Line Combos: Capitals line combinations

[Hivemind]

Forward lines w/o Backstrom.

Ovechkin - Ribeiro - Perreault
Wolski - Johansson - Brouwer
Chimera - Laich - Ward
Hendricks - Beagle - Crabb​

or

Ovechkin - Ribeiro - Brouwer
Laich - Perreault - Wolski
Chimera - Johansson - Crabb
Hendricks - Beagle - Ward​

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Washington DC sports luck. Backstrom gets injury in KHL durning lockout and misses most of caps season.

 

[RandyHolt]

If our scoring lines are producing, it does not really matter which wing most goals are coming from. Furthermore, Caps will be thin at scoring at whichever wing Ovi doesn't play. Since we already have two serviceable top 6 RWs in Johansson and Brouwer, I don't see any advantage of moving Ovi from his preferred wing, especially considering he's never had the same success playing on the right side.

Many guys can be serviceable at RW... I dont think MJ has shown me much at 1RW, I don't even remember a single goal. I remember a door step fan.

I like MJ but he is not a 1RW, I put him at LW or C before RW. We can play him at 1RW, but think he will be largely like Flash was, invisible most nights. Maybe he has bulked up and will do better at wing but he was over matched along the boards for most of last year. And it was hard to watch. With Nick out, it may force MJ to center.

It looks like I will be the only one thinking Oates moves Ovi to RW.

I thought I read AO2 likes guys sticks on the boards. Time will tell.

 

[Liberati0n*]

Perreault's a better center than Johansson at this point.

Ovechkin-Ribeiro-Brouwer/Ward
Laich-Perreault-Wolski
Chimera-Johansson-Ward/Brouwer
Hendricks-Beagle-Crabb

Very similar to Mystlyfe's second one I guess. At least it's comforting to know that Rene Bourque is missing just as much time with the case of inflated ego Hendricks inflicted on him.

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

It looks like I will be the only one thinking Oates moves Ovi to RW.

I thought I read AO2 likes guys sticks on the boards. Time will tell.

Didn't (KHL Superstar) Ilya Kovalchuk play off wing last season for the Devils? Or am I misremembering that?

 

[RandyHolt]

Kovy probably did play LW, but Oates was merely an assistant.

I will wager that MJ is a better center than MP, but they are different players. MJ is stronger defensively, and I expect him stronger and more assertive this year. I will also say that MJ is also a better wing than MP. MP is so damn small, he almost has to be a center to survive at all. So if we need offense with Nick out, MP may have to be in the lineup and at C. His knock, size and just too inconsistent.

At least Aucoin is finally out of the way. He was George's big deadline add and I am still shocked he got into so many games. Tons of PP time over Semin and others to boot.

 

[NoMoreChoking]

If no backstrom..

Ovi-ribs-brow
Mp85-mojo-Wolski
Chimm-laich-ward
Hendricks-beagle-crabb

If no orlov

Green-hammer
Alzner-Carlson
Sarge-hillen

 

[txpd]

i believe that adam oates has been quoted as saying saying that the likes right shot on right wing and left on left, but that its not an absolute.

much of oates success with brett hull was passing for one timers. his success in washington was passing to off wing power play one timers from bondra and gonchar.

ovechkin is not a right wing.

edit: good god no. no way 85 and wolski end up on the same line.

 

[SimplySensational]

I guess we'll see Ribeiro with Ovechkin.

 

[usiel]

I guess we'll see Ribeiro with Ovechkin.

Will need to have the RW play some defense. Ribeiro not very good defensively and AO at this point is average. Could see MaJo simply because his speed is so good.

 

[RandyHolt]

When you see "drive down the left side or bust" Ovi score on the rush off a nice offensive zone feed from Nick, do let me know. I notice very few goals scored like that and it doesn't surprise me anymore. It used to, but they just dont pass to each other for goals in the offensive zone on the rush. No line passing 3 across. I stand by my prediction, Oates tries to remedy that.

While I can see MJ doing meh in a defensive 1RW role, I think I need to ask, do posters think he is a better RW, or better LW, offensively.

 

[NoMoreChoking]

Let's say Poti isnt 100% ready to go and Orlov is out for a while, who is number 6?

Hillen? Schilling? We need a puck mover over Erskine

 

[Halpysback*]

Kovi did play RW but with Parise and Henrique it's not the tallest order.

If Ovi can transition well to RW that could solve a lot of problems since Johansson and Laich are both better at LW than RW. Laich-Backstrom-Ovechkin would be our best bet at a good top line if Ovechkin can play there. But his style seems to be very much oriented at attacking from the left. His ability to receive the puck and carry it into the zone should improve substantially but he'd be forced to go around the boards/make plays rather than using his shot as much. It would work great if we had a LW who can finish, but apparently getting Kostitsyn is too hard for this organization.

Orlov should transition to LD while we're at it.

@RH, Johansson seems to be much better at LW since he can use his speed to go around people. Both chances of the puck getting stripped from him and him getting crushed are much lower than at RW. Plus its better from a playmaking perspective.

Off-wing players are the minority and generally have a distinct higher skilled sniping/playmaking style that you can spot when you see it. Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, Gaborik, Sharp, Hossa, Vanek, Tarasenko, Kuznetsov, St. Louis. Seems to be more of a european thing since high skill and offense is king there. Also guys that do more generating of their own offense and less of getting fed by their center since it's harder to receive passes that way.

 

[amjay13]

Did Wolski play overseas at all?

Put me in the camp that thinks Wolski realizes this is his last shot and has a decent season.

 

[strungout]

Put me in the camp that thinks Wolski realizes this is his last shot and has a decent season.

Im in the same camp.

 

[Halpysback*]

Of course Wolski is gonna have a decent season.

It's those of us expecting John Druce like playoff heroism out of him that are in for a disappointment. Which I think deep down is all of us.

 

[Brave Sir Robin]

Kovi did play RW but with Parise and Henrique it's not the tallest order.

If Ovi can transition well to RW that could solve a lot of problems since Johansson and Laich are both better at LW than RW. Laich-Backstrom-Ovechkin would be our best bet at a good top line if Ovechkin can play there. But his style seems to be very much oriented at attacking from the left. His ability to receive the puck and carry it into the zone should improve substantially but he'd be forced to go around the boards/make plays rather than using his shot as much. It would work great if we had a LW who can finish, but apparently getting Kostitsyn is too hard for this organization.

Orlov should transition to LD while we're at it.

@RH, Johansson seems to be much better at LW since he can use his speed to go around people. Both chances of the puck getting stripped from him and him getting crushed are much lower than at RW. Plus its better from a playmaking perspective.

Off-wing players are the minority and generally have a distinct higher skilled sniping/playmaking style that you can spot when you see it. Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, Gaborik, Sharp, Hossa, Vanek, Tarasenko, Kuznetsov, St. Louis. Seems to be more of a european thing since high skill and offense is king there. Also guys that do more generating of their own offense and less of getting fed by their center since it's harder to receive passes that way.

I disagree with that line of thinking. Ovi has never been a flexible, multi-dimensional player, but he is the best one we've got. The team should utilize a system that caters to his strengths, instead of playing him out of position in order to accommodate someone like Laich or Johansson.

 

[txpd]

when has johansson played left wing?

 

[Halpysback*]

I disagree with that line of thinking. Ovi has never been a flexible, multi-dimensional player, but he is the best one we've got. The team should utilize a system that caters to his strengths, instead of playing him out of position in order to accommodate someone like Laich or Johansson.

Obviously if his play suffers it's a no go.

If his play is about the same I think Laich at LW would make for a stronger line than anyone else we have at RW.

I guess Ward could be a bit of a 1 RW dark horse. His style is a bit Zubrus-y, less playmaking and other skill but even better along the boards and at wreaking havoc. Also excellent at shadowing the puck carrier and contributing without needing the puck on his stick except for a tap in or jam.

I'd give that experiment 6-7 games or so.

 

[bishop12]

Oates will put Ovy and NB back together.

 

[bishop12]

Hurting that NB is already injured. But we won't know properly what the deal is until this mess is finally over with. I don't think it's bad tho..

 

[Raikkonen]

I think its a blessing in disguise that NB and Orlov could be absent at start.

We will have enough offensive slots for Ribeiro, Perreault, Wolski and Johansson to see what they can do now.

Proper assessment of Ribeiro will help GMGM to not do another blunder with Nylander-type contract this summer. But who am I kidding?

No Orlov will help to see Hillen/Kundratek in action probably which isn't bad either.

Would not comment on Poti. While I like him I don't see a reason to expect anything from him for now

The bigger question for me is if Alzner will be tried with Green or not?


EDIT: Also I thought from the beginning both Wey/Schilling will play at AHL this season. Which isn't bad.

 

[Hivemind]

EDIT: Also I thought from the beginning both Wey/Schilling will play at AHL this season. Which isn't bad.

Wey is at Boston College. He may get some AHL action after BC's season wraps up, but not until then.

 

[RandyHolt]

when has johansson played left wing?

Don't you think if Semin, the anchor of our 2nd line, was a beast on the boards, 90 would have been at LW once he was moved away from C?

Fact is a line of 90 - C - Semin was not going to have ANY board presence and would not even be tried, and it wasn't. MJ MP Semin? No.

Ovi didn't miss time last year so there was no gaping hole at LW like there is now at scoring RW.

Chimera and Hendricks had 3 and 4 LW well covered.

Halpysback summed it up perfectly. Great post especially about receiving passes.

Off-wing players are the minority and generally have a distinct higher skilled sniping/playmaking style that you can spot when you see it. Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, Gaborik, Sharp, Hossa, Vanek, Tarasenko, Kuznetsov, St. Louis. Seems to be more of a european thing since high skill and offense is king there. Also guys that do more generating of their own offense and less of getting fed by their center since it's harder to receive passes that way.

Why may we see MJ Laich or WW at 1RW? George has a gaping hole at 1RW since letting Semin walk and how Oates addresses it should be his first order of business.

I feel like MJ will not excel at 1RW. It is nothing against him, just my preference to where I think he will be in the best position to develop his game.

 

[BTCG]

Will need to have the RW play some defense. Ribeiro not very good defensively and AO at this point is average. Could see MaJo simply because his speed is so good.

Average? That's pretty chairtable, IMHO.

Kinda hard to play D when you're hanging out near the blue line waiting for a pass.

Ribeiro CAN play D... when he wants to. That's part of what so frustrated the Stars. I hope he turns over a new leaf... even if only for a while.