I was calling for Kuhlman to start the playoffs over Backes. I had very little faith in Backes and a lot in Kuhlman. Fact is Kuhlman ended up looking in over his head against the Leafs. I cannot blame Bruce one bit for pulling Kuhlman out of the lineup and putting Backes in. Yeah, it hurt the offense due to speed issues, but it worked in giving the Bs an experienced physical player against the Jackets. Bruce, smartly, kept going with what was working and kept Backes in the lineup until last night. The NHL is all about matchups. It became apparent in this series that Backes was not getting the job done and was big-time hamstringing the second line offensively, but it has been a very physical series so I understand why Bruce kept going to Backes. Props to Bruce for making the right call and putting Kuhlman in last night. Really pleased with Bruce's growth as an NHL head coach and his ability to make meaningful adjustments during the playoffs. Also, it was fantastic to see Kuhlman play well last night and get a goal. I was merely hoping he would add some speed and not make any big mistakes. He obviously did more than that. I think it's a no-brainer to go with Kuhlman in game 7. That second line looked completely different without an anchor on the right wing.
Looking to next year, Kuhlman is absolutely not the answer for the 2RW, but I maintain he would be an awesome 4th liner. He would give that 4th line some offensive pop, while still doing all the things Bruce demands of his 4th liners.
