How do you like your lines? Jets Edition
Based on today’s morning skate it appears Mark Scheifle is back in action today as the Jets host the Rangers tonight at the MTS Centre. That’s good news but this current incarnation of the roster has held their own admirable for two of the three previous games.
The questions were bound to come but no we have something to work with.
Ehlers - Little - Laine Stafford - Scheifele - Wheeler Perreault - Lowry - Dano Tanev- Copp - Thorburn
The curious thing here is Stafford ahead of Perreault. First let’s recall that Perreault prefers left wing to centre but is he necessarily the best choice for the second line playing on his off side?
He’s slower that Perreault and Wheeler too so I still don’t understand that usage especially because Perreault is excellent at puck recovery and can set up the play for the scorers in Scheifele and Wheeler.
As Robert Cleave tweeted today it would be nice if some one asked Paul Maurice about what he sees in Stafford to explain the usage choices and deployment. Here’s an interesting thought, let’s try to match the Rangers run and gun game with the top two line and put the best players at controlling play together.
However, where is Kyle Connor? Again this issue comes up as to why a draft and develop model team is letting a first-year professional sit in the press box. How is this helping him develop and what is the lesson(s) being learned. This truly is a head scratcher.
So in comes Throburn and out comes Burmistrov and for once since 2011 no one will really question the decision and sadly that’s probably right.
A thought that I heard on the radio this morning was about he percentage of goals that either Little or Laine have been involved with since being paired. It was said to be high so I’m taking a look.
Since the two became line mates the Jets have scored 8 goals over 3 games. Laine or Little have scored or been the first assist (not counting them combining for a goal) on 5 of those 8 for a 62.5% rate of something, involvement? Sounds okay to me but it would be interesting to go through the season and see where the rest of the team stacks up.
Here’s some quick math- the Jets have scored 77 goals so far this season. The following players have either a goal or first assist at this percentage:
Laine 28.5% Wheeler 24.6% Schiefele 23.3% Ehlers 18.1% Byfuglien 18.1% Copp 9.0% Little 5.1% Perreault 2.5% Staffored 1.2%
It’s pretty easy to see who’s driving the bus here and again, so little coming from down the line. While Little has been injured what’s the excuse for Stafford and even Perreault. Again though this is simply a basic look at who is contributing to the score sheet it’s a snapshot not some conclusive analysis about the a player’s total value.
The defence pairings are the same as last game.
Morrissey - Byfuglien Enstrom - Trouba Chiarot - Postma
It looks like Hutchinson starts and after the last game from Hellebuyck can you find fault with that move?
The Jets right now are like a choose your own adventure book- you never know which way the story will go and often then end up in a dead end with their own choices. What adventure will the team take us on tonight?