Kids saved this team by playing, kids will kill this team by not.

[OConnellsProtege]

I'll chime in.

Why does he experiment with lines when the team is winning? Because despite winning, they've played like crap.

Disclaimer : I missed both weekend games because of my Mother's funeral. But, they looked every bit as bad against Detroit as they did last night. In fact they looked worse in the first 2 periods.

And, Babcock, Bowman and certainly Joel Q. have been praised for shuffling lines at the most important times of the season, or in the playoffs. In fact, we usually hammer Clode for NOT doing so.

I understand why he tweaked things with 3 days off, my bigger gripes are for not calling a T.O. after the 2nd goal, and not making line combo adjustments at that time as well.

Well, that and the other things I've already pizzed and moaned about!

But would Babcock, Q and Bowman ice Campbell, let alone give him that kind of TOI? I can understand shuffling Bergy/Marchy/Krejci and even Soda/Eriksson as they are underachieving along with that horrid 4th line. Spooner and Pasta aren't necessarily Kane/Toews or Datsyuk/Zetterberg, I wouldn't move them and expect their play to improve other linemates (maybe that is what Clode was going for) at this stage in their careers. But that's just my humble opinion, Clode's D corps isn't exactly helping the situation either.

 

[ReggieMoto]

Why does he experiment with lines when the team is winning? Because despite winning, they've played like crap.

I'll both agree and disagree.
Agreed: They have not been playing all that well, despite the wins.
Disagree: He shuffled them because he wanted to work Krejci back into a center role. It obviously backfired terribly.

In my opinion both issues played into the ultimate decision to scramble the lines the way he did. He also then waited too long to put them back.

 

[Roll 4 Lines]

But would Babcock, Q and Bowman ice Campbell, let alone give him that kind of TOI? I can understand shuffling Bergy/Marchy/Krejci and even Soda/Eriksson as they are underachieving along with that horrid 4th line. Spooner and Pasta aren't necessarily Kane/Toews or Datsyuk/Zetterberg, I wouldn't move them and expect their play to improve other linemates (maybe that is what Clode was going for) at this stage in their careers. But that's just my humble opinion, Clode's D corps isn't exactly helping the situation either.

Haven't seen the breakdown of Campbell's TOI, but if a good portion of it was in the final 15 of the 3rd, possibly Claude had thrown in the towel at that point, and rested some other forwards for tonight.

Not saying I'd have done that, but it's possible that he did.

Me, I'd play either Talbot or Paille over Soup in the first place.

 

[Roll 4 Lines]

I'll both agree and disagree.
Agreed: They have not been playing all that well, despite the wins.
Disagree: He shuffled them because he wanted to work Krejci back into a center role. It obviously backfired terribly.

In my opinion both issues played into the ultimate decision to scramble the lines the way he did. He also then waited too long to put them back.

I understand him trying to get Kretch going, and Connolly as well, especially having 3 practice days to do it.

But yes, he should have switched back sooner.

I was calling for him to use his time out after the second goal, and put Looch back with the kids at that time.

People are up in arms that he didn't use the same lines that got him 5 wins in a row, but the lines were often different during that stretch. Remember Soda on the wing? Yikes! Took him 2 full periods to admit the error of his ways then, too.

 

[SAVEBYTHOMAS]

Haven't seen the breakdown of Campbell's TOI, but if a good portion of it was in the final 15 of the 3rd, possibly Claude had thrown in the towel at that point, and rested some other forwards for tonight.

Not saying I'd have done that, but it's possible that he did.

Me, I'd play either Talbot or Paille over Soup in the first place.

Campbell's ice time was pretty evenly distributed over the three periods.

I want to, need to know what Claude sees in Campbell that justifies him playing over Paille, Talbot and getting more ice time than Spooner. We have enough centers in the lineup that can win face offs.

 

[Cid]

Lucic - Spooner - Pasta (12-15 mins)
Marchand - Bergeron - Krejci (15-20 mins)
Smith - Soderberg - Eriksson 12-15 mins)
Paille - Kelly - Connolly (8-12 mins)

Just leave it be.

 

[LouJersey]

Agree with most of this, but my only rebuttal:

If we get on his case for leaving Tuukka in, when we think he should have pulled him to keep him rested for tonight, should we not then give him credit for playing Campbell so much, and keeping some of the other forwards rested for tonight?

Not saying I'd have done it the same way, but it's possible that was at least part of his reasoning.

Whether that's the case or not, they'd best friggin bring it tonight. I want to see Looch-Spoons-Pasta with at least 15 min. each tonight.

No none. The goalie is the one out there all night...all 60...add in that Tuukka has been sick, weak and overused.. If skaters can't play two games in two nights without major issues, then they need to go.

 

[EverettMike]

Campbell was over 10 minutes after two periods. He didn't play "extra" in the 3rd, he just played.

 

[Therick67]

Campbell was over 10 minutes after two periods. He didn't play "extra" in the 3rd, he just played.

From a scratch to leading all forwards in ice time.

 

[EverettMike]

Gregory Campbell has sucked all year. Not struggled, not been up and down, not been disappointing, he has flat out sucked.

All year.

No other coach would have had him in the lineup last night. He played 15 minutes.

The only time our 4th line hasn't sucked is when he was out hurt.

 

[Bad Puck Bounce]

Haven't seen the breakdown of Campbell's TOI, but if a good portion of it was in the final 15 of the 3rd, possibly Claude had thrown in the towel at that point, and rested some other forwards for tonight.

Not saying I'd have done that, but it's possible that he did.

Me, I'd play either Talbot or Paille over Soup in the first place.

Campbell was over 10 minutes after two periods.


He just straight up played too much last night.

 

[Therick67]

Campbell was over 10 minutes after two periods.


He just straight up played too much last night.

Especially when you consider this team was down 2 goals 7 minutes into the game..

 

[BruinDust]

Gregory Campbell has sucked all year. Not struggled, not been up and down, not been disappointing, he has flat out sucked.

All year.

No other coach would have had him in the lineup last night. He played 15 minutes.

The only time our 4th line hasn't sucked is when he was out hurt.

He's not an NHL player anymore, hasn't been this entire season.

I don't know whose more at fault. Claude for dressing him at all, let alone 15 friggin' minutes.

Or Chiarelli for not cutting ties with Campbell via trade/waivers when it was clear in Oct/Nov he wasn't good enough to play in the NHL anymore for a contending team.

 

[EverettMike]

Especially when you consider this team was down 2 goals 7 minutes into the game..

Also played him at the end of the 2nd, when he desperately should having been trying to score a goal. 15 minute break coming up, has Campbell out there for the final minute of the 2nd down 3.

Those are the actions of an idiot or a man trying to be fired.

I'm expecting him to run on the ice tonight in a full nude body suit.

 

[EverettMike]

He's not an NHL player anymore, hasn't been this entire season.

I don't know whose more at fault. Claude for dressing him at all, let alone 15 friggin' minutes.

Or Chiarelli for not cutting ties with Campbell via trade/waivers when it was clear in Oct/Nov he wasn't good enough to play in the NHL anymore for a contending team.

I said back then, "This GM needs to save this coach from himself."

Campbell is still here. Traded for Talbot.

So yes, plenty of blood on Chia's hands here too.

 

[VanIsle]

He's not an NHL player anymore, hasn't been this entire season.

I don't know whose more at fault. Claude for dressing him at all, let alone 15 friggin' minutes.

Or Chiarelli for not cutting ties with Campbell via trade/waivers when it was clear in Oct/Nov he wasn't good enough to play in the NHL anymore for a contending team.

It is Claudes fault, 100%.

What coach plays a 4th line center 15 minutes a game?

Sure Chia has signed him, but he is what he is a 4th line player.

Play him 6-8 minutes a game and be done with it.

His coaching is embarrassing.

 

[Oates2Neely]

Clode is a bozo. I've tried over and over to come up with ONE sane reason why Julien should play Campbell 15 minutes a night when this team is hanging on by dental floss to the final playoff spot. I'm baffled.

The "kid line" has a better +/- than the 4th line. They are/ were the teams hottest line. WHY break them up Clode??

I agree with EverettMike, lots of blame on Chiarelli here for not removing Campbell from Juliens toolbox. Rene Bourque was quickly jettisoned to Hamilton (then traded) when Montreal had similar situation with him this season.

 

[Ice Nine]

Claude coached that game last night about as well as Roberto Luongo played in game 3 in the Stanley Cup finals here.

1. Switched up the lines after winning 5 in a row. A+ for trying to be proactive. F for responding wayyyyy to late when it was apparent these guys looked like Keystone Cops.

2. Greg Campbell. over 14 minutes of EVEN STRENGTH ice time. Greg Campbell was on the ice for OVER 25% of that game. I'm not lying. I swear to you. He had one hit. No shots. No takeaways. No blocks. Did manage to go 25% at the dot however.

3. Leaving Rask in the entire game when you are getting to the hotel at 3-4am, and game time starts 21 hours after the Cap game finished.

4. Biggest regular season game of the year so far, and the four least ice time forwards? Pasta least. Lucic second least. Connolly third..Spooner 4th.

Your best ****ing line that had 22 points in the previous 8 games (before the Toronto game) had the least ice time and were broken up.

So, Claude waited for exactly one bad game (vs Toronto) to sit the best offensive line, to replace them with his binkies. He is a joke.

*mic drop* *stunned silence from the crowd, which after a few moments, breaks into standing ovation*

 

[Ice Nine]

I have been arguing that Spooner didn't "fix" his game, but he's been recently put in a position to succeed, at least when he was playing with Lucic/Pasta.

Same with Pasta.

I can honestly say, that the line moves did precisely the opposite.

Rather, Claude put Spooner and Pasta in positions not to succeed. And he got it.

 

[Bi Coastal Bawse*]

CJ does seem dumb and stubborn at times.

I don't get why he is moving away from formulas that work and playing stiffs.

 

[rocketdan9]

Campbell and kelly should sit

Talbot at least can score a little. And paille can also.

Smith talbot paille is the 4th line i would like to see out there. Cj does not revert to the way lines were or we dont win with his experiment at the" wrong time" and he should be fired after tonight.

Pull a lou lam on him

 

[Hali33]

I'm just tired of being asked to buy in to the idea that the kids are the liabilities out there that need ice time controlled when it's a number of vets on this team that have let this team down hard in this final month.

 

[rocketdan9]

I'll chime in.

Why does he experiment with lines when the team is winning? Because despite winning, they've played like crap.

Who cares . We had a 5 game winning streak.

Don't fix what is working

CJ favouring vets is what is going to help us miss the playoffs. Why does Krejci

need to play center? Does he not see that Lucic skates better playing with the kids?