Line Science

Raskolnikov

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1. A net guy (Anisimov, Panik, Toews,
2. A big guy
3. A fast guy
4. a defensive guy (Toews, Hossa, Kruger,
5. a scoring guy


Hartman-Toews-Hossa 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, =10 (line 1, shut down opponents best)
Panarin-AA-Kane 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, = 7 (line 2, but best scoring line in hockey)
Panik-Kruger-Rasmussen = 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5= 7 ( a poorer mans 7, but imposing 2 way potential)
Desjardins-Hinostroza-Motte


Is that your final answer?

Until Debricat/Bondra/Smaltz can be seen this is my favorite. Tootoo can ride pine and be inserted against teams with a bully. Its not that I don't like Tootoo, but I actually liked Mashinter better than him as a hockey player. But TooToo rides pine because Mashinter needs to get better at the hockey part and has a chance to learn down there.
 

Raskolnikov

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only alternative I see to above line science

Hartman-Toews-Hossa
Panarin-AA-Kane
Panik-Hinostroza-Motte
Desjardins-Kruger-Rasmussen
 

Raskolnikov

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abomination
 

DMelt36

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a7b108e8dca865d2972094197beaa7fedadf0c15f5298fd3f4aea36d2cbf1924.jpg
 

Raskolnikov

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please make a trade. I can't spin these things without serious issues.


Can Hossa play with Toews or can't they? Can we build a fucking line around either one?


Honestly just building the strongest 3 lines we can and playing 7 Defenders might be the best thing we can do.

Hartman-Toews-Hossa
Pan-AA-88
Hinostroza-Kruger-Panik
Desjardins-Smaltz-TooToo/Ras

This is the best I can do as constructed. That Hino-Toews speed thing is something I really wish would work.

Hino-Toews-Hartman might be an energy thing, but can it score? What the fuck is wrong with Toews? Hossa I get, comes in waves and when he is feeling good.

If we had an elite goal scorer to give Toews we could do some things. We might have to blow up the best line in hockey.

Hartman-Toews-Kane
Pan-AA-Panik
Hino--Hossa
Desjardins-Kruger

Fuck fuck fuck ]

seriously every line I make makes me cuss. I can't stand these unbalances. Make a fucking trade.
 

Raskolnikov

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What if Hinostroza stands in for Kane on best line in hockey? Sure they will suffer, but he can pass, he can skate to the same areas as Kane and be a poor mans Kane for that line.

This might be our only shot at 3 balanced lines.

Hartman-Toews-Kane
Pan-AA-Hino
Panik-Kruger-Hossa
Desjardins-Smaltz-Ras

Could a fast line defend?

Hino-Toews-Kane
Pan-AA-Hossa
Panik-Smaltz-Hartman
Desjardins-Kruger-Ras
 

RacerX

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Line combos really won't make much of a difference, whatever the blender spits out just won't cut it when the Cap has left us with 2 lines of roles players and a massive void at 1LW. Depth is poor, there aren't any elite prospect talent in the wings, and we don't have the resources necessary to add anything but a broken, old Vet at the trade deadline (e.g., Iginla).

It was the run of my hockey lifetime, but i do recognize the current team far more resembles a 1st-round playoff victim than a Cup contender. And the arrow is not pointing north for the future. I foresee a few years as as "good-not-great team" followed by years of bottoming-out before a reload is feasible.
 

Tater

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Line combos really won't make much of a difference, whatever the blender spits out just won't cut it when the Cap has left us with 2 lines of roles players and a massive void at 1LW. Depth is poor, there aren't any elite prospect talent in the wings, and we don't have the resources necessary to add anything but a broken, old Vet at the trade deadline (e.g., Iginla).

It was the run of my hockey lifetime, but i do recognize the current team far more resembles a 1st-round playoff victim than a Cup contender. And the arrow is not pointing north for the future. I foresee a few years as as "good-not-great team" followed by years of bottoming-out before a reload is feasible.

I hope you're wrong, but fear you're right.
 

ClydeLee

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Weren't Hossa and Toews playing well on a line together just days ago for multiple games in a row... what's the chaos.

Though I still like the idea of a split of them come playoffs but you need another trade add to play with Toews and either motte, schmatlz, or panik fills his other side

Why panic when you can panik? via da Tapatalk
 

DMelt36

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Line combos really won't make much of a difference, whatever the blender spits out just won't cut it when the Cap has left us with 2 lines of roles players and a massive void at 1LW. Depth is poor, there aren't any elite prospect talent in the wings, and we don't have the resources necessary to add anything but a broken, old Vet at the trade deadline (e.g., Iginla).

The Hawks have won their last two cups with three legit forward lines and then a fourth shutdown/checking line. That fourth line is typically centered by Kruger, who is one of the best defensive centers in the NHL. I think you can put a ton of different guys on his wings and that line will get the job done. May not score a ton (if at all) but in the playoffs, if it can contain another team's top line, it's a lethal weapon.

Outside of that, you have the 72-15-88 line that is one of the best in hockey. I'd argue that 1LW is not the issue on this team, thanks to the revelation of Ryan Hartman this season. Not really a Saad comparison because he's far more physical and not as fast. But Hartman has shown some nifty hands and a pretty good shot at times this season. I think you can slot him in at LW on the top line with Toews and Hossa. You have a revitalized Hossa this year. Complete that trio with Toews figuring out whatever the fuck it is that's hampering him, and I love the top six.

But that third line is the issue.

In 2015, it was Sharp-Vermette-Teuvo.
In 2013, it was often comprised of Saad and Shaw, IIRC. Think the third spot was frequently Stalberg.
LA had Toffoli-Carter-Pearson in 2014 and the Pens had Hagelin-Bonino-Kessel last year. Third lines have to be pretty damn good.

Right now it's got some combination of Schmaltz/Hinostroza/Panik/Motte. That's probably not enough. Hino is about the only one of those guys that I'm really confident in providing competent third-line play.

But the good news is that the Hawks roster as currently constructed is almost certainly not going to be the one that will play in the playoffs. There are going to be trades. No, there aren't a ton of options out there. But I don't think anyone had the Hawks landing Andrew Ladd last year, either. The cupboard doesn't strike me as totally bare, either. I think Schmaltz and/or Forsling could yield a decent return, as each player has decent potential. I think what you're looking for is a quality LW that can either fit in with Toews/Hossa to bump Hartman down to the third line, or you get a top-6 quality forward to beef up the Hawks current third line.

It was the run of my hockey lifetime, but i do recognize the current team far more resembles a 1st-round playoff victim than a Cup contender. And the arrow is not pointing north for the future. I foresee a few years as as "good-not-great team" followed by years of bottoming-out before a reload is feasible.

I'd disagree for a few reasons. First, as I mentioned above, I don't think the Hawks are without young talent. DeBrincat is torching the juniors right now, at a level that rivals few others in OHL history (I believe he's up near Connor McDavid's numbers). There's also been a lot of talk about Maxim Shalunov coming over to the states next year, and he's starting to sound like a poor man's Artemi Panarin. Do they have another Kane/Toews in the system? No. But they also haven't been picking in the Top 3 for the last decade.

Second, the Western Conference kinda sucks this season and it may not get much better. The Pacific division is a joke, mostly. San Jose had their shot last year and blew it, the Ducks/Kings are nowhere near as good as season's past. Edmonton has its moments but still can't play defense or make saves.

In the Central, the Blues are just like the Sharks. Nashville seemed like they'd be a threat but right now they'll be lucky just to make the playoffs. Minnesota? I'm still not sold. They've won 17 of 19 but that run is going to end eventually. They're coached by Bruce Boudreau who's good at winning the President's Trophy and losing Game 7s at home. They have a ton of depth scoring but no guys like Panarin or Kane or Tarasenko that scare the hell out of you whenever they have the puck. And Dubnyk had numbers like this last season (2015/16 - .936 and 1.78; 2016/17 - .940 and 1.78) before completely shitting the bed in the playoffs (.877 and 3.34). I'll believe they're good when they prove they can do it in the playoffs.

I'd agree the window is closing for the Hawks. But I still think they've got a few more legit cracks at the Cup before we have to talk about a rebuild.

(Can you tell I'm not working today?)
 

RacerX

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Dmelt - good post!

I mostly agree, but more so than the line analysis it's just the eye-test that bothers me: puck possession, team speed, SOG all seem down a notch or two to me, caused by a combo of talent attrition, aging, and mostly other teams improving while we lost too many starters, prospects, and draft picks.

It was wondrous and we would all do it all over again, but watching the current team skate just doesn't instill confidence.
 

MassHavoc

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Why not just put Kane, Panarin, on every line... problem solved.
 

Raskolnikov

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Line combos really won't make much of a difference, whatever the blender spits out just won't cut it when the Cap has left us with 2 lines of roles players and a massive void at 1LW. Depth is poor, there aren't any elite prospect talent in the wings, and we don't have the resources necessary to add anything but a broken, old Vet at the trade deadline (e.g., Iginla).

It was the run of my hockey lifetime, but i do recognize the current team far more resembles a 1st-round playoff victim than a Cup contender. And the arrow is not pointing north for the future. I foresee a few years as as "good-not-great team" followed by years of bottoming-out before a reload is feasible.

The Hawks probably stole one before their prime. They won 2 in their prime, and were probably 1 goal from winning 3 straight cups, you could even argue another goal over the Blues would have given them a decent shot at a fourth straight.

The trick here is to win one more in the waning years just on sheer star power. Panarin/AA coming to town make that probable moreso than possible imo.

We can get one in the next 3 years.

Right now we are a 3C and 1LW away from standing toe to toe with any team in this league on paper. Considering a 3C would build a line with either Hossa/Panik and Hartman/Hinostroza.

Depending on how you view Hino we might need a second forward to win it all, but I think he can be part of a championship.

Just does he skate next to Toews or Desjardins? And does Desjardins need to be replaced now?


With this current group of defenders and the farm of defenders and the Vegas team going to disrupt the league a little bit, I don't think we should be thinking anything about winning this year, and then all the chips we have again going into winning next year.

Stan knows what he has. He will be all in.
 

Raskolnikov

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I want to see

Hartman-Toews-Panik


and

Desjardins-Kruger-Hinostroza at some point. If Hino could add a small scoring spark by creating with his speed and lanes, I think we could build the third line around

Panik and/or Hossa.

Hartman-Toews-trade
Best line in Hockey
Panik-trade-Hossa
Shut down line


I mean honestly, that is enough to score enough to win with Crow and this defense.

Everyone needs to throw the switch, but this team can for sure lean on anybody and go toe to toe.

The frustration for me spinning the line wheel is these guys just don't quite fit together.

Panik-Hossa-Hino are the one dimesional culprits that make it hard.
 

RacerX

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Rask - as for winning a 4th cup, if you believe we were a shot/bounce or two away from that one, you have to also realize we were equally close to losing one or two of those Cups if an opponent also had a lucky bounce or two. Goes both ways.

As for Hino/Dej/etc., yuck to all.

However - sounds like the Hawks are making a run at Vanek now.
 

LordKOTL

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Hossa? One dimensional "culprit"? Or one of the bast two-way forwards in the game?

Best 2-way FWD on the team right now AINEC.

I like the fact that it seems that Hoss has been moved to "line 3" with Kero and Hino as linemates...while Hartman and Panik are saddled with Toews.

Either line 1 is meant to shut down the opposition, or Q had a heart-to-heart with Toews and told him to stay the fuck away from the front of the net and leave it to Panik...since Toews hasn't really done much there and is more valuable in open ice.
 

Raskolnikov

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The Hartman-Toews-Panik is a great one to be looking at toward building 3 scoring lines.
 

Raskolnikov

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I like it. Hossa gets the wheels and creativity with Hinostroza, and Toews gets some roughian help with the fiesty but straight forward line of Hartman-Toews-Panik.

We should keep our fingers crossed with these pairings, because I think if there is a chance to get away with not making a trade this is it.

Desjardins-Rasmussen-Smaltz....either can be improved with Kruger, or Kruger can finally be given a chance to go two ways a bit more and be a net front presence for Hossa and Hino which is my vote. Kruger and Hossa would form a total shut down line, and you hope Hino's wheels and the magic of Hossa can get Kruger more chances to pull forward and use his faceoffs to create more offense.

The other thing we could do, is try Desjardins-Kruger-Ras to get physical and shut opponents down, and see if Smaltz is the right button for Hino-Hossa, which is possible.

Of course, Kero just through the challenge down to Smaltz and Rasmussen to fight for that last 2 out of those 3. The best 2 gladiators will remain.

I should include Desjardins, but I see him as a vital defender who can carry an entire shut down line.

When you have Toews shutting the first down, Hossa the third, and Desjardins-Kruger the 4th,

and a Keith....we can win in any year since we have the best american winger to ever live and finally have a perfect line to compliment him on the best line in hockey.
 

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