GDT: G24 - VGK @ MIN - 6PM Central - Riding the Ka-... hot goalie

[Bazeek]

Zuccarello - Bjugstad - Kaprizov
Greenway - Eriksson-Ek - Foligno
Parise - Rask - Fiala
Sturm - Bonino - Rau

Suter - Spurgeon
Brodin - Dumba
Soucy - Cole

Kahkonen




Pacioretty - Stephenson - Tuch
Marchessault - Karlsson - Smith
Roy - Glass - Kolesar
Carrier - Nosek - Reaves

Martinez - Theodore
Hague - Whitecloud
Holden - Coghlan

Fleury

----------------------------------​

Feels like they're just changing the start times for fun at this point.

Click to read more...

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

Bjuger needs to not be asked to do more than he’s capable of. I thought he was playing pretty well as a 4th liner.

 

[Dee Oh Cee]

6PM start tonight with the game on NBCSN...please no Pierre.

You'll love the start times coming up, 7 on Friday, 1 Sunday, 7 Tuesday, 8 Thursday, 2 Saturday, 630 the following Monday and 4:30 Wednesday 3/24

 

[BagHead]

Love the title!

How long before "Hot Goalie" becomes a reference to... something... else?

 

[AKL]

Bjuger needs to not be asked to do more than he’s capable of. I thought he was playing pretty well as a 4th liner.

Well he scored that one gimme goal when he was accidentally on the ice with Kaprizov so if the webster school of chemistry has taught me anything it's that he's gotta be with Kaprizov and Zuccarello full time now.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Has there been confirmation the other KK is in net?

Seems logical you'd ride him after a shutout, but Evason has seemed determined to "get talbot going"

 

[57special]

Bjuger needs to not be asked to do more than he’s capable of. I thought he was playing pretty well as a 4th liner.

Well, someone has to play #1C.

 

[grN1g]

For the love of God move Sturm up. What else does he gotta do to earn some quality mates?

 

[SomethingGeneric]

Kahk getting the start according to Russo Twitter.

 

[57special]

For the love of God move Sturm up. What else does he gotta do to earn some quality mates?

I don't see why they aren't grooming him to be a C, when he can so obviously play there, and has a longterm future there. I guess they are intent on getting their money's worth out of Rask and Bjugstad. I'm not sure that I don't like Sturm at C more than Bonino, even, which is pretty sad.

It sure would be fun to see him play a few games up with Kaprizov and Zuccarello, or Fiala. I wonder if he might not mesh well with Fiala, because he has the speed to keep up with him on the rush.

I am not saying that he is a future top 6C, but compared to what we have right now, he is worth a shot.

 

[Bazeek]

Kahk getting the start according to Russo Twitter.

Well that's a relief. I was sure as soon as I posted this that Evason would start Talbot just to screw with me, but I've only got so many **** jokes rattling around in my head at 8 am.

 

[2Pair]

For the love of God move Sturm up. What else does he gotta do to earn some quality mates?

Where are you going to move him to?

 

[Nino Noderreiter]

For the love of God move Sturm up. What else does he gotta do to earn some quality mates?

I wouldn't mind seeing him with Parise-Fiala or Zucc-Kaprizov. I can't imagine he's any worse than Bjugstad/Rask and at the very least he has an above average NHL quality that's a difference maker (speed).

 

[BagHead]

Well, someone has to play #1C.

And we don't have many that can. Still, I'd say Rask is better suited to the game Kaprizov and Zuccarello play than Bjugstad is. Rask at least has soft hands and good vision, so he knows where to be and can handle the puck fluidly. He should not be carrying the puck, as he's not strong on it and is slow skating, but Kaprizov and Zuccarello do most of that, anyway. I'm not sure Bjugstad has the hands to be able to play the skill game that those wingers do, and I don't think he has the vision/offensive IQ/whatever-you-want-to-call-it to be ready and in the right spot for their passes, regularly.

 

[TaLoN]

Feels like they're just changing the start times for fun at this point.

NBCSN tonight is why.

 

[Webster]

Need a big guy like Bjugstad up there between two small wingers.

Besides...it's the Norwegian line

 

[ThatGuy22]

Where are you going to move him to?

Literally anywhere in the top 9 in the Middle. Bjugstad goes down to 4th line. Only C that has a firm grasp on a top 9 spot is JEE. anyone else is replaceable, no reason not to give Sturm a look.

This?
Zuccarello - Sturm - Kaprizov
Greenway - Eriksson-Ek - Foligno
Parise - Rask - Fiala
Bjugstad - Bonino - Rau

Sure, why not.

Or this

Zuccarello - JEE- Kaprizov
Greenway - Sturm- Foligno
Parise - Rask - Fiala
Bjugstad- Bonino - Rau

Could work.

How about this?

Zuccarello - Rask- Kaprizov
Greenway - JEE- Foligno
Parise - Sturm- Fiala
Bjugstad- Bonino - Rau

I don't see an issue with any of those options or really any other combination you could put together. He's always played Center, and sure as heck looks like he can hang in the NHL at wing. Give it a shot.

What's the worst that can happen? Get sub-par play from the Center position? How would we ever recover from that.

 

[GuerinUp]

i dont get the desire to keep tinkering lines. just roll the lines that put us winning 7 in a row with kahk. just fix the damn power play

 

[TaLoN]

i dont get the desire to keep tinkering lines. just roll the lines that put us winning 7 in a row with kahk. just fix the damn power play

They haven't been the same lines in those 7 games. Which are you choosing to roll with?

 

[GuerinUp]

They haven't been the same lines in those 7 games. Which are you choosing to roll with?

zucc-rask-kap
greenway-ek- fiala

who cares about the bottom 6

 

[ThatGuy22]

i dont get the desire to keep tinkering lines. just roll the lines that put us winning 7 in a row with kahk. just fix the damn power play

For the most part, I agree. Sturm seeing a bigger role in his natural position is the exception because he's looked more or less fantastic in his limited role, and the analytics back it up. Bjugstad hasn't been much more than a warm body out there. Don't see how switching those two would be a huge issue.

JEE is looking like he could be a passable or even good 2C long term. Determining if Sturm can be a passable or even good 3C long term should be important for our long term planning, beyond just helping this year.

He's getting like 40% o zone starts, and producing 65 xGF%. Should figure out if there is more there then a 4th line winger.

 

[EXTRAS]

Riding the hot goalie or admitting their future lies with the new young starter.

 

[GuerinUp]

For the most part, I agree. Sturm seeing a bigger role in his natural position is the exception because he's looked more or less fantastic in his limited role, and the analytics back it up. Bjugstad hasn't been much more than a warm body out there. Don't see how switching those two would be a huge issue.

JEE is looking like he could be a passable or even good 2C long term. Determining if Sturm can be a passable or even good 3C long term should be important for our long term planning, beyond just helping this year.

He's getting like 40% o zone starts, and producing 65 xGF%. Should figure out if there is more there then a 4th line winger.

well ya, i dont mind him seeing 3rd line ice time. im just saying keep zucc-rask-kap together. it works.

greenway-jee-fiala were good shutting down teams.

 

[EXTRAS]

Well, someone has to play #1C.

I vote trying Greenway for 1C!

 

[TaLoN]

zucc-rask-kap
greenway-ek- fiala

who cares about the bottom 6

When the bottom 6 costs you a game or two, you'll care. It's happened. Others were losing their mojo, changes were made, performance picked back up.

Not all lines are made to last. Especially when you have 3 centers named Rask, Bjugstad and Bonino.