What should NYR's 1st defensive pairing be?

[Fitzy]

It's become clear a third of the way through the season that AV believes Skjei-Shattenkirk to be a decent pairing. It's been the most stable combo of late. I'm interested to get the opinion of NYR fans who they think would be the best partner for Ryan McDonagh, who will almost always be matched up against opponents top lines.

I included only options I thought were realistic.

Click to read more...

 

[darko]

McD/Smith
Skjei/Shatty

 

[Crease]

I miss Skjei Smith.

 

[bl02]

Its gonna be a little more trial and error I'm sure. Eventually I can see Smith/McD.
Find someone to trade with for Holden. No one wants Staal. He's gonna be on the third pair all season. I don't know who's the 6th dman. would love to say ADA but who knows.

 

[Harbour Dog]

Went with Holden, but that's mainly because I know McD/Smith almost certainly means that Staal/Holden will be a thing.

 

[bl02]

I miss Skjei Smith.

They were fun to watch in the playoffs. Shatty/ Skjei are doing ok together as well. Seems like Skjei has a positive influence on whoever he plays with

 

[Fitzy]

It's clear to me that Skjei and McDonagh are the two best overall defensemen on the team from a defensive standpoint. But they're more or less the same kind of player. Having McD and Skjei separate is good from a balancing standpoint.

There really isn't a straightforward answer to this, from my vantage point. I think Smith is a more ideal McDonagh partner when he is playing well, but Staal-Holden's record is pretty bad together.

 

[Ori]

I voted Ryan Mc - DeAngelo so we can use our talent properly with a puck moving defender who have much better upsides than this Holden.

 

[Harbour Dog]

Ideally, for me, we'd have ADA up here and would be rotating him, Staal, Holden, and Smith, based on their play.

 

[DanielBrassard]

McDonagh-Shattenkirk would be the best, but we have no other pairing that would be good.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

I'd like AV to give McD-Smith another try, the only problem with that is it makes Staal-Holden a pair again.

Still, a top 4 of McD-Smith and Skjei-Shatty would be good to roll late in tight games.

 

[Alluckks]

If Smith plays with his determined and constantly skating ability we have seen then him with McDonagh; that is a very good shutdown pair.

Skjei Shattenkirk does so good at turning the puck up ice - I really want to keep them together.

Throw something manageable together at the bottom. Hopefully eventually (next year?) it becomes Graves - DeAngelo/Pionk/Bergelazov

 

[EdJovanovski]

McDonagh - Shattenkirk
Skjei - Smith
Staal - DeAngelo

 

[haohmaru]

Smith has gotten his act together for the most part, so him & McD, Skjei and 22, Holden and anyone not named Staal who is, once again, deteriorating as the season moves along.

 

[ManUtdTobbe]

With the 6 players we have up in NYR right now i think any setup which means we don't have Staal-Holden together is a good setup.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

McDonagh-Skjei
Smith-Shattenkirk
Staal-Graves/DeAngelo

 

[will1066]

McDonagh-Holden
Skjei-Shattenkirk
Mironov-Horava

 

[ltsthinaz]

Went with Holden, but that's mainly because I know McD/Smith almost certainly means that Staal/Holden will be a thing.

Would have gone McD/Smith except for this.

 

[WeRa]

McDonagh -Smith
Skjei -Shattenkirk
Staal - DeAngelo

 

[mandiblesofdoom]

McDonagh-Shattenkirk would be the best, but we have no other pairing that would be good.

Skjei - Smith was good last year. I'd give them a chance.

 

[Machinehead]

McDonagh-Shattenkirk like we f***ing planned.

Why did we not try that longer than a game and a half?

 

[Machinehead]

McDonagh-Shattenkirk would be the best, but we have no other pairing that would be good.

Skjei-Smith was our best pair last year.

Another thing we haven't tried for longer than a game and a half.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Kampfer - Holden

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

McDonagh-Shattenkirk like we ****ing planned.

Why did we not try that longer than a game and a half?

Because it went really poorly and Shattenkirk shouldn't be playing against top line opponents.

 

[Machinehead]

Because it went really poorly and Shattenkirk shouldn't be playing against top line opponents.

When did it go poorly?

20 minutes in Toronto where Hank couldn't stop a beach ball?

You know what's been going poorly? Staal-Kampfer, but we'll keep trotting that out.

You know what was going poorly? McDonagh-Girardi but we hung onto to that dream for five seasons.