Post-Game Talk: Pre-season G3: Calgarystockton Heatflames at Jets (7PM CT, streamed)

[MrBoJangelz71]

Laine won't score with anyone if he plays as lackadaisical as he has in preseason. Maurice is right... The problem isn't Little so much as it is that Ehlers and Laine aren't aggressive enough to battle to win pucks, so they need to play with others that will do that work.

Any center, and line, will struggle if the wings do not dig pucks out of corners. Little cannot be the last forward to leave our zone and be expected to be first in the offensive zone to retrieve pucks.

Its why pairing Ehlers and Laine makes little sense, as neither are strong puck retrievers. Vesalainen would be a better partner for Laine, even as a rookie, than Ehlers, and Connor would pair better with Ehlers, as both are already showing better in the retrieval game than Patty and Nicky.

Hope to see the following line combos at some point this season to provide some balance with pairing puck retrievers with skill.

Laine/Little/Vesalainen
Connor/Roslovic/Ehlers

 

[Ares]

That Laine/Little/Ehlers line is working about as well as many of us predicted.

I tried to be positive but I was just lying to myself...

 

[LowLefty]

Poor Bryan. Never thought I'd see the day he became the whipping boy.

No reference to you personally, but he's not to most of us - especially those paying attention.
He's also in a tough spot - who wants to center a line where the wingers don't feel the need to do their share of work because they feel others should do it for them or it's simply not part of their game (but needs to be, at least to some extent).

I'm hoping ELL gets this and gets it early - Little's effort and skill set is not the issue on this line. If he's asked to spend every night digging pucks out for the other two, he'll be another late season burn out similar to LY - and then be criticized for the line's shortfalls. Who would want to center this line? Why would anyone assume Roz will do any better if he's saddled with the same work load as Little?

Maurice called it out again in his post game and he dead on.

 

[Jack722]

Laine won't score with anyone if he plays as lackadaisical as he has in preseason. Maurice is right... The problem isn't Little so much as it is that Ehlers and Laine aren't aggressive enough to battle to win pucks, so they need to play with others that will do that work.

I think the biggest part of the problem is that Little and Laine play similar offensive styles. Both are better hanging back and making reads off what their team mates are doing, and dishing pucks and sliding into scoring spots. Both work best with high energy play pushers and battlers like Perreault and Wheeler to play off of. IMO.

Also don't think Laine and Ehlers themselves even have all that much chemistry to speak of, and honestly neither does much dirty work to go get pucks. For me, ELL seems like a major waste of three talents.

I REALLY hope there's at least some kind of strategy here that I don't understand, and that it's not simply a case of Maurice keeping 'buddies' together in Ehlers/Laine + Scheif/Wheeler in an effort to keep the room happy.

 

[Ukkosenjumala]

If losing board battles is the primary cause of all the problems on that line then what exactly did they figure out with Stastny (and to some extent copp) that allowed them to go on a tear? According to many here, Stastny and Little are extremely comparable as players, did Laine and Ehlers get better at the boards? I remember they had a bunch of nice goals off the rush together and Ehlers was doing alot of zone entries for them, Laine was shooting with a high percentage ofc. They need to figure out what they figured out back then.

 

[KingBogo]

This may ultimately be the solution. Not sure they want to reward Laine right away with this outcome though.

I don't think of it as reward or punish, but rather finding a more optimal lineup that is the best fit for the players we have.

 

[Gil Fisher]

I don't think of it as reward or punish, but rather finding a more optimal lineup that is the best fit for the players we have.

Laine and Ehlers have to learn to play each shift at "NHL pace". Not sure they will if you just let them cruise around with Mark and Blake.

 

[KingBogo]

Laine and Ehlers have to learn to play each shift at "NHL pace". Not sure they will if you just let them cruise around with Mark and Blake.

I'm looking at ways to help Laine learn how to play at a quicker pace. Playing with Scheifele and Wheeler should force that to happen. Ehlers already plays at a quick pace, just that he isn't able to think as quick as he skates. Playing with a fast straight lines player like Connor might be a good fit for his game. Rosie and Connor have demonstrated already that they play well together.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Maybe you light a fire under Laine's ass by playing him with Scheifele and Wheeler. Then see how Connor does with Rosie and Ehlers. Then go with the vets MP & Little with whoever wins the last starting position in camp. That's what I'd like to see any how.

Maybe you light a fire under Laine's ass by playing him with Griffith and Everberg.

 

[larmex99]

Poor Bryan. Never thought I'd see the day he became the whipping boy.

Nice 1st post!

 

[puck stoppa]

I didn't see the game. But I will say, it's just pre season, most vets just wanna finish it without getting hurt!

 

[Whileee]

Any center, and line, will struggle if the wings do not dig pucks out of corners. Little cannot be the last forward to leave our zone and be expected to be first in the offensive zone to retrieve pucks.

Its why pairing Ehlers and Laine makes little sense, as neither are strong puck retrievers. Vesalainen would be a better partner for Laine, even as a rookie, than Ehlers, and Connor would pair better with Ehlers, as both are already showing better in the retrieval game than Patty and Nicky.

Hope to see the following line combos at some point this season to provide some balance with pairing puck retrievers with skill.

Laine/Little/Vesalainen
Connor/Roslovic/Ehlers

Evidently, Maurice has figured that out. What he hoped was that Ehlers would have developed more puck retrieval in his game, but so far in the pre-season that's not in evidence. I really doubt that he'll leave Laine and Ehlers together Ehlers doesn't develop that capability. He doesn't really expect Laine to do that at this point, it would seem. I think we'll see something like:

Perreault-Little-Laine
Vesalainen-Roslovic-Ehlers

Another option might be...

Perreault-Little-Ehlers
Vesalainen-Roslovic-Laine

But that Roslovic line might be too young and inexperienced.

He might need to split Connor away from Scheifele and Wheeler at some point... an option...

Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler
Connor-Little-Laine
Vesalainen-Roslovic-Perreault

 

[Whileee]

I'm looking at ways to help Laine learn how to play at a quicker pace. Playing with Scheifele and Wheeler should force that to happen. Ehlers already plays at a quick pace, just that he isn't able to think as quick as he skates. Playing with a fast straight lines player like Connor might be a good fit for his game. Rosie and Connor have demonstrated already that they play well together.

The problem is that neither Laine nor Ehlers are puck retrievers, so if they don't have the puck they won't get it back. It's not so much the pace of the game, but the lack of a player that will promote possession if they don't have a clean zone entry and have to dump the puck. Perreault and Connor are good at that, so is Wheeler and Scheifele. Vesalainen shows some promise.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Evidently, Maurice has figured that out. What he hoped was that Ehlers would have developed more puck retrieval in his game, but so far in the pre-season that's not in evidence. I really doubt that he'll leave Laine and Ehlers together Ehlers doesn't develop that capability. He doesn't really expect Laine to do that at this point, it would seem. I think we'll see something like:

Perreault-Little-Laine
Vesalainen-Roslovic-Ehlers

Another option might be...

Perreault-Little-Ehlers
Vesalainen-Roslovic-Laine

But that Roslovic line might be too young and inexperienced.

He might need to split Connor away from Scheifele and Wheeler at some point... an option...

Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler
Connor-Little-Laine
Vesalainen-Roslovic-Perreault

Swapping Connor and Ehlers still looks to me to be the way to go. We can see that Scheif and Wheeler made Connor better. Did he make them better? More so than Ehlers would have? We know Ehlers was good with Scheifele before. No reason to doubt he would be better now.

Connor is better at puck retrieval. Could be just what Little and Laine need.

I at least want to see it tried.

 

[Fire Chevy]

Like a lot people said it’s preseason and as long as no injuries acur and they break up 27-18-29 I’ll consider it a good preseason for the Jets

 

[Whileee]

Swapping Connor and Ehlers still looks to me to be the way to go. We can see that Scheif and Wheeler made Connor better. Did he make them better? More so than Ehlers would have? We know Ehlers was good with Scheifele before. No reason to doubt he would be better now.

Connor is better at puck retrieval. Could be just what Little and Laine need.

I at least want to see it tried.

I tend to agree with you. Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler has been an outstanding line in the past. Connor is better at puck retrieval than Ehlers, so he might fit better with Laine on the other wing. That would also give the Jets' top-6 forwards plenty of ice-time, while allowing Perreault to play with young Roslovic and maybe KV.

 

[pucka lucka]

Hmm so Laine and Ehlers don't have the right stuff to play with Little (that's the new theory I guess), so I guess Maurice should keep playing them together? Yeah, that's the ticket.

It doesn't f***ing matter why it doesn't work. Maurice should be doing things to maximize those players. wtf is his job again?

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I tend to agree with you. Ehlers-Scheifele-Wheeler has been an outstanding line in the past. Connor is better at puck retrieval than Ehlers, so he might fit better with Laine on the other wing. That would also give the Jets' top-6 forwards plenty of ice-time, while allowing Perreault to play with young Roslovic and maybe KV.

Even ESL was outstanding offensively. They were weak defensively, but I think both E & L have improved in that regard since. Still not the best though. But ESW should work very well.

I'm pretty sure Connor and Little will work well together too. I'm not too worried about Laine with those 2 but it remains to be seen. I think Laine and Ehlers are a mismatch. No data to support that, only a suspicion. I don't think that off ice friendship necessarily translates into on ice chemistry.

The 3rd line has several options:
MP - Rosie - Dano
or
Lemmy/KVes/Petan - Rosie - MP/Petan

I wouldn't start the NHL careers of either Lemieux or Vesa by switching sides. That option can come later, if needed. Petan got quite a bit of time on RW with the Moose last year and I don't think Perreault would have any problem. Dano is a LSW who always played the right side and who had trouble switching. So no problem with him on the right.

I think Dano has the inside track right now but that can change very quickly.

 

[Ukkosenjumala]

So Ehlers who scored 60 points and Laine who finished with 2nd most goals in the NHL need to learn how to play at an "NHL pace" consistantly. Either that's high praise or the rest of the NHL really needs to catch up on their game.

 

[ps241]

I didn't see the game. But I will say, it's just pre season, most vets just wanna finish it without getting hurt!

100% this.

 

[Gm0ney]

I was at the game last night. Bit of a slog. The top lines need to get their groove back - and they were playing a bunch of Calgary prospects and tweeners who'd been together for a couple of games before this. So I'm not worried about the ugliness of it all. Was nice to see the team wake up a bit - when Buff decides a bunch of AHL jokers aren't going to beat his team, then it's goddamn settled!

 

[KingBogo]

The problem is that neither Laine nor Ehlers are puck retrievers, so if they don't have the puck they won't get it back. It's not so much the pace of the game, but the lack of a player that will promote possession if they don't have a clean zone entry and have to dump the puck. Perreault and Connor are good at that, so is Wheeler and Scheifele. Vesalainen shows some promise.

But there is no reason to believe Laine can't become a complete player and a beast along the wall and in the corners. The talent is certainly there. I say put him with the team's 2 best players and make him keep up. If we are going to pay him $9-10 m he will need to be more than a PP trigger-man.

 

[Eyeseeing]

Lot of moaning about a 114 point team and same top 6

 

[heilongjetsfan]

Wait... I dont recall this actually happening? Assuming you're just messing around hahaha.

I wish I was. Wasn't pleasant.

 

[Tommigun]

This may ultimately be the solution. Not sure they want to reward Laine right away with this outcome though.

He should not be rewarded after that gong show of a game. But I kinda get it why he was so disinterested, he knows that line isn’t working and was not able to get new linemates even in preaseason. It’s not reason enough not to play though, he’s supposed to be a professional, but they should be crafeful with usage as the Trouba case showed.