JohnC

I thought with Doan, we were getting a grinder who was a third or fourth line type of player. However, his offensive instincts and production have surprised me. If he was inserted on the first or second line now, I would not automatically say that he was miscast for those upper line roles, although I would still categorize him as a third-line type of player. I'm not going to say that he is better than JJP but what I can comfortably say that he is a more well-rounded player. What makes his value more noticeable is that he excels in areas in which this team was glaringly deficient, such as net presence, a physical style of play and more responsible play in the defensive zone. There has been a lot of discussion here about roster construction. From that standpoint alone, he was a good addition.

This line played its fourth line role very well. It played hard and tight throughout the game. Kosak fits in well on that line. He is solidifying his spot on the team.

And to add to your point, if we can get consistently good goaltending, this can be a credible team.

Samuelsson was constantly plagued with lingering injuries, and it affected his play to the extent that the enraged mob wanted to get rid of him for nearly nothing. Now he is playing well in a first pair role. Let’s not reflexively throw out a potential asset out of frustration with his past history riddled with injuries. Just be more patient and you may be rewarded. There are no guarantees for him or any other player on the team.

As you are indicating, with the return of some injured players, there are more pieces to juggle to rework the lines. And as you note, there are a variety of options that make sense. Ruff is not afraid to juggle the lines, including within the game. Now he has more material to work with. My sense is that he wants to keep Tage as a 1C because of his recent play and also the player's preference.

It is going to be interesting to see how Ruff is going to assemble the lines once Norris gets back. I expect the Zucker/McLeod/Quinn line to stay intact because playing with the vets has elevated Quinn's play.

He's not a flashy player or even a prolific stat performer, but what he contributes is responsible two-way play that this team needed more of. He and Zucker were terrific additions that have as much to do with the maturity they add both on and off the ice. You can see the difference for Quinn when he played with these two guys compared to playing on a youth line.

Absolutely not! Are you taking hallucinating drugs? How about waiting to see what he brings to the ice. What is going on here?

Sammy is playing like a stud defenseman. I didn’t think he was a first pairing player. I was wrong.

The two hard working veterans are good examples to follow. I’m sure these two honest players influence how he plays.

Playing with two heady veterans has elevated Quinn’s game.

UPL so far has been stellar.

Referring is so arbitrary and capricious.

Doan set up the play. Quick passes and conversion. That’s the way to do it!

What you saw in this game is not what I saw. That’s okay. As you point out, how they play in the next 4-6 games will be more telling than one game.