News Article: NHL.COM>New role for Vanek

[Le Barron de HF]

wow... talk about purposedly writing anything just to prove a point.

Cammalleri played with Derek Armstrong as his centerman for most of the 06-07 season. It's a fact. Go ask Kings fans. I watched enough hockey to see that in the past. It was even discussed when we acquired him from the UFAs.

Iginla was never a playmaker to begin with.

That makes your whole point of "Cammelleri produced with Plekanec, so he's a good playmaker" completely irrelevant.

Well sorry this site goes all the way back to 2007-08: http://hockey.dobbersports.com/froz...08:R:99&Submit=Show+Line+Combinations&sent=go

And by looking at +/- of 2008-2009, it seems like it was Langkow centering their line and not Conroy... Iginla has 605 assists in his career so it's not like he's abysmal at passing the puck. Those 19 PPGs certainly make his numbers look good too.

You dismissed my point with Kostitsyn because everybody was having a good season that year, Kostitsyn was still a consistent 20+ goal scorer with Plekanec as his center. Plekanec's numbers have been affected by 1) playing tough minutes 2) playing in a defensive system. And those are facts.

 

[Bob b smith]

I know MT can find in the lineup 2 guys that can complement Vanek offensively.

 

[CrAzYNiNe]

lol and in 3rd 4th!

Over our last 35 games we have 16 wins and just eight wins in regulation. But hey DD is dribbling out assists at a rate of one per two games so our franchise centre and top line are above reproach!

Vanek on the shutdown line (and Bouillon back on the power play ffs) is classic MT -- the idiot loves his little underdogs and is scared ****less of skill players.

It would not be so difficult to fix this -- move one of Galchenyuk or Briere to the Plekanec line and Gionta down to the third. Give Eller-Gionta (and White's line) more penalty kill and defensive duties and let Plekanec and Vanek play a more offensive role.

But but... You never played in the AHL?!

 

[MSLs absurd thighs]

Well sorry this site goes all the way back to 2007-08: http://hockey.dobbersports.com/froz...08:R:99&Submit=Show+Line+Combinations&sent=go

And by looking at +/- of 2008-2009, it seems like it was Langkow centering their line and not Conroy... Iginla has 605 assists in his career so it's not like he's abysmal at passing the puck. Those 19 PPGs certainly make his numbers look good too.

You dismissed my point with Kostitsyn because everybody was having a good season that year, Kostitsyn was still a consistent 20+ goal scorer with Plekanec as his center. Plekanec's numbers have been affected by 1) playing tough minutes 2) playing in a defensive system. And those are facts.

I can't wait for you guys to blame Therrien when Plekanec will have failed to feed Vanek for even one "classic, playmaker-scorer" goal in the games remaining... This board became so predictable... it's pitiful.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

I can't wait for you guys to blame Therrien when Plekanec will have failed to feed Vanek for even one "classic, playmaker-scorer" goal in the games remaining... This board became so predictable... it's pitiful.

And you claim I write anything to prove a point...

 

[Andy]

Neither did he ever play the role of a pure playmaking center. He couldn't even rack up assists on the back of the NHL's hottest player in those playoffs.

But he didn't prevent a goal scorer from scoring goals. If Vanek can't produce, then I'm not sure if the blame should go 100% to Plekanec. Your argument here has a bad premise and is followed through with contradicting examples.

 

[habs03]

LOOL

ppl will always find something to complain about...

Vanek has said he like to play LW, not the natural RW for right hand shooters..

If put on RW with DD and Paciorretty, ppl will say we are using him not where he likes.

you put him with Plek and Gio, and you get this thread.

You put him on the 3rd line with Eller, and he plays 3rd line mins with a guy with 1 point in 20+ games....

Ps Galchenyuk is also LW so a Vanek Plek Gally line wont work.

 

[PricePkPatch*]

Some of what you've said here is warranted but you're missing the main point which is that MT is using Vanek in defensive situations and not spreading the offense around.

Line combos... okay a valid criticism to an extent as many folks have differing opinions on that one. But let's be honest here, we've got a great scorer in our lineup and we're not taking advantage of it. THAT's what folks are pissed about.

YES its only been two games but - why does it have to take two games for MT to understand that this is a stupid strategy?

Giving Vanek to Plekanec IS SPREADING THE OFFENSE AROUND

Last time I checked, putting the team's best goalscorer on a line struggling to score is giving them a boost!

 

[Le Barron de HF]

LOOL

ppl will always find something to complain about...

Vanek has said he like to play LW, not the natural RW for right hand shooters..

If put on RW with DD and Paciorretty, ppl will say we are using him not where he likes.

you put him with Plek and Gio, and you get this thread.

You put him on the 3rd line with Eller, and he plays 3rd line mins with a guy with 1 point in 20+ games....

Ps Galchenyuk is also LW so a Vanek Plek Gally line wont work.

You can put Gio with Eller and have Briere play RW on that line. It's not like it's very hard to find solutions...

 

[radicalcenter]

LOOL

ppl will always find something to complain about...

Vanek has said he like to play LW, not the natural RW for right hand shooters..

If put on RW with DD and Paciorretty, ppl will say we are using him not where he likes.

you put him with Plek and Gio, and you get this thread.

You put him on the 3rd line with Eller, and he plays 3rd line mins with a guy with 1 point in 20+ games....

Ps Galchenyuk is also LW so a Vanek Plek Gally line wont work.

Why are they coming together, why not Plek + Brière or Plek + Galchy

 

[go_habs_go]

I would give this a try..

Max Pacioretty - David Desharnais - Thomas Vanek
Alex Galchenyuk - Lars Eller - Brendan Gallagher
Michael Bournival - Tomas Plekanec - Daniel Briere
Brian Gionta - Brandon Prust - Travis Moen

 

[habs_24x]

Vanek is going to learn how to play 200 foot hockey with the Habs just in time to sign with Minny in the offseason. Makes no sense. Put the guy on the most offensive line with Desharnais and Patches or Gallagher and hope he scores a bunch. We only get Vanek for 16 more games and some playoffs...its not time to teach him how to be responsible defensively, just tell him to put it in the net.

 

[JLP]

...

Galchenyuk is also LW so a Vanek Plek Gally line wont work.

Not so, many forwards play on their off-wing like Vanek. Better shooting angle.

 

[Andy]

LOOL

ppl will always find something to complain about...

Vanek has said he like to play LW, not the natural RW for right hand shooters..

If put on RW with DD and Paciorretty, ppl will say we are using him not where he likes.

you put him with Plek and Gio, and you get this thread.

You put him on the 3rd line with Eller, and he plays 3rd line mins with a guy with 1 point in 20+ games....

Ps Galchenyuk is also LW so a Vanek Plek Gally line wont work.

Pretty much. I don't like MT, but he doesn't have many options here to make all the fans happy.

 

[Andy]

The only way to really get Vanek to work is to move Pacioretty from DD. But Pacioretty will sulk.

Ideally I'd go

Vanek DD Gallagher
Pacioretty Plekanec Briere
Galchenyuk Eller Gionta
wtv

 

[habs03]

Not so, many forwards play on their off-wing like Vanek. Better shooting angle.

Its harder in your own end, you are forced to be on your back hand a lot angles out of your one are tougher. So I'm guessin they don't want to put Galchenyuk in a tough position in his own end.

 

[habs03]

You can put Gio with Eller and have Briere play RW on that line. It's not like it's very hard to find solutions...

Why are they coming together, why not Plek + Brière or Plek + Galchy

Gally is a LWer, and Vanek wants to play LW.

Yes Vanek-Plekanec-Briere could work.. Briere is better offensively, but Gionta is better in his own end, and along the boards and infront of the end.

Even then its not much of an impovment.

 

[JAVO16]

Gally is a LWer, and Vanek wants to play LW.

Yes Vanek-Plekanec-Briere could work.. Briere is better offensively, but Gionta is better in his own end, and along the boards and in front of the end.

Even then its not much of an impovment.

Not sure about that. Brière is not as fearless as Gionta when it comes to crashing the net (although Gionta isn't what he used to be either), but he's more intelligent around the net and his pretty good at jumping on loose rebounds. In any case, Vanek has that covered and I think that Brière is better suited to take advantage of the havoc created in front of the net by Vanek than Gionta.

As to being better along the boards. I think that's balanced out by the fact that he's much better with the puck on his stick or in open spaces.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

Not sure about that. Brière is not as fearless as Gionta when it comes to crashing the net (although Gionta isn't what he used to be either), but he's more intelligent around the net and his pretty good at jumping on loose rebounds.

As to being better along the boards. I think that's balanced out by the fact that he's much better with the puck on his stick or in open spaces.

Plus, Vanek himself is pretty good in front of the net and at deflecting pucks so where Briere plays at his best (around the net) can come in handy.

 

[beowulf]

Yep.....

Desharnais isn't a first line center, that's the job he's getting
Bouillon isn't a Offensive/PP player, that's the job he's getting
Galchenyuk isn't a Winger or a 3th line grinder, that's the job he's getting
Gallagher isn't a 6'4", physical presence in front of the net, that's the job he's getting
Subban isn't a defensive defenceman, that's the job he's getting
Bournival isn't a 4th line player, that's the job he's getting
Briere isn't a winger or a 4th line player, that's the job he's getting

Vanek isn't a defensive minded forward, that's the job he's getting.

That's what you get with Therrien behind the bench and will continue to get.

 

[habs03]

Not sure about that. Brière is not as fearless as Gionta when it comes to crashing the net (although Gionta isn't what he used to be either), but he's more intelligent around the net and his pretty good at jumping on loose rebounds. In any case, Vanek has that covered and I think that Brière is better suited to take advantage of the havoc created in front of the net by Vanek than Gionta.

As to being better along the boards. I think that's balanced out by the fact that he's much better with the puck on his stick or in open spaces.

Plus, Vanek himself is pretty good in front of the net and at deflecting pucks so where Briere plays at his best (around the net) can come in handy.

Good points, but still wit Plekanec-Briere, its nothing that great, and with Plekanec on the line, its still him going up vs other teams top lines, but with this time without much help.

Personally what I'm hoping for is that Pacioretty-DD-Vanek click on the pp, so maybe Vanek would be willing to play RW with them 5 on 5, have MT give them easy matches up.

Have Briere-Bourque or even Moen with Plekanec and Gionta play vs other teams top lines even if they score much, some good play in their own end would be just fine from a line like that, and put back the Gally-Eller-Gally line to try to get another scoring line.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Giving Vanek to Plekanec IS SPREADING THE OFFENSE AROUND

You didn't read the article at all did you?

Last time I checked, putting the team's best goalscorer on a line struggling to score is giving them a boost!

Only if you play them in offensive situations... otherwise its just another scorer being used as a grinder.

What is it that you don't get here? Seriously man... did you read Vanek's quotes? Can you not see what we're doing with him? Again, its only been two games but wtf did MT need two games to waste? Its just another dumb decision by this idiot.

 

[PricePkPatch*]

You didn't read the article at all did you?

Only if you play them in offensive situations... otherwise its just another scorer being used as a grinder.

What is it that you don't get here? Seriously man... did you read Vanek's quotes? Can you not see what we're doing with him? Again, its only been two games but wtf did MT need two games to waste? Its just another dumb decision by this idiot.

Yhea, because asking Vanek to play a more defensive game than he's used to clearly means he will be forbidden to enter the offensive zone.

'cause we all know that "defensive play" means playing your entire TOI in the defensive zone.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Yhea, because asking Vanek to play a more defensive game than he's used to clearly means he will be forbidden to enter the offensive zone.

'cause we all know that "defensive play" means playing your entire TOI in the defensive zone.

So just putting Vanek on with Plecs is your idea of spreading the offense around?

????

Dude, both he and Max are LW. So one of them HAS to be on another line unless one of them switches. So he puts him on Plec's line. Okay cool. Play him in more defensive situations? No problem.

But he can SPREAD THE OFFENSIVE OPPORTUNITIES around better than he does. It's STUPID not to do this. EVERYONE HERE can see this.

Why can't you?

 

[PricePkPatch*]

So just putting Vanek on with Plecs is your idea of spreading the offense around?

????

Dude, both he and Max are LW. So one of them HAS to be on another line unless one of them switches. So he puts him on Plec's line. Okay cool. Play him in more defensive situations? No problem.

But he can SPREAD THE OFFENSIVE OPPORTUNITIES around better than he does. It's STUPID not to do this. EVERYONE HERE can see this.

Why can't you?

Yhea, people here are really, really looking forward to see Desharnais taking a faceoff in the defensive zone on a regular basis, because they are SO CONFIDENT in his defensive ability. If there's one thing you can safely say about this board (and you obviously) is that you KNOW Desharnais is a reliable defensive centre.

And that Eller is really killin' it at the moment, and has been a reliable part of our lineup.

Let's be real. If Therrien had the luxury of spreading the offensive opportunities more, he would. But at the moment, he only has one defensively reliable centre, and until Eller gets his **** together or Galchenyuk overcomes him reliably, Therrien will have to use Plekanec when need a defensive boost.