- Thread starter
- #1
dannyb24195
Member
I don't think this team will finish top 3 in the Atlantic Conference but I see the Wildcard as a possibility. This team will get goals, there is no doubt about that despite the youth this team will feature amongst the forwards. Again defense and goaltending will be the question mark. I believe on paper this defense is better than what they showed last year. I believe our defense will improve, the personnel is too good in my opinion not to improve. Hedman, Salo, Carle and Gudas make up a decent top 4 and with Aulie as your # 6 and Barberio as the # 7, that in my books is a solid defense. You have to imagine Hedman, Gudas and Aulie will continue to develop and improve with the more experience they gain and Matt Carle is a lot better than what he showed you last year as is Brewer but he may be over the hill but as a # 5 defenseman, I think he'd slot in nicely alongside Aulie. You add that to Cooper's more defensively driven style of play, as well as an experienced head in Rick Bowness in charge of the defense, I do think the defense will improve especially of the course of a full season. Goaltending, Bishop looked like a # 1 in Ottawa but didn't here. Simply if the Lightning defense improve which I expect, I think both Bishop and Lindback will improve especially Bishop.
As it stands right now this is what the lines should look like in my opinion:
Killorn-Stamkos-Marty
Drouin-Filppula-Purcell
Palat-Johnson-Panik
Malone-Thompson-Crombeen
Labrie-Pyatt
Hedman-Salo
Carle-Gudas
Brewer-Aulie
Barberio
Bishop-Lindback
I like them lines, Killorn's gritty style will complement Stammer's and Marty's skill. How many times have we said Teddy shoot the puck! He's got a great shot, well playing with Filppula whose more of a complete 200-foot player and with Drouin the magician playmaker that he is, Purcell is going to have to shoot more instead of trying to feed the likes of Stamkos, Marty and Vinny in the past. Purcell could have a big year, i'm talking 25 + goals. 3rd line, the Crunch's number 1 line year. Perfect balance of speed, grit, skill, energy, reliability, I love Palat's two-way game, Johnson is very reliable too and has a great shot and I love Panik's speed/power game, he also has nice skill. Both he and Palat both get in and the fore-check and hit which is nice to see. 4th Line is obviously your checking line but I also like the fact that Cooper can slide Malone up and down. He may see time in the top 6 to take some of the pressure of the youngsters and it's also beneficial to know you can slide Killorn and Palat down the lineup if need by as they have that gritty, reliable element to their game.
As it stands right now this is what the lines should look like in my opinion:
Killorn-Stamkos-Marty
Drouin-Filppula-Purcell
Palat-Johnson-Panik
Malone-Thompson-Crombeen
Labrie-Pyatt
Hedman-Salo
Carle-Gudas
Brewer-Aulie
Barberio
Bishop-Lindback
I like them lines, Killorn's gritty style will complement Stammer's and Marty's skill. How many times have we said Teddy shoot the puck! He's got a great shot, well playing with Filppula whose more of a complete 200-foot player and with Drouin the magician playmaker that he is, Purcell is going to have to shoot more instead of trying to feed the likes of Stamkos, Marty and Vinny in the past. Purcell could have a big year, i'm talking 25 + goals. 3rd line, the Crunch's number 1 line year. Perfect balance of speed, grit, skill, energy, reliability, I love Palat's two-way game, Johnson is very reliable too and has a great shot and I love Panik's speed/power game, he also has nice skill. Both he and Palat both get in and the fore-check and hit which is nice to see. 4th Line is obviously your checking line but I also like the fact that Cooper can slide Malone up and down. He may see time in the top 6 to take some of the pressure of the youngsters and it's also beneficial to know you can slide Killorn and Palat down the lineup if need by as they have that gritty, reliable element to their game.