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The Other Two Lines

Which are the best Other Two Lines

  • A. Kerfoot-Tavares-Nylander + Blackwell-XXXXXX-Kase

    Votes: 1 9.1%

  • B. Nylander-Tavares-Kase/Blackwell + XXXXXX-Kerfoot-Kase/Blackwell

    Votes: 4 36.4%

  • C. XXXXXX-Tavares-Nylander + Blackwell-Kerfoot-Kase

    Votes: 2 18.2%

  • D. Blackwell-Tavares-Kase + XXXXXX-Kerfoot-Nylander

    Votes: 4 36.4%
  • Total voters
    11
zeke

zeke

Well-known member
You can all see the pros and cons of each set up.

Which one would work best?

follow-up: who is the best choice as XXXXXX?
 
Depends on how good Blackwell actually is. If he actually has the skill to play with good players and put up 15-20/40, and competes every shift, thats is kind of what that line needs.

But that line has also been at its best with Kerfoot.

I want Spezza as the XXXX until he gets 10 more points. Then Robertson, Steeves, Knies and Abruzzese can fight for it.
 
B for me. Reasons:

1. I want Kerf as the 4c.

2. Nylander and Tavares have to work out and there's no reason why they shouldn't. They have before in spurts; it's just about Willy getting back to the top of his game. Putting him on the 4th line messing with ice time distribution and doesn't really work. That line needs to play a lot and dominate lesser matchups and easier usage and the only thing that can get them going is themselves. The 3rd wheel is not gonna be some line driving monster that does it by himself.

I think it's more likely that Kase is a better fit but you obviously have to try Blackwell as well; that line could maybe use a relentless forechecking energy bug with a motor. Figure out what works before playoffs. As for the XXXX let them battle it out and give the college kids a try if they decide to sign. I think Abruzzese may be more polished than a Robertson but we'd have to wait and see on that. There will be injuries though so we'll see a whole bunch of guys coming in and out I'm sure.
 
leafman101 said:
Depends on how good Blackwell actually is. If he actually has the skill to play with good players and put up 15-20/40, and competes every shift, thats is kind of what that line needs.
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Just took a look at how he was used last year with a decent Rangers team...some mixed signals but probably more good than bad here, and he was used with their top guys most of the time:

Screenshot_20220322-121132_Chrome.jpg
 
I must say that Blackwell, as #11, playing on the second line would feel pretty familiar.
 
Blackwell is a 4th liner who could play on your 3rd in a pinch. not sure he's good enough to play with the likes of JT and Willy.
 
I put him into roughly the same tier as Kerf and Kase personally. Gotta try them all. You're not really asking a lot out of a third wheel on a line with that sort of talent.
 
It has sucked for a while now, but I don't see any option better than Nylander & Tavares figuring their shit out together. Splitting them up will also lead to us playing the Mikky-Kampf-Engvall line less, and those 3 are ridiculous together.
 
MindzEye said:
It has sucked for a while now, but I don't see any option better than Nylander & Tavares figuring their shit out together. Splitting them up will also lead to us playing the Mikky-Kampf-Engvall line less, and those 3 are ridiculous together.
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Why? If you just flip Marner and Nylander.
 
Nylander has to have a nagging injury or something - he's not skating as well, and his puck-handling has been sub-par. I don't think its a confidence/consistency thing, I think he's battling something.
 
LeafOfFaith said:
Why? If you just flip Marner and Nylander.
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Bunting-Matthews-Marner might be the best line in the world, I don't see the point in fucking with it. I'm also not convince that Marner fixes whatever is wrong the JT's line. The last time we saw JT & Mitch together for an extended period, we were frustrated by them (not too dissimilar from how we're frustrated by JT & Willy at the moment).
 
Meh, Bunting-Tavares-Marner is a 65.1xGF% this year when Matthews has been out. But yeah, you don't break up the best line of all time.

Also, Kerfoot-Tavares-Willy have a 51 xGF% this year. 51.6 with Robertson, 50% with Kase, and both guys are having 80 point years.

Not all lines can be among the top 10 lines in the league like #1 and #3. People are being a little unfairly harsh.
 
BG said:
Nylander has to have a nagging injury or something - he's not skating as well, and his puck-handling has been sub-par. I don't think its a confidence/consistency thing, I think he's battling something.
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To me, it has looked like he's got a conditioning problem or an illness (mono or some shit). He's sluggish. He gets a little jolt when he's got some open space around the goal, but other than that, he's just struggling to move out there.
 
MindzEye said:
Bunting-Matthews-Marner might be the best line in the world, I don't see the point in fucking with it. I'm also not convince that Marner fixes whatever is wrong the JT's line. The last time we saw JT & Mitch together for an extended period, we were frustrated by them (not too dissimilar from how we're frustrated by JT & Willy at the moment).
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I don't remember that. I feel like every time Marner and Tavares are together, they're great. Tavares's first year here, Marner helped him almost hit 50 goals.

But anyway, if Marner could be the secret sauce on the second line and Matty can do all the hard work for Willy on the first line, we'd have two best lines in the world instead of one. It's at least worth a shot. Not like Bunting Matty Marner will lose their magic if they're apart for a few games.
 
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