"Easiest way to fix this is stick the 2 guys who have been playing their roles up to par this year together play them 20+ minutes. Put the Hamhuis - Bieksa pairing back together and let them figure it out. Rotate Ballard, Barker, and Vandeermeer with Garrison until you find a pairing that can at least box out the net and chip it off the glass. Which ever pairing is playing better play them as the second pairing until Hamhuis Bieksa figure it out."
Posted this in last nights PGT. So happy to see AV do the obvious fix for once. I personally predict the defence as a whole will have it's best stretch in recent memory if left together in this setup.
As for everyone complaining about Garrison being on the 3rd pairing even strength, it's the same principle as having a 2A and 2B line, if you have the personel it lightens the load on all the players involved.
And being on the 3rd pairing even strength doesn't stop him from being on the the penalty kill. What stops him from being there is himself, once he gets used to the system I can see Garrison as our #2 pk defencemen behind Hamhuis.
Also I would love to see Hamhuis - Garrison as the second unit pp. Would work wonder's for Garrison to have a defencemen who likes to pass more than shoot playing accross from him on the PP(not Edler or Bieksa)