Line Combos: HFBoards Decides: Opening Lineup - Final Top 6 Left Winger (Part 1?)

[Penguinator]

No way it won't be Kunitz to start the season. There's some rationale behind that anyway, but it'll probably last for too long.

I'll vote Kuntiz. Plotnikov should be eased in.

Well yeah but the question isn't very specific in rapport to a timeline. I do agree with you unless the Plotnikov Beast gels fast. Kunitz will run outta gas anyway...

 

[tom_servo]

Well yeah but the question isn't very specific in rapport to a timeline. I do agree with you unless the Plotnikov Beast gels fast. Kunitz will run outta gas anyway...

Well, the subject is about the opening lineup, and there are references to things happening to start the season. I doubt anything will happen in training camp to prevent Kunitz from having that opportunity in the top six. Hopefully he's not so bad that someone else wins by default. I would love to see Plotnikov's shot alongside Malkin, but Kunitz is bound to be better at the little things to start the season. Plus, with Kessel, it becomes imperative to play responsible hockey. I'll give Kunitz the benefit of the doubt to play that role even though he's in decline.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

I'm voting Kunitz. Not because I want to. Because this is how things are done in Pittsburgh.

I'd like to see Plotnikov given a cup of coffee with that line though.

I'd like to see Kunitz - Bonino - Dupuis or something like that on the 3rd line.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I'd like to see what Plotnikov's got. He's a big guy, he plays an alright physical game, and from what I've seen he doesn't have a bad shot. Could be the Malone to Kessel's (wayyyy better) Sykora on Geno's line.

 

[FDBluth]

I know that the poll for this has technically passed, but I don't see how you can't have a first line of Crosby, Kessel and Hornqvist. Each player would have a role in such a setup that maximizes their strengths. Hornqvist digs the puck out as the first forechecker, Crosby swoops in as the second and looks to make a quick pass, and Kessel lurks in the slot. It's literally a perfect line.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

It'd be perfect if Hornqvist were a left handed left winger.

 

[PensandCaps]

I know that the poll for this has technically passed, but I don't see how you can't have a first line of Crosby, Kessel and Hornqvist. Each player would have a role in such a setup that maximizes their strengths. Hornqvist digs the puck out as the first forechecker, Crosby swoops in as the second and looks to make a quick pass, and Kessel lurks in the slot. It's literally a perfect line.

Both right wingers.

 

[BHD]

Kunitz. However, I wouldn't be shocked to see Plotinov eventually settle in there.

 

[plaidchuck]

Gonna be Kunitz for far too long. What will be the excuse this year? Iron deficiency from the menstruating ovaries he developed last year? Gynecomastia from too many soybeans?

 

[mpp9]

There actual options to replace Kunitz this year. Ya know, players better than Nick Spaling and Daniel Winnik.

If MJ chooses to keep Kunitz in the top 6 despite struggling for an extended period of time, then you can complain.

 

[plaidchuck]

I'll believe it when I see it. This is the guy that played rob freaking scuderi for.82 games and Adams for 70.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

There actual options to replace Kunitz this year. Ya know, players better than Nick Spaling and Daniel Winnik.

If MJ chooses to keep Kunitz in the top 6 despite struggling for an extended period of time, then you can complain.

Well, there were some options last year too, like Perron who had been booted out of the top 6. But we couldn't take the chance that Perron might somehow manage to score less than Kunitz' single ES goal alongside Crosby in 2015.

Gonna be Kunitz for far too long. What will be the excuse this year? Iron deficiency from the menstruating ovaries he developed last year? Gynecomastia from too many soybeans?

In an ironic turn of events, Kunitz will take too many iron pills over the summer and develop hemochromatosis, leading to early-onset arthritis.

Or so we'll be told when he's once again skating leisurely to loose pucks and flubbing open nets as if it were a pick up game with his nieces.

 

[mpp9]

Well, there were some options last year too, like Perron who had been booted out of the top 6. But we couldn't take the chance that Perron might somehow manage to score less than Kunitz' single ES goal alongside Crosby in 2015.

Perron was with Sid or Malkin for a vast majority of the season despite playing like **** after the first month or two here. Just like Kunitz.

MJ played Winnik ahead of Kunitz for a stretch. I have little doubt he'll try Plotnikov or Perron if Kunitz goes back into garbage mode.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Perron was with Sid or Malkin for a vast majority of the season despite playing like **** after the first month or two here. Just like Kunitz.

MJ played Winnik ahead of Kunitz for a stretch. I have little doubt he'll try Plotnikov or Perron if Kunitz goes back into garbage mode.

Perron got kicked down for a good stretch at the end. Kunitz? Two games, despite being far less productive.

Hope you're right about MJ and Kunitz this year.

 

[mpp9]

Perron got kicked down for a good stretch at the end. Kunitz? Two games, despite being far less productive.

Hope you're right about MJ and Kunitz this year.

He played 444 minutes with Sid. 51 with Sutter.

Kunitz played 578 with Sid. 141 with Sutter.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

He played 444 minutes with Sid. 51 with Sutter.

Kunitz played 578 with Sid. 141 with Sutter.

True. But the top 6 also includes Malkin, who Perron played far less with, and Perron only played half the year in Pittsburgh.

But regardless of whether you think Perron was the answer, Kunitz should not have had an iron grip on that spot. Other less-than-ideal alternatives were not going to produce less than what Kunitz did, but we didn't even try.

 

[mpp9]

True. But the top 6 also includes Malkin, who Perron played far less with, and Perron only played half the year in Pittsburgh.

But regardless of whether you think Perron was the answer, Kunitz should not have had an iron grip on that spot. Other less-than-ideal alternatives were not going to produce less than what Kunitz did, but we didn't even try.

Were they going to produce more? Winnik did dick all for us at ES. Spaling wasn't really any better.

At least with Kunitz, you could hope he'd rebound. He set Sid up for both of his goals in the playoffs.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I don't see how Kunitz is gonna rebound, honestly. It's a situation where it's likely "one more year, still spiraling the drain but closer to the bottom."

I really think if he can't/won't accept or succeed as a third liner, he has absolutely no place on this team anymore.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Were they going to produce more? Winnik did dick all for us at ES. Spaling wasn't really any better.

At least with Kunitz, you could hope he'd rebound. He set Sid up for both of his goals in the playoffs.

Maybe. We never gave anyone a real shot and only reinforced the idea that tenured vets are entrenched in their roles no matter how poorly they play.

If Kunitz had been held accountable for his performance, it might have served as a wake-up call. It's nice that he managed 2 assists on Crosby goals in the playoffs and all, but that's hardly a good return on investment for all the prime time he was spoonfed throughout the year.

Either way, there's no excuses this year. We have a metric ton of options, so if Kunitz craps the bed again there won't be any "there were no good wingers to replace him" argument.

 

[billybudd]

I don't know if I buy this "tenured vet" thing with Johnston. He scratched a number of those in the playoffs to dress Scott Wilson, who had, what, 3 minutes of NHL experience and was in his first pro season? He leaned heavily at times on Taylor Chorney, who was an absolute nobody.

Kunitz was where Kunitz was because the only wings that were reliably above his level (low as it was), were Hornqvist and Dupuis, the latter of whom missed the final 70 games of the season. Maybe Comeau, but after his hand injury, him and Kunitz were probably a wash. BC tried harder, CK made smarter reads. Downie was scoring more, but he was getting 2 freaking minors every 10 minutes of ice time. Whether he earned them or not, you still have to kill the penalty.

Need 4 better guys for Kunitz to not be on one of the first two lines. By the middle of February we had 1. Arguably 2. But MJ still had comparative newcomers like Winnik and Spaling playing above 14 for large periods of time. That's an obvious indication of displeasure in Kunitz's play, when you start throwing journeyman curtain jerkers on your first line over a guy who was on the top line of the eventual champion in Sochi just 13 months prior.

Regarding Perron: "why was Kunitz playing above him" isn't a question that anybody paying attention at the time should need to ask. A better question would be "why wasn't Perron scratched?" His play absolutely merited it. Tenure is no sort of explanation for why Winnik and Spaling would be higher in the lineup than Perron. Only Perron's garbage skating and wildly uneven effort level was. Spaling was less veteran and Winnik was a clock-punching merc with less tenure.

Answer to that is an extension of the answer about Kunitz--bad as he was, we didn't have 8 available wings that were likely to play less terrible hockey than Perron in the organization.

 

[Darth Vitale]

I'd go based on who looks best there in camp and pre-season. I don't really think anybody should be pencilled in to that spot this early, unlike the other top-6 spots.

But for me it's between Plotnikov and Kunitz.

Yup. But until we have proof that Kunitz is no longer "iron deficient" I'd start with the youngster for a while, see how it goes.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

Yup. But until we have proof that Kunitz is no longer "iron deficient" I'd start with the youngster for a while, see how it goes.

This iron deficiency **** is an excuse for Kunitz. My wife was found out to be iron deficient during her pregnancy. Taking 1 iron pill a day brought her back to normal within a month.

He was hand and eye coordination deficient.

 

[Penguinator]

This iron deficiency **** is an excuse for Kunitz. My wife was found out to be iron deficient during her pregnancy. Taking 1 iron pill a day brought her back to normal within a month.

He was hand and eye coordination deficient.

More like willing to pay the price deficient i'd say...

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

This iron deficiency **** is an excuse for Kunitz. My wife was found out to be iron deficient during her pregnancy. Taking 1 iron pill a day brought her back to normal within a month.

He was hand and eye coordination deficient.

Agreed. Kunitz's iron deficiency is akin to Neal's lockerroom disruption and Despres' crippling addiction to gambling. i.e. Excuses to shield the organization from taking heat for their actions.

Kunitz played like **** because he was only ever legitimately effective as a physically punishing, tenacious forechecker who could chip in a decent amount offensively. He lost any semblance of physicality or hunger years ago, and in doing so stayed relevant by becoming a production leech alongside Sid and Geno. That production also came at the cost of him being a lazy, complacent floater.