What's going on with our first line?

[Milhouse40]

Where's all those great passes from Desharnais?
Where's that great chemistry between Pacioretty and Desharnais?

What's happenning here with our first line?

Desharnais spent the night on his ass.
Pacioretty spent the night outside of the slot.
Vanek spent the night somewhere else.

They didn't produce in the 1st round....and started the second round giving
tons of scoring chances to the Bruins and created next to nothing.

They're the least productive 5on5 line since the playoff started.
And even on the PP they sucked big time....still can't believe Eller's line don't get any.

We can point out Vanek's invisibility.....but we also can point out that DD and Patches never showed up in the PO in their career so far.

Combined with last year performance in the PO, we have to start asking if Desharnais
and Pacioretty are playoff performers. Last year, Patches was hurt (although i think it's not an excuse) but this year, they are no reasons what so ever.

We need our first line if we want to be dangerous in this serie.


Your toughts?

 

[Beendair Donedat]

They're seeing a lot of tight checking and a heavy diet of Chara. Chara smothered Desharnais every time he tried to move in the offensive zone. Pacioretty tried hard but was basically an island to himself on that line. I'm not sure if Vanek is hurt or if he's just not competing, but he's got to get going. Therrien tried to put some more grit out there by replacing Vanek with Weise, but Vanek played very little all night. Weise was an unsung hero, as he drew a couple calls (on the winning goal!) and played a solid simple game.

 

[sp33d]

actually liked what i saw from DD...looked engaged, wasn't shying away from contact...took a beating for the team.
patches looked decent @ best, has yet to remotely elevate his game to any level.
vanek was on a different planet, doesn't skate, looks lifeless, can't tell if he's playing hurt or just doesn't care. noticed it significantly in game 4 vs Tampa as well.

 

[Lions999]

If Patches doesn`t use his speed and doesn`t get involved that line won`t be affective. It has nothing to do with DD, its all about Patches, if he is flying out there than DD will look okay.

 

[Mike The Wall]

tell me something what happens to any first line during games especially in the playoffs??? THEY FACE THE OTHER TEAMS BEST SHUT DOWN LINE! The playoffs is not
for who scores what but for the team to win, I do not care who scores as long as we win!

So stop this and show everyone you are a habs fan and that you know your hockey!

 

[Halifaxhab*]

DD is engaged physically, but he's the only one. Patches and Vanek are periferal. At least Patches goes into the dirty areas, but doesn't do much for the cycle game, or showing any power game (puck protection). Vanek was simply uninterested.

They need to all be pulling in the same direction to beat out their defensive covers.

 

[Gary320]

For all the slack Desharnais gets for being to small and useless vs big teams, he was pretty impressive last night. Too bad I cant say the same for his linemates. Only one game though.

 

[gusfring]

Pacioretty looks absolutely terrified out there. Sad.

 

[Milhouse40]

DD is engaged physically, but he's the only one. Patches and Vanek are periferal. At least Patches goes into the dirty areas, but doesn't do much for the cycle game, or showing any power game (puck protection). Vanek was simply uninterested.

They need to all be pulling in the same direction to beat out their defensive covers.

I must admit that Vanek is starting to make me think about last year's Ryder in the PO.

But i also see Tampa and Boston getting all their focus on Vanek and Pacioretty....they know DD isn't a threat if they keep both of his winger out of the scoring zone.

If Patches doesn`t use his speed and doesn`t get involved that line won`t be affective. It has nothing to do with DD, its all about Patches, if he is flying out there than DD will look okay.

But, i've spend all year hearing that DD is feeding Pacioretty with great passes....

Having said that, i personnaly think that this line got a lot of fire power....but absolutely no grit or physical presence. All the other 3 lines have some.

I think this is problem #1.
DD, Pacioretty and Vanek would all be better if a player had some grit on their line.

tell me something what happens to any first line during games especially in the playoffs??? THEY FACE THE OTHER TEAMS BEST SHUT DOWN LINE! The playoffs is not
for who scores what but for the team to win, I do not care who scores as long as we win!

So stop this and show everyone you are a habs fan and that you know your hockey!

And what kind of line they're facing in the regular season? They face the best shutdown line!

And facing top shutdown line doens't stop other team's first line to be productive, right?

We win....but can we keep on winning with a first line creating nothing?

Even Therrien acknowledge that this line is terrible, that's why he tried something else last night. When you put 2 players like Vanek and Pacioretty on the same line, results is expected....at least on the PP.

Knowing is hockey isn't being blind either....and i'm not searching for scapegoat....but do you agree we need to fix our first line?

 

[sharks9]

I thought they actually looked pretty good in the 1st round but just seemed to be snakebitten. Tonight Pacioretty and Vanek were invisible but Desharnais was decent.

Hopefully Therrien wakes them up because we'll need them if we want to win the series

 

[Compile]

I thought DD played like a 6'4 power forward last night. He was decent, meanwhile his 2 wingers shied away from all physical contact which should be embarrassing for the 2 of them.

This line won't produce until the wingers engage physically.

 

[yianik]

As somebody else said one issue is a teams top line gets to face the other teams best at shutting them down usually, and here Boston has last change.

Having said that, Bourque and Eller, who are less skilled than Vanek and Patches, are willing to pay the price and are engaged physically and battling for the front of that Bruins net or for shooting positions. Vanek, while not a hitter is also not supposed to be a perimeter player, he is a guy who has always fought for his territory in front of opposing nets and he needs to do that here. Patches needs to bring it the same way. SOG by Ellers line was 11, but only 4 by DDs, including 0 for Vanek. If that line is healthy then its the Bruins in part yes, but these guys need to bring it up a couple of notches and fight in the trenches. The only guy I thought that battled on that line was DD.

 

[Clumsyhab]

They just realize that they can't play Harlem style in the playoff.

 

[Milhouse40]

I thought DD played like a 6'4 power forward last night. He was decent, meanwhile his 2 wingers shied away from all physical contact which should be embarrassing for the 2 of them.

This line won't produce until the wingers engage physically.

Well, Pacioretty got 14 hits in 5 games so far....
Desharnais has 1 and Vanek 4.....

I wouldn't say that Pacioretty shied away from all physical contact......actually, he's the physical presence on his line so far IMO.

And give me break with the 6'4" powerforward (Cause that makes Eller a 7'4" monster cause he was 10 times more dominating)....i admit he's the best on his line, but still spent half the night of his ass also....got pushed around easily.

 

[Tim Wallach]

To me it's as clear as day that Vanek is playing hurt and probably shouldn't be playing.

He can barely move out there, he's not going anywhere near contact and he's peeling to the bench after 20 seconds.

I'm not sure it could be more obvious. It's worse than Pacioretty v. Ottawa last year with his separated shoulder.

 

[Garp]

I thought Desharnais looked good, but he was the one forechecking... You can't have your smallest player AND your center on the forecheck.
I think that Therrien was honest in his press conference when he was talking about Vanek.
It's strategy, there best players are shut down by probably the best shut down line in the league... I think He'll try to split them and get one of Vanek or Pach against the 3 line.

The other thing is Vanek and patch are 2 streaky goalscorer that are on a cold strike (nothing was going in in the 1rst round) You just have to hope there hot strike will start before Bourque comes back to Earth and I think we will be in good shape

 

[Rapala]

They just realize that they can't play Harlem style in the playoff.

Start FN skating and play a North/South game.
MT let that flowery **** go on way too long.
If the line doesn't buy in they need to be broken up and fast and not with Weise slotting in.
Plecky could use a Patches on his line about now.
Give DD either a Moen or a Prust.
That line is not a first line it's a **** line.
They've sucked on the PP in general and just sucked overall period.
This isn't FN pond hockey.

 

[hockeyfan2k11]

They just realize that they can't play Harlem style in the playoff.

Exactly. Called it form day 1 and got called a hater.

 

[hockeyfan2k11]

To me it's as clear as day that Vanek is playing hurt and probably shouldn't be playing.

He can barely move out there, he's not going anywhere near contact and he's peeling to the bench after 20 seconds.

I'm not sure it could be more obvious. It's worse than Pacioretty v. Ottawa last year with his separated shoulder.

If he's injured then sit him. I'll say that it's no coincidence that the line got shut down once the playoffs started. Were you not watching how that line played? It was like trick play after trick play with DD skating around with no one near him. All that space is gone now. Luckily the other lines are stepping up.

 

[Smokey Thompson]

DD battled hard last night. If his 2 wings put half the effort he did, they would've been decent.

Patches seems to be afraid to take any hit, which is the biggest difference between him and Bourque /Eller at this point in the playoffs.

Vanek, well I don't know what his problem is. Maybe he's hurt. Maybe he doesn't want to get hurt. But he is a liability and dragging his line down.

 

[Milhouse40]

Start FN skating and play a North/South game.
MT let that flowery **** go on way too long.
If the line doesn't buy in they need to be broken up and fast and not with Weise slotting in.
Plecky could use a Patches on his line about now.
Give DD either a Moen or a Prust.
That line is not a first line it's a **** line.
They've sucked on the PP in general and just sucked overall period.
This isn't FN pond hockey.

Exactly.

All the answers don't take into account that hurt or not, physical or not.....they should at least be dangerous on the PP. But the PP seems to work only with Plekanec on the ice.

We could also tried:
Vanek - Plekanec - Prust
Pacioretty - DD - Gallagher

Gives some grit on both lines.
Would free up Pactches or Vanek from Chara.

 

[Deebs]

To me it's as clear as day that Vanek is playing hurt and probably shouldn't be playing.

He can barely move out there, he's not going anywhere near contact and he's peeling to the bench after 20 seconds.

I'm not sure it could be more obvious. It's worse than Pacioretty v. Ottawa last year with his separated shoulder.

He's got to be or else that was the biggest dogpucking performance I've seen in a long time.

Let him sit Saturday and put Bournival in his spot. He would add great jump and work ethic to that line.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Question to me is more what's wrong with vanek and max? DDs compete is high, battling 2 guys sometimes and coming away with puck. Max having hard time getting into zone with speed and vanek has been bad, really bad.

 

[hockeyfan2k11]

DD battled hard last night. If his 2 wings put half the effort he did, they would've been decent.

Patches seems to be afraid to take any hit, which is the biggest difference between him and Bourque /Eller at this point in the playoffs.

Vanek, well I don't know what his problem is. Maybe he's hurt. Maybe he doesn't want to get hurt. But he is a liability and dragging his line down.

DD spent most of the night on his stomach. He is what he is. I don't care about battling if you're not effective. Put him as a winger and get a bigger, more skilled centerman to play with Max and Vanek. Too bad Galchenyuk's injured. Hell, even Eller would be effective in that role. They need a big guy that can bring the puck into the opposing zone and create scoring opportunities.

 

[Hannibal]

Pacioretty is in playoff mode.

That means he's invicible.