GDT: CandyCanes vs Wings

[Chrispy]

(I watched that movie way too many times..)

I would not say such things if I were you.

 

[the halleJOKEL]

My bold, highly made up prediction: Svechnikov with a 4 point night.

all predictions are made up

 

[Blueline Bomber]

It's not an exaggeration to say that the season lies on tonight's game.

Win, and we'll be back to our winning ways. Lose, and we might as well throw in the towel.

This is a reasonable take, based on how they've played thus far this year, the organization's history, and the fact that the hockey gods enjoy f***ing with the Canes fanbase. Sarcasm, if anyone missed it.

 

[raynman]

all predictions are made up

You just made that up

 

[the halleJOKEL]

You just made that up

spoken like someone suffering from a horrific case of ligma

 

[bluedevil58]

We could win this if we had Nylander.

 

[Stickpucker]

Predicting a Mrazek shutout and he may even throw down with someone.

 

[Canes]

We could win this if we had Nylander.

We could win this if we had McDavid.

 

[DougieSmash]

Four goals in last three games. Same lines from Brindy. We still look good 5-on-5 but we aren't producing. It was good time to try something different. As of now, Brindy is questionable one.

 

[MinJaBen]

Four goals in last three games. Same lines from Brindy. We still look good 5-on-5 but we aren't producing. It was good time to try something different. As of now, Brindy is questionable one.

He's taken the "Peters blend-o-matic" tactic to the other extreme. I think he'd send out a guy with a broken leg if he could to avoid changing a line.

 

[Dishface]

My bold, highly made up prediction: Svechnikov with a 4 point night.

How about 4 power play points

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

They have 7 good forwards- Aho, TT, Svech, Foegele, Staal, Williams, Ferland. Someone overqualified is going to play with either Walmark/Martinhook or Zykov/Bishop. The only change that really makes sense to me is switching Zykov with Ferland- but the obese line is the best line right now, while FSW is wrecking comp.

Basically they have a 1st line, a 2nd line, a matchup 4th line (Walmark doing what Kruger was supposed to do) and a grab bag. Rask getting hurt and Necas showing he wasn't ready hurt. There isn't that much to be done that isn't rearranging deck chairs, imo.

Waddell/the braintrust, in one off-season, went from having a roster where the coach felt he had to shelter 4/7 defenders and 3/4 forward lines to sheltering no defenders (unless TVR doesn't get his head out of his ass) and 1 forward line. Which is a hell of an underrated turnaround.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

He's taken the "Peters blend-o-matic" tactic to the other extreme. I think he'd send out a guy with a broken leg if he could to avoid changing a line.

In fairness, what could he change that would likely have an impact?

Scoring on this team has to primarily come from our top 2 lines.
- Ferland, Aho, TT have been producing every game so he probably doesn't want to mess with that right now and I don't really blame him.
- Zykov and Svech really aren't good enough defensively (yet) to play with Jordan.
- Wallmark and Bishop are ideally 4th liners and/or AHL tweeners.
Other than swapping Foegele, Martinook and McGinn around on the left side, I'm not sure there are many good options right now.

Maybe something like?

Ferland-Aho-TT
McGinn-Staal-Williams
Foegele-Wallmark-Svech
Martinook-Bishop-Zykov

 

[MinJaBen]

In fairness, what could he change that would likely have an impact?

Scoring on this team has to primarily come from our top 2 lines.
- Ferland, Aho, TT have been producing every game so he probably doesn't want to mess with that right now and I don't really blame him.
- Zykov and Svech really aren't good enough defensively (yet) to play with Jordan.
- Wallmark and Bishop are ideally 4th liners and/or AHL tweeners.
Other than swapping Foegele, Martinook and McGinn around on the left side, I'm not sure there are many good options right now.

Maybe something like?

Ferland-Aho-TT
McGinn-Staal-Williams
Foegele-Wallmark-Svech
Martinook-Bishop-Zykov

It's a good point. But also, what do you have to lose? Aho's line has one goal in each of the last two games. Everyone raise your hand that thinks we are going to win many one goal games....me neither. So I'd try what you did. I'd try swapping Ferland and Foegele. I might even try moving TT away from Aho. Not as permanent solutions, necessarily, but to see what works. How many times have we in the past bemoaned coaches who staple a young offensive talent to a third or fourth line as we watch them fail to be the difference maker we thought they were. Now suddenly Svech on the 3rd/4th line is what he needs to develop? Doesn't he deserve at least a shift or two next to a guy (Aho) that might actually know how to set him up?

I get staying with the original lines at the start of the game and when we are trying to be competitive, but when you get down by two or more goals, there is little to lose by experimentation.

 

[SvechneJerk]

Stay the Course!...

Fezzik, are there rocks ahead?
If there are, we'll all be dead.
No more rhymes now, I mean it.
Anybody want a peanut?


(I watched that movie way too many times..)

 

[The Faulker 27]

My bold, highly made up prediction: Svechnikov with a 4 point night.

I'll like this comment if that happens.

 

[MinJaBen]

I'll like this comment if that happens.

Playing hard to get, I see. You aren't fooling anyone here, you'll put out and like it anyway.

 

[Unsustainable]

Won’t be home till 9ish

Going to stream on my phone till 8:30

 

[HisIceness]

Just f***ing win please.

 

[A Star is Burns]

I get not wanting to mess with the lines all of the time, but I'd like to see them messed with to get them more balanced and get a couple of guys going that either haven't looked good, or have been stuck with dead weight.

Aho has looked pretty great, so I don't think we absolutely have to keep his line together. I get if you don't want to mess with his TT chemistry, but I think Ferland can be moved around without harming that. Svech needs to play with better players, period. I'm fine with keeping him with Wallmark, as that's our best center option for now in that part of the lineup, but put a better winger opposite him. McGinn and Zykov may not be the be all, end all, but they've both shown better than this in the past, so it'd be nice to get at least one of them on another line. Give them better opportunities until one of them finds their game.

Foegele - Aho - TT (I think Foegele can reasonably fill the type of disturber role that is helpful to Finns and has that killer speed)
McGinn - Staal - Williams (It'd be nice if this could get McGinn going, but worst case, hope he doesn't kill the line)
Ferland - Wallmark- Svech (Puts Wallmark and Svech in a better position to succeed having a solid vet on the line)
Martinook - Bishop - Zykov (Leftovers)

It's not perfect, but it might give us a chance to have 3 lines that are decent as opposed to the two we have right now.

 

[TheBigKahuna]

all predictions are made up

My lawyer made me add that.

 

[TheBigKahuna]

How about 4 power play points

Don't be ridiculous.

 

[Tryamw]

Can't do that anymore.... I know it is inconceivable.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

It's a good point. But also, what do you have to lose? Aho's line has one goal in each of the last two games. Everyone raise your hand that thinks we are going to win many one goal games....me neither. So I'd try what you did. I'd try swapping Ferland and Foegele. I might even try moving TT away from Aho. Not as permanent solutions, necessarily, but to see what works. How many times have we in the past bemoaned coaches who staple a young offensive talent to a third or fourth line as we watch them fail to be the difference maker we thought they were. Now suddenly Svech on the 3rd/4th line is what he needs to develop? Doesn't he deserve at least a shift or two next to a guy (Aho) that might actually know how to set him up?

I get staying with the original lines at the start of the game and when we are trying to be competitive, but when you get down by two or more goals, there is little to lose by experimentation.

Oh I have no problem with some tweaks to the lines to see if maybe it sparks someone or something like that.

I just don't think line combinations are as big of a deal as some make it out to be. At the end of the day, this team needs more from the guys outside of Aho, TT, and Ferland. If they aren't talented enough to give more, then that's going to be a problem no matter how the coach rearranges the deck chairs. If Justin Faulk, Dougie Hamilton and to a lesser extent guys like McGinn and Zykov don't start putting the puck in the net, the team isn't going to go far.

 

[Peanut]

Team Line Combinations

Are the PP lines correct on DF? It seems weird Williams gets demoted off PP yet Faulk stays there over Slavin/Hamilton