pwoznic
The best lines in hockey, period.
Posted 10:05 AM ET | Comments 20
Ok, first off, I think Hossa is a wash. I don't like him.
He's a big guy and yes, he's good along the boards, but he's not as good as his brother, period. He's only hit 18 points in the NHL and 40 in the AHL.
Dawes only played 8 games and got a goal in the big league, but absolutely dominated the AHL.
Dawes is just going to get better. For the love of everything that's holy, put him on the first line.
A first line on any hockey team must combine for at least 90 goals in order to be successful.. so here is how I look at it and the projection of points from every line that I think we should have to start the season.
First line
Dawes - Gomez - Jagr
30g/30a - 25g/70a - 40g/60a
These numbers are by no means, 100% accurate based on if all goals/assists are from these players feeding off each other, but think about it.
The first line is supposed to be your ultimate sniper line. You crash the net, you have so much talent that the other team has to put up their best defensive effort against you.
From training camp, it looks like Jagr and Gomez have great chemistry.. Gomez is better than Nylander ever was.. add in a sniper like Dawes and you're set.
Second line
Avery - Drury - Shanahan
25/35 - 30/40 - 35/50
Avery had 48 points last season, but he played 55 games for the Kings.. and they're horrible. I don't know what line he was on, but I don't care.. Shanny is his mentor now, so imagine how much he is learning and will benefit from playing with him.. just imagine!!!!
Third line
Prucha - Straka - Callahan
25/30 - 30/40 - 20/30
Every one of these players is fast and immensely skilled offensively. The only thing lacking physically is Prucha.. he needs to gain maybe 15-20 lbs and he'll be able to maintain his aggressiveness without appearing so soft.. he's just too small for it now..
Callahan has a very tricky shot. When he skates to that right circle for his wrister, the result is a wide rebound 70% of the time.. now imagine Straka or Prucha playing cleanup on that.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have the best three lines in hockey.
Fourth line
Hollweg - Betts - Orr
I have no idea how many points they will combine for, but I don't think it matters. This is a tough line. They will mess your face up and provide energy. Hollweg and Betts are great on the PK and Orr will protect our offensive weapons.. The reason I am confident with these lines is because last year, we only had one solid line of Straka - Nylander - Jagr.
Shanny never had a good center.. Cullen was good on the PK and he's fast and all, but he simply could not produce... so picture this my fellow Rangers fans...
We have Gomez and Drury.. and Straka...
Three obscenely talented players are centers.. Dawes and Jagr?! Avery and Shanahan!? Prucha and Callahan!?!
HOLY DEPTH BATMAN!
He's a big guy and yes, he's good along the boards, but he's not as good as his brother, period. He's only hit 18 points in the NHL and 40 in the AHL.
Dawes only played 8 games and got a goal in the big league, but absolutely dominated the AHL.
Dawes is just going to get better. For the love of everything that's holy, put him on the first line.
A first line on any hockey team must combine for at least 90 goals in order to be successful.. so here is how I look at it and the projection of points from every line that I think we should have to start the season.
First line
Dawes - Gomez - Jagr
30g/30a - 25g/70a - 40g/60a
These numbers are by no means, 100% accurate based on if all goals/assists are from these players feeding off each other, but think about it.
The first line is supposed to be your ultimate sniper line. You crash the net, you have so much talent that the other team has to put up their best defensive effort against you.
From training camp, it looks like Jagr and Gomez have great chemistry.. Gomez is better than Nylander ever was.. add in a sniper like Dawes and you're set.
Second line
Avery - Drury - Shanahan
25/35 - 30/40 - 35/50
Avery had 48 points last season, but he played 55 games for the Kings.. and they're horrible. I don't know what line he was on, but I don't care.. Shanny is his mentor now, so imagine how much he is learning and will benefit from playing with him.. just imagine!!!!
Third line
Prucha - Straka - Callahan
25/30 - 30/40 - 20/30
Every one of these players is fast and immensely skilled offensively. The only thing lacking physically is Prucha.. he needs to gain maybe 15-20 lbs and he'll be able to maintain his aggressiveness without appearing so soft.. he's just too small for it now..
Callahan has a very tricky shot. When he skates to that right circle for his wrister, the result is a wide rebound 70% of the time.. now imagine Straka or Prucha playing cleanup on that.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have the best three lines in hockey.
Fourth line
Hollweg - Betts - Orr
I have no idea how many points they will combine for, but I don't think it matters. This is a tough line. They will mess your face up and provide energy. Hollweg and Betts are great on the PK and Orr will protect our offensive weapons.. The reason I am confident with these lines is because last year, we only had one solid line of Straka - Nylander - Jagr.
Shanny never had a good center.. Cullen was good on the PK and he's fast and all, but he simply could not produce... so picture this my fellow Rangers fans...
We have Gomez and Drury.. and Straka...
Three obscenely talented players are centers.. Dawes and Jagr?! Avery and Shanahan!? Prucha and Callahan!?!
HOLY DEPTH BATMAN!
You sir, need to lay off the blue and red flavored koolaid, 250 goals from just your forwards on a team that scored 242 TOTAL last year. Drury is not a playmaker, he will not set up Shanny like you hope.Gomez/Nylander, it's a wash in my book.But hey I commend your optimism.
Damn, I already miss Drury. Hope your best three forward lines in the NHL are good at playing defense too.
Im gonna have to agree with squishface here. I know you are just predicting and this is all good but get off your pedistal and look not as a fan of the Rnagers but as a hockey fan. 250 goals from just your forwards is rediculous! If your prediction is true than no team better ever play the Rangers and the Rangers better go 82-0 in the regular season and then sweep every round of the playoffs. God I hate Ranger fans!
the best 3 lines in hockey? Umm.... Yeeeaaaah. Cuz Lecavlier and St louis together are a lot worse than Prucha/Straka/Callahan. Not to mention Whoever plays with Gaborik/Demitra, Spezza-Heatley-Alfie..... What a joke. Prucha-Straka-Callahan: just what you need out of a 3rd line. Mild offensive upside with none of the defense! Avery-Drury-Shannahan. Avery- hard to play from the box. Drury is more of a playoff type, not an elite setup guy and Shannahan is 38. Gomez is better than Nylander. Sure, except maybe that Jagr was playing his best hockey in years with Nylander and Dawes.... Dawes as a 30 goal scorer? He won't even play with Hossa ahead of him on the depth chart. Enjoy the "best 3 lines in hockey," especially when you consider their defensive prowess. Want 3 good lines? Look at SJ.
I was strictly talking offensive lines, and yes, I think they can combine for 250. Buffalo's 06/07 offense had 280 goals, whereas their defense 28.The Rangers D scored 31 goals last season, so assuming the offense gets 250 this season, and the D gets 30, I think a total of 280 is definitely doable.
I'm sorry bud, but I think you're delusional. Do you really honestly think that your team will have 9 guys with over 20 goals this year? Come on, be objective for a second. OK, so maybe I suppose that's possible, but 5 guys with 30 or more? Wow, this is the best team in the history of hockey! You really should be proud. Good luck, I really hope it works out for you, but I don't see it happeneing. Just like everyone is saying that the Flyers need time to gel and find our chemistry, the same is true for the Rags. Nice optimism though!
Come on this is ridiculous, the Rangers DO have very potent offensive lines but 250 goals??!! I feel like we hear this every year about this team, the Rangers will win alot of games but some of the predictions Rangers fans are coming out with boggle the mind here.
That is ridiculous. I was willing to buy into the top line (even though I highly doubt this little Dawes guy has a chance of smelling 30 goals). But then it gets more and more silly. Shanny with 80 points? Really? Avery with 60 points? In a dream season maybe. Your third line isn't even worth commenting on the numbers are so Homer-rific. The Rangers will be good, but they won't be resembling that anytime soon.
Umm flames had 5 guys with over 20 goals, and will prolly have 6 or 7 this year, and the Rangers' forwards have a lot more talent. Shany had a crazy year last year, I doubt he repeats, Drury was NEVER a point producing center, and Avery is an agitator not a sniper. 4th line might score 10 goals total. Without a shut down line or superb defence, or atleast team defence,( wait rangers have none of those) teams are just not gonna let them have the puck. Hard to score when you are trying to play defenceDoes nobody think that Straka will play on the first line on the LW this year? He has done it before
Gomez has topped 20 goals only once in 7 seasons and his highest assist total has been 56. Avery has never hit the 20 goal plateau. You've got 9 guys scoring 20 goals. Last year Buffalo, the highest scoring team in the league only had 7 guys score 20.
One thing that made me somewhat confident with these predictions is that the top 3 lines will all have a good amount of play time. Obviously, the top 2 lines will have the most, but the third will not be far off because Straka will be centering it.I know posting Gomez and Dawes' predicted points might be a "what?!" scenario, but I'm going by the fact that:1. Prucha had 30 goals his rookie year, and he was bounced on every line.2. Dawes is better than Prucha.3. Gomez played a defensive (and boring) game in NJ. If he adapts well to our system, I have no doubt he will do as I have predicted (or close to it).4. This is Shanahan's last year. You know he will go all out. He had 81 points in 05/06, so I think 85 is doable if he plays 82 games.5. Avery had almost 50 points last season.. going from a bad team to a good one..I don't think 12 more points is a long shot.. he makes some beautiful plays.One thing you have to realize is that I did not mean that our line 3 will be better than everyone else's line 1. I think that collectively, our lines 1,2,3 are better than another teams' 1,2,3. Our 4th line was very effective last year for shutting down.As for defense, we are fine. They are returning from last year and are one year more experienced. As for shut-down, Girardi did a good job last year, and I'm sure Staal will be effective when and if he makes the team. If not, we use Kaspar or Malik as tradebait (and cap reliefs). Don't forget who we have between the pipes ;)
if anaheim had selanne/penner then they would have the top 3 lines in hockey but then burke got his buddy bertuzzi...
umm...funny how you left out the mediocre (at best) nyr defence. Unitl it gets upgraded, you're not making a very big playoff run.
Recchi/Crosby/Sykora20/40 - 40/110 - 30/50Roberts/Malkin/Christensen20/45 - 40/60 - 25/40Armstrong/Staal/Malone15/35 - 35/35 - 20/40now there is a set of three lines. thats 245 goals from forwards and its not a stretch for them to get there.
Absolutely rediculous. The Rangers have a very ordinary defense. Jagr is one of the most overrated players in NHL history. Folds like a cheap suit at playoff time. A couple of hits and he's done.
Jagr folds come playoff time? 166pts in 159 career playoff games.....
Stats are just stats. When the big game is on then line, he dissapears. What's he done since he left Mario? How many times has he been traded. If he's so great, where are the Cups?
Stats are just stats. It's what you do during the big games. Super stars like him are supposed to carry his team to vict\ory. He's no where to be found in big games.
Um.....have they even played a game yet?
Hmm.. my last comment somehow disappeared..