Unusual Lines You'd Like To See

[AustonMitchWilly]

Title says it all.

I'd like to see the lineup like this one night. I wouldnt call them first/second/third lines by any means.


Clarkson-Kadri-Kessel
Lupul-Bolland-Raymond
JVR-Bozak-Kulemin
Bodie-McClement<->Smithson
-----------
Dion-Reilly
Gunnar-Franson
Ranger-Gardiner
Fraser-Liles

Click to read more...

 

[Jot]

Wouldn't mind seeing how Kulemin - Kadri - Kessel line would look.


Or maybe a Dion Phaneuf - James Reimer defensive pairing

 

[The Podium]

Phaneuf - Reimer - Kessel
Orr - Gardiner - Clarkson
Lupul - McClement - Fraser
JVR - Bolland - McClaren

Kadri - Rielly
Liles - Bernier
Kulemin - Franson

Gunnarsson
Raymond

 

[GifKing*]

Nonis - Carlyle - Fletcher
Brian Papineau - Kadri - Dave Farrish
Goal Scorer Announcer - Bernier - Ashtons Nose
Reimer - Reilly - Gardiner

Orr - Mclaren
Raymond without equipment - Clarkson
Bolland - JVR

Phanuef
Claude Loiselle

Kessel as Equipment Manager

 

[StuckOutHere]

In all honesty

Raymond - JVR - Kessel
Lupul - Kadri - Clarkson
Bolland - Bozak - Kulemin
McClement - Smithson - Ashton
Extras = punchers

 

[Peasy]

Why no Barb Underhill on your line ups?

 

[BonMorrison]

None of these are that unusual. I am very curious to see how a Kulemin - Kadri - Kessel line would work.

Kulemin - Kadri - Kessel
Van Riemsdyk - Bozak - Lupul
Raymond - Bolland - Clarkson
D'Amigo - McClement - Ashton

Phaneuf - Rielly
Gunnarsson - Franson
Gardiner - Fraser

 

[Frelimo]

A Kulemin - Kadri - Kessel line may actually be pretty good. Two very skilled guys who can snipe and make plays and a grinder/defensively responsible guy with a big body and not exactly a slouch offensively. Unfortunately, it would be known as the KKK line which would be offensive in a negative way.

 

[Dangles McGavin]

If we're keeping JVR at centre for now, then Clarkson - JVR - Kessel is intriguing.

Clarkson's board work could benefit those two a great deal. His speed isn't nearly up to par but nobody can really keep up with JVR - Kessel

 

[Goonface2k14]

I'd love to see Lupul at #1 center. I think he has the overall game, if given to him, to excel at that position.

Also think the big four offensive players (Lupul Kessel JVR Kadri) need to be split into pairs.

Raymond-Lupul-Kessel
JVR-Kadri-Kulemin
Leivo-Bolland-Clarkson
McClement-Bozak-Orr

Phaneuf-Gunnarson
Franson-Gardiner
Fraser-Reilly

Bernier
Reimer

Let McClement/Bozo fill in for Kadri on defensive zone faceoffs, if need be.

 

[Alerion]

Phaneuf - Reimer - Kessel
Orr - Gardiner - Clarkson
Lupul - McClement - Fraser
JVR - Bolland - McClaren

Kadri - Rielly
Liles - Bernier
Kulemin - Franson

Gunnarsson
Raymond

And we'd still beat the Sabres

 

[CreeksideStrangler]

Kessel with kadri and another playmaker. Dion as a winger ala Brent Burns... Gardiner as a winger. Kulemin as a dman. I can centre the second line until Bolland is healthy. Orr in net. Trade Bozak...

 

[CreeksideStrangler]

Carlyle as #1d and wins the Norris again!

 

[musdy]

Orr -Orr -Orr

 

[McGuiresMonsters]

A Kulemin - Kadri - Kessel line may actually be pretty good. Two very skilled guys who can snipe and make plays and a grinder/defensively responsible guy with a big body and not exactly a slouch offensively. Unfortunately, it would be known as the KKK line which would be offensive in a negative way.

Just imagine all the photoshops

Who knew we could have too much 'offense'

 

[Hero]

I wouldn't mind seeing Jvr - McClement - Ashton I feel they could click really well.

 

[phillycheesekessel]

When healthy:
Lupul - Bozak - Kessel (reunite kessel and lupes)
JVR - Kadri - Kulemin (JVR n kadri showed chemistry early last year)
Raymond - Bolland - Clarkson (ultimate shutdown line)
Bodie - McClement - Smithson (great 4th line)

With Bolland and Bozak out:
JVR - Raymond - Kessel (raymond was tried as a C in Vancouver)
Lupul - Kadri- Kulemin
Ashton - McClement - Clarkson
Orr - Smithson - Bodie

Just so i dont miss the purpose of the thread, phaneuf should play in net like the pylon he is.
All jokes aside i like phaneufs play

 

[Goonface2k14]

A Kulemin - Kadri - Kessel line may actually be pretty good. Two very skilled guys who can snipe and make plays and a grinder/defensively responsible guy with a big body and not exactly a slouch offensively. Unfortunately, it would be known as the KKK line which would be offensive in a negative way.

I feel like the Leafs have always had some kind of bias towards players who's last name starts with K. Since I've been a fan (mid-80s), they've had the following guys who's last name starts with K:

Chris Kotsopoulos
John Kordic
Tom Kurvers
Mike Krushelnyski
Alexei Kudashov
Mark Kolesar
Nick Kypreos
Mike Kennedy
Derek King
Kris King
Igor Korolev
Ladislav Kohn
Alexander Karpovtsev
Tomas Kaberle
Dmitri Khristich
Trevor Kidd
Maxim Kondratiev
Ken Klee
Chad Kilger
Alexander Khavanov
Staffan Kronwall
Pavel Kubina
Nikolai Kulemin
Mike Komisarek
Nazem Kadri
Phil Kessel
Leo Komarov
Michael Kostka

28 players.

To compare, here are the Canadiens who's last name starts with K, over the same time period:

Tomas Kaberle
Mike Keane
Chad Kilger
Marko Kiprusoff
Patric Kjellberg
Saku Koivu
Mike Komisarek
John Kordic
Andrei Kostitsyn
Sergei Kostitsyn
Tom Kostopoulos
Andrei Kovalenko
Alexei Kovalev
Les Kuntar
Tom Kurvers


15 players.

You do the math.

 

[LeafsMonster]

Lupul in net should be okay

 

[Frelimo]

Lupul in net should be okay

I don't think even goalie pads would stop his bones from breaking

 

[Cor]

To be realistic about seeing unrealistic lines, I would love to see;

Gardiner - Kadri - Clarkson

 

[Kyle Doobas*]

Lupul-Kadri-Kessel
JVR-Bolland-Clarkson
McClement-Bozak-Kulemin
Ashton-Smithson-Orr
McLaren

Rielly-Phaneuf
Gunnarsson-Liles
Gardiner-Franson
Fraser/Ranger

Bernier
Reimer

I'd use the top line mainly on the powerplay/offensive zone draws; the second line as a two-way, energy, forechecking line that can score; the third as a pure checking/PK line (with two good faceoff guys, in case one gets thrown out), and the fourth as.... well, a fourth line (win the draw, get the puck deep, get on the body, etc.)

Maybe some would consider it throwing Rielly to the wolves, but Phaneuf more or less carries that top pairing and if Gunnarsson can play well with him, I don't see why Rielly couldn't. If anything I think Phaneuf would do well to play with someone who is a better skater and has a higher hockey IQ than he does, rather than more of a defensive guy that leaves it to Dion to try and skate the puck out of the zone or make that first pass, which he can struggle with at times.

Gunnarsson/Liles pairing might be a bit soft, but they're both good positional defensemen who block shots and, as I said with Phaneuf, I think Gunnarsson would do well to play with someone who's better at moving the puck and whatnot than he is. Liles has also looked much more comfortable playing his off-side than Gardiner has in the past, which brings me to Gardiner-Franson. Both have excelled with sheltered minutes and struggled with consistency when promoted to a top-four role, so for the time being I think it'd be best to just let them do what they're good at, give them plenty of offensive zone starts, powerplay time, etc. and let them gain some confidence together.

 

[RoyalGremlin]

Rielly Kadri Kessel whoo

 

[indigobuffalo]

I feel like the Leafs have always had some kind of bias towards players who's last name starts with K. Since I've been a fan (mid-80s), they've had the following guys who's last name starts with K:

Chris Kotsopoulos
John Kordic
Tom Kurvers
Mike Krushelnyski
Alexei Kudashov
Mark Kolesar
Nick Kypreos
Mike Kennedy
Derek King
Kris King
Igor Korolev
Ladislav Kohn
Alexander Karpovtsev
Tomas Kaberle
Dmitri Khristich
Trevor Kidd
Maxim Kondratiev
Ken Klee
Chad Kilger
Alexander Khavanov
Staffan Kronwall
Pavel Kubina
Nikolai Kulemin
Mike Komisarek
Nazem Kadri
Phil Kessel
Leo Komarov
Michael Kostka

28 players.

To compare, here are the Canadiens who's last name starts with K, over the same time period:

Tomas Kaberle
Mike Keane
Chad Kilger
Marko Kiprusoff
Patric Kjellberg
Saku Koivu
Mike Komisarek
John Kordic
Andrei Kostitsyn
Sergei Kostitsyn
Tom Kostopoulos
Andrei Kovalenko
Alexei Kovalev
Les Kuntar
Tom Kurvers


15 players.

You do the math.

You're aware that human beings have a heirloom instinct to seek patterns to rationalize events that really don't need to be rationalized and whose patterns are non-corrolative?

You may want to learn about it if you don't...

 

[nsleaf]

You're aware that human beings have a heirloom instinct to seek patterns to rationalize events that really don't need to be rationalized and whose patterns are non-corrolative?

You may want to learn about it if you don't...

And I thought he just had too much time on his hands!
This would also accurately describe the mindset of a Leaf's fan.