Norman Moscow
Registered User
- Jun 8, 2018
- 157
- 155
You could say that about every team with every country they have drafted players from.
Assuming that he plays well in practice, and Nuti, Quaider, and Murray are all still out, I'd start game 1 with this:
Werenski - Jones
Kukan - Savard
Gavrikov - Clendening
Harrington
With this cast, there's no way I'm breaking up the Kukan - Savard pairing after their solid play in the last two games, and that leaves Clendening as the only guy who can play the right side on the third pair. He also looked better than Harrington last round, to my eyes at least. Gavrikov has a mobility advantage on Harrington and I think we'll need that, so he goes in there.
If Torts were to go into game 1 of the 2nd round with 2 guys playing on the 3rd pair who weren't even on the team when the regular season ended he'd have balls as big as that building.
Only that we don’t exactly know what Gavrikov can add and how he performs with the rest of the D this quickly. Torts doesn’t even know anything about him based on what he’s said. He may be able to jump right in like Texier has or he may struggle. I might have a better feeling after seeing him on Monday.We've already seen Harrington - Clendening as a pair, which should have been more unnerving. Is it really that ballsy to put Gavrikov in for Harrington?
Neither Gavrikov or Harrington can play right side, so it's really one spot between them. That or move Kukan to 3rd pair RHD, but right now Kukan is the best placed to pair with Savard and play higher minutes.
We've already seen Harrington - Clendening as a pair, which should have been more unnerving. Is it really that ballsy to put Gavrikov in for Harrington?
Neither Gavrikov or Harrington can play right side, so it's really one spot between them. That or move Kukan to 3rd pair RHD, but right now Kukan is the best placed to pair with Savard and play higher minutes.
I just can’t see Clendening in over Harrington. If neither Gav nor Harry truly can play the right side (I’ll take your word for it) then I imagine they’ll move Harrington up with Savard and drop Kukan to 3rd pair (or keep Gavrikov out and go with the pairings for Game 3/4). But they sheltered Clendening to a pretty noticeable extent and Harry’s been in the lineup all year; tough to see him being benched for a guy who’s been in Cleveland the vast majority of the season.
It still seems strange to me Nuti was warming up before Game 3 yet wouldn’t be able to play 10+ days later, but if that’s truly the case, then the above is what I think will happen.
Clendening is also +18 and 37 points on that Monsters team.Harrington-Savard scares me more, because you need Savard to play 20+ minutes and I don't want us to put Harrington in those situations for that long. I also don't like the skill mix, neither is fleet of foot.
I'm less interested in who was here all year or who was in the AHL. Clendening was better than Harrington last week, and plays a different position.
This is where all of the extra practice we're getting right now will pay dividends (outside of healing some banged up bodies)Only that we don’t exactly know what Gavrikov can add and how he performs with the rest of the D this quickly. Torts doesn’t even know anything about him based on what he’s said. He may be able to jump right in like Texier has or he may struggle. I might have a better feeling after seeing him on Monday.
Agree with the point that it really comes down to second pair minutes. Kukan showed he can give the 17-18 TOI and that Torts trusted him (given the situation). Neither Harry or Clendening strike me as guys I'd allow that amount of TOI and I'm sure Torts wouldn't - especially with Clendening (I base the latter on the under 10 minutes in prior games).Harrington-Savard scares me more, because you need Savard to play 20+ minutes and I don't want us to put Harrington in those situations for that long. I also don't like the skill mix, neither is fleet of foot.
I'm less interested in who was here all year or who was in the AHL. Clendening was better than Harrington last week, and plays a different position.
Nut doesn't seem ready and even if Gav is the real deal and McQuaid is ready I still think Kukan stay. and McQuaid is the only experience player so they would probably play him over Gav for at least the first game.I may very well be on my ship, but here's my D pairings, with 4 assumptions
1) Murray is still out
2) Gavrikov is the real deal
3) McQuaid is ready to play
4) Nuti is ready to play
Jones/Z
Savard/Nutivaara
McQuaid/Gavrikov
I like the idea a having a shut down pair, just when our opponent is glad to see Jones and Z get off the ice,
here comes McQuaid and Gavrikov. I like the idea of putting a more experienced D man
with Gavrikov to start off with. Going back to March I thought McQuaid was playing stellar defense
It will be interesting to see who suits up for game 1. It's been amazing to see the number of guys step up
and play well as the injuries have hit the blue line
Maybe I'm the only one, but I wasn't very impressed with McQuaid since we acquired him. I'd be more comfortable with just about any other option, including giving Gavrikov a shot.
For me, McQuaid has been a trainwreck and not reliable. Harrington a smidge more reliable.
Werenski - Jones
Kukan - Savard
Gavrikov - Clendening
If Nuti can play, he should.
Kukan over McQuaidI may very well be on my ship, but here's my D pairings, with 4 assumptions
1) Murray is still out
2) Gavrikov is the real deal
3) McQuaid is ready to play
4) Nuti is ready to play
Jones/Z
Savard/Nutivaara
McQuaid/Gavrikov
I like the idea a having a shut down pair, just when our opponent is glad to see Jones and Z get off the ice,
here comes McQuaid and Gavrikov. I like the idea of putting a more experienced D man
with Gavrikov to start off with. Going back to March I thought McQuaid was playing stellar defense
It will be interesting to see who suits up for game 1. It's been amazing to see the number of guys step up
and play well as the injuries have hit the blue line