Reilly Smith

[Alicat]

Immagine if Spooner was in the middle instead of the Kelly.

A defensive disaster.

 

[Mainehockey33]

A defensive disaster.

For whatever team the Bruins are playing

 

[Sea Bass Neely]

A defensive disaster.

Since when are either Soderberg or Smith exceptionally poor defenders??

Both can play at least an adequate two-way game, if not better. It's not like the line would automatically become a doormat for every team in the league.

The potential for some serious offense just oozes out of that "Triple S" line of the future. Not yet, but in due time...

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

Reilly Smith is awesome.

 

[qc]

If the line is doing the job, keep em as is. No need to plug Spooner into a line that is just beginning to click.

 

[Ten Thousand Hours]

Immagine if Spooner was in the middle instead of the Kelly.

Good bye to the fantastic cycling in the offensive zone that we've seen over the last few games from that line.

 

[DoubleAAAA]

Best hockey Kelly has played in a B's uniform, but hey he's holding Ryan Spooner back so he's a total scrub.

 

[nycbruins*]

Spooner will be on the 3rd line next season for cap reasons, IMO. Have some patience.

 

[rocketdan9]

Smith another nice game.

Seguin doing well in dallas.

It looks like the trade was good for both teams though some ppl still think dallas robbed seguin from us

 

[Artemis]

If the line is doing the job, keep em as is. No need to plug Spooner into a line that is just beginning to click.

Exactly.

The "they're doing great, change it!" philosophy is always puzzling.

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

third on the team in scoring, no big deal.

 

[MTaylorJ1]

Exactly.

The "they're doing great, change it!" philosophy is always puzzling.

Which assumes the people that are saying they're doing great are saying change it, and vice versa.

Since Loui's return.

Smith +1
Soderberg +1
Kelly E

Great?

 

[11MilesPerJohan]

I think Chris Kelly has played well this year, and I think he is a key part of this team going forward, but I can understand why people are wondering what the third line would look like with Spooner in the middle.

Chris Kelly brings many things to the table: three zone play, face-offs, leadership, penalty killing, etc., but he is not a play maker. Spooner is a pure playmaker. And if you look at the other two guys on that line, Soderberg and Smith, they are guys that would benefit from a play-making center.

Soderberg likes to do his damage in and around the net, so he would benefit from someone who is more adept at getting him the puck in that area. Smith is more of a play-making wing himself, but he has shown himself to be good in traffic, and able to find the open areas down low. Once again, a guy whose offense might increase with a play-maker.

I also think Spooner eventually taking that spot would benefit the fourth line as well. You could essentially rotate Kelly, Campbell, and Thornton depending on match-ups.

Kelly could also be inserted back into that line in late-game situations. He would obviously still be available for the PK as well.

I'm not sure it happens anytime soon, because as people have said, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, but we do know that Spooner was close to making the team out of camp, continues to impress at the AHL level, and by all accounts, is ready to impact an NHL team right now. It will be a matter of the coaching staff determining if they think what he brings offensively outweighs some deficiencies he might have defensively as a still developing player. But I think that's part of why he is in the AHL right now, to learn that part of the game. When they feel he is ready and can help the team, he will be here.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

Smith another nice game.

Seguin doing well in dallas.

It looks like the trade was good for both teams though some ppl still think dallas robbed seguin from us

Seguin's one of the top point producers in the NHL right now.

But with nine points and $4M in salary difference between the two pairs of players... I don't think it's looking so bad.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

Which assumes the people that are saying they're doing great are saying change it, and vice versa.

Since Loui's return.

Smith +1
Soderberg +1
Kelly E

Great?

I'd say so. But then again, I have a tendency to attempt to look at the whole picture, rather than boil it down a single, solitary statistic.

Kelly is the perfect compliment to that line and every game they continue to look GREAT.

 

[HuskyBruinPride]

A defensive disaster.

Haha yeah okay. Just keep on hating.

I would love to see this line tried at some point this season.

 

[MTaylorJ1]

I'd say so. But then again, I have a tendency to attempt to look at the whole picture, rather than boil it down a single, solitary statistic.

Kelly is the perfect compliment to that line and every game they continue to look GREAT.

To me, great is what Lucic-Krejci-Iginla have accomplished. or what Marchand-Bergeron-Seguin did back in '11-'12. Playing in front of the Bruins defense and Tuukka Rask and compiling a net +2? That's exceeding the expectations of last year's unmitigated disaster of a 3rd line, not great.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

To me, great is what Lucic-Krejci-Iginla have accomplished. or what Marchand-Bergeron-Seguin did back in '11-'12. Playing in front of the Bruins defense and Tuukka Rask and compiling a net +2? That's exceeding the expectations of last year's unmitigated disaster of a 3rd line, not great.

It's a third line. They have to be the third-best line on the team. They look at times to be as good as any other we ice.

If you want to compare it to thirds in years' past, okay (I wasn't). But even if you did, I am excited to see the 3rd unit play this season... Rather than viewing it as a way to kill 40 seconds of ice time.

 

[Roll 4 Lines]

I think Chris Kelly has played well this year, and I think he is a key part of this team going forward, but I can understand why people are wondering what the third line would look like with Spooner in the middle.

Chris Kelly brings many things to the table: three zone play, face-offs, leadership, penalty killing, etc., but he is not a play maker. Spooner is a pure playmaker. And if you look at the other two guys on that line, Soderberg and Smith, they are guys that would benefit from a play-making center.

Soderberg likes to do his damage in and around the net, so he would benefit from someone who is more adept at getting him the puck in that area. Smith is more of a play-making wing himself, but he has shown himself to be good in traffic, and able to find the open areas down low. Once again, a guy whose offense might increase with a play-maker.

I also think Spooner eventually taking that spot would benefit the fourth line as well. You could essentially rotate Kelly, Campbell, and Thornton depending on match-ups.

Kelly could also be inserted back into that line in late-game situations. He would obviously still be available for the PK as well.

I'm not sure it happens anytime soon, because as people have said, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, but we do know that Spooner was close to making the team out of camp, continues to impress at the AHL level, and by all accounts, is ready to impact an NHL team right now. It will be a matter of the coaching staff determining if they think what he brings offensively outweighs some deficiencies he might have defensively as a still developing player. But I think that's part of why he is in the AHL right now, to learn that part of the game. When they feel he is ready and can help the team, he will be here.

There's also the roster limit to consider. If Spooner comes up, someone must go, and simply waiving Thornton or Caron to bring up Spooner at this point is just poor asset management.

Injuries will occur and Spooner will be an NHL player. In the meantime, he's certainly not being hurt by getting crap-tons of ice in the A.

 

[KnightofBoston]

A defensive disaster.

Disaster is quite the stretch

If the bruins suddenly fall off th map defensively because the bottom 6 suddenly become

Soderberg - Spooner - Smith
Paille - Kelly - Campbell

Then we have bigger problems than Spooners unfinished defensive game


Spooner being on the roster doesnt suddenly mean kelly doesnt play, or he's not on the rostwr, or his minutes are cut. It simply means he is put with players that compliment his skillset and Spooner is put with players that compliment his, giving us a stronger and deeper line up. It also allows Spooner time on the powerplay and gives Kelly to focus more on what he's best at.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

To me, great is what Lucic-Krejci-Iginla have accomplished. or what Marchand-Bergeron-Seguin did back in '11-'12. Playing in front of the Bruins defense and Tuukka Rask and compiling a net +2? That's exceeding the expectations of last year's unmitigated disaster of a 3rd line, not great.

You must have lower expectations than I do when it comes to defining great?

While the third line is not close to great, we are not even a quarter of the way into LKI, and I don't consider what MBS did in 11-12 "great". Good to very good is far more accurate, and I reserve the term "great" for lines like the "French Connection", the "Triple Crown", or the "Legion of Doom".

 

[MTaylorJ1]

You must have lower expectations than I do when it comes to defining great?

While the third line is not close to great, we are not even a quarter of the way into LKI, and I don't consider what MBS did in 11-12 "great". Good to very good is far more accurate, and I reserve the term "great" for lines like the "French Connection", the "Triple Crown", or the "Legion of Doom".

More than fair, just wanted to point out the absurdity of referring to that line as great. And I agree the KIL line has been very good

 

[GloryDaze4877]

More than fair, just wanted to point out the absurdity of referring to that line as great. And I agree the KIL line has been very good

IMO, the third line has been very good as well (for a third line) and as you suggested, far better than last year (which was bad). I think we may be giving them too much props because they have greatly exceeded (low) expectations. That being said, I think they have been very consistent and have the potential to be very good by season's end and create the kind of matchup problems that Kelly-Pevs-Ryder created in the past.

Personally, I would really like to see (highly unlikely) what the following Bottom 6 could do:

Soderberg/Marchand (other on 2nd)-Spoons-Smith
Paille-Kelly-Campbell (some combo)

 

[11MilesPerJohan]

There's also the roster limit to consider. If Spooner comes up, someone must go, and

simply waiving Thornton or Caron to bring up Spooner at this point is just poor asset management.

Injuries will occur and Spooner will be an NHL player. In the meantime, he's certainly not being hurt by getting crap-tons of ice in the A.

That's a good point, and I wouldn't want them to waive either of those players. At some point, depending on how guys in the AHL develop, Caron could become redundant/expendable, but in the early part of a marathon, eighty-two game season, now isn't that time. He's an NHL-caliber player that you can plug in up and down the line-up in case of injury or poor performance. Ultimately though, if the Bruins believe that Spooner is ready and makes them a better team, then I want him up here, and they will need to figure out, roster-wise, how to make that happen.

 

[Killer B]

I think the problem with Kelly, is that he scored 20 goals two years ago...

Now everyone expects that type of production from him, and if they don't see it - they assume he's not playing well.

Chris Kelly from 2 years ago was an anomaly... He's not really a 20 goal scorer. What he is, is a guy who will chip in 10ish goals, while playing solid hockey on both ends of the ice. He's a great penalty killer and a guy who gives Claude some flexibility (as he's capable of playing all 3 forward positions). The "A" on his jersey tells us all we need to know about his leadership skills.

While not flashy, the one thing he is, is steady. Chris Kelly hasn't changed as a player, even though the expectations some fans have of him, has...

Now back to talking about Mr. Smith!