Line Combos: Playoff Line Combos

[shortshorts]

Hansen and Roy don't seem to have much chemistry. Hansen is more north-south, like Kesler, and could probably help Kesler pushing the pace up and down the ice with Raymond. Higgins, Roy, and Kassian seem more like puck possession players, so maybe this will work better.

What? Is that not exactly what I wrote?

 

[Spectrefire]

I agree with a lot of people here and feel that the ideal line-up should have Kassian on the top line with the Sedins. He's proven to work well with them, his size will help keep them protected and create valuable space during tighter playoff games.

People also need to realize that we need our 4th line to be able to soak up 10 minutes a line. Every Cup winner of late have had a good 4th line, and I think Lapierre and Weise are capable of doing just that. Lapierre especially, has been known to step up during the playoffs, and it's just a matter of finding the other winger. Pinizzotto would be my best bet for that.

 

[biturbo19]

I agree with a lot of people here and feel that the ideal line-up should have Kassian on the top line with the Sedins. He's proven to work well with them, his size will help keep them protected and create valuable space during tighter playoff games.

People also need to realize that we need our 4th line to be able to soak up 10 minutes a line. Every Cup winner of late have had a good 4th line, and I think Lapierre and Weise are capable of doing just that. Lapierre especially, has been known to step up during the playoffs, and it's just a matter of finding the other winger. Pinizzotto would be my best bet for that.

By 'proven', you mean Kassian had a couple weeks of looking good riding shotguns with the Sedins, while they produced at a lower than average rate? Yes?

I'm not wholly opposed to trying it again if things get physically imposing, but it's not as though Kassian hasn't played at all with the Twins since his intensity tailed off and AV designed to pull anchor put Burrows back with them most of the time.

In those renowned 'post-PK shifts' with the Twins that AV adores...Kassian has had his opportunities. And the reality is...he's looked no different than when we've seen Weise and Oreskovich there. Yeah, he adds a nice physical dimension at times...but it's a boy among men in terms of offensive instincts, knowing where to go, where to be, what to do with the puck.

He's far from 'proven' in that role.


The second point is bang on though. We really do need our 4th line to be capable of playing minutes. And Lapierre and Weise are definitely capable of that. Pinizzotto also seems like the best candidate for being a viable candidate to fill that extra spot (until Booth can go).

 

[Shareefruck]

I remember when that line actually was our designated shutdown line before that fateful decision by AV to put Burrows and Kesler in scoring roles in the top 6.

Not an AV fan but that was definitely one of the best and most pivotal coaching moves in Canucks history. This team wouldn't be what it is if Kesler and Burrows didn't develop into top 6 forwards.

It was necessary at the time (because Sundin/Demitra were ineffective without Kesler and Burrows turned the Sedins into 100 point players, but that line was dynamite when it was together back then. Now that they're all top six forwards (borderline for Hansen), that brilliant offensive chemistry they had together would result in even more, IMO. They'd be absolutely dynamite in the playoffs, IMO. I think it'd be the perfect time to go back to it.

Burrows and Kesler were only 30-40 point players at the time, Hansen wasn't even an NHLer yet, (and struggled to crack the lineup after the line was broken up), but when that Burrows - Kesler - Hansen line was put together, for the first 15 games of the season, their totals looked like this

Burrows 15gp 4g, 10p, +7
Kesler 15gp 4g, 11p, +4
Hansen 15gp 3g, 10p, +7

With an even better preseason before that together if I'm not mistaken.

In comparison, this line had 31p, +18 vs. the Sedin line's 34p, +5 in the first 15 games when that line was put together-- they did this while being matched up against the opposition's top line. Not saying this pace would have continued, but it had brilliant potential that was prematurely cut short and never explored, IMO.

In my opinion, a Burrows - Kesler - Hansen line would be like a #1 line for us if used now, capable of completely shutting down and outscoring the opposition's top lines. It would be dynamite, IMO.

Too bad that doesn't look like it's possible with Kassian playing so poorly.

Still though, if you can have that line, and still have the Sedins on another line, with Higgins and Roy on another line still, and Raymond/Booth/Schroeder/Kassian to round them out, it's VERY tempting.

I'm pushing hard for the line, personally. You would have at least one top caliber line in the playoffs that I can't see not performing well (that would probably be really clutch), while still having a legitimate #1 line and a #2 line that you could send out. Every other combination I can think of results in either a team that doesn't have a shut-down line at all, or one that completely hamstring's Kesler's offense.

Even though I absolutely hate what we saw out of Booth on the top line last season, this could work very well for us overall, IMO

Sedin - Sedin - Booth/Kassian (less than perfect #1 scoring line-- Sedins less likely to get pushed around)
Burrows - Kesler - Hansen (performs like a #1/#2 line, shuts down anyone)
Higgins - Roy - Raymond (excellent #2 line)
Weise - Lapierre - Kassian/Booth

Would be a nightmare to match up against, IMO. But again, the Sedin winger is the key question-mark that might kill this.