kinger8998
Registered User
I love the options having 9 talented offensively capable players to mix around over the next 20 games should the current lines not click (they should be given a run because I liked the way Tarasenko looked with Mika and Kreids tonight, and it was only Kanes 1st game).
I love our 4th line when Motte comes back. One of the best 4th lines out there.
But I will digress that a matchup against NJ scares the hell out of me at any point in the Playoffs. Their numbers have been trending down ever since early season, which bodes well that they maybe aren't as powerhouse as the record suggests, but my god, their capitalistic, opportunistic offense could eat us alive with our turnover rate.
I am not a believer in NJ's defense or goaltending, but that offense and the speed could give Trouba/Mikkola some serious problems if our forwards get too fancy and don't have a high guy in OZ (cheating for offense), or getting too east/west in NZ.
That said, Give Panarin/Kane time to find that spark again, I really liked the way Tarasenko looked on that Mika-Kreids line for the first time, and once again, we were playing without 1/2 of our top 4 and short on forwards again after Motte left. No need for falling sky or world is ending takes after 1 game with Kane. Settle down on that. I truly believe 1 through 12 our forward group can score NJ, we saw they could last year against CAR and I think Kane/Tarasenko's pure offensive ability and previous performance (many forget Kane was PPG in bubble playoffs of 2020, and you just had 10 points, on 7 goals, when motivated prior to trade) will help us break through the stingier teams like Tampa/Boston should we get that far/should we face them.
I love our 4th line when Motte comes back. One of the best 4th lines out there.
But I will digress that a matchup against NJ scares the hell out of me at any point in the Playoffs. Their numbers have been trending down ever since early season, which bodes well that they maybe aren't as powerhouse as the record suggests, but my god, their capitalistic, opportunistic offense could eat us alive with our turnover rate.
I am not a believer in NJ's defense or goaltending, but that offense and the speed could give Trouba/Mikkola some serious problems if our forwards get too fancy and don't have a high guy in OZ (cheating for offense), or getting too east/west in NZ.
That said, Give Panarin/Kane time to find that spark again, I really liked the way Tarasenko looked on that Mika-Kreids line for the first time, and once again, we were playing without 1/2 of our top 4 and short on forwards again after Motte left. No need for falling sky or world is ending takes after 1 game with Kane. Settle down on that. I truly believe 1 through 12 our forward group can score NJ, we saw they could last year against CAR and I think Kane/Tarasenko's pure offensive ability and previous performance (many forget Kane was PPG in bubble playoffs of 2020, and you just had 10 points, on 7 goals, when motivated prior to trade) will help us break through the stingier teams like Tampa/Boston should we get that far/should we face them.
