Line Combos: Who comes out of the line up when fully healthy (playoffs)

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Who comes out?


  • Total voters
    260
Galchenyuk - Matthews - Marner
Mikheyev - Tavares - Nylander
Hyman - Foligno - Simmonds
Thornton - Nash - Spezza
Kerfoot
Engvall

Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Holl
Dermott - Bogosian

Campbell
Andersen
Rittich
 
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I’d be really interested in seeing us try 3 strong lines. Galchenyuk/Tavares/Mikheyev looked surprisingly good, I’d love to try something like:

Hyman - Matthews - Marner
Galchenyuk - Tavares - Mikheyev
Foligno - Kerfoot - Nylander
Engvall - Spezza - Simmonds

With Nash and Thornton subbing in for any injuries, or simply shakes. But I could see that 3rd line torching teams.
I like the concept of 3 strong lines. During playoffs, opposing teams will definitely key on shutting down our 1st and 2nd lines and they most likely have the personnel to do it. Thus having a productive 3rd line is critical.
On the 2nd line, Galy and Tavaras seem to have good chemistry. In Willy's absence, Galy has stepped up a notch and it was visible. This line didn't seem to have missed much of Willy so far, though the sample is very small.
I also have a hunch that the Foligno-Kerfoot-Willy line may work beautifully. Willy should work well with a speedier center and a gritty, Hyman-like puck retriever who is defensively competent.
In essence, we may have a 2A/2B that opposing teams will have a hard time keying against.
Thanks Ponder.
 
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Too many options to consider. I like all the possible combinations that people are coming up with! You can even put a line of Foligno-Tavares-Hyman.

This type of line would be a pain to play against.

Norberto
 
Junbo will be on bench as 13th forward done deal already on #2 PP
Gally will be out when times get tough as we don't need him as much as what grinders will bring to playoff hockey
Foligno Hyman and Simmonds will run 3 lines for us
4th line won't see much ice once games get serious
Foligno and Hyman will run 1st PK and both will see 20 minutes/game in playoffs
 
Nylander Matthews Marner
Foligno Tavares Hyman
Mikheyev Laughton Gally
Thornton Spezza Simmonds
Nash

Trade Kerfoot (3.5m) + Engvall (1.25m) + Barabanov (925K) = $5,675,000
Bring in Laughton as #3
 
It should be Jumbo. But he is a veteran with league wide respect and will probably be rotated with whoever Keefe sees fit.
 
Barabanov is done like a turkey at Thanksgiving.

I think two more of Thornton, Spezza, Engvall, Nash and Galchenyuk will sit -- perhaps on a game-by-game basis.

I suspect Barabanov, Thornton and Engvall come out, and Spezza, Nash and Galchenyuk stay in more often than not -- subject to injuries. I'm sure there will be shake-ups of the roster as time goes by.

My best guess is the top 12 forwards will be Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Nylander, Hyman, Kerfoot, Mikheyev, Simmonds, Foligno, Spezza, Nash and Galchenyuk -- with Thornton, Engvall and Barabanov on the sidelines more often than not.
 
If Gally keeps playing well with M and M, something like this could be interesting:

Gally-Matty-Marner
Foligno-JT-Nylander
Hyman-Kerfoot-Mikey
Simmonds/Thornton-Nash-Spezza

We need Simmonds and Thornton to get back to pre-injury form though. If they do, Thornton-Spezza-Simmonds could also be a solid line.
 
Hyman - Matthews - Marner
Galchenyuk - Tavares - Nylander
Foligno - Engvall - Mikheyev
XXXXX - Kerfoot - Spezza

So XXXXX could be any of Nash, Simmonds, Thornton, Robertson. Not sure which one i'd pick but if healthy I'd likely lean towards Nash.
 
Game management time. Rotate players in and out to keep as many involved and prepared as possible. We're basically playing in the playoffs now. A game every 2nd night. The boys need to be in tip top shape to ride out the remaining 15 games in the next 31 days, and then the real deal, 16 more wins. That's going to be an enormous strain on our top players, I certainly hope Keefe cuts back on Marner and Matthews ice time, with Marner leading all forwards in the NHL at 22.34 m/g and Matthews in 5th place at just under 22. Get Sandin and Liljegren some games.
 
Hyman - Matthews - Marner
Galchenyuk - Tavares - Nylander
Foligno - Engvall - Mikheyev
XXXXX - Kerfoot - Spezza

So XXXXX could be any of Nash, Simmonds, Thornton, Robertson. Not sure which one i'd pick but if healthy I'd likely lean towards Nash.
Like this lineup a lot. Id start with simmonds on the 4th
 
playoff roster

Galchenyuk Matthews Marner
Foligno Tavares Nylander
Mikheyev engval hyman
Kerfoot nash simmonds

unless Robertson shows something between now and the playoffs
 
Another interesting configuration:

Gally Matthews Marner
Kerfoot Tavares Nylander
Mik Foligno Hyman
Thornton/Engvall Spezza Simmonds/Nash
 
We are going to see Keefe try various combinations for the rest of the season (as he should) to determine our best look up front. If it was up to me, I would settle on this going into the playoffs:

Hyman-Matthews-Marner
Galchenyuk-Tavares-Nylander
Foligno-Kerfoot-Spezza
Mikheyev-Nash-Simmonds

Rielly-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl
Dermott-Bogosian

Campbell
Rittich

Taxi Squad:
Thornton
Engvall
Robertson
Hutton
Sandin
 
The two combos that jump out at me for the playoffs are.

Galchenyuk-Matthews-Marner
Foligno-Tavares-Nylander
Hyman-Engvall-Mikheyev
Simmonds-Nash-Spezza

Galchenyuk-Matthews-Marner
Hyman-Tavares-Nylander
Kerfoot-Foligno-Mikheyev
Simmonds-Nash-Spezza

Kerfoot and Engvall are hard to place, Thornton well, let him rest a few and we will see lol.
 
Simmonds - Matthews - Marner
Gally - Tavares - Nylander
Mikheyev - Foligno - Hyman
Thornton - Kerfoot - Spezza

Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Holl
Dermott - Bogo

Campbell
Rittich

Rotate Kerfoot, Foligno, Hyman throughout the lineup and let Simmonds/Spezza/Thornton get ~5 mins of 5v5 time a night.
I think Simmonds/Thornton hold value over Engvall in the lineup for their leadership and motivation and aren't a negative at low minutes. Engvall is useless offensively anyway, and Foligno can fill his spot defensively.
 
If Gally keeps playing well with M and M, something like this could be interesting:

Gally-Matty-Marner
Foligno-JT-Nylander
Hyman-Kerfoot-Mikey
Simmonds/Thornton-Nash-Spezza

We need Simmonds and Thornton to get back to pre-injury form though. If they do, Thornton-Spezza-Simmonds could also be a solid line.
This one is correct
 
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Galchenyuk-Matthews-Marner
Foligno-Tavares-Nylander
Hyman-Kerfoot-Mikheyev
Simmonds-Nash-Spezza

1.Hopefully Galy keeps gelling with the big guns and can tag along while contributing.

2. Foligno for some sand paper and digging pucks out for Tavares and Nylander

3. Hyman anchors a nice shutdown line that can contribute.

4. Very tough line to play against and some occasional brilliance from Spezza.

Thats how i see it anyways but who really knows.

*If robertson gets going i replace Simmonds with him.
 

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