Practice Lines 12-3-19

[Brawndo]

 

[Doohicksie]

It's funny really, but my view of the line combinations is primarily driven by how well the team played in their last game.  When they were scuffling this lineup looked pathetic, now it looks okay. 

I'll say that I think Sheary very much benefits from being on Skinner's line.  Jeff creates chaos in the offensive zone and Sheary is good at cleaning up messes.

[Weave]

1 minute ago, Doohickie said:

It's funny really, but my view of the line combinations is primarily driven by how well the team played in their last game.  When they were scuffling this lineup looked pathetic, now it looks okay. 

I'll say that I think Sheary very much benefits from being on Skinner's line.  Jeff creates chaos in the offensive zone and Sheary is good at cleaning up messes.

I am more than a little surprised how well Larsson has looked between these two.

[Hank]

2 minutes ago, Weave said:

I am more than a little surprised how well Larsson has looked between these two.

Three assists last night. I'm also pleasantly surprised. 

[Doohicksie]

6 minutes ago, Weave said:

I am more than a little surprised how well Larsson has looked between these two.

He was 1C for a while during the tank.  He's a competent, not great, center.  He's got a reasonable, not great, hockey IQ.  And he's very responsible defensively.  That's just what that line needs.

Larsson is also a good soldier.  Unlike Berglund, he's willing to accept whatever role is assigned to him, knowing that opportunities for change come during the season.

I'm not crazy about the logjam of forwards, but it does seem to be creating competition (in a positive way) for ice time.  It will be interesting what happens to the roster as players get off the injured list.

Edited December 3, 2019 by Doohickie

[Mustache of God]

What happens when Okposo gets back? Send Dea down and have e-rod be the extra skater? At this point I think Asplund shouldn't go back down.

[pi2000]

Larsson centering Skinner is an abomination.

You're paying Skinner $9m/yr and give him Johan Larsson as his center....    Johan Larsson, a guy who's averaged about 15-16 assists per season over his career.

This organization man, I have no words.

[French Collection]

16 minutes ago, Weave said:

I am more than a little surprised how well Larsson has looked between these two.

Yeah, I didn’t think he had any offensive instincts.

[pi2000]

17 minutes ago, Weave said:

I am more than a little surprised how well Larsson has looked between these two.

That's more a product of how bad NJ played last night than anything special that Larsson did.

[Mustache of God]

I wish Krueger would stick Jeff with Jack, not all the time, but when we're in the 3rd period and either need a goal to win it or tie it,f'n play them together!

I also wouldn't mind seeing Mitts playing with Skinner. Maybe that's the boost he needs to take his game to the next level?

[pi2000]

3 minutes ago, Mustache of God said:

I wish Krueger would stick Jeff with Jack, not all the time, but when we're in the 3rd period and either need a goal to win it or tie it,f'n play them together!

I also wouldn't mind seeing Mitts playing with Skinner. Maybe that's the boost he needs to take his game to the next level?

Put Olofosson and Skinner with Jack.   Reinhart is becoming dead weight on that line, 1 goal in the last 10 games... a couple assists over that span.     He's invisible most nights. 

[Mustache of God]

7 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

Put Olofosson and Skinner with Jack.   Reinhart is becoming dead weight on that line, 1 goal in the last 10 games... a couple assists over that span.     He's invisible most nights. 

Skinner - Eichel - Oloffsson - POWER LINE

Mitts - Mojo - Reinhart - SORTA ALL FAILED CENTERS LINE

Sheary - Asplund - Vesey - THE REST OF 'EM LINE

Okposo - Larsson - Girgs - SHUTDOWN & GRIND LINE

Erod extra

What's not to like?

[Doohicksie]

I like the idea, at least for the time being, of putting Asplund on the checking line.  It gives him NHL experience without the pressure to score, to just work on fundamentals.  Larsson is fine on the 4th line, but if there's some chemistry with Sheary and Skins let him play up there for a while.

[Brawndo]

 

[In The Buff]

2 hours ago, pi2000 said:

Larsson centering Skinner is an abomination.

You're paying Skinner $9m/yr and give him Johan Larsson as his center....    Johan Larsson, a guy who's averaged about 15-16 assists per season over his career.

This organization man, I have no words.

Obviously its not ideal. It'd be great to pencil in a McDavid in that spot, but for the time being its something we have to deal with. And tbh I'm all for trying it if they perform like they did last night. We just lit up the Devils 7-1, had scoring thruout our lineup. Larsson had 3 assists. RK wants balance amongst the lines & he's not afraid to mix things up to achieve that goal. Given what he has to work with, that's really all he can do.

One things for sure, its increased competition within the group & given some of these players who have long been relegated to lesser minutes historically in their careers an opportunity to gain more ice time & play a more significant role. Like Larsson for instance ?

After a 7-1 win, i can't really complain today

[triumph_communes]

I don't mind Skinner-Larsson-Sheary at all.  You can't complain about them at all if you watched the last game.  Time will tell if it continues, but it managed to wake-up two streaky players all of a sudden.

I'd rather Reinhart play with Johansson/Mittelstadt than Vesey.  Jack needs to get away from Reinhart.

I would like to see Skinner with Jack, especially now that Jack is much better defensively than he used to be.  But the Reinhart move is more pressing to me.

[Doohicksie]

6 minutes ago, triumph_communes said:

But the Reinhart move is more pressing to me.

Why?

[dudacek]

55 minutes ago, triumph_communes said:

I don't mind Skinner-Larsson-Sheary at all.  You can't complain about them at all if you watched the last game.  Time will tell if it continues, but it managed to wake-up two streaky players all of a sudden.

I'd rather Reinhart play with Johansson/Mittelstadt than Vesey.  Jack needs to get away from Reinhart.

I would like to see Skinner with Jack, especially now that Jack is much better defensively than he used to be.  But the Reinhart move is more pressing to me.

Yes, Reinhart is clearing holding Jack back. ?

[Thorner]

4 hours ago, Weave said:

I am more than a little surprised how well Larsson has looked between these two.

Definitely, and I was just going to post this:

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

 

It is working. Larsson complements him pretty well, and it's a testament to just how good Skinner is. He is elevating the other two on his line. I like that he used the term exceptional. It's fitting. 

Edited December 3, 2019 by Thorny

[inkman]

4 hours ago, pi2000 said:

Larsson centering Skinner is an abomination.

You're paying Skinner $9m/yr and give him Johan Larsson as his center....    Johan Larsson, a guy who's averaged about 15-16 assists per season over his career.

This organization man, I have no words.

Easy there 3.14, they are just trying to balance the lines.  Seemed to work last night. ?

[Taro T]

7 hours ago, Brawndo said:

 

Surprising it works.  But not shocking it works. 

Larsson is a very good forechecker with below average passing skills and a bad shot.  But Skinner is an excellent skater (both laterally and f/b) and goes to high danger locales.  His skating can cause a pass that would have missed going to Girgensons, Okposo, Rodrigues, Sheary, Vesey, Mittelstadt, etc actually end up on the money. 

Skinner has always been able to score whether playing with good or average linemates.  Larsson offensively is nearly average (well at least he'd an NHLer unlike Sobotka ? ) and is very good defensively.

Turns out the skills might actually be complementary.  (Cool.). Of course, a couple of games from now those wheels might fall back off.  But, might as well run with it for now.

[erickompositör72]

I feel like Skinner rubs off on Sheary when they play together. Suddenly Sheary started leaning into everything more, started lifting opposition's sticks started trying to be more physical (when not having much to work with). If Sheary brought that every night, he could transform his game. It's like he's close to Skinner and starts channeling Skinner.

[inkman]

27 minutes ago, erickompositör72 said:

I feel like Skinner rubs off on Sheary

That's what I call bonding 

[PerreaultForever]

11 hours ago, pi2000 said:

Larsson centering Skinner is an abomination.

You're paying Skinner $9m/yr and give him Johan Larsson as his center....    Johan Larsson, a guy who's averaged about 15-16 assists per season over his career.

This organization man, I have no words.

but it worked.

They are trying to balance the lines so that we are not a one line hockey team (that faces the other team's checking line). It's clear that the philosophy is to make every line equally able and equally dangerous. Well maybe not equally, but certainly able. With a limited talent pool to draw from you can't have elite players on every unit but you still strive for that balance. When one unit is shut down another can win the game for you. Next year presumably that talent gets upgraded and Skinner is here for the long haul.

A balanced team is a much better approach than Toronto's plan of 2 top lines and 1 decent D pairing along with 2 crap pairings and 2 crap lines. 

[pi2000]

13 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

but it worked.

They are trying to balance the lines so that we are not a one line hockey team (that faces the other team's checking line). It's clear that the philosophy is to make every line equally able and equally dangerous. Well maybe not equally, but certainly able. With a limited talent pool to draw from you can't have elite players on every unit but you still strive for that balance. When one unit is shut down another can win the game for you. Next year presumably that talent gets upgraded and Skinner is here for the long haul.

A balanced team is a much better approach than Toronto's plan of 2 top lines and 1 decent D pairing along with 2 crap pairings and 2 crap lines. 

it worked?  he's sucked for 5 seasons, lucks into 3 assists in a single game against a team who laid down on their coach... and suddenly he's the answer? 

On his first assist he did nothing but engage in a wall battle at center ice, Skinner does all the rest. 

On the second assist he makes a cross ice pass from his own blue line to skinner at center ice.  Skinner does the work, Sheary cleans up.

On his thurd assist he blindly clears the puck from deep in his own zone up the wall, which evades a few bodies, sheary tracks it down shoots it off Domingues' blocker and it dribbles in.

Skinner and Sheary did all the heavy lifting on those goals... Larsson was nothing more than a lucky passenger.