Latest Team Canada Lines

[blayze]

Back to our favourite topic... Team Canada line speculation!

Latest from Tuesday morning:
-Kunitz back on with Crosby and Bergeron (guess this means Kunitz isn't sitting for the rest of the tourney, much to our disappointment)
-Benn has been moved to Perry/Getz's line (Duchene may end up in the press box since this was his spot)
-Price is going to run with it... no surprises there

The Kunitz move was a no brainer, but I don't like Babs completely tearing up the Benn/Tavares/Bergeron line which has been their best and most consistent line of the tourney IMO.


Ironic quote from Babs: "We've changed our lines, in my opinion, same as last Olympics -- too much," ... well no shit sherlock, yet he continues to do it LOL


Here are the full lines at practice:

Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - Patrice Bergeron
Patrick Marleau - Jonathan Toews - Jeff Carter
Jamie Benn/Matt Duchene - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry
Patrick Sharp - John Tavares - Rick Nash/Martin St. Louis

Duncan Keith - Shea Weber
Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Drew Doughty
Jay Bouwmeester - Alex Pietrangelo
Dan Hamhuis - P.K. Subban

[suvojitde]

Bizzare!!!

Duchene sits out even though he was the fastest Canadian skater against Finland.
Sharp now with Tavares
I am also guessing that Sid had something to do with getting Kunitz back on his line.

[blayze]

Duchene sits out even though he was the fastest Canadian skater against Finland.

Just to clarify - that's only my hunch based on Benn being moved to his spot.

I think it's a toss-up between Duchene/MSL sitting out for the rest of the tourney (although personally I think Sharp should sit, especially if he's not with Toews).

[Dobber]

Kunitz and Hamhuis need to sit. Crosby would be very effective with a superstar on the wing. By putting the weakest on his lines the team is spreading out the threat among all the lines...but selling themselves short on the Crosby line. I guess if the team is down as the game is almost over you could stack the Crosby line at that time. But I like:

Getzlaf - Crosby - Perry
Benn - Tavares - St. Louis
Sharp - Toews - Carter
Duchene - Bergeron - Marleau

Extra - Nash


That's how I would do it.

[blayze]

Kunitz and Hamhuis need to sit. Crosby would be very effective with a superstar on the wing. By putting the weakest on his lines the team is spreading out the threat among all the lines...but selling themselves short on the Crosby line. I guess if the team is down as the game is almost over you could stack the Crosby line at that time. But I like:

Getzlaf - Crosby - Perry
Benn - Tavares - St. Louis
Sharp - Toews - Carter
Duchene - Bergeron - Marleau

Extra - Nash


That's how I would do it.

Interesting lines, but I can't see Getzlaf or Crosby playing out of their natural position.

I'd also have trouble breaking up the Marleau/Toews/Carter combination that was so sick in game 2. Marleau/Carter combined for 6 points in the second period of the Austria game.

Which leads me to Sharp - if he's not with Toews, then he's on the bubble. Same deal with Kunitz/Crosby... and since we already know Kunitz isn't sitting (which is unfortunate), then I think Sharp should sit.

Nash would be my extra as well.

[27Blue]

if you base it on performance thus far, there are a lot of forwards who should be sitting...

[suvojitde]

I think it is more due to a tendency of trying to score the perfect goal, OR dishing the perfect pass.

There has been a tendency of Team Canada of passing and finding the open man as opposed to shooting at the net. Unfortunately, in this kind of a tournament with opponents so well informed on today's players and plays, there is hardly ever an open man for more than a few seconds especially on 5-on-5.

Even when our folks have shot at the net, it seems there is too much of a crowd in front of the net, not allowing any lanes for the puck to pass through.

In the meantime, Latvia wins. Wonder who saw that one coming. We play Latvia tomorrow at noon ET.

[Krysmo]

Man, someone must be seeing something in Kunitz that we don't. What a shame. Duchene has speed to kill but not sure he was on the right line. Still like him over Kunitz.

I guess I'm just gonna hang back and see what happens...I'll get too frustrated otherwise!

[Big Ev]

Kunitz was brought in for these elimination games. He is a winner and he and Crosby will score important goals together.

The lines are great in my opinion. It was obvious that St. Louis and Subban were never going to play. Subban just does not fit here.

[deantime419]

I thought Kunitz actually looked decent when moved off of Crosby's wing and that's why he's staying in the line up. If it were up to me I'd still probably sit him but I'm not mad they're sticking with him.

I actually was a bit bummed Carter went off (3 very easy goals though IMO) as he was my original vote to go to the pressbox after game 1.

I like MSL at least as a 13th forward with his skillset and veteran experience.

Wouldn't really argue if they bumped Nash out.

Tough to see Duchene be the odd man out if that's the case as his speed is pretty killer but I trust Babcock enough to keep my criticisms to a minimum.

No issue with Subban being the odd man out on D too.

[Loch]

Kunitz was brought in for these elimination games. He is a winner and he and Crosby will score important goals together.

Nobody is doubting Kunitz in big games, dudes got two cup rings right?

The fact that he scored 2 goals in 37 games in those two cup runs and was scratched in the last 3 games against Ottawa in 2007 doesn't prove anything...

Prediction: He does sweet eff all once again.

[bigbabybuda]

St.Louis is in the lineup both Subban and Duchene are sitting out. It is still crazy to me to sit either of them but particularly Subban in order to play Hamius 4minutes. Hamius job should be tapping Subban's stick but whatever glad to see St.Louis back in.

[suvojitde]

Not happy at Duchene sitting. Clearly Babs does not think the best of him, not sure why.