New line: Bournival-Briere-Bourque

[Lafleurs Guy]

Can't be worse than having DD out there.
I am rooting for DD to be able to salvage his career but it may have to start in Hamilton. He needs a major infusion of confidence, the AHL may be where he gets his mojo back.

It's time for him to go to Hamilton for a while. He's been given every opportunity and last night was the last straw.

Go to the minors, work on your game, see how it goes... Team can't wait any longer.

 

[Et le But]

Well, it can't be any worse then the same line with Desharnais at C, can it? I don't have much faith in Briere, but perhaps the layoff plus moving back to his real position will squeeze whatever is left in him out.

I'd love to see Bournival play with Plek and Pacioretty, but moving Gionta down there would make that line even softer, probably not a good idea.

It's time to send Desharnais to Hamilton, as others have said. If he's going to have any future in the NHL, he needs confidence, and he can actually be useful down there.

 

[Forsead]

I really like the potential of that line, Flyers all said that Brière isn't effective on the wing. Bourque is playing well, but it was a disaster with Desharnais and Bournival is impressive. He go to the net, his speed is hard for defensemens and he can set up plays.

 

[Dominator13]

Best lines all year, minus Prust IMO. That 3rd line could be something special. Swapping DD for Brière brings me the same feeling as when the Habs just traded for somebody new.

 

[Markowicz]

I'd actually swap Gionta with Bournival.

Me too. Bournival is proving day in day out that he should be playing with team's best forwards, not Gionta.

 

[Adriatic]

I don't think Briere at center will ever work, this is not 2007 the guy can't skate like he used to. He's gonna be stuck deep in our zone more often then not running around trying to play defense. Hope it works but I don't see it happening at this stage of his career. And why take Bournival away from the Plekanec line, he's the reason why Plek and Gionta got going in the first place. We finally have 2 lines going why mess with that, let the other 6 players figure it out. Take away Bourn you will see Plek and Gionta slumping once again no doubt.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Briere can't be worse than DD, but don't expect him to be much better. He's coming off a concussion and wasn't very good before that. Bourque will help with the size and Bournival has been great this season, but Briere has to use the ice better than DD was or nothing will change.

I don't think Briere at center will ever work, this is not 2007 the guy can't skate like he used to. He's gonna be stuck deep in our zone more often then not running around trying to play defense. Hope it works but I don't see it happening at this stage of his career. And why take Bournival away from the Plekanec line, he's the reason why Plek and Gionta got going in the first place. We finally have 2 lines going why mess with that, let the other 6 players figure it out. Take away Bourn you will see Plek and Gionta slumping once again no doubt.

He's being replaced with Patches, our best forward of the last two years. The Egg line did all the scoring, but Pleks line won the possession battle against the Tavares line and had their chances, which is high praise. Bournival has also clicked on any line he's been on, so it shouldn't be a problem.

I will say this, if Briere works out there, it should push DD off the team for good (barring injury), as he can't really beat anyone else out for a spot.

 

[Mike Mike Caron]

I don't think Briere at center will ever work, this is not 2007 the guy can't skate like he used to. He's gonna be stuck deep in our zone more often then not running around trying to play defense. Hope it works but I don't see it happening at this stage of his career. And why take Bournival away from the Plekanec line, he's the reason why Plek and Gionta got going in the first place. We finally have 2 lines going why mess with that, let the other 6 players figure it out. Take away Bourn you will see Plek and Gionta slumping once again no doubt.

Last night their line with Patch was pretty good, they even got a better first period than the kid line. I love Bournival but he's no Patch.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Me too. Bournival is proving day in day out that he should be playing with team's best forwards, not Gionta.

We need to get Pac going. Putting him with Plecs is a good idea. But Plecs was hot partly because of Bournival. Just put them all together and be done with it.

Bourque Briere Gionta is a veteran line. I'm tired of having our younger guys carry the old ones. If the vets want to play they can earn the freaking ice. We've screwed around with this for almost a quarter of the season. Time to give the icetime to the players who've earned it.

And if the third line can get going then so much the better.

 

[Habsawce]

Wu-Tang line - Killa Bee's on da swarm!

 

[Et le But]

Despite playing against the Tavares line, Pacioretty got off 5 shots (second in the team after the ridiculous Galchenyuk), and even Gionta got 3. That line should be effective even though part of me really wants to see Bournival in Gionta's place.

 

[JLP]

I kinda figured it might take Briere to bump DD out of the Montreal lineup. Briere has good hands, creative hockey IQ and the right pedigree.

Go Habs Go!

 

[Adriatic]

Last night their line with Patch was pretty good, they even got a better first period than the kid line. I love Bournival but he's no Patch.

They still got zero points except for Pelks assist on PP. Anyways that won't last because no can do the dirty work on that line. Patch wants to score from perimeter, Pelks won't go in corner and Gionta even though he tries really hard also can't create space for the other two. The spark on that line was Bournival just like Gallagher is on any line he plays on.

 

[Nedved]

and wait until prust comes back...

moen and prust on the 4th line, and I maybe white down the middle.

not sure if they want to put dd on that line, because it's not like moen and prust cannot put the odd puck in.

there is potential here...

our back 4, with emelin back, maybe brings us back to pre-emelin injury levels with price, gallagher and galchenyuk being even better than last year.

potential. I also can see me yelling at the tv, that we suck. but there is potential.

markov subban
gorges diaz
emelin murray?

unless gorges plays on the right side, but he's been solid all year.

I still think one of tinordi, beaulieu or pateryn should be given chances, but it's not realistic.

 

[Agnostic]

I love it when we start nicknames for lines before they prove they can even play .

I call them the Wanna-B line because each wanna-b playing with better players.

 

[Smokey Thompson]

This line instantly makes us a lot better. Depth scoring, or 3 lines capable of scoring, is the reason we finished 2nd in the East last season. Lack of depth scoring, due to a completely incompetent 3rd line center, is big reason why we're barely over .500.

I'm not saying it'll be an amazing line, but this line will definitely put the puck in the net and score timely goals that will help us win tight games, where Desharnais wasted 15 minutes would've cost us these games.

 

[Hoople]

So:

Pacioretty - Pleks - Gionta
Galchenyuk - Eller - Gallagher
Bournival - Brière - Bourque
Moen - White - Dumont/Parros/DD

When everyone is back and DD traded/waived:

Pacioretty - Pleks - Gionta
Galchenyuk - Eller - Gallagher
Bournival - Brière - Bourque
Moen - White - Prust/Parros

Markov - Subban
Emelin - Gorges
Murray/Bouillon - Diaz

Price
Budaj

Not bad

swap Prust with Bourque and the Briere line improves

 

[Hoople]

I love it when we start nicknames for lines before they prove they can even play .

I call them the Wanna-B line because each wanna-b playing with better players.

Wanna B.

I love it!!

 

[FlyingKostitsyn]

A new start, and at center, is exactly what Briere needed.

 

[Smokey Thompson]

A new start, and at center, is exactly what Briere needed.

I'm pretty stoked about it. He'll either suck, be okay, or do surprisingly well, no one really knows, but what we do know is no matter what he'll be better than Davie

 

[Redux91]

Not a bad line when i think about it, ..but thats just when i THINK about it... we'll have to SEE how they do, i think bournivals hard work can help briere enough to make a "nice" play for either winger, i sure freakin hope so anyway

 

[Dominator13]

swap Prust with Bourque and the Briere line improves

I agree 100%. Right now there's not a single thing Bourque does better than Prust. He would basically replace what Hartnell did for Briere + protection.

 

[G0bias]

Didn't like what I saw from Brière before his concussion but he can't possibly be worse than DD at this point I guess... so I'm willing to give him a chance before Prust comes back.

 

[Runner77]

I love it when we start nicknames for lines before they prove they can even play .

Bergevin signs player contracts on the same basis.

 

[Milhouse40]

Didn't like what I saw from Brière before his concussion but he can't possibly be worse than DD at this point I guess... so I'm willing to give him a chance before Prust comes back.

Briere played wings with Desharnais before his concussions.....and no winger who played with DD this year have been able to do anything. Briere isn't any different than Bourque, Patch or Bournival