What's Your Postseason Lineup

[forsbergavs32]

By game 3 or 4 of the first round, those 3rd and 4th lines would be swapped IMO.

Eller is the only defensively capable forward on that line and your 3rd line is supposed to be able to handle themselves in their own zone. You don’t want Newhook or Rodrigues in their own zone.

Quite possibly. I could see Cogs-Eller-LOC as a defensive 3rd line.

 

[dahrougem2]

One alternative, tho very unlikely, option is to put Erod next to Mack to get the best out of him, and put Rantanen at 2C.

Erod-Mack-Nuke
Landy-Rants-Lehky
Newhook-Eller-JTC
Cogs/Nieto-Helm-LOC

Again, not likely but it's an option, probably more likely if JTC gets hurt.

Rantanen will not play centre on this team, ever.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Absolutely LTIR would have been used. You seriously think if the Avs traded for a legitimate 2C they wouldn't just keep EJ on LTIR for an additional couple of weeks to recover from his ankle injury? It's a broken ankle.

Of course it's a team game, but the centre position is so critical in the game of hockey for a reason. You're asking J.T. Compher to play upwards of 20 minutes per night. He's not that caliber of player, never has been and never will be.

Can he be that player for two months of the Avs trying to win another Cup? I don't know, but that's the bet MacFarland is making.

Tbh, I think Compher is becoming underrated. I really do believe he’s taken his game to another level this year. I’m not saying he’s a rock solid 2C, but I don’t know how people can watch him play this year and not think he’s seeing the ice better.

My issue with MacFarland is more to do with his refusal to do anything of significance.

We’re hyper Avs focused here, but every team has weaknesses.

Dallas has been healthy all year and barely has a lead on the Avs. Boom roasted.

Edmonton will be playing Darnell Nurse 25 minutes a night in the playoffs. Boom roasted.

Vegas doesn’t know who their starting in goal. Boom roasted.

The Rangers 1 C only has 4 more 5v5 points than JT Compher. Boom roasted.

Carolina and Toronto choke every year in the playoffs like it’s a sport. Boom roasted.

The Avs just have to hope that they can overcome their weaknesses. Everybody’s got them.

 

[Freudian]

Perhaps the thing you were looking for was in front of you all along.

 

[Grigowski]

We should start by listing all our AHL-players because we are gonna see many of them in the next few weeks and playoffs.......

 

[TomppaKoo]

It's not about expectations, it's about who others teams have in that spot that Compher will be competing against:

Vegas - William Karlsson
Edmonton - Leon Draisaitl
L.A - Phillip Danault
Winnipeg - Mark Scheifele

Boston - David Krejci
NYR - Vincent Trocheck
Toronto - John Tavares
Tampa Bay - Anthony Cirelli
New Jersey - Nico Hischier

I don't think Compher wins any of those matchups. I think he beats out guys like Kotkaniemi (Carolina), Seguin (Dallas), and whoever Minnesota/Seattle have on their 2nd lines. That's not a lot, though.

With Rantanen he'll easily beat Vegas and Winnipeg. Edmonton and LA are a toss up,

 

[henchman21]

Kadri broke our expectations of what a 2C is. JTC has been a middling 2C. Kadri was a 1C playing on the second line.

He did that for one season… and results varied in the other seasons.

 

[jimmysheva]

Landeskog - MacKinnon - Nichuskin
Lehkonen - Compher - Rantanen
Newhook - Ellers - Rodriguez
Cogliano - Helm - O'Connor
(Malgin - Nieto - MacDermid)

Toews - Makar
Byram - Manson
Girard - E Johnson
(J Johnson - Hunt)

Georgiev
Francouz
(Kinkaid)

 

[AvBuff]

Landeskog - MacKinnon - Nichuskin
Lehkonen - Compher - Rantanen
Newhook - Ellers - Rodriguez
Cogliano - Helm - O'Connor
(Malgin - Nieto - MacDermid)

Toews - Makar
Byram - Manson
Girard - E Johnson
(J Johnson - Hunt)

Georgiev
Francouz
(Kinkaid)

That's a line-up that 28-30 teams in the NHL would trade for in toto, right now. It's also 90% of the line-up that won the Cup last year, assuming Landy is back. With a much better goalie. So maybe we don't sweep in Rounds 1 and 2.

Stay healthy. Let's go.

 

[Avaholic29]

I feel like if we play lehkonen with compher and Rantanen that mikko isn’t being helped enough.

Lehkonen - Mackinnon - Nichushkin
Landeskog - Compher - Rantanen
Newhook - Eller - Rodrigues
Cogliano - Helm - O’Connor

 

[Asinine]

Just being hopeful here but:

Lehkonen - MacKinnon - Malgin
Newhook - Compher - Rantanen
Cogliano - Eller - O'Connor
Macdermid - Galchenyuk - Ranta

Toews - Hunt
JMFJ - Manson
Middleton - Merkley

Kinkaid
Miner

 

[MaKarter]

Just being hopeful here but:

Lehkonen - MacKinnon - Malgin
Newhook - Compher - Rantanen
Cogliano - Eller - O'Connor
Macdermid - Galchenyuk - Ranta

Toews - Hunt
JMFJ - Manson
Middleton - Merkley

Kinkaid
Miner

 

[John Mandalorian]

I feel like if we play lehkonen with compher and Rantanen that mikko isn’t being helped enough.

Lehkonen - Mackinnon - Nichushkin
Landeskog - Compher - Rantanen
Newhook - Eller - Rodrigues
Cogliano - Helm - O’Connor

Not bad but wasn't Newhook and Rodriguez not working when together? Or are you attributing that to the Newhook at C experiment?

 

[sethro109]

Not bad but wasn't Newhook and Rodriguez not working when together? Or are you attributing that to the Newhook at C experiment?

At the beginning of the season Newhook was centering the line and he and eRod weren't meshing well together. But they had a stint of games more recently that was clicking very well when eRod was the 3rd line center instead.

Who knows what'll look like with Lars in the middle.

 

[Freudian]

Avs certainly have a chance to repeat but there are lot of ifs.

They need to be healthy, the injured players returning have to perform, Georgiev need to have a great playoffs and Avs defense need to be able to get the puck up the ice quickly.

 

[nammerus]

Avs certainly have a chance to repeat but there are lot of ifs.

They need to be healthy, the injured players returning have to perform, Georgiev need to have a great playoffs and Avs defense need to be able to get the puck up the ice quickly.

Basically, if everyone plays at their peak level all at the same time, with no injuries, and the other teams slump at the same time, everything should be good.

CMac definitely going with the high percentage play here.

 

[The Moops]

 

[Polite HKYDiscussion]

Basically, if everyone plays at their peak level all at the same time, with no injuries, and the other teams slump at the same time, everything should be good.

CMac definitely going with the high percentage play here.

That’s basically what happened last year.

 

[Pokecheque]

At this point I’d probably go with this. Assuming Landeskog is good to go…

Lehkonen - MacKinnon - Rantanen
Landeskog - Compher - Nichushkin
Cogliano - Newhook - O’Connor
Nieto - Eller - Rodrigues

Toews - Makar
Girard - Manson
Byram - E. Johnson

Georgiev
Francouz (?)

At this point I think E-Rod has to be a fourth liner and power play specialist. He can’t be trusted with a higher role. I also liked the third line before Eller arrived. Have him center the fourth and I think they’re as good as they’re going to get.

 

[nammerus]

At this point I’d probably go with this. Assuming Landeskog is good to go…

Lehkonen - MacKinnon - Rantanen
Landeskog - Compher - Nichushkin
Cogliano - Newhook - O’Connor
Nieto - Eller - Rodrigues

Toews - Makar
Girard - Manson
Byram - E. Johnson

Georgiev
Francouz (?)

At this point I think E-Rod has to be a fourth liner and power play specialist. He can’t be trusted with a higher role. I also liked the third line before Eller arrived. Have him center the fourth and I think they’re as good as they’re going to get.

A #2C way out his depth. Two lifelong 4th liners on the 3rd line, centered by a terribly mediocre sophomore who has shown no capacity to play Center.

That would be one of the worst offences to win a cup in awhile. Challenge accepted.

 

[Grigowski]

Just being hopeful here but:

Lehkonen - MacKinnon - Malgin
Newhook - Compher - Rantanen
Cogliano - Eller - O'Connor
Macdermid - Galchenyuk - Ranta

Toews - Hunt
JMFJ - Manson
Middleton - Merkley

Kinkaid
Miner

Ladies and Gentleman, your defending champion.....

I really fear you are damn near to reality whit that roster.

 

[Pokecheque]

Kadri broke our expectations of what a 2C is. JTC has been a middling 2C. Kadri was a 1C playing on the second line.

Not really. Kadri his first season was exactly what a 2C is supposed to be. He just happened to save his best for last.

JT2C is fine but they really needed to upgrade the 3C position. Eller was an honest attempt at that but it might be too little too late.

 

[TomppaKoo]

Rantanen will not play centre on this team, ever.

He has already played quite a few games as a center on this team.

 

[dahrougem2]

He has already played quite a few games as a center on this team.

Out of pure necessity. If Rantanen was going to play centre on this team, if would have happened a long time ago.

Rantanen is a winger, he will never be a centre nor should he be.

 

[Ceremony]

Just being hopeful here but:

Lehkonen - MacKinnon - Malgin
Newhook - Compher - Rantanen
Cogliano - Eller - O'Connor
Macdermid - Galchenyuk - Ranta

Toews - Hunt
JMFJ - Manson
Middleton - Merkley

Kinkaid
Miner

You think Manson will be back? I like your optimism.