Line Combos: HFPens Decides - Zucker

What line do you want Zucker to play on?

  • Line 2 - With Malkin and Guentzel

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Line 3 - Centered by Blueger

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    45
  • Poll closed .

Randy Butternubs

Registered User
Mar 15, 2008
29,777
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Morningside
Current lineup as per HFPens:

aaa-Crosby-Kapanen (77%)
Guentzel (66%)-Malkin-ddd
eee-Blueger (67%)-ggg
hhh-iii-jjj
lll

Dumoulin (100%)-Letang
Matheson (56%)-Marino
ooo-ppp
qqq-rrr

Jarry-DeSmith


Poll #6 - What line do you want Zucker to play on?

Poll will be open for a few days, unless it is a blowout.

Dumoulin clearly wins the latest poll.

In this poll, vote for what line you want to see Zucker on.



Some assumptions and rules:
  1. You are to vote for what you want to see -- not what you expect the coaches to do. This is for the opening day lineup. Yes, it'll change throughout the season.
  2. Crosby and Malkin are the top two centers.
  3. Jarry is the starter and DeSmith is the backup.
  4. ZAR will be on the IR to start the season. This means he will not be listed as an option in any of the polls.
  5. In the top 4, defenseman will not play on their "off" side.
  6. I will not be listing players for positions they have not played at the NHL level. For example, I will not be listing Tanev as an option for the third line center.
  7. Due to the amount of one-way contracts, I will not be including Poulin and POJ (or other prospects) as voting options. Feel free to write them in as a vote, though.
  8. A majority vote is not needed to win. But we may have runoff polls if I deem the numbers to be too close.
Let me know of questions or concerns.

Previous threads:

Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - 20/21 Version
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - Jake Guentzel
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - Third Line Center
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - Marino's Partner
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - Give Sid a RW
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - Letang's Partner
 

Tom Hanks

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Want none of the above options but if this is what’s left I’ll go option A. I wanted him with Sid anyway just wanted a different RW.
 

ColePens

RIP Fugu Buffaloed & parabola
Mar 27, 2008
107,022
67,647
Pittsburgh
Want none of the above options but if this is what’s left I’ll go option A. I wanted him with Sid anyway just wanted a different RW.
I'm with you. That Jake Guentzel move really dictates which roster we have. It's odd how much one winger changes a lineup but that Jake move basically dictates all moves.

I had Jake w/ Sid. But now we have what we have, I think he has to be option A.
 

Tom Hanks

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Nov 10, 2017
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Who did you want on Sid's RW? Rust?

Yeah Rust. I don’t think Kappy is going to be as good with Sid than Malkin. I also think Zucker-Sid could be really special. Jake is great with either C.

Put Kappy with our best winger and an elite C in a Geno on the 2nd line and I think we get the best of him.
 

Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
80,407
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Redmond, WA
With Sid and Kapanen. They will be an elite shutdown line who can score.

Frees Guentzel, Malkin and Rust to feast on 2nd lines.

I've expressed this concern in other threads, but I'll say it again here. Zucker-Crosby-Kapanen gives me hardcore Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis vibes, but Crosby's not 26 like he was when KCD was a thing.
 
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NMK11

Registered User
Apr 6, 2013
3,997
1,985
I think I'm in the minority here judging on the last few posts, but I think of our two top C's I'd prefer Malkin with the Zucker/Rust duo to throw out against other teams top lines. I think Geno is way more engaged when he has to play the length of the ice and I think he's less reliant on skilled wingers to make something work.
 

Scandale du Jour

JordanStaal#1Fan
Mar 11, 2002
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I've expressed this concern in other threads, but I'll say it again here. Zucker-Crosby-Kapanen gives me hardcore Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis vibes, but Crosby's not 26 like he was when KCD was a thing.

Second line did not have Guentzel and Rust on it when KCD was a thing. I would not expect ZCK to be the main offensive catalyst of the team. That would be GMR.

I also think Zucker is a better playmaker than either Kunitz or Dupuis and that should help. Kapanen is a pretty good shooter. I also think both are more cerebral than Kunitz and Dupuis who were all hustle all the time.
 
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EVGENIMERLIN

Registered User
Jun 29, 2009
2,469
1,854
Los Angeles, CA
With Sid and Kapanen. They will be an elite shutdown line who can score.

Frees Guentzel, Malkin and Rust to feast on 2nd lines.
Zucker and Kap can skate, have decent hands, and play with some jam. Jake/Geno/Rust just compliment each other so well. This is my ideal top 6 and should be fun to watch.

Having Petts/Marino playing behind J/G/R will help that line out with possession and break out as opposed to having boat anchor JJ
 
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Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
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Redmond, WA
Second line did not have Guentzel and Rust on it when KCD was a thing. I would not expect ZCK to be the main offensive catalyst of the team. That would be GMR.

I also think Zucker is a better playmaker than either Kunitz or Dupuis and that should help. Kapanen is a pretty good shooter. I also think both are more cerebral than Kunitz and Dupuis who were all hustle all the time.

I mean, the 2nd line when KCD was a thing in the playoffs was Iginla-Malkin-Neal. It's fair to say that's a bad mix, but the lines weren't KCD and then a bunch of crap.

I don't see a reason to think that KCD 2.0 would really do any better than KCD 1.0, even with Malkin's line being better now than it was then. Crosby's still going to get the tough minutes, and unless Malkin's line goes really crazy against easier competition, it likely won't be enough to compensate for the Crosby line struggling to produce.

I think Zucker-Malkin-Rust is a substantially more well built line than Zucker-Crosby-Kapanen, and even Zucker-Malkin-Rust didn't produce in the playoffs. Zucker is basically Kunitz and Kapanen is basically Dupuis, there isn't a big difference in ability between the wingers. It's just Crosby is like 7 years older now.
 

Gurglesons

Registered User
Dec 18, 2009
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I mean, the 2nd line when KCD was a thing in the playoffs was Iginla-Malkin-Neal. It's fair to say that's a bad mix, but the lines weren't KCD and then a bunch of crap.

I don't see a reason to think that KCD 2.0 would really do any better than KCD 1.0, even with Malkin's line being better now than it was then. Crosby's still going to get the tough minutes, and unless Malkin's line goes really crazy against easier competition, it likely won't be enough to compensate for the Crosby line struggling to produce.

I think Zucker-Malkin-Rust is a substantially more well built line than Zucker-Crosby-Kapanen, and even Zucker-Malkin-Rust didn't produce in the playoffs. Zucker is basically Kunitz and Kapanen is basically Dupuis, there isn't a big difference in ability between the wingers. It's just Crosby is like 7 years older now.

KCD aside from production was very good that round. The real issue was Rask going insane.

Also Zucker is much better at goalscoring than Kunitz as is Kappy vs Dupuis.
 
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Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
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As someone else pointed out a few weeks ago. We never actually saw prime KCD in playoffs aside from a short sample in 2013.

I mean, I think we've seen enough KCD style lines fail with the Penguins to conclude that it's not a good idea to run with that in the playoffs this year. Kunitz-Crosby-Stempniak failed in 2014 and Kunitz-Crosby-Hornqvist failed in 2015, just as KCD failed in 2013.

I think past success of Crosby lines suggests that the appropriate way to build his line is having 1 skilled winger and 1 grinding winger. When you have 2 grinders, you have a problem supporting Crosby offensively. When you have 2 skilled wingers (namely with Guentzel-Crosby-Sheary), you have problems with physicality of playoff games. I don't think it's a coincidence that if you were asked to name the best "playoff lines" the Penguins have had for Crosby, your top answers would all have 1 physical winger and 1 scoring/skilled winger.
 

Tom Hanks

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KCD aside from production was very good that round. The real issue was Rask going insane.

Also Zucker is much better at goalscoring than Kunitz as is Kappy vs Dupuis.

No one made life difficult for Rask. He saw everything. I thought our general play overall that series was as good if not better but Rask was a good goalie so if he sees everything he’s going to be hard to beat.

We needed this guy that series......
PointlessRecentGermanwirehairedpointer-size_restricted.gif
 

Gurglesons

Registered User
Dec 18, 2009
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I mean, I think we've seen enough KCD style lines fail with the Penguins to conclude that it's not a good idea to run with that in the playoffs this year. Kunitz-Crosby-Stempniak failed in 2014 and Kunitz-Crosby-Hornqvist failed in 2015, just as KCD failed in 2013.

I think past success of Crosby lines suggests that the appropriate way to build his line is having 1 skilled winger and 1 grinding winger. When you have 2 grinders, you have a problem supporting Crosby offensively. When you have 2 skilled wingers (namely with Guentzel-Crosby-Sheary), you have problems with physicality of playoff games. I don't think it's a coincidence that if you were asked to name the best "playoff lines" the Penguins have had for Crosby, your top answers would all have 1 physical winger and 1 scoring/skilled winger.

Kunitz - Crosby - Hornqvist was used a lot in our 15-16 run.
 

Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
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Redmond, WA
Kunitz - Crosby - Hornqvist was used a lot in our 15-16 run.

That line was used for under 50 minutes, didn't score a goal and was only used a line in 6 games on that run (3 against the Rangers, 3 against the Lightning, all of which were below 10 minutes TOI/game).
 

Gurglesons

Registered User
Dec 18, 2009
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You don’t think he would have made a difference, fair enough.

I don't to be honest. People remember that series far different than I do. I remember PIT trying to play a "grind" game and out Boston, Boston and getting scorched by their offensive talent. Also, Rask going insane. And our power play falling apart. Maybe Hornqvist helps there, but was Kunitz not just as good as front of the net play at that time?
 

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