I think because the Duchene line has more veteran scorers on it (Duchene led the team in scoring last year), while Johnston was often used as a sort of matchup guy last year, a little bit like old school third-line centers.
But who knows? Maybe by Game 30, we’ll be labeling them differently!
I like putting that "energy" on the top two lines. Every time Steel or Blackwell were on the ice you saw them because of the effort. Just as it was stated, let them do the dirty work.
Alright not to start the season on a super negative note but the fact that we got 0 looks with Hintz and/or Duchene on the left side is kind of an indictment of the coaching staff, imo. With the huge holes on the left side those are the two guys most primed for a shift to left wing - Duchene because he's old and can't play defense, Hintz because his speed is a huge asset on the wing and it could unlock more offense with less defensive responsibility.
Why are we playing 4th line talents in the top 2 left wing spots, and not doing some combo of
Hintz - Johnston - Rantanen
Robertson - Duchene - Seguin
or
Robertson - Hintz - Rantanen
Duchene - Johnston - Seguin
or
Duchene - Hintz - Rantanen
Robertson - Johnston - Seguin
Seems like generally you'd want your good players playing with your good players, and pre-season is the time to mess around with different combos, and they did none of that.
Duchene led the team in scoring last year as a center. I don’t think they had an appetite to yank either of their top centers out of the middle in the same year they’re increasing centers’ responsibility in a new system.
I personally wouldn’t mind less position-focused hockey as a whole, but at least for now, they seem convinced that Hintz and Duchene are better down the middle. Though I could see Duchene moving over to wing at some point in the coming years, as Pavelski did later in his career.
Yeah I get that but I think it’s an incorrect assessment and also there’s no reason not to give it a shot in preseason, otherwise what’s preseason for?
Duchene’s lead on team scoring was somewhat flimsy (Robo injured first half, Rantanen late addition), and then he disappeared in the playoffs (again), and Hintz has peaked as a 70-80 point guy who’s firmly in the “great second line center, fine top line center” tier and is only on the down swing given his injury history and agr catching up to play style. On the other hand the Stars have 1 top six caliber natural left wing and a bunch of righties who can and do play center, there’s no reason to move one of the lefty Cs over and also make room for Johnston (who is already almost as good as both Duchene and Hintz if not better) to actually be a top six C.
Again I’m fine with my analysis being wrong and not lining up with how the coaches feel. But you have 2 weeks of preseason and 6 games to figure out how to create your most optimal lineups and you come up with a 12th/13th forward at 1LW and a 3rd line C at 2LW? With the kind of firepower the rest of the top six has it’s a big risk, imo. I’d bet my next paycheck that for as long as those guys are in those roles they’re completely stifling the rest of the top 6’s offense.
In general I agree that there were obvious (I certainly have mine) combinations to try, Hintz to the left really stylistically doesn’t work, right wing… I’m all for trying. If you watch his routs on the rush specifically he actually tends to choose to play wing lanes and strongly favors coming down the right. Nitpicky I suppose but figured we’re all just itching for Stars games after a couple nights of not-Stars™️ hockey.
Less yelling but more a real question: why would a Robertson- Johnston line be considered a 3rd line instead of the second line?
I think because the Duchene line has more veteran scorers on it (Duchene led the team in scoring last year), while Johnston was often used as a sort of matchup guy last year, a little bit like old school third-line centers.
But who knows? Maybe by Game 30, we’ll be labeling them differently!
Gotcha
HUGO
Perfectly said.
Absolutely love Robo Wyatt playing together!!!
I like putting that "energy" on the top two lines. Every time Steel or Blackwell were on the ice you saw them because of the effort. Just as it was stated, let them do the dirty work.
That’s certainly what they’ll be hoping to see.
I've never bothered going to the Six Flags event. But if I could meet Puck there, I'd be first in line.
Wouldn’t we all!
Alright not to start the season on a super negative note but the fact that we got 0 looks with Hintz and/or Duchene on the left side is kind of an indictment of the coaching staff, imo. With the huge holes on the left side those are the two guys most primed for a shift to left wing - Duchene because he's old and can't play defense, Hintz because his speed is a huge asset on the wing and it could unlock more offense with less defensive responsibility.
Why are we playing 4th line talents in the top 2 left wing spots, and not doing some combo of
Hintz - Johnston - Rantanen
Robertson - Duchene - Seguin
or
Robertson - Hintz - Rantanen
Duchene - Johnston - Seguin
or
Duchene - Hintz - Rantanen
Robertson - Johnston - Seguin
Seems like generally you'd want your good players playing with your good players, and pre-season is the time to mess around with different combos, and they did none of that.
Duchene led the team in scoring last year as a center. I don’t think they had an appetite to yank either of their top centers out of the middle in the same year they’re increasing centers’ responsibility in a new system.
I personally wouldn’t mind less position-focused hockey as a whole, but at least for now, they seem convinced that Hintz and Duchene are better down the middle. Though I could see Duchene moving over to wing at some point in the coming years, as Pavelski did later in his career.
Yeah I get that but I think it’s an incorrect assessment and also there’s no reason not to give it a shot in preseason, otherwise what’s preseason for?
Duchene’s lead on team scoring was somewhat flimsy (Robo injured first half, Rantanen late addition), and then he disappeared in the playoffs (again), and Hintz has peaked as a 70-80 point guy who’s firmly in the “great second line center, fine top line center” tier and is only on the down swing given his injury history and agr catching up to play style. On the other hand the Stars have 1 top six caliber natural left wing and a bunch of righties who can and do play center, there’s no reason to move one of the lefty Cs over and also make room for Johnston (who is already almost as good as both Duchene and Hintz if not better) to actually be a top six C.
Again I’m fine with my analysis being wrong and not lining up with how the coaches feel. But you have 2 weeks of preseason and 6 games to figure out how to create your most optimal lineups and you come up with a 12th/13th forward at 1LW and a 3rd line C at 2LW? With the kind of firepower the rest of the top six has it’s a big risk, imo. I’d bet my next paycheck that for as long as those guys are in those roles they’re completely stifling the rest of the top 6’s offense.
In general I agree that there were obvious (I certainly have mine) combinations to try, Hintz to the left really stylistically doesn’t work, right wing… I’m all for trying. If you watch his routs on the rush specifically he actually tends to choose to play wing lanes and strongly favors coming down the right. Nitpicky I suppose but figured we’re all just itching for Stars games after a couple nights of not-Stars™️ hockey.
Not too crazy about these new line combinations, not gonna lie.
Agree. Can't see Steel on the 1st line. Wasn't that why he didn't do too well in Minny? I get that that was/is a way worse team😉
LFG!!!