Line Combos: HFBoards Decides: Opening Lineup - Phil Kessel

[Randy Butternubs]

I thought about doing this at the end of July/start of August. Sutter was still on the team then and blah blah blah.

Now that I think the final roster is evident, it may be a good time to start this thread series. Series? Yes, series. I want a thread series where HFBoards selects what they feel is the best opening day lineup.

Some assumptions, as of 8/20/2015:

• Crosby and Malkin are our top two centers and will not play wing.
• Fehr will not start the season.
• Phil Kessel is our best winger and is a right winger.
• Patric Hornqvist is a right winger.
• David Perron is a left winger.
• Scuderi is staying. So is Lovejoy.
• Dumoulin would not survive waivers and will stay in the NHL.
• Clendening, Erixson, and Andersen have a chance to pass through waivers and one will be the 6th or 7th defenseman.
• Sundqvist has a chance to start in the NHL.
• Fleury is the starting goalie.
• Letang is on the first D pairing on the right side.

I will add more assumptions as the HFBoards lineup is decided. You don't like these assumptions? Too bad.

We shall start with Phil Kessel. Who does he play with? Crosby or Malkin?

Or Bonino?

Voting for this one shall last for two days.

Due to the assumptions, Hornqvist will be paired with whoever Kessel is not paired with.

Objections?

Current HFBoards Lineup:

XXX-Crosby-Kessel/Hornqvist
XXX-Malkin-Kessel/Hornqvist
XXX-XXX-XXX
XXX-XXX-XXX

XXX-Letang
XXX-XXX
XXX-XXX
XXX

Fleury
XXX

Should've done this during the Bylsma years and sent it to him.

Click to read more...

 

[Hydro]

Voted Malkin, I think Crosby/Horns + Malkin/Kessel would be more productive than the inverse.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Malkin. I'm hoping--perhaps foolishly--that Plotnikov and Kessel on Geno's wings will be a revival of the Malone and Sykora mold on steroids.

Sid and Hornqvist are tailor-made for each other, and Perron can concentrate on being the "open guy" to utilize his underrated shot.

Those two lines should be absolutely ****ing fantastic, assuming Plotnikov isn't some colossal bust. To be honest, with Geno and Kessel, it doesn't even really matter all that much. All Plotnikov has to do is get them the puck and cause havoc in the corners and around the net.

Perron - Crosby - Hornqvist
Plotnikov - Malkin - Kessel

 

[Jacob]

Malkin, my reasons:

-Sid has proven to have excellent chemistry with Hornqvist already. Malkin hasn't. Maybe they develop it, but maybe not. That's the evidence we have to go on at this point.
-Separating Sid & Kessel also evens out the speed in our top 6. We're not a fast team on paper so the handful of speedy guys should be spread throughout the lineup if at all possible.

 

[plaidchuck]

Don't forget MJ said Perron is one of his right wingers.

 

[tom_servo]

Malkin, but I want to see what Crosby-Kessel would look like just for a little while.

 

[#66]

Sid.... I've always wanted him to have a winger that he can zoom up and down the ice with like Lafontaine and Mogilny.

Plus Hornqvist goes with Malkin. I hope Hornqvists style forces Malkin to put more pucks on net.

 

[Candyman]

Voted Malkin.

This is how I see our opening night.

Perron-Crosby-Hornqvist
Plotkinov-Malkin-Kessel
Kunitz-Bonino-Dupuis
Cullen-Sundqvist-Bennett

Maatta-Letang
Cole-Pouliot
Lovejoy-Dumoulin

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Voted Malkin.

This is how I see our opening night.

Perron-Crosby-Hornqvist
Plotkinov-Malkin-Kessel
Kunitz-Bonino-Dupuis
Cullen-Sundqvist-Bennett

Maatta-Letang
Cole-Pouliot
Lovejoy-Dumoulin

I still have to pinch myself when I look at that forward corps. We have three legitimate top six wingers, one of which is all-world (Kessel), and the other is the best in the game at what he does (Hornqvist).

AND our bottom six is capable of playing very well and chipping in substantial secondary-scoring.

 

[66-30-33]

Let's get Boedker, then roll this:

Boedker-Crosby-Hornqvist
Perron-Malkin-Kessel

Voted Crosby though.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Boedker - Crosby - Kessel would be a Hell of a line.

 

[Penguinator]

Voted Malkin

P-C-H
?-M-K

 

[bambamcam4ever]

I still have to pinch myself when I look at that forward corps. We have three legitimate top six wingers, one of which is all-world (Kessel), and the other is the best in the game at what he does (Hornqvist).

AND our bottom six is capable of playing very well and chipping in substantial secondary-scoring.

That sounds like homerism to me.

 

[systemsgo]

I don't really think there's a wrong answer, I think Kessel will find a way to fit and play well with both Sid and Geno.

For me, after taking a look at the WOWY (with or without you) stats, Hornqvist produces well with both Cs (in fact he has a higher production/60 with Malkin than Sid, but they also allow more goals against). Based on WOWY Corsi (because Perron's actual production fell off a cliff), I think Perron fit better with Geno than Sid and since I believe it's Perron-Hornqvist and whoever-Kessel, I'll go with Crosby.

And based on where their goals are scored, Sid and Horny are similar, and Geno and Kessel are.

And here I compared Perron and Neal's scoring areas from 2014 season (since that was before Perron's slump and Neal being moved to Nashville)

I see the benefits in having Horny be the net front guy for Geno and Perron can be his Neal (with a poorer shot). And Kessel on the perimeter with Sid playing in traffic where he's very efficient.

 

[WayneSid9987]

sid-kessel has more potential imo.
and horny is a little more effective with sid.
so, for me, sid's good either way.
it's just a matter of finding the better fit for geno.

horny is a good compliment to either cuz of what he actually does. dig pucks out of corners and goes to the net hard/screens with a good shot in the slot. sid would use his slot shot abilities more than geno would. thats where the "little more effective" with sid comes from. geno would drive to the net himself but horny will be there ready to bang a loose puck home.

so i'd try Geno-Kessel first.

 

[Son Goku]

Boedker - Crosby - Kessel would be a Hell of a line.

Imagine a 2nd PP with Boedker Bonino Perron

 

[Moose Lips]

With Malkin...

To me this appears like the best balance in having two top lines. One of Horns/Plots on each to give net crashing, greasey schtuff is a requirement imo. Sid with Kessel and Perron doesn't sound right, Malkin with two similar players all the same. Malkin carrying the playmaking load to such an extent isn't wise...we all know Geno tends to make goofy plays when he plays the puck too much. I suppose Plots would only work on the top 6 if he is opposite Kessel.

Plots - Sid - Kessel
Perron - Geno - Horns

Perron - Sid - Horns
Plots - Geno - Kessel

Kunitz - Sid - Kessel ???

Whatever works best we will surely see...no doubt Kessel would look fine working with either, but have to ask at the same time which opposite side winger completes the line the best, ofc.

 

[WestCoastLeafs]

I think Kessel with Malkin so you've got two deadly lines, but what's really scary is they can ice Malkin-Crosby-Kessel to "mix things up" when they want (like when Chicago puts Toews and Kane together, except waaaaay more scarier.)

 

[systemsgo]

With Malkin...

To me this appears like the best balance in having two top lines. One of Horns/Plots on each to give net crashing, greasey schtuff is a requirement imo. Sid with Kessel and Perron doesn't sound right, Malkin with two similar players all the same. Malkin carrying the playmaking load to such an extent isn't wise...we all know Geno tends to make goofy plays when he plays the puck too much. I suppose Plots would only work on the top 6 if he is opposite Kessel.

Plots - Sid - Kessel
Perron - Geno - Horns

Perron - Sid - Horns
Plots - Geno - Kessel

Kunitz - Sid - Kessel ???

Whatever works best we will surely see...no doubt Kessel would look fine working with either, but have to ask at the same time which opposite side winger completes the line the best, ofc.

Maybe I'm being pessimistic, but I just assumed Kunitz is in the top 6

 

[mpp9]

I see zero chance one of the fastest players in the game and an elite scorer is acquired and Sid doesnt get first crack at him.

Hossa went to him. Neal was supposed to be if not for Sid's concussion.

Hornqvist is a complementary player. Give him a full season with Malkin and the right LWer.

 

[Ogrezilla]

he should play with both. something like 5-10 games with Sid then 5-10 games with Geno. Build the chemistry with both so we can shuffle things around if we ever start to look stagnant later in the year. We have too much talent to carve our line combos in stone imo. Being hard to match against should be a huge strength, and adding a bit of flexibility to our lines will only help that.

Come playoff time, we should be able to mix and match our lines with any of these guys (the LWs depending on who actually shows they can play in that spot)

Top 6 C
Sid
Geno

Top 6 RW
Kessel
Hornqvist

Top 6 LW
Perron
Kunitz
Bennett
Plotnikov
Bonino

Really, it should be similar in the bottom 6.

 

[Moose Lips]

Maybe I'm being pessimistic, but I just assumed Kunitz is in the top 6

It wouldn't surprise me if he was...if so, it wouldn't be a total disaster and COULD work out well enough. Someone has to begin to let go sooner than later imo...

 

[Asuna]

Don't forget MJ said Perron is one of his right wingers.

That was before Sutter was traded.

 

[Ogrezilla]

That was before Sutter was traded.

how does that change anything for Perron?

 

[Asuna]

how does that change anything for Perron?

Well, this is just my opinion, but I think Johnston may have been saying that stuff about Perron being 3RW, to help prop Sutter up...since he needs good wingers to succeed.

Now that Sutter is gone, there is no need to prop up Bonino or Fehr, or whoever the 3C is going to be.