Line Combos: 2016-17 Line Combinations

[TheBigBadB]

How about this. Let's try putting Backes in his most comfortable position as a center and build around that. He isn't Horton or Iginla or even Lucic. Stop trying it.

Claude has a bad habit of taking centers and forcing them to wing.

 

[BruinDust]

When the Morrow/Colin are on the ice the Bruins have good Corsi.

When Morrow/Colin are on the ice the Bruins score fewer goals per minute than when Chara, Carlo, Kevan, McQuaid, Krug and Liles are on the ice.

So to me, it looks like Morrow/Colin are suffering from a more extreme case of what the whole team is suffering... good shot prevention, lots of rubber on net, no goals.

Which two of McQuaid, Morrow and Colin is going to be playing in a given game is not why the Bruins are not scoring goals.

I'd prefer Morrow/Colin for all the obvious reasons listed, too. But, let's be clear, on a team that has to win 2-1 because there is no secondary scoring, picking a McQuaid instead of one of the kids is more than defensible.

The Bruins problem is that they have 4th liners on the 2nd line. They have 4th liners on the 3rd line. And they have 4th liners on the 4th line. Spooner and Beleksey should be 3rd liners but are playing like crap.

I think you nailed it here.

And that's why to me, it's so hard to judge this D-corps on an individual basis with anything other than the eye-ball test.

Because if your not out on the ice with Marchand and Pastrnak, your chances of having your production (as D rely heavily on 2nd assists) or plus/minus being affected in a postive manner is pretty much none at this point.

I mean, this team is running a 3rd line center with all of one goal and 3 assists in 30 games now, 37.5% of a season. He's on pace for less than 3 goals this year. And his only goal, wasn't even a clean shot, but a random toss at the net that triple deflected in. So in 30 games, Boston's 3rd line C has yet to score a goal that wasn't pure luck. That's Kemppainen level bad.

In 48 man games between Hayes-Kuraly-Blidh-Acciairi-Heinen, the Bruins have all of one goal. That's enforcer level production out of your 12th forward.

Boston's most common 3rd line wingers (Belesky and Czarnik) have a total combined 4 goals in 49 man games, which works out to a pace of 13 combined goals from your 3rd line wingers, and 16 total goals a season from your entire 3rd line. That's not going to cut it in any league.

Think how bad it would be if Schaller and Moore hadn't produce more than anyone expected.

 

[BNHL]

When the Morrow/Colin are on the ice the Bruins have good Corsi.

When Morrow/Colin are on the ice the Bruins score fewer goals per minute than when Chara, Carlo, Kevan, McQuaid, Krug and Liles are on the ice.

So to me, it looks like Morrow/Colin are suffering from a more extreme case of what the whole team is suffering... good shot prevention, lots of rubber on net, no goals.

Which two of McQuaid, Morrow and Colin is going to be playing in a given game is not why the Bruins are not scoring goals.

I'd prefer Morrow/Colin for all the obvious reasons listed, too. But, let's be clear, on a team that has to win 2-1 because there is no secondary scoring, picking a McQuaid instead of one of the kids is more than defensible.

The Bruins problem is that they have 4th liners on the 2nd line. They have 4th liners on the 3rd line. And they have 4th liners on the 4th line. Spooner and Beleksey should be 3rd liners but are playing like crap.

Yup,it's a weak lineup.

 

[BruinDust]

How about this. Let's try putting Backes in his most comfortable position as a center and build around that. He isn't Horton or Iginla or even Lucic. Stop trying it.

Claude has a bad habit of taking centers and forcing them to wing.

He also has a bad habit of trying to recreate lines that worked 5 years ago with different but similar players.

He's now tried to make both Belesky and Schaller the new "Lucic"

And Iginla and Backes the new "Horton"

 

[Bmessy]

Marchand and Pastrnak have no problem creating offense on their own. Id have no problem if they split em up to try to spread out some goals

 

[wintersej]

I assume the way it is worded I don't get what it Wintersg is trying to convey.

i don't think any of Morrow/Colin/Kevan/McQuaid are perfect D-men.

Morrow and Colin are weaker executing Julien's bend-don't-break defensive zone system, but are stronger at getting the puck out of the zone, especially with the Bruins maintain possession of the puck with speed.

Kevan and McQuaid are better at executing Julien's defensive zone system, but are weaker at getting the puck out of the zone, especially with the Bruins maintain possession of the puck with speed.

That's the comparison in a nutshell, eyeball test style. '

Don't think anyone would disagree with this.

Personally, I believe getting the puck out of your zone quickly and consistently, while maintaining possession, and allowing your forwards to maintain speed through the neutral zone, results in easier offensive zone entries, and has a greater overall impact on the game. Hard to get scored on when the puck isn't in your zone.

Conversely, even the best defensive D-men will get scored on eventually if they spend significant amounts of time in their own zone defending, and if they do obtain puck possession, give up that position quickly, and often don't exit the zone at all. Which increases fatigue, which impacts the entire group caught out on the ice defending throughout the whole game.

In general, sure! But here is where we start to disagree on this Boston Bruins team. Colin and Morrow getting the puck up more quickly to the Bruins top 9 players like Schaller and Nash isn't going to increase scoring very much, and not enough to make up for McQuaid/Kevan's PK abilities and ability to clear the crease and prevent high quality shots.

In fact, the Bruins score the least when Colin and Morrow are out there. It's that case because Colin and Morrow spend most of their time on ice either with the Nash or Krejci (pretty much evenly) and don't get sweet sweet Bergeron line sugar as much. And the 2nd and 3rd lines are not scoring. If we had more forwards that could take advantage of Colin/Morrow puck moving better, I would be singing a different tune, but we don't.

The middle 6 needs a major revamp. Some of that is coming over the next 12 months on its own (Vatrano, Heinen, JFK, Bjork, Senyshyn, DeBrusk, Cehlarik, yada yada), but until it happens (and I don't think just waiting on the kids is enough, the rumor of looking to move Spooner+ for a wing seems like the clear right move), I think arguing over which three of the Millers, Morrow and McQuaid are going to be in the lineup is us venting frustration more than anything worthwhile.

 

[wintersej]

He also has a bad habit of trying to recreate lines that worked 5 years ago with different but similar players.

He's now tried to make both Belesky and Schaller the new "Lucic"

And Iginla and Backes the new "Horton"

Backes is the new Lucic. If that line had its Horton, I think we would all be much happier.

 

[Ten Thousand Hours]

Backes is the new Lucic. If that line had its Horton, I think we would all be much happier.

Lucic and Krejci worked even when Miro Satan was on the other side. Backes and Krejci is not Lucic and Krejci.

 

[Blowfish]

Bruins tried Heinen. Why not Cehlarik. Heinen had been mehhhh.

 

[Absurdity]

 

[Pia8988]

Pasta finally on the 1st PP, the second PP looks horrific, just don't play them a lot. Also like Pastrnak being moved from Bergeron. Team needs more than 1 line. Brad and Bergeron should be able to produce just fine with Backes. Krejci now has someone who can actually put his passes in the net.

 

[wintersej]

Happy about all those changes. Skeptical about the 3rd line, but think you have to at least try it given the scoring woes. PP2 just shows how little depth the team has up front.

 

[Blowfish]

and Hayes on the 2nd pp wtf. Like that spooner finally getting shot back at centre and about friggin time backes away from Krejci but PAsta stuck with krejci And schaller.

 

[finchster]

Dominic Moore on the powerplay, like Sweeney said after the signing

but but! he meant penalty kill!

 

[TMac21]

Spooner has to play in the middle, at least give the third line a sniff of offensive threat. Claude has to find a way to live with it.

 

[toasterjam]

When the Morrow/Colin are on the ice the Bruins have good Corsi.

When Morrow/Colin are on the ice the Bruins score fewer goals per minute than when Chara, Carlo, Kevan, McQuaid, Krug and Liles are on the ice.

So to me, it looks like Morrow/Colin are suffering from a more extreme case of what the whole team is suffering... good shot prevention, lots of rubber on net, no goals.

Which two of McQuaid, Morrow and Colin is going to be playing in a given game is not why the Bruins are not scoring goals.

I'd prefer Morrow/Colin for all the obvious reasons listed, too. But, let's be clear, on a team that has to win 2-1 because there is no secondary scoring, picking a McQuaid instead of one of the kids is more than defensible.

The Bruins problem is that they have 4th liners on the 2nd line. They have 4th liners on the 3rd line. And they have 4th liners on the 4th line. Spooner and Beleksey should be 3rd liners but are playing like crap.

agreed, all good points!

 

[HumBucker]

I guess switching Backes and Pasta is worth a try.

Maybe another option is to switch Krejci and Backes? I like Backes, but he's underperformed against expectations. Maybe try him at centre for a while?

Or move Spooner up with DK and let Backes centre the 3rd line with Nash, Schaller, Czarnik, whoever.

But... Hayes on the PP? What's the logic of giving an ineffective player PP time? Yeah, he's a big body for net-front, but, if that's the criteria, put Chara or even Carlo there.

 

[Mount Kramer Cameras]

Those changes look like almost everything that has been asked for by the majority. Good stuff

 

[Blowfish]

Those changes look like almost everything that has been asked for by the majority. Good stuff

Hopefully Colin m and morrow in. Cehlarik called up after p bruins game today.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

Dominic Moore on the powerplay, like Sweeney said after the signing

but but! he meant penalty kill!

My first thought too.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

...

Overall, I like these lines better. Sure wish we weren't looking at Schaller in the top six/Hayes in a team uniform... But this is an improvement.

 

[riverhawkey91]

Spooner - Krejci - Pastrnak
Marchand - Bergeron - Heinen
Schaller - Backes - Czarnik
Moore - Nash - Acciari

Vatrano in for Schaller when he's back. Do it Claude, I dare you.

 

[LSCII]

Spooner - Krejci - Pastrnak
Marchand - Bergeron - Heinen
Schaller - Backes - Czarnik
Moore - Nash - Acciari

Vatrano in for Schaller when he's back. Do it Claude, I dare you.

Never happen. Lines aren't balanced out with enough defensive awareness for Claude to even consider them.

 

[LSCII]

Those lines, and more importantly the PP units, make me want to puke.

 

[DKH]

Those lines, and more importantly the PP units, make me want to puke.

Disgraceful

I haven't eaten dessert yet but puking is a great verb and sums it up

Go Bruincentric