Line Combos: Is there a logical reason...

[mpp9]

So why should Geno be retrieving pucks and not Sid? I just think there is a lot of inconsistency in your thinking here. That said, I think Bennett would work well with Geno and Neal. Long term though, I'd prefer him with Crosby, unless Megnatron is the real deal then I'm fine with him there instead.

Kunitz-Sid-Beau
Kule-Malkin-Neal
Dupes-Sutter-Megna

That's the ticket.

 

[Waffle Fries]

Dupuis is currently shooting at 4.4%

Come on. Let's not act like he's a good finisher.

 

[Shady Machine]

But why? You want to move a guy out of his role on the first line to put another guy to do the same thing, but score less often. This makes no sense.

But what if Sid scores more often as a result?

 

[Shady Machine]

Kunitz-Sid-Beau
Kule-Malkin-Neal
Dupes-Sutter-Megna

That's the ticket.

Yes it is.

 

[billybudd]

So why should Geno be retrieving pucks and not Sid? I just think there is a lot of inconsistency in your thinking here. That said, I think Bennett would work well with Geno and Neal. Long term though, I'd prefer him with Crosby, unless Megnatron is the real deal then I'm fine with him there instead.

He shouldn't be the primary option there. However, he's 6'4 and it seems to me it's less likely that he gets his brain crunched by a defenseman on the puck retrieval than a 5'10 guy doing that.

 

[Waffle Fries]

But why? You want to move a guy out of his role on the first line to put another guy to do the same thing, but score less often. This makes no sense.

No. What you're saying makes no sense. I don't want Bennett to do what Dupuis does on that line. I want there to be another person on that line with good vision and any semblance of offensive instincts.

Do you honestly believe that that line would be more productive with Dupuis than Beau? I just can't fathom that how anyone can still defend that line after watching the same thing happen every damn time against good defensive teams.

Dupuis is a third liner and that's where he should play. It would make two lines and the team better.

 

[mpp9]

He shouldn't be the primary option there. However, he's 6'4 and it seems to me it's less likely that he gets his brain crunched by a defenseman on the puck retrieval than a 5'10 guy doing that.

Yeah. That's a terrible argument. I'll leave y'all to it.

 

[Shady Machine]

He shouldn't be the primary option there. However, he's 6'4 and it seems to me it's less likely that he gets his brain crunched by a defenseman on the puck retrieval than a 5'10 guy doing that.

This is a really, really strange argument.

 

[billybudd]

Well, I'm done with this. Didn't mean to get into some big debate.

TC asked a question: Why don't the Penguins consider playing Bennett on Crosby's line?

Ugene and I both answered it pretty thoroughly.

If you guys want to keep believing its blindness, stupidity or prejudice on the part of some party or another, when there's a lot more plausible explanation, that's your business.

 

[Shady Machine]

Well, I'm done with this. Didn't mean to get into some big debate.

TC asked a question: Why don't the Penguins consider playing Bennett on Crosby's line?

Ugene and I both answered it pretty thoroughly.

If you guys want to keep believing its blindness, stupidity or prejudice on the part of some party or another, when there's a lot more plausible explanation, that's your business.

Your arguments were not sound in some posters opinions and we critiqued them. That's what we do here. No harm, no foul.

 

[billybudd]

This is a really, really strange argument.

No, it's not. The idea of minimizing the amount of punishment your best player takes is common, not rare.

Babcock designed his entire puck retrieval strategy around avoiding Lidstrom taking hits along the board the entire time he was there.

 

[cygnus47]

I thiiiiiink people have lost the point of the thread in their arguments.

The question was why has it never been tried. Not why would x be better than y. Bylsma is all about switching up lines and giving forwards opportunities, why hasn't Bennett at least seen a practice with Sid? For example, Kunitz recently had a maintenance day, and Bennett isn't playing tonight. Why would Bylsma not put him there for a practice instead of whoever the scrub was? Bennett ended up sharing 4th line duties in the rotation, with players he was also never going to play with.

?

 

[Ugene Magic]

Who was the F3 in the KMN line? After all, Kunitz was the puck retriever. I'm just tired of these weird excuses to keep the KCD line together. What's the harm in trying something different?

Also, if there's one thing Bennett has shown, it's that he is responsible at both ends of the ice. Let Kunitz and Crosby play the fast breaks and Bennett is the F3 in those situations. It's not that complicated.

Neal. It left him free to get shots from the slot or whereever he was. Kunitz and Malkin feeding him = 40 goals.

Not each line is set up the same, and thanks for cherry picking a time period they were missing the best player on the planet. Would you care to relive that so you can have your perfect set up?

Now everyone is back, save Neal, and somehow a guy with 31 games to his credit is ready for the bigtime and all those minutes he's never seen before?

Lets just say some expectations are a little overzealous around here.

Lets also remember we are not a rebuilding team. This just escapes everyone here.

I'm hanging back watching what is going to play out. If you look at the whole ball of wax from the cap to the trying to win the cup, it really is a season to see what happens, and how it folds out. What we would do is nonessential, we are not making the decisions.

That and the kid has played 5 games this season, 5.



It really does just come down to giving it/him time. He'll learn a lot from the 3rd line and he'll be better for it.

 

[Shady Machine]

I thiiiiiink people have lost the point of the thread in their arguments.

The question was why has it never been tried. Not why would x be better than y. Bylsma is all about switching up lines and giving forwards opportunities, why hasn't Bennett at least seen a practice with Sid? For example, Kunitz recently had a maintenance day, and Bennett isn't playing tonight. Why would Bylsma not put him there for a practice instead of whoever the scrub was? Bennett ended up sharing 4th line duties in the rotation, with players he was also never going to play with.

?

I have no idea. My best guess is that Bylsma has no intentions of playing Bennett there so he doesn't plan on trying it.

 

[Shady Machine]

Neal. It left him free to get shots from the slot or whereever he was. Kunitz and Malkin feeding him = 40 goals.

Not each line is set up the same, and thanks for cherry picking a time period they were missing the best player on the planet. Would you care to relive that so you can have your perfect set up?

Now everyone is back, save Neal, and somehow a guy with 31 games to his credit is ready for the bigtime and all those minutes he's never seen before?

Lets just say some expectations are a little overzealous around here.

Lets also remember we are not a rebuilding team. This just escapes everyone here.

I'm hanging back watching what is going to play out. If you look at the whole ball of wax from the cap to the trying to win the cup, it really is a season to see what happens, and how it folds out. What we would do is nonessential, we are not making the decisions.

That and the kid has played 5 games this season, 5.



It really does just come down to giving it/him time. He'll learn a lot from the 3rd line and he'll be better for it.

I picked the KMN line as an example to show that a line with a superstar and Kunitz can do just fine without Pascal Dupuis, the great F3. The point is that the F3 changes depending on the situation. I think a Kunitz-Crosby-Bennett line will do just fine defensively.

Anyway, the bigger point in all of this is that Bennett needs to play. I'm fine with it being on the 3rd line this season if that's what is best for the team (even if I disagree). When I discuss lines, I am talking about the future.

 

[Jacob]

I think that Bennett is the logical long-term solution for Crosby's wing. I think Kunitz will be a capable top-6 winger for some time, but we all know that Dupuis is better off on a 3rd line.

The reason it hasn't been tried? Well, Bennett hasn't even been in the NHL for 1 whole year yet.. and KCD was rolling last season and Bennett's been hurt most of this season.

In a perfect world, our lines for the next 3-4 years should be:

Kunitz - Crosby - Bennett
XXXX - Malkin - Neal
XXXX - Sutter - Dupuis

 

[JoeKnows]

He shouldn't be the primary option there. However, he's 6'4 and it seems to me it's less likely that he gets his brain crunched by a defenseman on the puck retrieval than a 5'10 guy doing that.

I'm not sure why no one else followerd this argument. I get what you're saying considering defensemen tend to be larger and would have more leverage to push a shorter person head first into the boards. Although to be fair, Crosby is 5'11 and Malkin is 6'3. And I'm no physicist and I'm not sure the extent to which this actually effects hockey players.

 

[madinsomniac]

Don't mind me.. I just checked in to see how many smug Bylsma's were posted in this thread... fewer than I anticipated, in truth....

 

[Sh00terMcGavin]

Wouldn't mind seeing these lines when everyone's healthy:
Kunitz - Crosby - Jokinen
Bennett - Malkin - Neal
Dupuis - Sutter - Megna
Glass - Vitale - Adams

Orpik - Martin
Scuderi - Letang
Maatta - Bortuzzo

Edit - I forgot about Nisky...yikes. We really need to get something for him (or preferably Orpik but that won't happen).

 

[Sty1877]

Well, Tanner Glass got his shot tonight.

 

[Shockmaster]

Megna is looking like another try-hard guy that Bylsma falls in love with. Absolutely no reason he should be in the top 6 over Bennett.

 

[Shady Machine]

Megna is looking like another try-hard guy that Bylsma falls in love with. Absolutely no reason he should be in the top 6 over Bennett.

The dude has skill so I'll take it for now. I think he is still trying to find his game at the professional level so he is keeping it simple to stay in the lineup.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Megna is looking like another try-hard guy that Bylsma falls in love with. Absolutely no reason he should be in the top 6 over Bennett.

Try hard guy with skill and instincts to play with top players? Yes please.

 

[Shockmaster]

The dude has skill so I'll take it for now. I think he is still trying to find his game at the professional level so he is keeping it simple to stay in the lineup.

He had two good games against Carolina and Columbus. Let's not overreact to that. He doesn't deserve to be in the top 6 over the guy with first round pedigree. Let him find his game on the third line.

 

[Shady Machine]

He had two good games against Carolina and Columbus. Let's not overreact to that. He doesn't deserve to be in the top 6 over the guy with first round pedigree. Let him find his game on the third line.

Oh I agree. I just know Bylsma loves speed with Sid.