Project the Rangers Playoff Lineup

[SaveByRichter35]

18 hours ago, Kevin said:

I have a hard time picturing Reaves not in the lineup in game 1 of the playoffs. The whole experienced playoff performer thing.

Yea I feel he'll be in for at least game 1.  Probably sit some shifts.  Maybe only play a few games a series.  Doubt he'll be dressed for every game though.

Edited April 11, 2022 by SaveByRichter35

[RangersIn7]

I like Reaves and what he brings. Truly I do. It’s valuable and goes beyond the stat sheet.

 

But it’s hard to play a guy who is -12 in 10 minutes a night come playoff time in any kind of consistent basis.

 

I don’t think Galant envisioned him playing as often as he has this year. 
 

I think he figured him in for around 45-50 games. Maybe 55

Hes played 61. 
Too much

[Kevin]

4 hours ago, RangersIn7 said:

I like Reaves and what he brings. Truly I do. It’s valuable and goes beyond the stat sheet.

 

But it’s hard to play a guy who is -12 in 10 minutes a night come playoff time in any kind of consistent basis.

 

I don’t think Galant envisioned him playing as often as he has this year. 
 

I think he figured him in for around 45-50 games. Maybe 55

Hes played 61. 
Too much

I agree.  I just think he gets the nod in Game 1.  Like @SaveByRichter35 said, Game 1 in but probably out for a few of the others.

[siddious]

Gallant is loyal to his guys and I think we’ll basically see what we’re seeing these last few games. 4th line will revolve between Rooney mckegg Reaves bro and hunt. I wouldn’t be surprised to see bro start the playoffs he’s been a fire cracker on that 4th line. Might even see Goodrow on the 4th but as the playoffs progress I can see him moving up and replacing Chytil or kakko or laf at times. 
 

I think Braun is the extra d at this point but I see that third pair revolving as well. 

[josh]

31 minutes ago, siddious said:

Gallant is loyal to his guys and I think we’ll basically see what we’re seeing these last few games. 4th line will revolve between Rooney mckegg Reaves bro and hunt. I wouldn’t be surprised to see bro start the playoffs he’s been a fire cracker on that 4th line. Might even see Goodrow on the 4th but as the playoffs progress I can see him moving up and replacing Chytil or kakko or laf at times. 
 

I think Braun is the extra d at this point but I see that third pair revolving as well. 

I think gallant is a guy that’s gotten close but has nothing to show for it - and he knows it. The non-challant attitude is so he can sit a guy and be like, “yeah, it is what it is, he’ll be back in there real soon”

[BrooksBurner]

As much as I would like to slot in Kravtsov, have to assume that's not happening.

 

What I would like to see for the forward group at the moment, upon Chytil's return:

 

Kreider - Zibanejad - Vatrano

Panarin - Strome - Copp

Goodrow - Chytil - Kakko

Lafreniere - Rooney - Hunt/Reaves

 

[Pete]

There's not point at all to Lafreniere on the 4th line. 

[Long live the King]

Since we get hung up on line #'s

 

Kreider - Zibanejad - Vatrano (18-20 TOI)

Panarin - Strome - Copp (18-20 TOI)

Hunt - Rooney - Goodrow (14-16 TOI)

Lafreniere - Chytil - Kakko (10-12 TOI)

[BrooksBurner]

10 minutes ago, Pete said:

There's not point at all to Lafreniere on the 4th line. 

 

You need to move away from a 3rd/4th line construct. I will try any combination in the bottom 6 and roll them out equally in ice time if I have to.

 

We need to stop trying to shoehorn bottom 6 players into the top 6.

Edited April 13, 2022 by rmc51

[Pete]

19 minutes ago, rmc51 said:

 

You need to move away from a 3rd/4th line construct. I will try any combination in the bottom 6 and roll them out equally in ice time if I have to.

 

We need to stop trying to shoehorn bottom 6 players into the top 6.

Then stop dressing Hunt, Rooney and Reaves. Because they are 4th liners. Not third liners mislabeled, not 18 minute a night guys. They are plugs. Simple as that. Only Rooney adds PK ability. 

 

So, putting Lafreniere with them, you might as well scratch him. 

[BrooksBurner]

2 minutes ago, Pete said:

Then stop dressing Hunt, Rooney and Reaves. Because they are 4th liners. Not third liners mislabeled, not 18 minute a night guys. They are plugs. Simple as that. Only Rooney adds PK ability. 

 

So, putting Lafreniere with them, you might as well scratch him. 

That doesn’t make sense. You still need 6 players in the bottom 6. If you scratch all those guys, who’s playing?

[Pete]

26 minutes ago, Long live the King said:

Since we get hung up on line #'s

 

Kreider - Zibanejad - Vatrano (18-20 TOI)

Panarin - Strome - Copp (18-20 TOI)

Hunt - Rooney - Goodrow (14-16 TOI)

Lafreniere - Chytil - Kakko (10-12 TOI)

Let's stop trying to outsmart a d Galaxy brain this shit.

 

There are 4 lines and the 4th gets the least amount of time, usually.

 

And if the line getting the least amount of time is anything other than Rooney, Hunt, Reaves, then that's a big problem. 

[RangersIn7]

I don’t see how you can play guys like LaFreniere, Chytil, or Kakko so much, on your 4th line. 
 

I think he should juggle some, but if it’s going to be constant, it might be better to say screw it, and just decide on who your top-9 are, put them together how you like them best, and roll. Let the chips fall as they may. 

[Pete]

6 minutes ago, rmc51 said:

That doesn’t make sense. You still need 6 players in the bottom 6. If you scratch all those guys, who’s playing?

And therein lies the problem. You and @Long live the King are keeping the same players together who can't buy a goal, and then suggesting playing the fourth line more, and the third line less, so all you're doing is juggling ice time and you expect a different outcome? It's still basically half the game where you're not going to get a goal. The combinations themselves need to be fixed, and putting Laf with Rooney and Hunt is not the answer. 

[BrooksBurner]

Just now, Pete said:

And therein lies the problem. You and @Long live the King are keeping the same players together who can't buy a goal, and then suggesting playing the fourth line more, and the third line less, so all you're doing is juggling ice time and you expect a different outcome? It's still basically half the game where you're not going to get a goal. The combinations themselves need to be fixed, and putting Laf with Rooney and Hunt is not the answer. 

Wrong. I’m the only one trying something new. How much time do Lafreniere and Rooney have together? Chytil and Kakko? Goodrow and Kakko? Find the right combination. It seems to me everyone else is trying the same thing either jamming Kakko/Lafreniere into the top 6, or jamming the kid line back together and playing Goodrow with Rooney. I still don’t care which one of the kids plays with Rooney, but I’m not scratching Lafreniere/Chytil/Kakko because they are still better than the others (save Goodrow) in the bottom 6. Goodrow needs to stabilize whichever 2 kids we want to mash together on a line.

[Pete]

8 minutes ago, rmc51 said:

Wrong. I’m the only one trying something new. How much time do Lafreniere and Rooney have together? Chytil and Kakko? Goodrow and Kakko? Find the right combination. It seems to me everyone else is trying the same thing either jamming Kakko/Lafreniere into the top 6, or jamming the kid line back together and playing Goodrow with Rooney. I still don’t care which one of the kids plays with Rooney, but I’m not scratching Lafreniere/Chytil/Kakko because they are still better than the others (save Goodrow) in the bottom 6. Goodrow needs to stabilize whichever 2 kids we want to mash together on a line.

Fact is nobody should be playing with a Rooney other than Hunt and Reeves or Motte. 

 

You know what hasn't been tried? Copp centering the third line with one of the kids because he's light years better than Chytil and a better center than Goodrow. I think somebody might have suggested that once or twice...

[Scott]

Basically taking your fertilizer line and spreading them out and hoping they don't drag down the top two lines which have been much better without them since adding Vatrano and Copp.

 

Everybody agree or I think most would anyway the main issue is there's 3 young guys who do virtually nothing.

 

I don't think Gallant changes up the top two lines, but we'll see.

Edited April 13, 2022 by jsrangers

[BrooksBurner]

27 minutes ago, Pete said:

Fact is nobody should be playing with a Rooney other than Hunt and Reeves or Motte. 

 

You know what hasn't been tried? Copp centering the third line with one of the kids because he's light years better than Chytil and a better center than Goodrow. I think somebody might have suggested that once or twice...

 

Copp has 12 pts in 11 games, almost all of which were played on Panarin’s line. He provides all of the things that the line needs. Hard sell, especially when the replacement is a 30 point bottom 6 player being elevated.

[RangersIn7]

14 minutes ago, jsrangers said:

Basically taking your fertilizer line and spreading them out and hoping they don't drag down the top two lines which have been much better without them since adding Vatrano and Copp.

 

Everybody agree or I think most would anyway the main issue is there's 3 young guys who do virtually nothing.

 

I don't think Gallant changes up the top two lines, but we'll see.

 

5 minutes ago, rmc51 said:

 

Copp has 12 pts in 11 games, almost all of which were played on Panarin’s line. He provides all of the things that the line needs. Hard sell, especially when the replacement is a 30 point bottom 6 player being elevated.

It’s a frustrating thing, them not getting much out of Kakko and LaFreniere. 
If even one of those 2 were putting up some numbers and producing chances consistently, they’d be in better shape.

Gonna really need one of those kids to get going. 

[Pete]

1 hour ago, rmc51 said:

 

Copp has 12 pts in 11 games, almost all of which were played on Panarin’s line. He provides all of the things that the line needs. Hard sell, especially when the replacement is a 30 point bottom 6 player being elevated.

Which line needs the production more, the 2nd or the 3rd?

[BrooksBurner]

7 minutes ago, Pete said:

Which line needs the production more, the 2nd or the 3rd?

 

Not really a 2nd line. More like 1B. They play 18-20 minutes a night, and it's more important they continue to produce as effectively as they are now, along with the Zibanejad line.

 

There's other combinations they can try first that they haven't yet.

[Pete]

Just now, rmc51 said:

 

Not really a 2nd line. More like 1B. They play 18-20 minutes a night, and it's more important they continue to produce as effectively as they are now, along with the Zibanejad line.

 

There's other combinations they can try first that they haven't yet.

You're dodging. Does the Zib line need to produce more? No. Does the Panarin line need to? No. Do the other lines? Yes. So move Copp there. 

[BrooksBurner]

Just now, Pete said:

You're dodging. Does the Zib line need to produce more? No. Does the Panarin line need to? No. Do the other lines? Yes. So move Copp there. 

 

Do they need to produce more? No. They are already producing at a high clip. Your turn: do we need to risk them going stale and not producing by putting a probable dead weight on the line?

 

Gallant trying Goodrow-Chytil-Kakko tonight by the way. Exactly what I just posted. Kakko with a goal. Shrug.

 

Exhaust all options before messing with the top 6.

[Pete]

4 minutes ago, rmc51 said:

 

Do they need to produce more? No. They are already producing at a high clip. Your turn: do we need to risk them going stale and not producing by putting a probable dead weight on the line?

 

Gallant trying Goodrow-Chytil-Kakko tonight by the way. Exactly what I just posted. Kakko with a goal. Shrug.

 

Exhaust all options before messing with the top 6.

That's my point LOL!

 

The top 6 was fine before the deadline. Now Vatrano and Copp in the top 6 and the bottom 6 still thin.

 

Kakko scoring against Flyers 4th goalie in a game the Flyers have been controlling isn't proving your point.

 

Also change your avatar back, I don't recognize you. 

 

[BrooksBurner]

5 minutes ago, Pete said:

That's my point LOL!

 

The top 6 was fine before the deadline. Now Vatrano and Copp in the top 6 and the bottom 6 still thin.

 

Kakko scoring against Flyers 4th goalie in a game the Flyers have been controlling isn't proving your point.

 

Also change your avatar back, I don't recognize you. 

 

 

No that's not what you're saying. You want to mess with the top 6 as it exists today.

 

The top 6 was fine production-wise pre-deadline, but they had a tendency to go missing for stretches when Hunt was dragging them down. Now the line is pretty great, not just fine. I'll keep the great.

 

You dodged my question by the way.

Edited April 13, 2022 by rmc51