What to do with 4 lines
Posted 4:54 PM ET | Comments 0
I have often asked myself, why cant a team ice 4 lines that can score? Well the obvious reason now would be 4 number 1 lines would be a crazy cap hit. The old school thought of 2 scoring lines 1 checking and 1 fighting/energy line scheme is gone (tell that to some gm's...sutter) so what can, or should teams be doing.
Look at what the blackhawks did this last season, no matter who was on the ice the other team had to be concerned with getting scored on, same with the wings, caps, penguins just to name a few. So here is what i'm proposing.
Sutter is close but still a little old school here. 1 #1 line, and a #2 or 1b line. a 3rd line that is made up of young guys who will be #1 or#2 liners soon, most teams have a lot of young guys who at least want to play so bad would play every shift like it was there last, therefore a perfect 3rd line maybe getting 10-15 goals each. Finally a 4th line of vets who can be penalty killers, checking guys and be on the ice in the final seconds defending a 1 goal lead, Conroy or Nystrom like players. That all being said it might not be easy to do, but in my opinion is better then 2 lines that are hoping to score, and 2 lines that just kill time so the top 2 lines can rest. Why waste roster spots on guys who are only able to fight, or only able to get 0-3 goals per year????
Look at what the blackhawks did this last season, no matter who was on the ice the other team had to be concerned with getting scored on, same with the wings, caps, penguins just to name a few. So here is what i'm proposing.
Sutter is close but still a little old school here. 1 #1 line, and a #2 or 1b line. a 3rd line that is made up of young guys who will be #1 or#2 liners soon, most teams have a lot of young guys who at least want to play so bad would play every shift like it was there last, therefore a perfect 3rd line maybe getting 10-15 goals each. Finally a 4th line of vets who can be penalty killers, checking guys and be on the ice in the final seconds defending a 1 goal lead, Conroy or Nystrom like players. That all being said it might not be easy to do, but in my opinion is better then 2 lines that are hoping to score, and 2 lines that just kill time so the top 2 lines can rest. Why waste roster spots on guys who are only able to fight, or only able to get 0-3 goals per year????