Post-Game Talk: Stars def. Canucks - 3-1 (Miller) | Not Clinched

[Cogburn]

The officials in this league are so inept, I don't want to watch any more.

On the plus side, I started a "ref you suck" after the interference non-call on Joshua in the third that caught on.

 

[Nick Lang]

Remember when Hughes, Pettersson and Miller were on pace for 130 points? When Hronek was on pace for 80? Miller has really been the only consistent one. The rest have all faded including Hughes. Even Makar looks like he'll take over the scoring lead soon. Unfortunately these players will need to learn in future seasons to pace themselves and not go all out for 40 games and then just fade as the season wears on. We'll be bounced in the first round.

You don't pace yourself for the entire season after a 22nd place finish the year before and 10 years without real playoffs. Part of the learning process.

 

[AwesomeInTheory]

Why are we trying to change the formula with less than 10 games left in the season?

Better now than in a playoff situation where the team might be 0-2 and looking to mix things up.

Get a better sense of what is/isn't working.

 

[Bleach Clean]

Missed the game but everyone is freaking out. We’re missing two key players in Demko and Lindholm who will be ready for the playoffs. The coaching staff need to get their shit together and either figure out new lines that work or go back to what has worked in the past.

I like some of the ideas by other fans by trying Joshua with Miller and Boeser. I still would like to try Lindholm with Miller to see if that can be some super two way line that dominates and get Lindholms offensive game going.

Otherwise, like others have said;

Pettersson - Miller - Boeser
Hoglander - Lindholm - Mikheyev
Joshua - Blueger - Garland
Podkolzin/PDG - Suter - Lafferty

Unfortunately teams will match that top line hard and not sure if Mikheyev and Lindholm are the answers for secondary scoring - but it’s the only hope.

As for the PP, it worked when Horvat was in the bumper for that hashmark/circle quick wrist/snap shot top shelf feed from Miller/Boeser on that off wall. Then we used Pearson in that spot and that worked as well. Suter doesn’t seem to work and doesn’t have the shot. Maybe try Pettersson in that spot and put Lindholm on the right side wall? Not sure but something needs to be figured out.

When you really think of it, Monahan probably would have been a better fit/target for our needs than the Lindholm acquisition and would have cost less.

Horvat being missed at the bumper is the real issue. When they let him walk, the PP was shaken. And so, now they could move Pettersson to the bumper and Lindholm to the right wall, as you suggest, or move Boeser to the right wall, Pettersson to the bumper and Lindholm to the net front. Either way, that bumper, net front and right wall rotation has to change.

As to the line-up, I think Tocchet first has to decide if Hoglander-Pettersson-Boeser can work. If it can, then the Lotto Line may not be required.

I like this line-up for the time being:

Hoglander-Pettersson-Boeser
Suter-Miller-Podkolzin
Joshua-Blueger-Garland
Mikheyev-Lindholm-Lafferty

It's a little different than what @just22 posted, but it's about giving Pettersson no excuse for linemates or position (C). He knows he still has to do the heavy lifting for that line and so his game doesn't change as it does on the Lotto Line. Nor is he playing wing, like he does on the Lotto Line.

Give him the tools and it's sink or swim.

 

[Tact]

Horvat being missed at the bumper is the real issue. When they let him walk, the PP was shaken. And so, now they could move Pettersson to the bumper and Lindholm to the right wall, as you suggest, or move Boeser to the right wall, Pettersson to the bumper and Lindholm to the net front. Either way, that bumper, net front and right wall rotation has to change.

As to the line-up, I think Tocchet first has to decide if Hoglander-Pettersson-Boeser can work. If it can, then the Lotto Line may not be required.

I like this line-up for the time being:

Hoglander-Pettersson-Boeser
Suter-Miller-Podkolzin
Joshua-Blueger-Garland
Mikheyev-Lindholm-Lafferty

It's a little different than what @just22 posted, but it's about giving Pettersson no excuse for linemates or position (C). He knows he still has to do the heavy lifting for that line and so his game doesn't change as it does on the Lotto Line. Nor is he playing wing, like he does on the Lotto Line.

Give him the tools and it's sink or swim.

If we’re going that route I’d rather do;

Hoglander - Pettersson - Boeser
Mikheyev - Miller - Lindholm
Joshua - Blueger - Garland
Podkolzin - Suter - Lafferty

 

[B-rock]

Horvat being missed at the bumper is the real issue. When they let him walk, the PP was shaken. And so, now they could move Pettersson to the bumper and Lindholm to the right wall, as you suggest, or move Boeser to the right wall, Pettersson to the bumper and Lindholm to the net front. Either way, that bumper, net front and right wall rotation has to change.

As to the line-up, I think Tocchet first has to decide if Hoglander-Pettersson-Boeser can work. If it can, then the Lotto Line may not be required.

I like this line-up for the time being:

Hoglander-Pettersson-Boeser
Suter-Miller-Podkolzin
Joshua-Blueger-Garland
Mikheyev-Lindholm-Lafferty

It's a little different than what @just22 posted, but it's about giving Pettersson no excuse for linemates or position (C). He knows he still has to do the heavy lifting for that line and so his game doesn't change as it does on the Lotto Line. Nor is he playing wing, like he does on the Lotto Line.

Give him the tools and it's sink or swim.

I think Miller needs more than those two guys. I love Podz, he can retrieve pucks as well as Miller but both he and especially Suter are offensive black holes. Suter is pretty useless to me actually.

It seems like 40 plays better on the wing without the responsibilities of a C. I’d put him back there somewhere.

Either way, it’s a good time to try all sorts of combos and see what works

 

[NYVanfan]

Why not
Lotto
Gar-blu-jo
Hog-Lind-Mik
Laff-Suter-Pod

 

[Regress2TheMeme]

I don't understand why the PP doesn't rotate to the left and bring Pettersson up high to blast it. If they give him the puck in motion he will burn a defender trying to pressure. Guys like Hughes and Pettersson just have to skate and threaten to isolate a defender and attack them and the PK will break down.

 

[B-rock]

Unfortunately Petey isn’t moving his feet much these days. Hughes absolutely can isolate pretty much at will, but Petey more often than not gets too tricky with it or hesitates and turns it over. Prime Petey absolutely, but he’s not that player right now. He also almost never fires his one-timer except for the play off of a won draw. He’s had ample chances but hesitates, isn’t set, fumbles, everything but.

 

[strattonius]

Pettersson sucks on the powerplay. I'm sorry I said it.

He needs a perfect pass to one time but basically he's stagnant and lacks creativity - doesnt move enough. It's kind of shocking to see after what we witnessed with his shot and deception his 1st year.

That's essentially how I see it right now. Pettersson is the enigma our powerplay needs but unfortunately I don't think he's changing.

This team is good not a sky is falling take but like everyone else is saying, this powerplay is going to sewer us in a playoff round.

 

[Bleach Clean]

If we’re going that route I’d rather do;

Hoglander - Pettersson - Boeser
Mikheyev - Miller - Lindholm
Joshua - Blueger - Garland
Podkolzin - Suter - Lafferty

I'd try that, but Lindholm is a natural C. He looks much better at C than at wing, imo.

Also, Mikheyev-Lindholm- Lafferty had some interesting chemistry a few games back. Worth a look.

All told, as long as they keep lines 1 and 3 intact, they can mix lines 2 and 4 however they want. That should settle the forward lines.

 

[Bleach Clean]

Pettersson sucks on the powerplay. I'm sorry I said it.

He needs a perfect pass to one time but basically he's stagnant and lacks creativity - doesnt move enough. It's kind of shocking to see after what we witnessed with his shot and deception his 1st year.

That's essentially how I see it right now. Pettersson is the enigma our powerplay needs but unfortunately I don't think he's changing.

This team is good not a sky is falling take but like everyone else is saying, this powerplay is going to sewer us in a playoff round.

I think this is partially true. As hard as it is to reconcile, Pettersson has been a non factor on the PP. No excuse for it. But does he suck, or is he made to be a non-factor?

When I see Hughes pass the puck high to him, Pettersson doesn't snap the one timer because he gets closed on quickly. Tries to get the perfect shot off, not just a shot. He then compounds it by passing back to Hughes to reset, but he is also closed on quickly at the same time. This gets them in trouble.

Pettersson can't go cross ice to Miller with that defender pushing high to Hughes, so he's stuck with going down low to Boeser or Suter, and those two aren't good enough to overload the defender on the right side.

He's either got to quick shot to create a scramble down low, even if it's not perfect, or quick pass to Suter in the right corner and he then has to pass to the slot to Miller/Boeser or behind the net to Boeser, who then comes out to create once more.

 

[David71]

why not put hughes on the left wall pods in the bumper. or hoglander.

 

[strattonius]

why not put hughes on the left wall pods in the bumper. or hoglander.

I think Hughes is better than Makar on the offensive zone blueline. Taking him away from that spot is just creating another hole on our PP. If anything needs fixing on that PP it's not Hughes' role or what he's doing that needs changing.