Pre-Game Talk: GAME #30 at Poutineville 12/12 7:30 PM - Claude rolls the dice and changes the lines

[Fenway]

Coach Claude Julien broke up arguably the best line in the NHL in Sunday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena. David Pastrnak, the NHL’s No. 2 goal scorer (18) behind Sidney Crosby (20), is no longer with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron.

Pastrnak is practicing on the second line with Tim Schaller and David Krejci. David Backes, formerly the No. 2 right wing, is in Pastrnak’s spot on the first line.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/b...ns-practice/xGdAHuGS2sZRf6TLAgoD9M/story.html


Sunday’s practice lineup
FORWARD LINES

Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-David Backes

Tim Schaller/Frank Vatrano-David Krejci-David Pastrnak

Danton Heinen-Ryan Spooner-Austin Czarnik/Jimmy Hayes

Dominic Moore-Riley Nash-Noel Acciari

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS

Zdeno Chara-Brandon Carlo

Torey Krug-Adam McQuaid

Joe Morrow-Kevan Miller

Colin Miller

GOAL

Tuukka Rask

Anton Khudobin

Click to read more...

 

[Pia8988]

About time forward lines got shaken up.

 

[LSCII]

He made changes, but all the wrong ones. Why the **** would you break up the one line that's actually scoring?

 

[Pia8988]

He made changes, but all the wrong ones. Why the **** would you break up the one line that's actually scoring?

Because now you have 2 lines with a player who can actaully score goals instead of one. Pastrnak will be able to produce with Krejci and Marchand will now take back the role of a shooter.

 

[bossfan]

He made changes, but all the wrong ones. Why the **** would you break up the one line that's actually scoring?

Krejci's strength is passing to set up scoring chances. Now he has Pastrnak to try to cash in on that. And on the Bergeron line you will have Backes hopefully crashing the boards and digging out the puck to set up Marchand or Bergeron.

Not saying it is the right move but that is my guess on why he made that particular change. If it works then presto you go from one line that can score to two lines that have a chance to score.

Edit - Looks like Pia8988 beat me to it.

 

[Dr Hook]

He made changes, but all the wrong ones. Why the **** would you break up the one line that's actually scoring?

It wouldn't hurt to see how it works for a game or two. Pasta still gets to benefit from playing with a great playmaker in Krejci and the top line still has its shooter in Marchand, with Backes maybe helping Bergeron by camping in the front of the net for rebounds and deflections. Bergeron is getting them on net, they just aren't going in. Maybe Backes helps. It's worth a try. I imagine Pasta still scores on the 2nd line, so why not see if we can get Bergeron and Backes going a little bit.

 

[SPLBRUIN]

Finally some common sense. Now if he finally puts Pasta/Marchand on the 1st PP unit and sits one of McQuaid/K Miller we might actually give ourselves a chance to win some games.

 

[toasterjam]

interesting, I actually had a dream last night that he broke up the Bergeron line

and that he tried the 3 center way
Bergeron
Krejci
and Backes got his own line
must be reading too much HFboards late at night



well it is a change...can it really be worse than what weve been seeing? Part of me thinks Pasta, playing this hot, is gonna score/get quality scoring chances no matter what line he is on..maybe he will rub off on a few other players.

 

[Dr Hook]

Finally some common sense. Now if he finally puts Pasta/Marchand on the 1st PP unit and sits one of McQuaid/K Miller we might actually give ourselves a chance to win some games.

This is what I am hoping to see- a different look on the PP. I don't know how long it has to keep failing before they give up and try something else. It has mystified me all season why Marchand isn't on the top PP unit, and now Pasta.

I don't think we'll see Miller and McQuaid sitting again unless there is an injury- sad but true. Then again, if Miller can just show that same jump and fire he had those first few games after he came back, it would be better (I know his first two back were poor, but then he had about 5-6 games in a row where he looked like a top 4 guy).

 

[Danton Heineken]

Yeah, let's put the 2nd leading goal scorer in the league with two grinders. That'll jump start the offense.

 

[Pia8988]

This is what I am hoping to see- a different look on the PP. I don't know how long it has to keep failing before they give up and try something else. It has mystified me all season why Marchand isn't on the top PP unit, and now Pasta.

I don't think we'll see Miller and McQuaid sitting again unless there is an injury- sad but true. Then again, if Miller can just show that same jump and fire he had those first few games after he came back, it would be better (I know his first two back were poor, but then he had about 5-6 games in a row where he looked like a top 4 guy).

Because Marchand is terrible on the PP. Pucks die on his stick.

 

[Dr Hook]

Because Marchand is terrible on the PP. Pucks die on his stick.

On a team that at points was using Matt Beleskey and Jimmy Hayes on the PP, I don't see how you go wrong with a 35 goal scorer, whether the PP is his best game or not. Right now it isn't doing doodly crap and hasn't all season.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Schaller back on the 2nd line is the reason this team cannot score. Only a few good players then 4th line depth.

It reminds me of when Chiarelli traded one of our top 3 defensemen because we had too much bottom pairing and AHL depth.

He really ruined this team.

 

[vjcsmoke]

smells of desperation. but if it works clode looks like a geniues. bruins desperately need a win especially against the canadiens. if we lose badly, heads will roll!

 

[roflstomper]

I would've went really crazy

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


Get Spooner between two guys who are going to produce pretty much no matter what. Build his value. Let that line loose offensively. Move Bergeron to wing to help him get his **** together, take the load off him a little. Backes should be playing center. Give the team an actual third line presence. Schaller and Czarnik make an interesting dichotomy.

 

[caz16]

Why not try it? It's not like the lines are stuck that way for the whole game...and it is the Habs...almost a scheduled loss, so take some chances.

 

[LSCII]

Krejci's strength is passing to set up scoring chances. Now he has Pastrnak to try to cash in on that. And on the Bergeron line you will have Backes hopefully crashing the boards and digging out the puck to set up Marchand or Bergeron.

Not saying it is the right move but that is my guess on why he made that particular change. If it works then presto you go from one line that can score to two lines that have a chance to score.

Edit - Looks like Pia8988 beat me to it.

Because now you have 2 lines with a player who can actaully score goals instead of one. Pastrnak will be able to produce with Krejci and Marchand will now take back the role of a shooter.

It wouldn't hurt to see how it works for a game or two. Pasta still gets to benefit from playing with a great playmaker in Krejci and the top line still has its shooter in Marchand, with Backes maybe helping Bergeron by camping in the front of the net for rebounds and deflections. Bergeron is getting them on net, they just aren't going in. Maybe Backes helps. It's worth a try. I imagine Pasta still scores on the 2nd line, so why not see if we can get Bergeron and Backes going a little bit.

I disagree. We've seen Pasta and DK before, and it's not effective. They play fundamentally different games. Pasta plays with speed and DK plays a slow down game. They couldn't be more diametrically opposed if you tried. It's moronic to even do that. If anything, you put Backes and Pasta back together since they've at least shown chemistry together. Schaller on the second line is exactly why Claude drives me nuts. ****ing dumb with a capital F...

 

[Pia8988]

On a team that at points was using Matt Beleskey and Jimmy Hayes on the PP, I don't see how you go wrong with a 35 goal scorer, whether the PP is his best game or not. Right now it isn't doing doodly crap and hasn't all season.

Neither of those players are on the 1st PP so they is completely moot. It's not even about it not being his best, Marchand is downright awful on the PP. It just isn't his skill set. He can be on the 2nd unit, but should absolutely not be on the 1st.

 

[riverhawkey91]

Claude makes my head hurt sometimes. I'm all for moving Pastrnak to be with Krejci -- as good as Pastrnak has been the last few weeks, his success has largely neutralized Bergeron/Marchand's scoring, so that should open both lines up. But then don't keep Schaller at 2LW...either shift Backes to LW or put Spooner there. I feel like some of us (or maybe it's just me) have been waiting years now to see Spooner and Pastrnak try and reignite their magic from that short stretch, and this would be the perfect opportunity for that. These lines really don't help re-balance the offense like we need to do.

 

[Pia8988]

I disagree. We've seen Pasta and DK before, and it's not effective. They play fundamentally different games. Pasta plays with speed and DK plays a slow down game. They couldn't be more diametrically opposed if you tried. It's moronic to even do that. If anything, you put Backes and Pasta back together since they've at least shown chemistry together. Schaller on the second line is exactly why Claude drives me nuts. ****ing dumb with a capital F...

They have 2 of their top 9 LWs injured.

As for Pastrnak not being able to play with Krejci. Pasta isn't playing how his did his last two seasons. A lot of his goals come from finding good spots on the offensive zone and Marchand finding him and him slamming it home. Krejci will be able to do that. He also wasn't looking to shoot as much his first two seasons as evident in he only needs 40 more shot attempts to break his career high while having only played half the amount of games as those years.

 

[Orrfourever]

I says it's open season on Price. Let the Boys get in his kitchen. We seen how he does not like it. And besides Weber who's going to stop them. Not that I condon such behavior.

 

[Spanky185]

Claude makes my head hurt sometimes. I'm all for moving Pastrnak to be with Krejci -- as good as Pastrnak has been the last few weeks, his success has largely neutralized Bergeron/Marchand's scoring, so that should open both lines up. But then don't keep Schaller at 2LW...either shift Backes to LW or put Spooner there. I feel like some of us (or maybe it's just me) have been waiting years now to see Spooner and Pastrnak try and reignite their magic from that short stretch, and this would be the perfect opportunity for that. These lines really don't help re-balance the offense like we need to do.

Not just you. I'm dying to see Spooner and pasta back together on the same line

 

[Jdavidev]

Schaller back on the 2nd line is the reason this team cannot score. Only a few good players then 4th line depth.

It reminds me of when Chiarelli traded one of our top 3 defensemen because we had too much bottom pairing and AHL depth.

He really ruined this team.

You may be right, but seems that is a placeholder until vatrano is ready.

Spooner at center in third line? Nobody is talking about that? Probably moot, as midway through the next game, you know the lines will be back to what they once were.

 

[LSCII]

They have 2 of their top 9 LWs injured.

As for Pastrnak not being able to play with Krejci. Pasta isn't playing how his did his last two seasons. A lot of his goals come from finding good spots on the offensive zone and Marchand finding him and him slamming it home. Krejci will be able to do that. He also wasn't looking to shoot as much his first two seasons as evident in he only needs 40 more shot attempts to break his career high while having only played half the amount of games as those years.

If you think the issues with their scoring stem from missing Matt Beleskey and Frank Vatrano, then we don't need to continue this conversation...

In terms of DK, the only thing that will get him going is when he decides to finally play hard. Guy is literally the most frustrating player on this team because he has the talent, but lacks the desire.

 

[EverettMike]

There is literally no good combination of lines. The forward corps isn't good enough.