Brière in a shutdown role? You'd be asking for trouble.
- Jean_Perron

I know, but where do you put him? If you play him.

I think Eller would do much better if he actually had a (frank)ing role on the team.

And not just "that 3rd line center who doesn't know what the hell he's supposed to be on this team".
- Scabeh

Add it the fact he played some of those games with Bourque on his left side.

I'm not so comfortable to have Eller in a primary defensive role, considering how he has played the last 25+ games.
- Jean_Perron

PAtches-DD-Gally
Vanek-Briere-Chucky
Prust-Plek-Gionta
Moen-Eller-White

?

But you're ok with playing one of the top scorers in the league with Brian Gionta and a center who while he has offensive skills, seems to have been ignoring them for some time now.
- hscesq

Gionta should not be there. And Pleck never plays with our top wingers.

just the 2nd would have been more than enough
- dt99999

Obviously. I have no issue with him on the 3rd line on a defensive role with Plek and Prust though. It would also give more balance up front.

I know, but where do you put him? If you play him.
- deadpoulet

Brière starts on the 4th line, gets some PP time and some time on other offensive lines on occasion.

I think Eller would do much better if he actually had a (frank)ing role on the team.

And not just "that 3rd line center who doesn't know what the hell he's supposed to be on this team".
- Scabeh

You know what?

That's a load of BS.

If he doesn't know, as a hockey player, what he should be doing, maybe he's just as dumb as Andrei Kostitsyn.

PAtches-DD-Gally
Vanek-Briere-Chucky
Prust-Plek-Gionta
Moen-Eller-White

?
- WaterBoy

I wouldn't mind that lineup.

So you prefer having one of the best scorers in the league on a defensive line?


Where are you in the HB hockey pool standings already?
- BashCH

Yeah! Go ahead and use my first ever season hockey pool to evaluate my understanding of the game.

More seriously, I think Vanek should go on the third line with Eller and Brière
while Galchenyuk gets Plekanec's left wing.

Gionta should not be there. And Pleck never plays with our top wingers.
- deadpoulet

You really think that the reason why Vanek and Plek are not clicking is because of Gionta? Really?

Yeah! Go ahead and use my first ever season hockey pool to evaluate my understanding of the game.

More seriously, I think Vanek should go on the third line with Eller and Brière
while Galchenyuk gets Plekanec's left wing.
- Jean_Perron

I disagree with everything you say.

PAtches-DD-Gally
Vanek-Briere-Chucky
Prust-Plek-Gionta
Moen-Eller-White

?
- WaterBoy

I would give it a try, or then you put Vanek with DD and Patches and reunite the EGG line. The 3rd line would remain intact.

Yeah! Go ahead and use my first ever season hockey pool to evaluate my understanding of the game.

More seriously, I think Vanek should go on the third line with Eller and Brière
while Galchenyuk gets Plekanec's left wing.
- Jean_Perron

Why do you hate Vanek?

Do you miss Collberg that much?

I would give it a try, or then you put Vanek with DD and Patches and reunite the EGG line. The 3rd line would remain intact.
- Habsody

I agree with that as well.

I wouldn't mind that lineup.
- BashCH

Blow it all up !

PAtches-DD-Chucky
Vanek-Plek-Gally
Briere-Eller-Gionta
Moen-White-Prust

I would give it a try, or then you put Vanek with DD and Patches and reunite the EGG line. The 3rd line would remain intact.
- Habsody

(frank) the EGG line.

You really think that the reason why Vanek and Plek are not clicking is because of Gionta? Really?
- Habsody

Never said that, they played two games toguether!!!! But Gionta should not be with our top players at this point.

Brière starts on the 4th line, gets some PP time and some time on other offensive lines on occasion.
- BashCH

Briere is weak, slow and scared...I don't think the skills are coming back...

People look at him and he falls off the puck.

I agree with that as well.
- BashCH

Same, you can't acquire a guy like Vanek and stick him in a defensive role.

Never said that, they played two games toguether!!!! But Gionta should not be with our top players at this point.
- deadpoulet

I get that, it's just that i don't see Plekanec, offensively speaking, as a top player. He is great playing against the opponent's top line and it should remains his main role.

Never said that, they played two games toguether!!!! But Gionta should not be with our top players at this point.
- deadpoulet

The only way this should happen is if you tell Plekanec to take more offensive chances and for Gionta to cover for him.

But I don't think that's in Plekanec's game...

Same, you can't acquire a guy like Vanek and stick him in a defensive role.
- pete26

We must be the only goddamn team in the league who would acquire a player like Vanek but consider playing him in a defensive role on the third line.

(frank).

Never said that, they played two games toguether!!!! But Gionta should not be with our top players at this point.
- deadpoulet

Well, the EGG line played 5 games together before sucking balls, and everyone's ready to reunite them.

You really think that the reason why Vanek and Plek are not clicking is because of Gionta? Really?
- Habsody

I think what everyone's point is is that Gionta has nothing to do on the Habs 2nd line. Not at this point in his career ,with the addition of Vanek and the fact that the Habs are getting healthy up front.

That is a fair assumption I'd say. The problem is though that the Habs don't have many RW that can do as good of a job as the captain in a shutdown role. Moen can certainly do it, maybe Bournival too, but outside of that it's pretty thin when it comes to permanent shutdown roles. I personally don't think Prust has the speed to do it as effectively. With all this in mind, you can somewhat understand why Therrien keeps Gionta with Plek.

But what's everyone wondering is why they're using Vanek in a shutdown role, when he's far from a stud defensively and he never played in such a role.

My guess is that he wants three lines to create offense, but will Vanek be able to hold up defensively with the other two backing him up? That's up in the air.

I get that, it's just that i don't see Plekanec, offensively speaking, as a top player. He is great playing against the opponent's top line and it should remains his main role.
- Habsody

This is a sack of poop.

Plek with 2 good wingers would be lights out the best Center on this team point wise.