Line Combos: Playoffs and the Healthy Roster

[aragorn]

I can't believe you guys keep posting lines with stalberg-brassard-burrows broken up.

Brassard hasn't had chemistry with anyone all season until he was put with stalberg/burrows. They are the only ones on the team that play a slow possession game and they simply don't work with other linemates.

I agree that those three have been very good together but I also think that GB will go back to a few lines he has used successfully all yr & the one line where Ryan has had the most sucess. Anyone know if there is a limit to the number of black aces the team can carry in the playoffs?

Smith - Brassard - Stone
MacArthur - Turris - Ryan
Hoffman - Pageau - Pyatt
Stalberg - Kelly - Burrows

Black Aces - Wingels, Dzingel, Neil, White, DiDomenico, Paul

Methot - Karlsson - Claesson replaces Methot if he is still injured & unable to play
Phaneuf - Ceci
Boroweicki - Wideman - Harpur could replace Wideman

Black Aces - Harpur, Claesson, Englund

Anderson - Condon

 

[delchief]

Based on deployments in the last (meaningful) game and the coach's comments and TOI trends and guys coming off injuries and consulting the magic eight-ball....

Hoffman - Pageau - Stone
Mac - Turris - Ryan
Stalberg - Brass - Burrows
Smith - Kelly - Pyatt
(Dzingle, Wingels, White, Neil, DiDo)

Methot - Karlsson
Phaneuf - Ceci
Harpur - Wideman
(Boro, Claesson, J.J.)

Andy/Condon

The only surprise in this lineup would be the inclusion of the inexperienced Harpur ahead of Boro or Claesson. I'm not sure Boucher would really do that but I am thinking that Boro is pretty banged up and Boucher tends to only like Claesson when he's paired with Karlsson. Whereas he seems to suddenly trust Harpur in more situations.

Regardless, this is a lineup I'd like to see to open the series.

 

[18Hossa]

I'd like to see the lineup be something like this however it will probably end up looking something like delchief's version ^

Hoffman - Pageau - Stone
Mac - Turris - Ryan
Dzingel - Brass - Burrows
Stalberg - Smith - Pyatt
(Kellym Wingels, White, Neil, Dido)

Methot - Karlsson
Phaneuf - Ceci
Claesson - Wideman
(Harpur, Boro, Jyrki)
And if Methot still isn't good to go put Claesson in his spot and Harpur on the 3rd pairing.

Anderson
Condon

 

[Larionov]

Not a chance we see Methot in Game 1. Anyone who saw that video footage of him skating with one hand on the stick and doubled over in pain knows that he is a long ways away. Freddy stays in for now...

 

[YouGotAStuGoing]

Not a chance we see Methot in Game 1. Anyone who saw that video footage of him skating with one hand on the stick and doubled over in pain knows that he is a long ways away. Freddy stays in for now...

Yeah, very possible coach's comments are a smokescreen... but I also wouldn't put it past Meth to freeze it.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Based on deployments in the last (meaningful) game and the coach's comments and TOI trends and guys coming off injuries and consulting the magic eight-ball....

Hoffman - Pageau - Stone
Mac - Turris - Ryan
Stalberg - Brass - Burrows
Smith - Kelly - Pyatt
(Dzingle, Wingels, White, Neil, DiDo)

Methot - Karlsson
Phaneuf - Ceci
Harpur - Wideman
(Boro, Claesson, J.J.)

Andy/Condon

The only surprise in this lineup would be the inclusion of the inexperienced Harpur ahead of Boro or Claesson. I'm not sure Boucher would really do that but I am thinking that Boro is pretty banged up and Boucher tends to only like Claesson when he's paired with Karlsson. Whereas he seems to suddenly trust Harpur in more situations.

Regardless, this is a lineup I'd like to see to open the series.

This is exactly what I think happens too. Although I think that they find a way to get Smith into the top 6 somehow, maybe flanking Turris. Depending on how Ryan and Mac play.

Smith is much more effective at wing than center, and he brings a lot of jam to a rather soft top 6.

 

[Mark Stones Spleen]

With Pageau likely being part of a two way shut down line, I don't want both Hoffman and Stone being utilized that way. One of them should be part of a more offensive trio.

 

[Pancakes Pancakes]

Not a chance we see Methot in Game 1. Anyone who saw that video footage of him skating with one hand on the stick and doubled over in pain knows that he is a long ways away. Freddy stays in for now...

They already came out and said that he wasn't doubled over in pain because of the hand, he was cramping up because he was being bag skated.

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

This is exactly what I think happens too. Although I think that they find a way to get Smith into the top 6 somehow, maybe flanking Turris. Depending on how Ryan and Mac play.

Smith is much more effective at wing than center, and he brings a lot of jam to a rather soft top 6.

Simplest solution: they can flip between Smith and Mac at 2LW when needed.

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

They already came out and said that he wasn't doubled over in pain because of the hand, he was cramping up because he was being bag skated.

Yea Methot does that a lot haha. He'll just push himself to go go go and then just be dead tired at the end of a PK or defensive shift.

 

[Micklebot]

Based on deployments in the last (meaningful) game and the coach's comments and TOI trends and guys coming off injuries and consulting the magic eight-ball....

Hoffman - Pageau - Stone
Mac - Turris - Ryan
Stalberg - Brass - Burrows
Smith - Kelly - Pyatt
(Dzingle, Wingels, White, Neil, DiDo)

Methot - Karlsson
Phaneuf - Ceci
Harpur - Wideman
(Boro, Claesson, J.J.)

Andy/Condon

The only surprise in this lineup would be the inclusion of the inexperienced Harpur ahead of Boro or Claesson. I'm not sure Boucher would really do that but I am thinking that Boro is pretty banged up and Boucher tends to only like Claesson when he's paired with Karlsson. Whereas he seems to suddenly trust Harpur in more situations.

Regardless, this is a lineup I'd like to see to open the series.

Replace Kelly with White and that's a fantastic, balanced lineup.

Smith and Pyatt would insulate White, and imo form a pesky line to play against. They gave White tons of mins against the isles, my hope is it was to see how accustom he's become to the system.

 

[ISensFanI]

White is not going to play unless injuries

 

[aragorn]

White is not going to play unless injuries

Agreed & why do so many not have Boro in their lineup? He has been in the lineup when ever he is healthy enough to play, why would the coach not have him in for the playoffs too?

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

Agreed & why do so many not have Boro in their lineup? He has been in the lineup when ever he is healthy enough to play, why would the coach not have him in for the playoffs too?

Because Harpur and Claesson have great and Ben has not been around with a healthy lineup to actually force a decision.

But realistically, I expect Boro in the top 6.

 

[jason2020]

I think if Kelly has a real bad game one they go with White.

 

[aragorn]

I love that Boro led the NHL in two categories hitting & penalty minutes, he is an obvious choice to be in the lineup especially in the playoffs against a big tough opponent. If anyone is replaced it should be Wideman who is too small & soft & prone to giveaways & replaced by Harpur who brings some much needed size & toughness to the defence & every bit as good with the puck & much better without it.

 

[18Hossa]

I love that Boro led the NHL in two categories hitting & penalty minutes, he is an obvious choice to be in the lineup especially in the playoffs against a big tough opponent. If anyone is replaced it should be Wideman who is too small & soft & prone to giveaways & replaced by Harpur who brings some much needed size & toughness to the defence & every bit as good with the puck & much better without it.

And how exactly is the bolded a positive thing? I know you fetishize size and "toughness" but cmon man.

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

I love that Boro led the NHL in two categories hitting & penalty minutes, he is an obvious choice to be in the lineup especially in the playoffs against a big tough opponent. If anyone is replaced it should be Wideman who is too small & soft & prone to giveaways & replaced by Harpur who brings some much needed size & toughness to the defence & every bit as good with the puck & much better without it.

I'm not super critical of Boro, but let's call a spade a spade here. He has a lot of PIMs because he fights a lot due to making a lot of hits (hence leading in the hitting category). Both stats are good and bad. It shows physicality, but it also shows that he takes every opportunity there is to hit or fight, for better or worse. These things can lead to playing out of position in a structured system, which leads to even more penalties.

He really screwed up in the NYR game, fighting Tanner ****ing Glass behind the play while the Sens were in the offensive zone.

He's a warrior. But often times leading in things like PIMs isn't a good thing, especially in "today's NHL".

 

[starling]

Agreed & why do so many not have Boro in their lineup? He has been in the lineup when ever he is healthy enough to play, why would the coach not have him in for the playoffs too?

Because Harpur is much bigger than Boro and you can't teach being big.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

I love that Boro led the NHL in two categories hitting & penalty minutes, he is an obvious choice to be in the lineup especially in the playoffs against a big tough opponent. If anyone is replaced it should be Wideman who is too small & soft & prone to giveaways & replaced by Harpur who brings some much needed size & toughness to the defence & every bit as good with the puck & much better without it.

Jesus christ your fascination with zero skill gritty type players is becoming worrisome. It's like you would be absolutely content with having an entire top 6 of Boro type players. They would never score but they would hit you and collect pims though!

Hes a dirty player who always leads with his knee when making a hit.

I think I saw in the Rangers game where he skated across the ice, East to West, not North to South, to make a hit...

 

[Tragedy]

I think if Kelly has a real bad game one they go with White.

Boucher did mention that he would go with vets in game 1 because of playoff nerves but wouldn't hesitate to replace some of the older guys later in the playoffs to give them a rest. Kinda sounded like he was setting the table for some of the vets to have "days off"

 

[DJB]

I still really want to see a Smith Pageau and Burrows shut down line. Bruins are basically a one line team

 

[casca]

The Bruins have two lines. Krejci and Pasta on one line and bergy and Marchand on the other.

 

[aragorn]

I'm not super critical of Boro, but let's call a spade a spade here. He has a lot of PIMs because he fights a lot due to making a lot of hits (hence leading in the hitting category). Both stats are good and bad. It shows physicality, but it also shows that he takes every opportunity there is to hit or fight, for better or worse. These things can lead to playing out of position in a structured system, which leads to even more penalties.

He really screwed up in the NYR game, fighting Tanner ****ing Glass behind the play while the Sens were in the offensive zone.

He's a warrior. But often times leading in things like PIMs isn't a good thing, especially in "today's NHL".

Yea, I don't care & I disagree that he gets out of position, he is playing the system the way the coach wants him to play it, period. I love the way he plays & love the fact that the coach has designed a system where he can hit everything that moves at every opportunity & that he doesn't cower when the opposition come to defend their players. He mans up. Big deal, so what if the Sens were in the offensive zone, not like they are an offensive juggernaut, they get plenty of chances during a game, it was one time & they still won.

Leading in PIMs isn't a bad thing either, it shows that this team or player will stand up for his teammates against anyone & that this team won't be pushed around by anyone. I was on a team where we won five championships in a row & in every yr we had the most penalties of any team by a long shot, so yea, I don't see it as a negative at all.

 

[casca]

I think if Kelly has a real bad game one they go with White.

Hope to see White.