New 3rd line for Habs?

[Habs77]

If Juneau & Dackell go - either way they soon will - what will our 3rd line look like?

Well Kilger has played centre much more than Bulis... and Bulis has said he really prefered playing wing where he could use his speed more.

So why not simply do: Bulis-Kilger-Sundstrom ?

Would make more sense to me... and Kilger would have the size AND speed to cover the bigger centers in the East.

Due to Kilger's chronic lack of aggression I wouldn't miss his presence in the corners much either.

And the fact we have 2 natural centers on that line is always nice when our guys gets thrown out the faceoff circle.

My only concern about Kilger is does he have the required defensive awareness to cover the opposition's top line.

P.S. If I were to convert anyone to centre, it would be Hossa.

He too, like Bulis, is a natural center, and to me he seems completely out of place at LW... he was completely invisible when given regular duty on the 2nd line for the last 15 games while Ribeiro & Zednik were lighting it up.

He also doesn't have that "edge" I like my wingers to have, his more passive style is perfect for the center... he'd be much better if he went back there.

And he's VERY good defensively, which I did notice during his offensive no-show to end the season.

Bulis - Hossa - Sundstrom or even Bulis - Hossa - Ward would be a good 3rd line... capable of being an offensive threat as well as responsible defensively.

These days the 3rd line (or "shut down line") is more important than the 2nd line, which is why I favor upgrading it. Look at Madden's line for NJ... single-handedly shutting down the opposition's top line AND producing most of the offense at the same time.

That's the kind of 3rd line we need here given how Koivu's line simply can't handle the other #1 lines head to head.

What's left for the top 2 lines you will ask?

Ryder - Koivu - Audette

Zednik - Ribeiro - Ward

Not much I know, which is why I wouldn't mind going with Kilger for now... then Hossa eventually as 3rd line center.

As Perezhogin, Higgins, & whoever we pick this year come up our top 2 lines will look better and better but our 3rd line would be set... and to me the 3rd line, the goalie, and special teams are the key to winning in today's NHL.

Feel free to discuss

[ch_nl]

Hmmm...

Sundström is a left winger. And I think Bulis has played his best at the left side to.

Both Bulis and Sundström takes responsibility in the defence. And Kilger is not a playmaker.

I hope that we keep Juneau.

Here what I think...

1. Zednik - Koivu - Audette

2. Bulis - Perreault - ?

3. Sundström - Juneau - ?

4. ? - ? - McKay

Trade Czerkawski, Dackell and Kilger among the ordinary players. Let the young players fill the remaining spots and trade the ones that I mentioned for some reliable defencemen.

(Mattias Norström was awesome in the WC)

And what's the news on Sourray? Will he ever be back?

[Markov79]

If we start the year couting on players such as Bulis, Audette and Perreault to provide scoring depth to the likes of Zednik and Koivu, we're in trouble.

We absolutely need someone with a similar overall skill level as a Koivu or a Zednik to help create scoring chances or at least play with authority. I'm sick and tired of perimiter players who are content with just pushing the puck around in the offensive zone...

Can Perezhoughin or Hossa do what Hemsky did for Edmonton this year?

As for the 3rd line, Juneau is definitely a goner as he has become useless: it's not like he's one of the best 3rd line checkers, he's just good defensively, there are plenty of faster, younger, cheaper, better scoring 3rd line checkers in the nhl than Juneau. Question is, where do you find him?

And screw Kilger as our 3rd line checking center, I don't want him to play well defensively on one night when he's covering Sundin and then take a night off when he has to shut down a Jagr or Heatley.

[KoZed_old]

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

STOP PUTTING BULIS ON THE 3RD LINE!!!!!!!!!!!

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

MOTHER######ERS

[Edited on 22/5/2003 by KoZed]

[sakiqc]

if our 3rd line is offensive, what's the problem ?

i saw LeClair and Kapanen play on third line on the playoff

a juneau 3rd line is very bad .. juneau lost his touch offensively. I'm sorry, but he generates nothing!

And with Julien's tactic (playing koivu's line againts top line), we don't need a Juneau-I-Play-vs-the-top-opposite-line-so-shut-up-if-you-say-I-sucks-in-the-offensive-zone line

I see 3 offensive lines. If Czerkawski and Audette want to play hockey this year, that would be great.

[Habs77]

Sorry Koz... but at some point you're gonna have let go of this fantasy that Bulis belongs on the 1st line.

He's a 2nd-3rd liner... and as I said I think the 3rd line has become more important than the 2nd line in today's NHL. Which is why I want Bulis there, it's where he can help the team most IMO.

This team is currently so lacking in high-end talent that Bulis found his way to the top line... that doesn't mean he belongs there.

He does have offensive skills, but lacks the finish of a 1st liner... that's the bottom line.

Also, the 1st line is Koivu's line. Audette will eventually be replaced bu Perezhogin... these two would need some size/grit on that line to complete the package.

Bulis - although he isn't small - doesn't fit the bill there either.

I like Bulis a lot, but I want us to finally have a dangerous yet defensively responsible 3rd line... he's a perfect fit.

[Habsaku]

What I like most about Bulis is his skating, especially during the end of the year. He has an exeptionnal fluid skating technique, add that to his size and his potential skills and you got a great 2nd liner. We have Ward and Sundstrom for the 3rd line wing duty.

[pens_fan_1]

Sundstrom-Riberio-Bulis

[puck7x]

Originally posted by ch_nl

I hope that we keep Juneau.

Personally I hope we get rid of Juneau (Its high on my list of my priorities) for a few reasons.

- He has a fairly high salary

- He does nothing offensively (Like Sakiqc mentioned)

- His defensive play wasnt even that great last season (worse then the previous season for one thing)

And the #1 reason why I want to get rid of Joe Juneau...

- Locker Room cancer! I'm sure you've all heard the stories of the "rat" , well I'm pretty sure its Juneau. Then again I do realize that I do NOT know exactly what goes on in the locker-room (insert joke here) so who really knows if I'm right?

[TheAussiePosse]

.

What's left for the top 2 lines you will ask?  

Ryder - Koivu - Audette

Zednik - Ribeiro - Ward

:wall:

:wall:

THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL RYDER IS MAKING THE TEAM NEXT SEASON! HE IS NOT THAT GOOD! HE WILL BE A DACKELL AT BEST ONE DAY. UNTIL THEN, HE STAYS IN THE MINORS!

BULIS ON 3RD LINE=RYDER ON 1ST LINE=

AND THAT AIN'T RIGHT

[Habs77]

Actually aussie if you spent more time reading my post in it's entirety instead of making big "smiley arrangements" for your post... you would have read:

What's left for the top 2 lines you will ask?  

Ryder - Koivu - Audette  

Zednik - Ribeiro - Ward  

Not much I know, which is why I wouldn't mind going with Kilger for now... then Hossa eventually as 3rd line center.

In other words that would allow Hossa to play the 1st line LW instead of Ryder... for now.

Whatever way we re-arrange the lineup there's an obvious lack of quality depth to fill out our top 3 lines.

It'll get better with Higgins, Perezhogin, and perhaps a few more coming up soon... and this year's draft should be good for us too.

[puck7x]

Originally posted by TheAussiePosse

THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL RYDER IS MAKING THE TEAM NEXT SEASON!  HE IS NOT THAT GOOD! HE WILL BE A DACKELL AT BEST ONE DAY.  UNTIL THEN, HE STAYS IN THE MINORS!

Again I ask , how would you know? (I dont want to get on your case about it , but your in Australia and you say yourself that you never get to see the habs play , or the prospects)

And that Dackell comparison is way off. Ryder for one thing plays a physical game.

And another thing ... If Ryder is waiver-eligible (still not sure about it) next season he WILL start the season with the habs because we wont have any choice (unless we want to risk losing him).

[TheAussiePosse]

Just because I live in Australia doesn't mean I'm like most Americans, in the fact thatI dont' leave my own country.

I was living in Washington DC for the past 4 years, and I often took trips up to Montreal or Los Angeles. I was one of many Caps fans who were cheering when Zednik and Bulis were traded to Montreal. But I was cheering as a habs fan, not a Caps fan.

I was also stationed in Germany, where I got to watch Sergei Berezin play with the Koln Haie, right before he left to Toronto.

I do travel nowadays, though I concentrate on helping Australian prospects more than hoping for Montreal's.

Who knows, maybe in 10 years time, I'll go to the Habs and ask them if they want a scout for the Asia-Pacific region. There is a future in hockey down here, and the sooner the potential is realised, the better.

But until then I'll watch the Habs and the Dogs and cheer as a fan. However, I don't see a future in this organization for Ryder. I hope I'm wrong (I didn't believe Dykhuis could do anything when he first was traded here), but who knows.

Jose Theodore could be out the door tomorrow

So without further adieu...

The Smiley Sh:)w

:king: :hlogo: :-^ :mad: :ghg: :que: :can: :eyes:

[puck7x]

Originally posted by TheAussiePosse

Just because I live in Australia doesn't mean I'm like most Americans, in the fact thatI dont' leave my own country.

Hey Aussie I know that , all I'm saying is that you've never seen Ryder play (or have you?) , I dont see how you can say whether or not he'll make the habs next season (considering you've never seen him play) ...

BTW : Any rising Aussie hockey stars we should know about? hehehe

[CerebusClones]

Well, a lot can happen during the summer. Trades can happen. Guys like Robitaille, Turgeon, and Dahlen are available. Czerkawski could have one of his good seasons (yeah right!). But assuming our lineup doesn't change, I would like to see the lines similar to this:

Ward-Koivu-Audette

Bulis-Ribeiro-Zednik

Kilger-Hossa-Sundstrom

Ryder-Gratton-McKay

Markov-Komisarek

Brisebois-Souray/Beauchemin

Hainsey-Quintal

The first line isn't very impressive, but i doubt we can do much better anyway. Koivu can make Ward look good, and Audette might have a better season. Of course, if we could package Brisebois and Perreault for a goal scorer, that would be nice, but it's not likely to happen.

Second line I believe can do well once they develop some chemistry. Ribeiro can make awesome plays, and Zednik and Bulis both have some above average skills to convert them. Also, Zednik hard played game and Bulis' size and play around the boards could make up for Ribs' small size.

All guys on the third line have good skills and size. They can all switch easily between offense and defense. Again, with some chemistry, I think they could become a line similar to NJ's Langenbrunner line; good defensively and will hurt you offensively if you make a mistake.

And the forth line has grit, which is all you need for that line. It's got an interesting mix of youth and experience. It would give a chance for Ryder to adapt to the NHL without any kind of pressure, so he could help the team in a couple of years. Gratton deserves a chance to play, and defenitely can handle forth line duties. He's french speaking (the media loves that), he plays with passion, and he's got some skills, just just let him play... he wont pull a Briere or a St-Louis but he wont be any worse than all the Odjick's, Blouin's, Lindsay's, Dackell's, and Dwyer's of this world...

[Habs77]

Originally posted by CerebusClones

Ward-Koivu-Audette

Bulis-Ribeiro-Zednik

Kilger-Hossa-Sundstrom

Ryder-Gratton-McKay

Well first off there is no right or wrong answer to the lineup question..

Personally I like some of your lines, others not:

line 1: Ward & Audette are both RWers, and both slow. I want at least one winger to have the speed to along with Koivu create some offense off the rush... and not solely on the cycle game.

line 2: I like it... Zed & Ribs showed last year they have great chemistry... Bulis provides the D on that line, plus will have better chemistry with Zednik than did Hossa on that line last year... Hossa was invisible.

line 3: all 3 have good skills?... I think not. Kilger has hands of stone and a heart to match. Hossa showed lack of heart/emotion as well... and Sundstrom isn't the most intense guy either. That line scares me, in a bad way

line 4: I hate kids on the 4th line... so I don't like Ryder there, and Dwyer will start a lot of games at LW anyway.

I like Gratton... brings energy, intensity, leadership... all things Kilger doesn't have an ounce of.

McKay, sadly we're stuck with him.

Bulis-Hossa-Ward is my ideal 3rd line of the future... but since that would completely gut our top lines I'd settle for this, for now:

Hossa-Koivu-Audette

Bulis-Ribeiro-Zednik

Sundstrom-Juneau/Kilger-Ward

Dwyer-Kilger/Gratton-McKay

1: I think only Koivu has the clout on this team to be able to light a fire under Hossa... Hossa provides the line with needed defense and size. Gotta hope Audette can regain his scoring touch, now 2 years removed from his ugly wrist injury.

2: Like I said... I like this line.

3: Ward needs to be on one of the top 3 lines to have enough ice-time to make an impact, we need his size and physical play on this team desperately.

Sundstrom is a lock on the 3rd line.

Whoever of Juneau/Kilger that is still with the team can center the line. Either one would be the weak link in the chain.

4: Pretty straight forward... not much to explain.

My lineup still leaves guys like Perreault, Ryder, Dackell, Czerkawski, etc. in limbo.... hopefully most won't be back. (Ryder excluded)

[Edited on 26-5-03 by Habs77]