GDT: Running Preseason GDT | Game 7 | PIT @ CBJ | 7 PM EST

[ThirdPeriodTurtle]

I quite like the idea of JvR-Fantilli-Johnson line. JvR looked good at times to me and especially with Johnson. I guess at this point most players will look good with Johnson if they have any semblance of a hockey IQ, though. Still, I hope JvR is a good pro for Fantilli and Johnson to get some guidance from, and is still quick enough in his hands to play with the creative young guys. Very interested to see how it goes.

 

[Doggy]

I think most of us recognize that the Boone-Money-Marchy line has one guy who likes to shoot the puck and two guys who like to get greasy goals in front of the net. There is nobody who can carry the puck through traffic at a high level and nobody to distribute it. The line makes zero sense and it has not looked effective when put together in a game.

I think even Evason recognizes the shortcoming but the truth is we have just one guy with any NHL experience who has the skillset to play on the left side of that top line and suspect Evason is nervous about feeding him too much too soon. I suspect within five games if KJ91 is playing decent hockey he gets the promotion to see if he can jumpstart that top line.

 

[CBJx614]

I quite like the idea of JvR-Fantilli-Johnson line. JvR looked good at times to me and especially with Johnson. I guess at this point most players will look good with Johnson if they have any semblance of a hockey IQ, though. Still, I hope JvR is a good pro for Fantilli and Johnson to get some guidance from, and is still quick enough in his hands to play with the creative young guys. Very interested to see how it goes.

This is a good point, id argue the development of Fantilli and KJ are the most important/critical to the success of the offense/franchise moving forward. We need to make sure they hit their potential at all costs. I don't think anyone else quite has the top end potential of those two, we desperately need to hit on their development.

 

[majormajor]

I think most of us recognize that the Boone-Money-Marchy line has one guy who likes to shoot the puck and two guys who like to get greasy goals in front of the net. There is nobody who can carry the puck through traffic at a high level and nobody to distribute it. The line makes zero sense and it has not looked effective when put together in a game.

I think even Evason recognizes the shortcoming but the truth is we have just one guy with any NHL experience who has the skillset to play on the left side of that top line and suspect Evason is nervous about feeding him too much too soon. I suspect within five games if KJ91 is playing decent hockey he gets the promotion to see if he can jumpstart that top line.

We have other ways of setting up a line that don't involve putting three plodding netfront finishers together.

We're somewhat restricted by the Monahan - Fantilli - Silinger center lineup, that in my opinion puts players at center who are not as good at it as other centers on the team, and also makes it harder to make good line combinations.

Two players other than KJ that would work on the topline wing are Fantilli and Chinakhov. Speed, transition ability, can beat a goalie clean from distance. All things that Jenner-Monahan-Marchenko lacks.