Line Combos: Forward line-up: what would you do?

[YWGinYYZ]

Wonder if most if not all of the two-minute difference between Wheeler and Scheif is due to Wheeler coming off his shifts earlier this year while Scheifele lags behind. Seen a bunch of times already Tanev jumping on with Scheifele and 55 playing on for a good chunk. Connor's in the middle between Scheif-Wheeler.

Very well could be - Scheif seems to lollygag around a bit when he should be just finishing his shift. Some of it is likely due to applying pressure prior to the next line coming on, but this stuff is usually pretty evenly split between linemates, so it is a bit weird.

 

[LowLefty]

Very well could be - Scheif seems to lollygag around a bit when he should be just finishing his shift. Some of it is likely due to applying pressure prior to the next line coming on, but this stuff is usually pretty evenly split between linemates, so it is a bit weird.

I've also noticed Wheels coming off a bit earlier - this is not typical of him.
This could be a correction he's made over last year where he stayed on too long and got caught gassed a number of times.

Scheif is staying on to forecheck after the dump - someone should and with his fitness level and age, he's a better choice than Wheels.

Regardless, it's really good to see Wheels paying more attention to his TOI

 

[jepjepjoo]

That was the variance I talked about. Of course there are clips where the scoring line is Anderson-Gretzky-Kurri. Or Messier-Gretzky-Kurri, or... whatever.

But those were never the so called permanent lines. The combinations were used when you needed totally overwhelm the opponent. Or happened ”accidentally” when the shifts were somehow mixed. With the aforementioned line you got three 50 goal scorers on the ice at the same time. You used that for example at some moments in the playoffs etc.

There were plenty of different players playing the LW (Lumley Callighen, Semenko, Pouzar, Summanen, Krushelnyski, Hunter,...) Of course Anderson and Messier were at several times playing there also, but were NOT the so called permanent solutions. As they had the 2nd line to run.

And trust me, I know this stuff quite well .

Not to make this totally OT, Oilers philosophy was to form lines around the two ”dynamic duos”: Gretzky-Kurri, Messier-Anderson. Tikkanen was the needed ”grinder” when playing with 99 and 17. And the dynamics in that line with ”grinder”, great goal scoring playmaker and defensively minded goal scorer was an ideal one. In my opinion.

That philosophy might work also with todays Jets.

I totally agree with you post 19 goals. I believe what Jep Jep Joo presented was an abberation used on a power play or something urgent-like a line change etc. I've also read that Sather liked to keep the "high scorers" like Gretzky and Messier on separate lines to increase scoring--it only makes sense, to run them on 2 lines.

That philosophy might work also with todays Jets.

It doesn't matter if you agree with him... Anderson-Gretzky-Kurri is even announced before the game. They played together for the whole series in those clips.


Lines to start game1
Anderson-Gretzky-Kurri
Messier-Hagman-Lumley

game1 boxscore:
Anderson (Lowe, Kurri) ES
Siltanen (Anderson,Gretzky) ES
Siltanen (Gretzky,Kurri) ES
Gretzky (Anderson, Kurri) ES

 

[19GoalsInPlayoffs]

It doesn't matter if you agree with him... Anderson-Gretzky-Kurri is even announced before the game.


Lines to start game1
Anderson-Gretzky-Kurri
Messier-Hagman-Lumley

game1 boxscore:
Anderson (Lowe, Kurri) ES
Siltanen (Anderson,Gretzky) ES
Siltanen (Gretzky,Kurri) ES
Gretzky (Anderson, Kurri) ES

Phuuhh...

Yes, in that particular _playoffs_ game they had the Anderson-Gretzky-Kurri -line. Yes, the first line wasn’t set in stone. Not particularly at 1982.

The Dynasty-years were still ahead and Oilers were trying to find the optimal combos. Later on Anderson with 99 and 17 was never a norm. Within those lines you represented in your first post only the Tikkanen-Gretzky-Kurri was somehow ”permanent”.

Jets should also experiment a lot to find the optimal combos at this moment in time. To get the Dynasty years going .

Well, I got the impression that we were discussing the philosophy behind the line combinations. Not wondering if someone has ever been tried in some role. With that aproach you could claim almost any combo within an any team ”being a line”.

 

[jepjepjoo]

Phuuhh...

Yes, in that particular _playoffs_ game they had the Anderson-Gretzky-Kurri -line. Yes, the first line wasn’t set in stone. Not particularly at 1982.

The Dynasty-years were still ahead and Oilers were trying to find the optimal combos. Later on Anderson with 99 and 17 was never a norm. Within those lines you represented in your first post only the Tikkanen-Gretzky-Kurri was somehow ”permanent”.

Jets should also experiment a lot to find the optimal combos at this moment in time. To get the Dynasty years going .

Well, I got the impression that we were discussing the philosophy behind the line combinations. Not wondering if someone has ever been tried in some role. With that aproach you could claim almost any combo within an any team ”being a line”.

All of the lines I posted were starting lines at one point of time.

*****-Gretzky-Kurri
*****-Messier-Anderson
Was a thing only after 83-84 when Messier started playing full time C.

Anderson-Gretzky-Kurri were together for the whole series as you can see from the 2nd clip. It's not like 80's footage is readily available so thats just one example.

edit. You acted like the lines I posted never happened.

 

[garret9]

Did some looking into the CLT line, in looking who is driving the bus and who is more passenger...

Here:

 

[YWGinYYZ]

All of the lines I posted were starting lines at one point of time.

*****-Gretzky-Kurri
*****-Messier-Anderson
Was a thing only after 83-84 when Messier started playing full time C.

Anderson-Gretzky-Kurri were together for the whole series as you can see from the 2nd clip. It's not like 80's footage is readily available so thats just one example.

edit. You acted like the lines I posted never happened.

This stuff is getting way OT for this thread.

 

[jepjepjoo]

Should the 1st line be untouchable? Here's how they compare to other 1st lines in actual results.

17-18 to now:

Detroit Mantha-Zetterberg-Nyquist GF% 69.57
New Jersery Palmieri-Hirchier-Hall GF% 67.65
LA Iafallo-Kopitar-Brown GF% 67.35%
Nashville Forsberg-Johansen-Arvidson GF% 67.24
Las Vegas Marchessault-Karlsson-Smith GF% 66.67
San Jose *****-Pavelski-Kane GF% 66.67
Toronto Nylander-Matthews-Hyman GF% 65.67
Philadelphia Coutorier-Giroux-Konecky GF% 65.45
Colorado Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen GF% 65.06
Dallas Radulov-Seguin-Benn GF% 64.71
St.Louis Schwartz-Schenn-Tarasenko GF% 63.51
Calgary Gaudreau-Monahan-Ferland GF% 63.08
Edmonton ******-McDavid-****** GF% 63.08
Florida Dadonov-Barkov-Bjugstad GF% 61.54
Pittsburgh Hagelin-Malkin-****** GF% 61.11
Boston Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak GF% 60.34
Columbus Panarin-Dubois-****** GF% 60.29
Washington Ovechkin-Bacström-Wilson GF% 59.38
Carolina Teräväinen-*******-Aho GF% 59.26
Anaheim Rakell-Getzlaf-Perry GF% 58.14
Tampa Bay Kucherov-Stamkov-Namestikov GF% 55.77
Arizona *******-Keller-Stepan GF% 55.74
Minnesota Zucker-Koivu-Granlund GF% 55.17
Ottawa Ryan-Duchene-****** GF% 54.84
Vancouver Horvat-Boescher-Baertschi GF% 54.55
Winnipeg Connor-Scheifele-Wheeler GF% 54.39
Buffalo ******-Eichel-Pominville GF% 53.49
New york Rangers Miller-*****-Zuccarello GF% 51.61
Montreal Gallagher-Plekanec-****** GF% 51.02
New York Islanders Lee-Tavares-Bailey GF% 46.38
Chicago *****-******-Kane GF% 46.15

5on5 points:

Wheeler 42 (44th in the league)
Connor 42 (44th in the league)
Scheifele 36 (79th in the league)

 

[10Ducky10]

My starting lineup for the next 5 games...
Connor Scheif Laine 18 mins ( I honestly think Laine is as good in the D zone as Wheeler is)

Ehlers Little Wheeler 17 mins (Wheeler drives this line with lots of help)

Copper Lowry Roslo 15 mins (Roslo makes this line even better)

Lemmy MP Tanev 10 mins (this line should dominate most of their matchups)

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

This is one I would like to see get tested out with what we have today.

Laine-Scheifele-Wheeler
Connor-Roslovic-Ehlers
Lowry-Little-Perreault
Tanev-Copp-Lemieux

 

[Adam da bomb]

This is one I would like to see get tested out with what we have today.

Laine-Scheifele-Wheeler
Connor-Roslovic-Ehlers
Lowry-Little-Perreault
Tanev-Copp-Lemieux

I can't understand breaking up CLT. Maybe later but right now I think they are the only untouchable line.

 

[Howard Chuck]

I’ve wanted to see wheeler and laine switched but the way Scheifele is playing I don’t know how much better he is than anyone else.

 

[10Ducky10]

I can see Roslo replacing Tanev but not Lowry moving to wing.
Sooner or later, I wanna see KC Roslo and Ehlers.

 

[10Ducky10]

Did some looking into the CLT line, in looking who is driving the bus and who is more passenger...

Here:

I am not that intelligent...what does the x in front of names denote? The other two without that player?

 

[GNP]

I can see Roslo replacing Tanev but not Lowry moving to wing.
Sooner or later, I wanna see KC,Roslo, and Ehlers

_______________________________________________________

This is a lineup I've been wanting to see for a long time now, and Roslo is just about ready to center it. Be exciting to watch -"speed kills"

 

[garret9]

I am not that intelligent...what does the x in front of names denote? The other two without that player?

x means without that player. So, for example, C-L-xT means whenever Copp and Lowry have been together but excluding when with Tanev as well.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

When Scheifele was injured last season and Wheeler played center, Wheeler (C) Laine (RW) combo
was one of the most feared in the NHL.

If i was Paul Maurice <chills> i would completely decimate your line up
something like this:

Lowry-Wheeler-Laine
Connor-Scheifele-Roslovic
Ehlers-Little-Copp
Tanev-Perreault-Lemieux

1st PP unit:

Laine-Wheeler-Lowry
Morrissey-Byfuglien

2nd PP unit:

Little-Scheifele-Ehlers
Laine-Trouba

 

[Plural]

When Scheifele was injured last season and Wheeler played center, Wheeler (C) Laine (RW) combo
was one of the most feared in the NHL.

If i was Paul Maurice <chills> i would completely decimate your line up
something like this:

Lowry-Wheeler-Laine
Connor-Scheifele-Roslovic
Ehlers-Little-Copp
Tanev-Perreault-Lemieux

1st PP unit:

Laine-Wheeler-Lowry
Morrissey-Byfuglien

2nd PP unit:

Little-Scheifele-Ehlers
Laine-Trouba

Last season the first line played some of the best hockey in the entire NHL. I fully understand why Maurice is not quick to dismatle it. Before the Jets star losing and fear for missing the PO's I doubt Maurice wants to break up the 1st. Which is totally reasonable.

He should figure out how to have a functional 2nd line though. The 1st line shouldn't be playing that much more in a contender. They won't make it past balanced elite teams in best of 7 series when the ice time is that tilted. Wheeler and Scheif will be beaten to pulp.

 

[Neuf]

Resurrect this bad boy. I think Connor and Laine might click. They confused each other a bit last night in the o zone (a few mini collisions, not seeing the open man), but looked dangerous. Ehlers worked well with Wheeler and Schiefele. He's a puck carrier and can enter the zone at will.

 

[Whileee]

I'm pretty sure I was pushing for this top six for some time...

Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler
Connor-Little-Laine

It makes sense because Ehlers helps Scheifele and Wheeler with zone exits and Connor helps Laine with puck retrieval and possession.

Perreault and Roslovic are terrific together. Petan looks good with them, but I'd also like to see KV with them. He's a bit faster, better at board play and puck possession, and has a better shot.

 

[Adam da bomb]

I'm pretty sure I was pushing for this top six for some time...

Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler
Connor-Little-Laine

It makes sense because Ehlers helps Scheifele and Wheeler with zone exits and Connor helps Laine with puck retrieval and possession.

Perreault and Roslovic are terrific together. Petan looks good with them, but I'd also like to see KV with them. He's a bit faster, better at board play and puck possession, and has a better shot.

To say that Connor helps Laine with puck retrieval and possession underplays his role on that line. More like Laine helps Connor with finishing and playmaking.
As last night it clearly looked like Connor's line.

 

[Gil Fisher]

I'm pretty sure I was pushing for this top six for some time...

Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler
Connor-Little-Laine

It makes sense because Ehlers helps Scheifele and Wheeler with zone exits and Connor helps Laine with puck retrieval and possession.

Perreault and Roslovic are terrific together. Petan looks good with them, but I'd also like to see KV with them. He's a bit faster, better at board play and puck possession, and has a better shot.

Petan's looked pretty good to me. Wouldn't mind seeing him get a good long run and some PP2 (what's that?) time.

 

[Bob E]

I'm pretty sure I was pushing for this top six for some time...

Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler
Connor-Little-Laine

It makes sense because Ehlers helps Scheifele and Wheeler with zone exits and Connor helps Laine with puck retrieval and possession.

Perreault and Roslovic are terrific together. Petan looks good with them, but I'd also like to see KV with them. He's a bit faster, better at board play and puck possession, and has a better shot.

I too have liked the idea of Connor-Little-Laine line for some time. Connor‘s vision works well with Laine, as it did for few weeks when Wheeler was their C.

Little seems to work best with Connor. Ehlers helps Little too, but Ehlers is most productive with Scheifele and Wheeler.

So I’d go with:

Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler
Connor-Little-Laine
Copp-Lowry-Tanev
Vesalainen-Roslovic-Perreault

Playing with Scheifele and Wheeler gets the most out of Ehlers. Connor and Little can help Laine’s game. Lowry’s line is just good, and KV adds size, board battles and speed to Roslovic and Perreault.

Petan and Lemieux are depth, but when everyone is healthy, aren’t in the lineup for me.

 

[Ducky10]

Did some looking into the CLT line, in looking who is driving the bus and who is more passenger...

Here:

Shocker......

 

[voyageur]

At some point I'd look into a top 9 of

Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler
Connor-Roslovic-Laine
Tanev-Lowry-Little

Great speed from the LWs, 2 way game from the centres, and shooters at RW. Little on a shutdown line as a winger works, and certainly he and Roslovic are interchangeable.
I think that's 3 lines that can play.

4th can be constructed out of any of Perreault, Petan, Copp, Veselainen (while here), Lemieux, Appleton and Suess. As I think Maurice can confidently play Perreault and Copp up the lineup as required.