Line Combos: Your Line-Up Heading Down the Stretch and In the Postseason

[The Note]

It’s tough, because on the one hand, getting Schenn and Perron back is good news. The flip side to that is you’ve gotta scratch someone who really doesn’t deserve to sit. I would keep Fabbri in the lineup because of the candidates to sit he by far has the highest upside and has been playing well the past couple of games, but again, it’s a numbers game. To be honest I wish they would rotate between scratching Maroon and Steen, but I know there’s approximately 0 chance that happens.

 

[STLegend]

There are so many moving pieces and we've seen Berube try guys out in different places. But from a realistic view point I'd make these points:

-There has been hesitation to bench Maroon so I don't see him sitting out

-Thomas has not been used at center since before his injury, so I don't see them doing this right now. Besides with the way Sundqvist has been playing he is by far the much better option at center anyways.

-Fabbri has been finding his groove but he is still odd man out unfortunately

-Sanford has dropped off lately and was benched because of it earlier, I think he sits again

-I'd like Perron on the first line to get chem with ROR going again but Schenn did well there and that first line has been going all-out, I think Perron gets his legs going on a different line.

 

[Dbrownss]

Put the sledgehammer line back together and move guys around till we get some consistent production out of line 2.

 

[stlbluz]

I've got a hunch that Schwartz will get his groove back heading into the playoffs. He's getting the chances & I think it's just a matter of time until it clicks again for him.

 

[LETSGOBLUES88]

I've got a hunch that Schwartz will get his groove back heading into the playoffs. He's getting the chances & I think it's just a matter of time until it clicks again for him.

Haven’t we been saying that all season? I can’t figure out what it is exactly but there’s been a change in how he has finished from last year to this year.....

 

[stlbluz]

Haven’t we been saying that all season? I can’t figure out what it is exactly but there’s been a change in how he has finished from last year to this year.....

We have but looking at the beautiful play w/ Tank & Ryan where he rushed the shot on the doorstep shows that he's playing desperate right now. With a slight composure adjustment he could be finishing those chances with no problem. I can see him flipping that switch real soon.

 

[Dbrownss]

We have but looking at the beautiful play w/ Tank & Ryan where he rushed the shot on the doorstep shows that he's playing desperate right now. With a slight composure adjustment he could be finishing those chances with no problem. I can see him flipping that switch real soon.

I hope he does, but I've stopped holding my breath for it

 

[MissouriMook]

I hope he does, but I've stopped holding my breath for it

At this point:
If you're expecting a break-out before or during the playoffs, you're fooling yourself.
If you believe this is who he is as a player now, you're selling him short.
Bottom line - it will happen when it happens, but we may need to wait until next season to see it.

 

[execwrite1]

To me, the decisions are at 3rd line LW and RW. Four players, two spots. Berube chooses from Sanford, Steen, Fabbri and Maroon.

I'm betting Steen and Maroon with Sanford and Fabbri ready in the press box.

 

[brokeu91]

To me, the decisions are at 3rd line LW and RW. Four players, two spots. Berube chooses from Sanford, Steen, Fabbri and Maroon.

I'm betting Steen and Maroon with Sanford and Fabbri ready in the press box.

While I agree that's fairly likely I would rather play Fabbri to see if he can continue to improve his game and maybe become closer to what he was before the injuries by the time the playoffs start

 

[Dbrownss]

I'd love to be in the room to hear why Maroon is a shoe in. He had a great night against Nashville. Go back to his best shift when he had 2 good back checks....it ended with him behind the Nashville net looking to make a play. No one attacked him because they knew he wouldn't make a play. It's essentially a 5 on 4 when he has the puck, but not in The Blues favor.

That's the best we can expect now, he's not hurting us, but he's not generating offense.

 

[simon IC]

If we end up playing Nashville in the playoffs, I want MacMac in the lineup just to get under Subban's skin. Now ... my next suggestion is going to be very unpopular. (Deep breath). I really think we should call up Jordan Nolan for a Nashville tilt. Even if he spends most of the time in the press box. Nashville (to my slight surprise), really seems to get rattled when they are played physically. Send Nolan out there from time to time to stir things up with big, but legal, hits. I think he is smart and experienced enough to pick his spots wisely. Likewise, Bortuzzo, Edmundson, MDZ and Maroon (yeah, I know ), could be crucial players in such a series.

 

[A Real Barn Burner]

If we end up playing Nashville in the playoffs, I want MacMac in the lineup just to get under Subban's skin. Now ... my next suggestion is going to be very unpopular. (Deep breath). I really think we should call up Jordan Nolan for a Nashville tilt. Even if he spends most of the time in the press box. Nashville (to my slight surprise), really seems to get rattled when they are played physically. Send Nolan out there from time to time to stir things up with big, but legal, hits. I think he is smart and experienced enough to pick his spots wisely. Likewise, Bortuzzo, Edmundson, MDZ and Maroon (yeah, I know ), could be crucial players in such a series.

I really hope they don’t dress Nolan or Thorburn. One of them will probably be on the expanded roster by playoffs. Part of the reason I’m sure Pollie traded for Brian Boyle and to a lesser extent Simmonds was just to cause teams to have dress a lesser skilled enforcer to counter the threat and physicality.

If the Blues are off thier game enough, because of Nashville’s antics and physicality, to have to dress an enforcer then Bortuzzo, Edmundson, and Maroon (maybe Paryko?) have let us down already and the series is probably over.

If they dress Nolan before that then I’ll lose a little faith in Chief. This team should play thier game not change it up and play another teams game.

 

[The Note]

I’m sure Pollie traded for Brian Boyle and to a lesser extent Simmonds was just to cause teams to have dress a lesser skilled enforcer to counter the threat and physicality.

They've been wasting a roster spot on McLeod for this reason. I imagine he'll get scratched now that Granlund is with them but they were playing the guy 3 mins a night presumably because Poile wanted a true goon on the roster.

 

[simon IC]

I really hope they don’t dress Nolan or Thorburn. One of them will probably be on the expanded roster by playoffs. Part of the reason I’m sure Pollie traded for Brian Boyle and to a lesser extent Simmonds was just to cause teams to have dress a lesser skilled enforcer to counter the threat and physicality.

If the Blues are off thier game enough, because of Nashville’s antics and physicality, to have to dress an enforcer then Bortuzzo, Edmundson, and Maroon (maybe Paryko?) have let us down already and the series is probably over.

If they dress Nolan before that then I’ll lose a little faith in Chief. This team should play thier game not change it up and play another teams game.

I agree, but I wouldn't call Nolan an "enforcer". I certainly wouldn't put him in the same boat as Thorburn. I should have made it more clear that I think Nolan can pick his spots more in terms of hits, as opposed to fights. You make a good point about Nashville's strategy though.

 

[A Real Barn Burner]

I agree, but I wouldn't call Nolan an "enforcer". I certainly wouldn't put him in the same boat as Thorburn. I should have made it more clear that I think Nolan can pick his spots more in terms of hits, as opposed to fights. You make a good point about Nashville's strategy though.

Fair enough, he has more skill than Thorburn and I’m glad the team has the option of grabbing Blais or Nolan if it’s a rough series and Chief feel it’s warranted. I just hope it’s not necessary.

This team has been winning playing a puck possession heavy cycle game. I hope they just tweak that formula for the playoffs adding in a little extra hard hits on the forecheck to wear down the other teams D without taking themselves out of the play. If the back checking suffers we will back to the same D problems we had at the beginningof the year.

 

[Renard]

If we end up playing Nashville in the playoffs, I want MacMac in the lineup just to get under Subban's skin. Now ... my next suggestion is going to be very unpopular. (Deep breath). I really think we should call up Jordan Nolan for a Nashville tilt. Even if he spends most of the time in the press box. Nashville (to my slight surprise), really seems to get rattled when they are played physically. Send Nolan out there from time to time to stir things up with big, but legal, hits. I think he is smart and experienced enough to pick his spots wisely. Likewise, Bortuzzo, Edmundson, MDZ and Maroon (yeah, I know ), could be crucial players in such a series.

Nolan looked good when he was with the team earlier in the season. He hits hard, and he stirs things up. I don't expect fighting in the playoffs, but Nolan can fight too, if I remember his days with the Kings correctly.

 

[LGB]

If we end up playing Nashville in the playoffs, I want MacMac in the lineup just to get under Subban's skin. Now ... my next suggestion is going to be very unpopular. (Deep breath). I really think we should call up Jordan Nolan for a Nashville tilt. Even if he spends most of the time in the press box. Nashville (to my slight surprise), really seems to get rattled when they are played physically. Send Nolan out there from time to time to stir things up with big, but legal, hits. I think he is smart and experienced enough to pick his spots wisely. Likewise, Bortuzzo, Edmundson, MDZ and Maroon (yeah, I know ), could be crucial players in such a series.

Nolan is decent. I want MacEachern in the lineup no matter who we're playing, great 4th liner.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I really hope they don’t dress Nolan or Thorburn. One of them will probably be on the expanded roster by playoffs. Part of the reason I’m sure Pollie traded for Brian Boyle and to a lesser extent Simmonds was just to cause teams to have dress a lesser skilled enforcer to counter the threat and physicality.

If the Blues are off thier game enough, because of Nashville’s antics and physicality, to have to dress an enforcer then Bortuzzo, Edmundson, and Maroon (maybe Paryko?) have let us down already and the series is probably over.

If they dress Nolan before that then I’ll lose a little faith in Chief. This team should play thier game not change it up and play another teams game.

Why? They have Binnington for that stuff.

 

[STL BLUES]

Just for tonight 03-01:

Perron O’Reilly Tarasenko
Schenn Thomas Sundqvist
Schwartz Bozak Fabbri
Steen Barbashev MacEachern / Maroon

SunnyD deserves to move up. It wouldn’t matter if he centers and Thomas does RW.

I’d love to see the awesome skill set and forecheck of that second line. That line would be tough to defend against.

 

[The Note]

Just for tonight 03-01:

Perron O’Reilly Tarasenko
Schenn Thomas Sundqvist
Schwartz Bozak Fabbri
Steen Barbashev MacEachern / Maroon

SunnyD deserves to move up. It wouldn’t matter if he centers and Thomas does RW.

I’d love to see the awesome skill set and forecheck of that second line. That line would be tough to defend against.

Perron didn’t make the trip, Schenn is questionable.

 

[Majorityof1]

If we end up playing Nashville in the playoffs, I want MacMac in the lineup just to get under Subban's skin. Now ... my next suggestion is going to be very unpopular. (Deep breath). I really think we should call up Jordan Nolan for a Nashville tilt. Even if he spends most of the time in the press box. Nashville (to my slight surprise), really seems to get rattled when they are played physically. Send Nolan out there from time to time to stir things up with big, but legal, hits. I think he is smart and experienced enough to pick his spots wisely. Likewise, Bortuzzo, Edmundson, MDZ and Maroon (yeah, I know ), could be crucial players in such a series.

Nolan doesn't hit as much as you think. He has 22 hits in 14 games for 1.57 hits/gm. MacMac has 33 in 20 for a slightly better per game. Blais has 80 hits in 27 games for almost twice as many hits per game at nearly 3. On a per minute basis, both MacMAc and Blais more than Nolan as well. I'd rather role with those two and Barby than Nolan. As far as legal hits, Nolan leads the team (excluding Jerabek) in Penalties per 60. He has 1.62 to MacMac's 1.12 and Blais miniscule .45. In terms of big hits, those aren't tracked but I do remember Blais trucking more people than either as well.

The kid line works well together. No reason to sub in a guy for hits when he hits less than either wing over the course of a decent 20+ game sample from this year.

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

I'm not dressing Nolan against Nashville. Dressing an actual enforcer would definitely put Nashville on edge, and I don't trust Nashville, especially McLeod, to not escalate things out of hand. I don't want someone important getting run by a piece of **** like McLeod because we decided to dress Nolan over what's worked for us.

 

[BlueDream]

I'm not dressing Nolan against Nashville. Dressing an actual enforcer would definitely put Nashville on edge, and I don't trust Nashville, especially McLeod, to not escalate things out of hand. I don't want someone important getting run by a piece of **** like McLeod because we decided to dress Nolan over what's worked for us.

I don’t really think there’s a correlation there.

Nolan’s advanced stats are actually really good this year in his time with the Blues. I’d like to see the Blues re-sign him and keep him around in the organization.

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

I don’t really think there’s a correlation there.

Nolan’s advanced stats are actually really good this year in his time with the Blues. I’d like to see the Blues re-sign him and keep him around in the organization.

Agreed, I've liked Nolan as well in his time here. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but it's just that as long as Nashville employs a goon like McLeod, I'd rather not ice someone who'd be viewed by them as a goon because I feel like they're more likely than not to escalate to running our players. We have enough physicality with Maroon, Blais, Mac, Bortz, Barby, and Ed, no need to ice someone who in my mind increases injury risk of our own players.