Post-Game Talk: Canucks vs. Flames - Shredder def. Turtles 3 - 2 (SO)

[DomY]

Didn't catch the game last night, but how did Burrows fair at centre?

I absolutely love this move if he can adjust successfully.

Burrows is a very underrated playmaker, probably the 4th best forward behind Henrik, Daniel and Kassian. I would like to see a line of Booth-Burrows-Hansen as a second scoring line (3rd Line). Higgins-Kesler-Raymond/Schroeder/Kassian 2nd Line.

Much more dynamic look than the Higgins-Lapierre-Hansen 3rd line that we know and love.

 

[Orca Smash]

Yes, his shot seems better. Offseason workout time on his back will help there.


Other than his goal, look what a sniper can do with a natural playmaker? Schroeder is bringing out the best in Raymond's game. Something Kesler has not done since Raymond's breakout year.


Forget top 6, a top 9 where Raymond-Schroeder-Kassian are a set line can be a positive thing 5 on 5. Which only helps the remaining Kesler/Booth/Higgins/Hansen mix divvy up the remaining offense between them...

Thats what concerns me, my guess is when booth and kesler come back av tries booth kesler and raymond again and none of them are going to pass. Something has to give on that line, I just dont know how it can work, and I dont know where raymond and booth can slot in elsewhere if its not on the 2nd line, they are ideally guys that belong in the top 6.

 

[Yossarian54]

Thats what concerns me, my guess is when booth and kesler come back av tries booth kesler and raymond again and none of them are going to pass. Something has to give on that line, I just dont know how it can work, and I dont know where raymond and booth can slot in elsewhere if its not on the 2nd line, they are ideally guys that belong in the top 6.

Frankly I hope continuing good play by Schroeder forces a re-think of this top-6/bottom-6 mentality that this team has had for the last 2 years. Having 1 checking line is great, but 2 just limits us so much in terms of secondary scoring. If AV stacks the 4th line with Malhotra-Lappy-Hansen (~10 mins) and uses it as the checking line, then you can run some combination of:

Sedin-Sedin-Burrows (~18 mins)
Booth-Kesler-Higgins (~18 mins)
Raymond-Schroeder-Kassian (~14 mins)

as the other 3 lines with Weise and Volpatti as the spares for inevitable injury. That gives you one wholly offensive line and two that can generate offence while being difficult (or hell in the case of Kesler's line) to play against. Maybe use Kesler on the harder match-ups and shelter Schroeder a bit. I think that's a far more rounded forward corps than anything we've had in the last few years.

 

[Orca Smash]

Frankly I hope continuing good play by Schroeder forces a re-think of this top-6/bottom-6 mentality that this team has had for the last 2 years. Having 1 checking line is great, but 2 just limits us so much in terms of secondary scoring. If AV stacks the 4th line with Malhotra-Lappy-Hansen (~10 mins) and uses it as the checking line, then you can run some combination of:

Sedin-Sedin-Burrows (~18 mins)
Booth-Kesler-Higgins (~18 mins)
Raymond-Schroeder-Kassian (~14 mins)

as the other 3 lines with Weise and Volpatti as the spares for inevitable injury. That gives you one wholly offensive line and two that can generate offence while being difficult (or hell in the case of Kesler's line) to play against. Maybe use Kesler on the harder match-ups and shelter Schroeder a bit. I think that's a far more rounded forward corps than anything we've had in the last few years.

Interesting theory thats more how it was with hodgson when he played here.

Malhotra-lappy-hansen does make an interesting shutdown line.

I dont know how those lines would matchup vs other good teams but its an interesting idea, i like it in all honesty, but raymond-schroeder-kassian line might be a bit to inexperienced against a good teams top line though if they are ever out there with them. If schoreder works out that would give us alot of options, or even getting something decent back in a lou trade.

Crossing my fingers hopefully we stay healthy. The hockey gods already cursed us at the beginning of the season with injuries, so lets be rewarded at the end.

 

[NYVanfan]

Didn't catch the game last night, but how did Burrows fair at centre?

I absolutely love this move if he can adjust successfully.

Burrows is a very underrated playmaker, probably the 4th best forward behind Henrik, Daniel and Kassian. I would like to see a line of Booth-Burrows-Hansen as a second scoring line (3rd Line). Higgins-Kesler-Raymond/Schroeder/Kassian 2nd Line.

Much more dynamic look than the Higgins-Lapierre-Hansen 3rd line that we know and love.

Not bad, though frankly i didnt think he was super-noticable.
He wen 5 for 3 in the dot for a nifty 63%, with a couple hits and a couple blocks to go with 3 sog in 17 mins.

was a pretty good game -- the Flames stepped it up nicely in the 2nd half, Iggy w 7 sog, their D looked decent and their young guys looked good too (Baertschi and Backlund.)

I thought the Canucks D wasnt too impressive last night ..Bieksa with a big gaffe, Garrison looked like a slightly more mobile Alberts and in general they were handling it like a handgrenade ... Overall, quite entertaining despite the not unexpected crappy early-season long-layoff form

Thank god for the Sedins, they looked great, as usual.... Need to get those 2nd line guys back

 

[Yossarian54]

Interesting theory thats more how it was with hodgson when he played here.

Yeah, that's certainly the comparable, but I think Schroeder's speed and defensive awareness might overcome some of the misgivings AV evidently had about Hodgson's line, and deploying them in situations where they could get burned (as happened a couple of times last year).

Moreover I think our issue with secondary scoring is our single greatest problem, and I hope the end of last year helped them realise that.

 

[m9]

I thought Hamhuis looked much better last night. Kassian was obviously great. I also really liked what Schroeder did, he had one shift in the third where he made great plays at both ends of the ice.

Still lots of work to be done by Bieksa, Burrows, Higgins, and Hansen to be useful. Burrows was better yesterday but Hansen and Higgins haven't shown a thing so far.

 

[PhilMick]

I thought Hamhuis looked much better last night. Kassian was obviously great. I also really liked what Schroeder did, he had one shift in the third where he made great plays at both ends of the ice.

Still lots of work to be done by Bieksa, Burrows, Higgins, and Hansen to be useful. Burrows was better yesterday but Hansen and Higgins haven't shown a thing so far.

Agreed mostly, but tbh I think Hamhuis still has a ways to go too (although he's making progress), and I'd add Edler to the list, he looks jittery.

 

[Cocoa Crisp]

$3.9M cap room

UFA's 2013-2014 / Age
Malhotra / 32
Alberts / 31
Ebbett / 30
Higgins / 29
Raymond / 27
Lapierre / 27
Volpatti / 27
Barker / 26

RFA's 2013-2014
Schroeder
Weise
Tanev

I could see MG letting Malhotra and Ebbett walk, they seem to fit the 'older journeyman' description. Possibly Higgins too. Clearly they will have to move salary out, especially if a Luongo trade doesn't happen by next season. I also doubt that he would want to bargain from a disadvantage of needing to move salary out and everyone knowing it.

Next year's cap constraints may necessitate them giving Gaunce a really long look at training camp and the first 9 games.

 

[Cocoa Crisp]

Kassian isn't exactly an ideal fit on the top line either. While it gains better ability to cycle, it loses something in the way of puck pursuit.


I like Burrows more on the top line than I do Kassian, but I also understand that Kassian is now a viable option there should Burrows be struggling there.


The fit with the 2 rush players is an interesting take. He seems to like to make plays, which we know Booth and Kesler don't do well. As a result, for Kassian to succeed on the second line, he must adopt the role of the pure distributor. Something akin to what Voracek could do here if brought in. Remains to be seen if he can make such an adjustment.

I like having a serious alternative to Burrows with the Sedins. Kind of like how we could count on Samuelsson stepping in for a spell and keeping things fresh.

 

[m9]

Agreed mostly, but tbh I think Hamhuis still has a ways to go too (althought he's making progress), and I'd add Edler to the list, he looks jittery.

True on Hamhuis, but I think he has gotten better every game and last night was his best.

 

[ddawg1950]

Just picked this up from Calgary Puck.

"That Kassian kid is going to be a pain in our arse for years to come....he is a genetically enhanced Clowe.

...and ugly too."


Didn't realize these guys were so astute!

 

[BeardyCanuck03]

Just picked this up from Calgary Puck.

"That Kassian kid is going to be a pain in our arse for years to come....he is a genetically enhanced Clowe.

...and ugly too."


Didn't realize these guys were so astute!

Kassian looks mean... We now know what Gillis was doing in the Hodgson trade...

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Next pre-game thread is up. Shutting this down.

Closed.