Line Combos: Post-preseason lines, who makes the cut?

Habby4Life

First pick overall goes to the Montreal Canadiens
Nov 12, 2008
4,079
3,786
I think a large part of a power play’s success is talent over systems.

Hutson will solve a problem of creativity and unpredictably from the back end
I’m sure he will improve it but he isn’t going to be the messiah and turn this into a top ten PP.
 
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Positive Vibes

Habs4Life
Jun 24, 2016
1,175
451
Canada
You gonna be saying this next year too? McKenna draft after all
did you expect them to make the playoffs this year or something? i said one more year lol didn't say anything about the year after that they likely wont be bad enough to be in the conversation for McKenna with Demidov coming and hopefully a full year of a healthy Laine.
 

morhilane

Registered User
Feb 28, 2021
8,152
10,628
Their plan for the pp to work is to change nothing and pray. This is quite sad.
This is not surprising though since they made zero adjustment during the season. It's a new form of coaching, I call it the "pious coaching".
Going by this pre-season, they did change something. they moved around the forward on PP1...and made it worst, because nobody is in a position to use their best attribute(s)/skill(s).
 
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Trabdy2

Registered User
Nov 30, 2018
573
727
I think a large part of a power play’s success is talent over systems.

Hutson will solve a problem of creativity and unpredictably from the back end
Agreed. Plus, systems don't work if the skill isn't there to execute on it.

We struggle so much creating good looks for shooters on the PP. We operate too slowly and predictably, moving the puck slowly around the perimeter, waiting for the opposing defensive box to give us an opportunity for a seam pass to a player in good scoring position, but we are rarely sharp enough to do anything with it. The pass isn't attempted, or it misses, or the reception is flubbed. So there's issues not only in organically creating a volume of those opportunities, but it's also pass and shot execution.

Hutson will be able to help with organically creating more of those opportunities with his dynamic movement and vision, and he's a really good passer too. So he'll be able to increase volume of opportunities and help with play execution. I really think we need to have him and Suzuki on the same PP to create consistent scoring threats.

At least we didn't struggle too much gaining the zone, if there is anything positive we've seen.
 

durojean

Registered User
May 29, 2007
2,332
1,298
Power play is simple to fix. We have at least 4 defensemen that could excel there and we have 4 maybe 5 forward that could.

PP 1

Caufield Suzuki Dach
Matheson Hutson

PP2

Armia Newhook Slafkovsky
Xhekaj Barron

Xhekaj as a bomb from the point and Barron is pretty good pp player

Hutson on the first PP is a no brainer.
 

Andrei79

Registered User
Jan 25, 2013
16,014
29,553
Power play is simple to fix. We have at least 4 defensemen that could excel there and we have 4 maybe 5 forward that could.

PP 1

Caufield Suzuki Dach
Matheson Hutson

PP2

Armia Newhook Slafkovsky
Xhekaj Barron

Xhekaj as a bomb from the point and Barron is pretty good pp player

Hutson on the first PP is a no brainer.

PP1

Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky-Dach
Hutson

PP2
Xhekaj-Newhook-Barron-Kapanen
Matheson

Do it Marty. It would be hilarious.
 

Apfel Struble

Registered User
Aug 1, 2019
537
738
The gap between the 4th and 5th best forward in terms of offence is looking enormous at the moment. I think splitting the 1st line should be the play here because Dach needs help on the second line

I would give Caufield to Dach with Armia completing the second line. Caufield's lack of physicality and weaker even strength defence (it has gotten better though) would be buoyed by his linemates.

As for who would swap on the 1st line, Newhook is still the 5th forward despite a pretty pedestrian offseason.

Newhook-Suzuki-Slaf
Caufield-Dach-Armia

looks a bit more balanced and that second line could hopefully feast a bit on weaker opposition
 
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Rapala

Registered User
Mar 29, 2013
41,766
38,494
Montreal
I think a large part of a power play’s success is talent over systems.

Hutson will solve a problem of creativity and unpredictably from the back end
You aren't wrong our PP had a decent surge when Slaf started getting reps.
I've always said PP's will breakdown at the weakest links as sure as water will find it's level.
As we add more talent it will be harder to ignore those broken links.
 

Andy

Registered User
Jun 26, 2008
32,028
16,443
Montreal
You aren't wrong our PP had a decent surge when Slaf started getting reps.
I've always said PP's will breakdown at the weakest links as sure as water will find it's level.
As we add more talent it will be harder to ignore those broken links.
We will essentially be replacing Newhook and Matheson with Dach and Hutson on the first wave. I have no doubt by game 10 Hutson will make his way on PP1.

I can’t say how anyone can say that Dach and Hutson wouldn’t be an upgrade
 

Playmaker09

Registered User
Sep 11, 2008
3,522
1,816
We will essentially be replacing Newhook and Matheson with Dach and Hutson on the first wave. I have no doubt by game 10 Hutson will make his way on PP1.

I can’t say how anyone can say that Dach and Hutson wouldn’t be an upgrade
I don't think Dach, a non-shooter, is an upgrade over Newhook on this PP. We don't have issues controlling the puck on the perimeter, we have issues making aggressive and decisive actions that result in high quality chances.

And I generally love Dach's game and am very critical of Newhook.
 

Rapala

Registered User
Mar 29, 2013
41,766
38,494
Montreal
We will essentially be replacing Newhook and Matheson with Dach and Hutson on the first wave. I have no doubt by game 10 Hutson will make his way on PP1.

I can’t say how anyone can say that Dach and Hutson wouldn’t be an upgrade
They will but it's Caufield that needs to be better IMO
Some of our best PP's had Newhook in the bumper position playing well plus winning draws on the left spot.
Both Dach and or Suzuki can strengthen that left side.
Personally I don't think their is a shadow of a doubt where things broke down most often last season and it wasn't on Newhook.
 

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