Line Combos: Lines this morning II (discuss latest lines & pairings here)

[LyricalLyricist]

And in those 10 games playing center Galchenyuk and Pacioretty looked good and they were producing well together. DD was on the 3rd line as a winger and was working hard but not producing many points so MT decided to move DD back with Pacioretty for no logical reason that I can think of.

What did DD do to earn his promotion back to the top line center during that time? I guess MT wanted to get DD going offensively again like he did last season after DD's terrible start.

This isn't true.

DD went from 3rd line C to winger to 2nd line C when Plekanec was #1C. On 2nd line DD was producing as a center just before they moved him to the 1st.

 

[ECWHSWI]

This isn't true.

DD went from 3rd line C to winger to 2nd line C when Plekanec was #1C. On 2nd line DD was producing as a center just before they moved him to the 1st.

doubt that, numbers would be nice.

 

[StartTheShow]

Patches - Eller - DD
Galchenyuk - Pleks - Gallagher
Parenteau- DLR - DSP
Prust - Mitchell/Malholtra - Weise/Flynn

Would it be insane to give Eller one game as our first line center?

 

[cajmonkey]

Patches - Eller - DD
Galchenyuk - Pleks - Gallagher
Parenteau- DLR - DSP
Prust - Mitchell/Malholtra - Weise/Flynn

Would it be insane to give Eller one game as our first line center?

Yes because if it were only one game and they didn't produce, MT would never give him another shot and it would be used as an example as to why only DD should play with Patches.

Now, if he had say, five games, that could be something to work with.

 

[mariemarie]

Patches - Eller - DD
Galchenyuk - Pleks - Gallagher
Parenteau- DLR - DSP
Prust - Mitchell/Malholtra - Weise/Flynn

Would it be insane to give Eller one game as our first line center?

Replace DD with ghetto and you have a solid balanced line. No point in having a winger that refuses to shoot the puck

 

[cajmonkey]

Wouldn't matter. Even if they did well, DD would be back as 1C even if MT had to make up a reason.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Wouldn't matter. Even if they did well, DD would be back as 1C even if MT had to make up a reason.

Clearly not true as MT has removed DD from 1C before. When there is a better option he will use it. Hopefully Galchenyuk can take that step next season as he still needs to improve in the circle.

 

[Habsawce]

Clearly not true as MT has removed DD from 1C before. When there is a better option he will use it. Hopefully Galchenyuk can take that step next season as he still needs to improve in the circle.

There are 2 better options, possibly 3.

 

[Natey]

There are 2 better options, possibly 3.

Who's #3?

And Galchenyuk might be a better option, sure. But I've said it a million times... who replaces him? Who replaces that 50-point player on the 2nd line? Sure won't be Eller. And Desharnais, while involved, didn't produce as a winger.

 

[Malreg]

Patches - Eller - DD
Galchenyuk - Pleks - Gallagher
Parenteau- DLR - DSP
Prust - Mitchell/Malholtra - Weise/Flynn

Would it be insane to give Eller one game as our first line center?

Please tell me your reasoning behind this.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

There are 2 better options, possibly 3.

Disagree, Galchenyuk isn't ready and Eller isn't capable. If you want to talk about Plekanec then that is a different story but a moot one as DD would be the 2C. He has chemistry with Pacioretty so might as well leave him there for now.

 

[Natey]

Disagree, Galchenyuk isn't ready and Eller isn't capable. If you want to talk about Plekanec then that is a different story but a moot one as DD would be the 2C. He has chemistry with Pacioretty so might as well leave him there for now.

The strange thing is... people say Pacioretty produces a similar rate no matter who he plays with. Wouldn't it make sense to place him Desharnais since Plekanec and Galchenyuk should be able to make a line work themselves?

I'd personally still have Pleks with Pacioretty, but I see the reasoning.

 

[Not The One]

Patches - Eller - DD
Galchenyuk - Pleks - Gallagher
Parenteau- DLR - DSP
Prust - Mitchell/Malholtra - Weise/Flynn

Would it be insane to give Eller one game as our first line center?

Yes because if it were only one game and they didn't produce, MT would never give him another shot and it would be used as an example as to why only DD should play with Patches.

Now, if he had say, five games, that could be something to work with.

Replace DD with ghetto and you have a solid balanced line. No point in having a winger that refuses to shoot the puck

I am so using this whenever I feel the need to post in an Eller thread again...

So you ***** about DD's production, but replace him with Eller? Not Galchenyuk, not Pleks, but Lars "he just scored a goal so he's back on top" Eller.

At this point, it's beyond comical. At least if they loose tonight it'll probably be because MT didn't follow your sage advice.

 

[smirob]

The strange thing is... people say Pacioretty produces a similar rate no matter who he plays with. Wouldn't it make sense to place him Desharnais since Plekanec and Galchenyuk should be able to make a line work themselves?

I'd personally still have Pleks with Pacioretty, but I see the reasoning.

I would also prefer Plek with Pacioretty

Pacioretty-Plekanec-Weise
Galchenyuk-Eller-Gallagher
DD-DLR-DSP
Prust-Mitchell-Flynn

Yes I have Weise on the top line, I don't see much better options to provide physicality on that line AND reunite the EGG line.

I haven't seen PAP since his return, I would be interested to see him on that top line on a 5-8 game sample size to see if scoring comes.

 

[Malreg]

Who's #3?

And Galchenyuk might be a better option, sure. But I've said it a million times... who replaces him? Who replaces that 50-point player on the 2nd line? Sure won't be Eller. And Desharnais, while involved, didn't produce as a winger.

Exactly. We are already short a top 6 winger as it is, moving Galchenyuk to center creates a bigger problem then it solves at the moment.

I think it's something they will try to address this summer, but for now he's needed on the wing, and he's doing well at that position.

 

[mariemarie]

Bergevin had 3 years to find a top 6 lw to play shutdown with pleky. 3 years to train galchenyuk at center and slowly moving him up to 1c. It's too late for this season, we live or die with DD at 1c.

This argument about chucky not ready to play center is the management's fault. Other teams aren't scared to play their young skilled at center from the start.

 

[Natey]

I would also prefer Plek with Pacioretty

Pacioretty-Plekanec-Weise
Galchenyuk-Eller-Gallagher
DD-DLR-DSP
Prust-Mitchell-Flynn

Yes I have Weise on the top line, I don't see much better options to provide physicality on that line AND reunite the EGG line.

I haven't seen PAP since his return, I would be interested to see him on that top line on a 5-8 game sample size to see if scoring comes.

Or you could, you know... not reunite the EGG line which was pitiful the last time it was together.

Pacioretty - Plekanec - Eller
Galchenyuk - Desharnais - Gallagher
Flynn - DLR - Smith-Pelly
Prust - Mitchell - Weise

I'd personally try Parenteau on the first line, putting Eller with DLR and Flynn on the 4th. But clearly Parenteau isn't really a part of the line-up when healthy, so this is what I'd like to see.

Exactly. We are already short a top 6 winger as it is, moving Galchenyuk to center creates a bigger problem then it solves at the moment.

I think it's something they will try to address this summer, but for now he's needed on the wing, and he's doing well at that position.

Hopefully it is something they address. Although I hope we solve the RW situation first. Weise should not be on a Top-6 line. He's had a solid season, no doubt, but when he's on the ice I don't think.. "okay, we can score."

If Bergevin can figure out both wing situations next year, that would be fantastic - but I see us using Galchenyuk as a winger for one more year. That way Bergevin can evaluate where Plekanec stands.

 

[cajmonkey]

Clearly not true as MT has removed DD from 1C before. When there is a better option he will use it. Hopefully Galchenyuk can take that step next season as he still needs to improve in the circle.

Even though both Chucky and Pleks did well, DD got put back as 1C so my point is clearly true.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Even though both Chucky and Pleks did well, DD got put back as 1C so my point is clearly true.

Disagree, Galchenyuk was clearly struggling at the end of his tenure as 1C and had sruggled the entire time in the faceoff circle. Plekanec is a moot point as he needs to be replaced at 2c if he takes 1c and that would have to be DD again by default.

Galchenyuk is close but not quite there and Eller has the vision of a race horse with blinders on.

 

[cajmonkey]

I am so using this whenever I feel the need to post in an Eller thread again...
.

As long as you don't quote me as I'm not saying Eller should be on the first line.


I'm saying that IF MT put him there, one game would be pointless as there is no chance to build chemistry.

But due to the DD crusade, I'm willing to bet my quote will be taken out of context again and used with a big "AHA! See! You say Eller should be 1C!" even though it's false.

 

[cajmonkey]

Disagree, Galchenyuk was clearly struggling at the end of his tenure as 1C and had sruggled the entire time in the faceoff circle. Plekanec is a moot point as he needs to be replaced at 2c if he takes 1c and that would have to be DD again by default.

Galchenyuk is close but not quite there and Eller has the vision of a race horse with blinders on.

Chucky was struggling at C? Struggling in the faceoff circle?

You're kidding right?

And so what if DD becomes 2C? Why does that mean Pleks can't be 1C?

 

[Lshap]

Bergevin had 3 years to find a top 6 lw to play shutdown with pleky. 3 years to train galchenyuk at center and slowly moving him up to 1c. It's too late for this season, we live or die with DD at 1c.

This argument about chucky not ready to play center is the management's fault. Other teams aren't scared to play their young skilled at center from the start.

Sadly, you're right about Galchenyuk -- it's probably too late in the season to integrate him at C. There's no reason he can't still become one in the next year or two, but I admit I have no clue what's taking management so long.

As to Desharnais, we've seen he can be successfully moved to another line and to the wing. If our offence dries up Therrien might still shuffle him, as he did a few months ago. But yeah... the safe bet right now is that he stays glued to the 1st line. Only consolation is that our 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines are very nicely balanced and developing really well.

Maybe the trick is to stop thinking of DD as our 1st-line C, and instead think of the Habs as having two 2nd-lines.

 

[cajmonkey]

Personally, my brain won't believe the two line trick as it knows that Patches line equals the first line.

 

[Not The One]

As long as you don't quote me as I'm not saying Eller should be on the first line.


I'm saying that IF MT put him there, one game would be pointless as there is no chance to build chemistry.

But due to the DD crusade, I'm willing to bet my quote will be taken out of context again and used with a big "AHA! See! You say Eller should be 1C!" even though it's false.

So you don't want him there for one game but five? Okaaaaaaay.

Seriously, Eller-DLR-DSP seems to be growing together as a line. I'm interested to see how effective they can be.

 

[Grant McCagg]

Disagree, Galchenyuk was clearly struggling at the end of his tenure as 1C and had sruggled the entire time in the faceoff circle. Plekanec is a moot point as he needs to be replaced at 2c if he takes 1c and that would have to be DD again by default.

Galchenyuk is close but not quite there and Eller has the vision of a race horse with blinders on.

The fact remains the club was .764 without DD centering the top line...the team wasn't struggling at all..and that's more important than one player ...a lot more to the game than faceoff stats...I'd rather a center score 20-30 goals and struggle a bit in the faceoff circle than 15 goals and win 54 per cent of the draws. 80 per cent of the time Dd wins a faceoff he follows it up with a faceplant..not sure how important DD winning a few more faceoffs than he loses is at the end of the day.

Chuck, Eller and Patch on the top line...Eller can take faceoffs where Chuck is the weakest. Chuck is already a better defensive center than the basket hanger...not a big feat.