Line Combos: The Third Line

[Oates2Neely]

I disagreed, but it was with the "every game" part...they, among the rest of the team, looked horrid against Montreal, and against Florida, I would argue that line looked better and generated more opportunities with Paille up there...but yesterday, they certainly did look good.

Maybe Kelly will be more effective on the wing and Soderberg at center like they had it set up yesterday.

It's never been about disrespecting Kelly though, at least for me, some yes...but it is unfair to use the guy who said "Trade Kelly for anything" and paint everyone with a broad stroke. It's never been about "shiny new toys" or anything along those lines.... I just want to see them use Kelly in a situation where his skills are accented, and I don't believe that's in a top 9 role at this point in his career....and his play has shown that over the last ~100 games.

It's more about a playoff lineup for me. I don't really see the benefit of having Shawn Thornton on the 4th line come playoff time, so in my ideal situation, we go out and get a Ray Whitney type for the third line, move Kelly down, and become deeper

Whitney-Soderberg-Eriksson
Kelly-Campbell-Paille.

I can't figure out exactly why wanting a deeper team is such a bad thing, but it seems anytime Kelly is discussed in moving anywhere in the lineup(even though we have always rolled 4 pretty evenly, especially come playoff time), a group of people throw their hands up and are completely opposed to it. I've said this many times, but people make it about Kelly, react to that, and miss the point entirely.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

The majority of what I've observed is folks recognizing the depth of the forwards on the B's roster & hence suggesting placing Kelly in a role that more suits his skills. It's tough to ignore how well Söderberg has played at center. I agree with the assessment that Kelly lacks the offensive instincts to center a 3rd scoring line. The focus of the 4th line is to provide energy, to grind & check tightly. That is Kelly to a T!

This site blows off the rails when Kelly fanboys/ fangirl get insulted by the above observation.

Yes, Kelly at this point in his career on a contending team is best suited in a 4th line role. And unfortunately for him Peter Chiarelli overpaid for his services & after this season it doesn't make fiscal sense to pay your 4th line center $3m per.

This doesn't mean Kelly is hated here. IF Gregory Campbell was making $3m per we'd be saying the same about him. Stop taking it so personally Kelly fans.

 

[qc]

No, it's actually not. It's an indication that Loui has been consistently outplayed this year by Smith, who rather than have it given to him, has gone out and earned it. Concussions aside, Loui has been very pedestrian this year. He's played well below his own abilities, so I don't agree with your view that it's an indicator of anything other than sub par play from Eriksson.

The fact that Smith came out of nowhere to earn a spot on our 2nd line, which led to Loui's demotion, is absolutely a sign of our forward depth.

Loui playing below expectations is a different argument, and I've consistently acknowledged his underwhelming play thus far. That being said, he has played much better over the past handful of games, and the 3rd line has been pretty effective for us.

You'd have a point if I argued that we have insanely good depth, but I merely stated that we have depth. Without Reilly's amazing performance, Loui would be an exceptionally underwhelming 2nd liner. But because of the competition at the position, Loui was dropped down a line. We are lucky to have Smith playing at this level, and if he were down in the AHL, Loui would still be seeing a regular shift with 63/37.

So I don't see how we are thin at forward, can you fill me in?

 

[Mainehockey33]

I couldn't have said it better myself.

The majority of what I've observed is folks recognizing the depth of the forwards on the B's roster & hence suggesting placing Kelly in a role that more suits his skills. It's tough to ignore how well Söderberg has played at center. I agree with the assessment that Kelly lacks the offensive instincts to center a 3rd scoring line. The focus of the 4th line is to provide energy, to grind & check tightly. That is Kelly to a T!

This site blows off the rails when Kelly fanboys/ fangirl get insulted by the above observation.

Yes, Kelly at this point in his career on a contending team is best suited in a 4th line role. And unfortunately for him Peter Chiarelli overpaid for his services & after this season it doesn't make fiscal sense to pay your 4th line center $3m per.

This doesn't mean Kelly is hated here. IF Gregory Campbell was making $3m per we'd be saying the same about him. Stop taking it so personally Kelly fans.

Exactly, he should be on the 4th...

Question to Kelly fans. Why does Kelly HAVE to play on the 3rd line? I haven't heard any good reasons why, because "we can't break up the merlot" isn't a good excuse, the merlot hasn't been as good as it has in the past and could benefit from playing with Kelly.

 

[MillerTime 86]

He didn't get the numbers or respect that he has around the league on accident..

No, he didn't. But he's done exactly jack squat since becoming a Bruin. Yes, even in the beginning of the season pre-concussions while Riley Smith was on fire. It's time to start contributing offensively. Playoffs is where my barometer will be.

You better believe Loui would've been discredited.

People complained early in the season when he had a bunch of tip-ins. As if those count less then any other goal

Half of Eriksson's 6 goals this season have bounced off his leg or ass, or whatever ... While his back was to the play standing in front of the net. Part of that was his willingness to park in front, most of it was luck. The goals still count, but it could have been anyone standing there. If a guy gets 20 goals in a season, these wouldn't be the goals they show on the tribute video.

Loui on our 3rd line is not an indicator of our forward depth? Hopefully you wake up someday.

Oh, I'm awake alright. And instead of repeating the question and then offering a personal attack, I'll offer an explanation:

Loui is working his way down the lineup, not up. And the key here is the word WORKING.

Working your way down is not an indication of depth. It's an indication that your play is not up to par, and that others are out-working you.

If you had a team with Stamkos on the 3rd line, it wouldn't be an indication of "depth". It would be an indication that Stamkos is being outplayed and outworked.

No, it's actually not. It's an indication that Loui has been consistently outplayed this year by Smith, who rather than have it given to him, has gone out and earned it. Concussions aside, Loui has been very pedestrian this year. He's played well below his own abilities, so I don't agree with your view that it's an indicator of anything. Well, anything other than sub par play from Eriksson.

Well said.

 

[qc]

Oh, I'm awake alright. And instead of repeating the question and then offering a personal attack, I'll offer an opinion-based explanation:

Loui is working his way down the lineup, not up. And the key here is the word WORKING.

Working your way down is not an indication of depth. It's an indication that your play is not up to par, and that others are out-working you.

If you had a team with Stamkos on the 3rd line, it wouldn't be an indication of "depth". It would be an indication that Stamkos is being outplayed and outworked.

If not for Reilly Smith, Loui would continue to be handed 2nd line minutes. But because of Smith's stellar play, the competition for minutes at forward is stronger than expected. If there's stronger competition for minutes at a position, then there's depth at that position, plain and simple.

Coming into the year, Loui was penciled in as our 2nd line RW. Reilly wasn't expected to be as good as he turned out to be. Reilly playing so well is nothing but an unexpected yet welcomed variable. Your Stamkos analogy is moronic btw. If Stamkos is a 3rd line on TC, is it because Stamkos is being outplayed, or is it an indicator of TC's depth? A guy like Matt Stajan is going to be a top line center on a team that's thin at forward depth, but he's a 3rd line center in Boston because of our depth.

It's laughable that you think Loui struggling and the Bruins having depth are mutually exclusive. I would've said the same thing last year, when a struggling Seguin was getting 3rd line minutes. Was he deserving of a top 6 role when he was sucking? No, but he was also better than a run of the mill 3rd liner. That was an indication of our depth.

And thanks for not personally insulting me, I tend to attract the fury of the Seguinites.

 

[LSCII]

The fact that Smith came out of nowhere to earn a spot on our 2nd line, which led to Loui's demotion, is absolutely a sign of our forward depth.

Loui playing below expectations is a different argument, and I've consistently acknowledged his underwhelming play thus far. That being said, he has played much better over the past handful of games, and the 3rd line has been pretty effective for us.

You'd have a point if I argued that we have insanely good depth, but I merely stated that we have depth. Without Reilly's amazing performance, Loui would be an exceptionally underwhelming 2nd liner. But because of the competition at the position, Loui was dropped down a line. We are lucky to have Smith playing at this level, and if he were down in the AHL, Loui would still be seeing a regular shift with 63/37.

So I don't see how we are thin at forward, can you fill me in?

I didn't say the team lacked depth. I just disagreed with your assertion that Loui being on the third line was an indicator of said depth. They have depth to spare, certainly, but Loui ending up on the third line isn't because of that depth. It's because he's been terrible.

The team's depth and Loui's placement on the 3rd line are not mutually exclusive. It's not because Smith or someone else took his spot, or because they have so much depth. It's because he played his way down there. Period.

Now saying the team has enough depth that they can afford to play a guy like Loui on the 3rd line would be something I could agree with.

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

I didn't say the team lacked depth. I just disagreed with your assertion that Loui being on the third line was an indicator of said depth. They have depth to spare, certainly, but Loui ending up on the third line isn't because of that depth. It's because he's been terrible.

The team's depth and Loui's placement on the 3rd line are not mutually exclusive. It's not because Smith or someone else took his spot, or because they have so much depth. It's because he played his way down there. Period.

Now saying the team has enough depth that they can afford to play a guy like Loui on the 3rd line would be something I could agree with.

This is just nonsense and you know it. First of all, he hasn't been terrible. That's just unfair. He has been worse than advertised, but the factors surrounding that have been discussed to death.

Second, you are so far off the mark regarding Smith. Smith absolutely has played himself onto that 2nd line spot to the point that even if Loui put up a point per game over the next 20, there's a pretty good chance Smith would still be on the 2nd line assuming it is still producing as well. If Smith was not playing as well as he has been then Loui absolutely would have been put back on the 2nd line after returning from his last concussion (much like Kelly was put right back on the 3rd line). It's just wrong to imply that the reason Loui is on the 3rd line is entirely because he has been "terrible" when anyone with a brain who follows this team could tell you that at least half the reason he's on the 3rd line is because Smith has been so damn good.

 

[qc]

I didn't say the team lacked depth. I just disagreed with your assertion that Loui being on the third line was an indicator of said depth. They have depth to spare, certainly, but Loui ending up on the third line isn't because of that depth. It's because he's been terrible.

The team's depth and Loui's placement on the 3rd line are not mutually exclusive. It's not because Smith or someone else took his spot, or because they have so much depth. It's because he played his way down there. Period.

Now saying the team has enough depth that they can afford to play a guy like Loui on the 3rd line would be something I could agree with.

This is the exact point I'm making! If we didn't have depth, then Loui would continuously receive 2nd line minutes, even though he doesn't deserve them! But because Smith has proven himself as a top 6er, we can afford to have Loui (an under-performing 2nd liner) on our third line! Having an under-performing 2nd liner play on our 3rd line is absolutely an indicator of our depth. Period.

And you haven't been watching the games if you think that he has been "terrible." But you're you, and I expected the hyperbole at some point.

 

[LSCII]

This is just nonsense and you know it. First of all, he hasn't been terrible. That's just unfair. He has been worse than advertised, but the factors surrounding that have been discussed to death.

Second, you are so far off the mark regarding Smith. Smith absolutely has played himself onto that 2nd line spot to the point that even if Loui put up a point per game over the next 20, there's a pretty good chance Smith would still be on the 2nd line assuming it is still producing as well. If Smith was not playing as well as he has been then Loui absolutely would have been put back on the 2nd line after returning from his last concussion (much like Kelly was put right back on the 3rd line). It's just wrong to imply that the reason Loui is on the 3rd line is entirely because he has been "terrible" when anyone with a brain who follows this team could tell you that at least half the reason he's on the 3rd line is because Smith has been so damn good.

If you say so. It's hilarious to me to suggest the reason Eriksson was demoted is due to nothing more than depth, but have fun lying to yourself, if that's what you want to do...

 

[qc]

If you say so. It's hilarious to me to suggest the reason Eriksson was demoted is due to nothing more than depth, but have fun lying to yourself, if that's what you want to do...

I don't know if Russell asserted that, but you damn well better not tie me to that argument!

 

[LSCII]

I don't know if Russell asserted that, but you damn well better not tie me to that argument!

Nope, it's all yours. No escaping it now...

 

[qc]

Funniest part: This entire time I thought I was in one the Loui Erikkson threads.

 

[LSCII]

Funniest part: This entire time I thought I was in one the Loui Erikkson threads.

They do tend to all blend together. But you can always tell the Loui threads by the copious usage of CORSI numbers to prove what everyone sees on the ice as false...

 

[qc]

They do tend to all blend together. But you can always tell the Loui threads by the copious usage of CORSI numbers to prove what everyone sees on the ice as false...

 

[Mainehockey33]

Anybody else watch Caps-Wings on NBC? How nasty would Nyquist be on our 3rd line? An all Swedish line Nyquist-Soderberg-Eriksson


Pretty cool watching him since his UMaine days and now he's playing next to Zetterberg.

 

[member 96824]

Seems like just yesterday Gustav was doing business projects in my living room...

Alright, so he was actually traveling while my roommates carried his part of the group, but still..

 

[Mainehockey33]

Seems like just yesterday Gustav was doing business projects in my living room...

Alright, so he was actually traveling while my roommates carried his part of the group, but still..

Name dropper

 

[KuralySnipes]

Yeah, ok. Wake me up when he does something other than play defensively-responsible hockey for $4.25 per season.

Yeah, ok. Wake me up when you actually learn something about hockey and realize that Loui Eriksson has been one of the best players in the league for the past 5 years.

 

[member 96824]

I couldn't have said it better myself.

The majority of what I've observed is folks recognizing the depth of the forwards on the B's roster & hence suggesting placing Kelly in a role that more suits his skills. It's tough to ignore how well Söderberg has played at center. I agree with the assessment that Kelly lacks the offensive instincts to center a 3rd scoring line. The focus of the 4th line is to provide energy, to grind & check tightly. That is Kelly to a T!

This site blows off the rails when Kelly fanboys/ fangirl get insulted by the above observation.

Yes, Kelly at this point in his career on a contending team is best suited in a 4th line role. And unfortunately for him Peter Chiarelli overpaid for his services & after this season it doesn't make fiscal sense to pay your 4th line center $3m per.

This doesn't mean Kelly is hated here. IF Gregory Campbell was making $3m per we'd be saying the same about him. Stop taking it so personally Kelly fans.

Yup, to steal a quote from a friend here, it's just business nothing personal.

I mean, some have certainly taken it to a disrespectful level, but I mean christ...even some posters disrespect Bergeron and Chara here...doesn't mean that everyone else does. Lots of broad brush painting. I like Kelly, I think he brings a lot to a team trying to push for a cup. I think every cup team has an essential piece like Kelly which is why you see a lot of players around the league that play a similar game to him....but most of those players are playing with a line that suits their style and play, not a finesse line with a former all star on it.

Like you said, "The focus of the 4th line is to provide energy, to grind & check tightly. That is Kelly to a T!" that is absolutely spot on. Kelly-Campbell-Paille would give other teams fits. Absolute fits as a 4th line. That's a dream scenario for the Bruins, where they can go into a cup run with a 4th line that deep...and if(when) injuries take their tolls, you can move guys like Kelly or Paille up as needed. I believe Chia can see this, I think that's why Bob Beers reported that they're looking for both a fill in defender and a vet forward. I think the forward market will probably be a bit cheaper than the defender market as well..less buyers.

 

[member 96824]

Name dropper

I've got a couple decent Umaine hockey stories, although most aren't as positive as the Gustav ones. Him and Spencer Abbott seemed to be the only decent people on that team at the time.

 

[Mainehockey33]

I've got a couple decent Umaine hockey stories, although most aren't as positive as the Gustav ones. Him and Spencer Abbott seemed to be the only decent people on that team at the time.

The only guy I saw up there was Joey Diamond and it was in the cafeteria during a weekend afternoon. I never went to school there so I just went up some weekends. I heard athletes don't party much though because they're so busy.

 

[member 96824]

The only guy I saw up there was Joey Diamond and it was in the cafeteria during a weekend afternoon. I never went to school there so I just went up some weekends. I heard athletes don't party much though because they're so busy.

Who told you that, the coaches?

 

[Mainehockey33]

Who told you that, the coaches?

Just friends... I guess we never saw them at frat parties so we assumed they were doing homework hahaha

 

[TMac21]

If you say so. It's hilarious to me to suggest the reason Eriksson was demoted is due to nothing more than depth, but have fun lying to yourself, if that's what you want to do...

Actually, it is, Smith has stepped up and given the Bruins the option to use Eriksson on third line....if not for Smith, Loui would be back on line 2 IMO.

 

[MillerTime 86]

Yeah, ok. Wake me up when you actually learn something about hockey and realize that Loui Eriksson has been one of the best players in the league for the past 5 years.

Don't let your own density cloud the FACT that "one of the best players in the league for the past 5 years" has done precisely JACK SQUAT since donning the spoked-B.

It's not about then ... It's about now.