4 Line-ups- Dach/No Dach

[anotheridiot]

I just kind of tie those bonus dollars to Panarin. He got 2 million both years he was here and he was still impossible to resign since he was already being paid that bridge number of 3.5 that Stan desires.

 

[Raskolnikov]

To your points, Kubalik/Dach/Kurashev seem like the best chance to grab the mantle and actually carry a franchise. There is alot of support at the seams, but to be great they need a couple unexpected "great ones" to emerge.

Right now looking less than the sum of their parts is a problem. Its a god awful nightmare to pair these guys with the Cat/Jewels/Shaw issue...the faceoff issues...and the defensive imbalances.

If Colloton ignores that stuff though then Cat ends up getting boarded and his face rubbed in the ice with no protection.

I don't know what to do...but I'd just follow what the Bruins do and put centers all over the place.

Kubalik/Cat/Strome-Dach/Strome-Kane (skill)
Dach/Strome/Cat/Kubalik-Toews-Jewels/Shaw (elite grit)
Saad-Kampf-Cat/Kubalik (speed)


Its a mess. I'm sorry but the third line must be split. Kubalik is the right guy for Toews.

Jewels-Toews-(Dach/Kubalik/Kane/Saad)
(Cat/Dach/Kubalik)-Strome-(Kane/Dach/Kubalik)
Saad-Kampf-(Kubalik/Shaw/Cat)
(Shaw/Perlini/Nylander)-(Dach/Carp)-Smith

"simplified version pairing Kampf-Kubalik even if its not right it makes sense"
Jewels-Toews-(Dach/Kane/Perlini)
Cat/Dach-Strome-Kane/Dach

Quit running Shaw as a top 6...how good have the Canadiens been with that? Fair question? Cuz the Hawks were never that good with it in the past either. Do you want a guy with some top 6 skills on the bottom 6 or a guy with some grit in the top 6? He is a tweener for sure but we look good with him on the third or 4th line, reduced minutes preserve his body and keep him out of the box. The game can only handle so much Shaw and he can only handle so much of the game, imo. Less is more.


Who decided Cat-Strome-Kane sucks? Is that something Kane must not like? Does it get scored on? Maybe new D and healthy netminders would change the advanced statistics from early last year, idk.

Something is preventing Colloton from making any sense on his lines...I don't get it. I'm fine with Strome-Dach-Kane and get why you would do that for faceoffs, let Kane be on a laser show and build that true grit line around Toews. Give him the kid and Jewels has earned it the most, imo or Shaw/Nylander/Cat to run with Toews. They seem to have a thing. See what they look like with Kane again or the kid or Kubalik.

I hope they look at Jewels-Toews-Dach with Cat-Strome-Kane

 

[Raskolnikov]

I am real worried about Murphy.

Was it him or DeHaan or both battling a groin injury in pre-season? If you didn't rest the first time it usually goes from 2-3 weeks into the very bad 4-6 week category on a "re-injury."

And we need him.

 

[Granada]

I am real worried about Murphy.

Was it him or DeHaan or both battling a groin injury in pre-season? If you didn't rest the first time it usually goes from 2-3 weeks into the very bad 4-6 week category on a "re-injury."

And we need him.

It was both, but it's the second year in a row where Murphy started the year injured. I mentioned this right when it was announced about Murphy. It's concerning to say the least.

 

[Raskolnikov]

It was both, but it's the second year in a row where Murphy started the year injured. I mentioned this right when it was announced about Murphy. It's concerning to say the least.

Yeah...so this is bad. You almost have to shut him down for 6 weeks now or lose him for the season or career. You don't mess with a second strain, there is real tearing there.

Thank God for DeHaan.

I hope we see the DeHaan-Maata or DeHaan-Keith options and not Keith-Gus.

But Koekkoek-Gus will bear monitoring.

 

[Granada]

Yeah...so this is bad. You almost have to shut him down for 6 weeks now or lose him for the season or career. You don't mess with a second strain, there is real tearing there.

Thank God for DeHaan.

I hope we see the DeHaan-Maata or DeHaan-Keith options and not Keith-Gus.

But Koekkoek-Gus will bear monitoring.

Agree. It's bad for Murphy career-wise, especially considering the physical game he likes to play (and which the Blackhawks desperately need). Think his last major injury was his back, which required surgery on top of it; now, it's his groin.

I'm scared on this lineup will look without Murphy. This is our current top-tandem D-man. I agree that I'd like to see De Haan with Keith; maybe keep Seabs and Maatta together for now, let them continue to build chemistry.

The fact that KoKo might be in the lineup eventually makes me nauseous. He utterly blows. Gilbert has been recalled for tonight's game at least, which is fine by me.

 

[Granada]

Very ironic stat by Jay Zawaski with regard to Murphy/Hammer:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1187042731455107074

 

[LordKOTL]

I just kind of tie those bonus dollars to Panarin. He got 2 million both years he was here and he was still impossible to resign since he was already being paid that bridge number of 3.5 that Stan desires.

In one way it sucks, but in another way if a player does reach their performance bonus, that means they were playing lights-out, which is not a bad thing.

If Dach does max his ELC bonus out this year, chances are he's making a strong argument for being the team #1C. I don't think that's a bad thing in any way, shape, or form.

Yeah...so this is bad. You almost have to shut him down for 6 weeks now or lose him for the season or career. You don't mess with a second strain, there is real tearing there.

Thank God for DeHaan.

I hope we see the DeHaan-Maata or DeHaan-Keith options and not Keith-Gus.

But Koekkoek-Gus will bear monitoring.

It looks like deHaan/Keith based on a twitter post. And I agree that KK/Gus will need to be deployed only when we don't need an NHL-calibre defense.

Without Murph it will likley suck, but deHaan hasn't looked bad at all. Can't say the same abut Runblad v2.0

 

[MassHavoc]

There is a lot of opinion being stated as fact....

 

[Raskolnikov]

There is a lot of opinion being stated as fact....

Please explain

 

[hawkinmontreal]

If that was the case, it could bite him in the ass. Kaner may playing like it's 2018 and he could give a shit but he can at least score at will when he wants to. Toews, aside from last year has been Meh. the previous 3 for whatever excuse (gassed, injury, machu picchu, vegetarianism, woman issues, etc.), which would beg the question of whether Toews' 2019 campaign was an anomaly or not. With guys like Dach coming up I woulkd think it would be in Toews' best interest to play harder or develop chemistry with someone that can keep him in the top-2 lines. If not--and he plays like he has where he's basically Yannik Perrault (Faceoffs...and that's about it), he can find himself in the bottom-6 and hard to dig his way out being on the wrong side of 30. You also have to consider that chances are if the team fails this year Stan, and likely JC by proxy are gone. A vet coach (think Q, Mark Crawford, etc,) likely won't be awed and impressed like a youngin like JC would be.

Just spitballing but I really think it's at the point where the core players have to amp it up or lose their slots to the next gen players.

Hey Lord, I really have no idea what is going on with Tazer, I am just speculating on why he may be playing the way he is. I, like many were expecting to see the Toews of last season. Sometimes it can be simple as gripping your stick to tight or just missing out on a little puck luck, but for him and not only him, we can put Kane in that category as well just look disintereste.

 

[hawkinmontreal]

I hope he actually gets to shoot one in soon

Maybe tonight

 

[LordKOTL]

Hey Lord, I really have no idea what is going on with Tazer, I am just speculating on why he may be playing the way he is. I, like many were expecting to see the Toews of last season. Sometimes it can be simple as gripping your stick to tight or just missing out on a little puck luck, but for him and not only him, we can put Kane in that category as well just look disintereste.

I don't think any of us do know. Hell, on another message board some were speculating about Toews getting foot tattoos was the reason his game was bad...I'm assuming tongue-in-cheek.

I think everyone wants him to get engaged, but why? Who knows. I was hoping that GWG would have sparkplugged him, but he was less Toews more Arkhipov last game.

 

[Raskolnikov]

I thought the answer was self-evident when they put Keith-Seabs-Kane-Toews up on the screen and said they were the first 4-man group to play 14 years together since the GOAT dynasty of Montreal.

It doesn't happen for a reason. These guys are old, they feel old, they look old, and Kane is the only transcendant player skilled enough to outplay his age AND play up to the new skill era.

Toews is fine, he is in it and just picking his spots more. I expect he will show up in this 3 in 4. This is when the tough get going.

 

[Raskolnikov]

This team needs a top 6 winger with a good body and ethic, for Perlini, Gus, Delia/Lahtenan and necessary prospects/picks to work it.

I'm not against trading one of Shaw or Jewels either. Creating lines for them with Cat/Kane is an issue.

 

[hawkinmontreal]

This team needs a top 6 winger with a good body and ethic, for Perlini, Gus, Delia/Lahtenan and necessary prospects/picks to work it.

Unfortunately the team needs more than a top 6. It almost feels as though they will ride out the contracts of the core and rebuild from there. Let the team keep sinking to aquire top end talent at the draft and go from there.
Maybe Stan or whoever is the GM at the time can work some magic and move Seabrook to Seattle, I am pretty sure this will be it for CC this season, there is a few years left on Keith’s contract, so maybe the front feels this is the best path to take.

 

[Raskolnikov]

Unfortunately the team needs more than a top 6. It almost feels as though they will ride out the contracts of the core and rebuild from there. Let the team keep sinking to aquire top end talent at the draft and go from there.
Maybe Stan or whoever is the GM at the time can work some magic and move Seabrook to Seattle, I am pretty sure this will be it for CC this season, there is a few years left on Keith’s contract, so maybe the front feels this is the best path to take.

They have a chance to be structured effectively mid-way through next year, imo.

They really just need a top 6 wing and a top pair D. 2 premium players with little cap, but they have 2 5,000,000 goalies and plenty of trade bait to ply the right player at the right price.

They wouldn't have traded Saarela unless they see Nylander as that player?
Someone needs to alert Colloton that despite his fame and nack for the net Shaw is not a top 6. The thing with Shaw is he creates his own, he doesn't benefit from top 6 skill players he benifits just as much from chaos in the bottom 6. His surprise element, he sneaks off to cherry pick. He crashes the net like a wolverine. You can play him top 6 in a pinch which is really nice but Colloton isn't searching for other solutions and that well has limited dividends. For every chance Shaw creates out of nothing on the top 6 he squanders from your biggest guns with chaos, and chaos puts them in danger.

I think him and Kampf would have something going and start a strong 3rd line, open up one of those wingers for the Toews line.

Saad-Toews-Jewels/Cat
Cat/Dach-Strome-Kane
Dach/Shaw-Kampf-Kubalik
Nylander/Perlini/Shaw-Carp-Smith/Perlini


This set-up looks fair to what has been earned and Cat has to get going as much as Toews and I have little hope they can do so together. If Cat isn't playing with Kane he needs to be on the third line.

 

[hawkinmontreal]

They have a chance to be structured effectively mid-way through next year, imo.

They really just need a top 6 wing and a top pair D. 2 premium players with little cap, but they have 2 5,000,000 goalies and plenty of trade bait to ply the right player at the right price.

They wouldn't have traded Saarela unless they see Nylander as that player?
Someone needs to alert Colloton that despite his fame and nack for the net Shaw is not a top 6. The thing with Shaw is he creates his own, he doesn't benefit from top 6 skill players he benifits just as much from chaos in the bottom 6. His surprise element, he sneaks off to cherry pick. He crashes the net like a wolverine. You can play him top 6 in a pinch which is really nice but Colloton isn't searching for other solutions and that well has limited dividends. For every chance Shaw creates out of nothing on the top 6 he squanders from your biggest guns with chaos, and chaos puts them in danger.

I think him and Kampf would have something going and start a strong 3rd line, open up one of those wingers for the Toews line.

Saad-Toews-Jewels/Cat
Cat/Dach-Strome-Kane
Dach/Shaw-Kampf-Kubalik
Nylander/Perlini/Shaw-Carp-Smith/Perlini


This set-up looks fair to what has been earned and Cat has to get going as much as Toews and I have little hope they can do so together. If Cat isn't playing with Kane he needs to be on the third line.

You can mish mash line combos all you want, the team is lost and no line combo will change that right now. As long as JC is the coach this team will sink faster than the titanic.

 

[Bigfoot]

I'm beginning to believe JC is not the right guy to lead this team. We are old and slow, and for whatever reason do not know how to play team defence despite JC being here for a year and half.

I'm watching the Flames and Jets and both teams look fast, forecheck aggressively, and always seems to have players in position. Where as when we play guys are always skating around, or are bunched up together

 

[hawkinmontreal]

I'm beginning to believe JC is not the right guy to lead this team. We are old and slow, and for whatever reason do not know how to play team defence despite JC being here for a year and half.

I'm watching the Flames and Jets and both teams look fast, forecheck aggressively, and always seems to have players in position. Where as when we play guys are always skating around, or are bunched up together

Starting to believe Bigfoot, he is a terrible coach, his system is a failure, his man on man defensive coverage is not working, the players have tuned him out.