating road runner, and Laine just hasn't been affective with or without the puck.

 

[Farmboy Patty]

It was a bad line 5v5 last season too...

Laine for example only had 5 5v5v goals with little in 300+ minutes.... compared to 17 (or 16??) in 540 with scheifele....


Laine needs to earn his way back to scheifele.. cant just be gifted 1st line duty playing like that. He needs to learn and develop.

It isn’t about being gifted 1st line duty. It’s about getting our top 6 firing on all cylinders. I hope we’ll see the blender in action as soon as we are down a few goals.

 

[Narow]

It isn’t about being gifted 1st line duty. It’s about getting our top 6 firing on all cylinders. I hope we’ll see the blender in action as soon as we are down a few goals.

If that was the goal we would have little+wheeler and scheifele+laine

Maaybe....but considering how laine has been playing this season i doubt it...

 

[DashingDane]

If Laine doesn’t start skating/moving his feet it won’t matter who his center is... most of his play this season happens more or less standing still. Last season he would build speed more often imo.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Sorry but the Jets aren't lucky, this what a team with good goaltending looks like. As for changing the lines, were winning so why try to fix what is not broken?

Well, fortunately we have been getting good goaltending. I'm all for not fixing what isn't broken but the Jets forwards are broken - in spite of the wins. We have been outshot the last 4 games in a row, usually by a wide margin and also outshot in most of the other games. Score effects play a part in that but we shouldn't be happy being outshot game after game.

We look to be a 1 line team but we are not even quite that. Most of the 1st line's production has come in 2 games so even that 1 line is not producing much in most games. There is no reason to not try something else because what we are doing offensively really isn't working very well. Defensively we are giving up a lot of shots. We may be doing well at limiting the dangerous shots but even so Bucky is needing to make a lot of big saves to keep this team winning.

Maurice is not one to tamper with what is winning, ugly or not. The only changes I expect to see are Lowry and Perreault coming back in - unless we lose a game or two. That doesn't mean our top 6 couldn't use a little change.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I don’t follow. Are you suggesting Little is the reason they aren’t scoring? Because I don’t think Little is the reason Ehlers is over thinking things or Laine is making bad decisions with the puck.

I’m sure some more speed at center like Schiefele would certainly help their offensive numbers but how much would we be sacrificing in our own end? I still find Little much more responsible in his own end then Scheif. If Laine and Ehlers are struggling in their end, I’m not sure putting them with Scheif would work. We could swap Wheeler and Ehlers and probably be ok though.

We are really close to being forced to make a change anyways IMO.

The bold was true at one time. I'm not at all sure it is anymore. This whole idea that ESL is a defensive black hole is based on a short stretch last year and needs to be shown to still be true or to die. As it stands right now it appears that it would likely be worth a small loss in our own end. We don't have an old-school top 6, bottom 6. We have the dreaded top 3, bottom 9 - and it isn't because we are sacrificing offense for defense either.

 

[KingBogo]

The bold was true at one time. I'm not at all sure it is anymore. This whole idea that ESL is a defensive black hole is based on a short stretch last year and needs to be shown to still be true or to die. As it stands right now it appears that it would likely be worth a small loss in our own end. We don't have an old-school top 6, bottom 6. We have the dreaded top 3, bottom 9 - and it isn't because we are sacrificing offense for defense either.

What I find interesting is that last season everyone was on Maurice for pulling out the blender when we were losing. This season most people seem to be down on Maurice for not pulling out the blender when we are winning. So are we more concerned with personal stats or with winning?

 

[YWGinYYZ]

So are we more concerned with personal stats or with winning?

Yes.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

What I find interesting is that last season everyone was on Maurice for pulling out the blender when we were losing. This season most people seem to be down on Maurice for not pulling out the blender when we are winning. So are we more concerned with personal stats or with winning?

There is a night and day difference between the line blender, where a line gets a few shifts or even maybe a whole game and a change of lines that lasts for a reasonable period.

Before todays game, when discussing Laine's interview Maurice was emphasizing how much Laibe's overall game has improved over last year.

OTOH, the lines appeared to function quite well tonight.

 

[nobody important]

Free Press article on Little, for those who can read it...

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/s...tle-not-putting-up-big-numbers-455715523.html

 

[Lowered Expectations]

I hope that article works as reverse jinx like Patty's interview. Little's line just needs more TOI to get it going IMO. Points will eventually come. And sooner than later I think.

 

[nobody important]

I hope that article works as reverse jinx like Patty's interview. Little's line just needs more TOI to get it going IMO. Points will eventually come. And sooner than later I think.

Little just needs the Sip treatment.

 

[jetdiehard]

I would Never say, he got the contract and now coasting.......

 

[PhilJets]

Lets go Little
We believe in you.

Get that offense going

I think you will pot in 2 goals in the next 3 games.

 

[PhilJets]

It was a bad line 5v5 last season too...

Laine for example only had 5 5v5v goals with little in 300+ minutes.... compared to 17 (or 16??) in 540 with scheifele....


Laine needs to earn his way back to scheifele.. cant just be gifted 1st line duty playing like that. He needs to learn and develop.

I dont think it's about earning.
Its just the coach wants the captain with the 1 C . Get those minutes.

And power vs power. So far 55 and 26 are almost always on the winning side.

So coach will not change it.

Schiefele loves wheeler
Wheeler loves mo.

Ehlers loves laine?

Little?
He misses Ladd

 

[PhilJets]

What I find interesting is that last season everyone was on Maurice for pulling out the blender when we were losing. This season most people seem to be down on Maurice for not pulling out the blender when we are winning. So are we more concerned with personal stats or with winning?

Me both

Winning first though
But i want Jets player to be on top of stats.



Thats just me

 

[LowLefty]

I'd move Laine down to the 3rd for awhile - might do him some good to work on his "giddy up" on a less "offence first" line.
Little isn't the issue on this line - it's the chemistry of the 2 cowboys on his wing.
I've heard a lot of how Ehlers and Laine want to play together but really, they're exact opposites in playing style and Little gets stuck watching these 2 try to get on the same page.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

I'd move Laine down to the 3rd for awhile - might do him some good to work on his "giddy up" on a less "offence first" line.
Little isn't the issue on this line - it's the chemistry of the 2 cowboys on his wing.
I've heard a lot of how Ehlers and Laine want to play together but really, they're exact opposites in playing style and Little gets stuck watching these 2 try to get on the same page.

Little is an issue. He has been pretty bad all season. He can't help his wingers at all, no matter who's playing there. Ehlers's production fell of a cliff after he was moved to play with Little. It's not the wingers, it's the guy in the middle who is providing absolutely nothing offensively right now.

Also Laine-Little-Perrault was not producing either. So it really isnt about the chemistry of Ehlers and Laine

 

[LowLefty]

Little is an issue. He has been pretty bad all season. He can't help his wingers at all, no matter who's playing there. Ehlers's production fell of a cliff after he was moved to play with Little. It's not the wingers, it's the guy in the middle who is providing absolutely nothing offensively right now.

Also Laine-Little-Perrault was not producing either. So it really isnt about the chemistry of Ehlers and Laine

Bold is a good point and I shouldn't be calling out Ehlers.
I'm just not seeing Little as the issue - he's doesn't play a flashy game and never was one to stand out. He's a pretty steady up and down player - I don't see his style of play completely killing a line.
I can see a one way winger having an impact - especially one that's ineffective 5on5 and is struggling with his game in the early going - I think you know where I'm going here.
Regardless, I'm not convinced this is on Little.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Yeah but come on. He is a good 2C with very good wingers and the line is not producing. Its not like he is blameless. The second line is supposed to score. And i dont buy any stuff about Laine or Ehlers or anybody brining him down. Those two are responsible enough in their own end to allow him to play offensively too. The offense just isnt there for him.

 

[sipowicz]

Little just needs the Sip treatment.

 

[puck stoppa]

We all talk about moving ehlers and laine to scheif to help them but how looking at it this way, giving little wheeler to get little going. He's a streaky scorer who didn't forget how to score. I just don't see him shoot much or getting setup often, put wheeler there, they have chemistry, we need little to score 20 at least.

 

[HPsauce]

Another game tonight where Little could not get anything going. His 6 points in 16 games is low. It would be fine if he was playing with pace and getting the odd chance. He's noticably worse with the puck to the point it seems even making the most basic of passes is a challenge for him.

Bring up Roslovic and bump little down. He needs someone pushing him

 

[PhilJets]

Let's go Little don't be an early years Wheeler where you get going after 20 games