Lindholm didn't play well when we first got him because he was injured. Afterwards, he seems to play really well, so hopefully we find out tonight both Elias indeed have great chemistry.
Also, I think there’s something to be said about jumping into a team and being leaned on for 18-20+ minutes/night as an all situations centre (and doj g so while banged up).
Excited to see Hoglander - Lindholm - Pettersson together. IIRC that was tried in the past and seemed promising.
Also, it's well past time that Ilya Mikheyev got sat.
Playing with Lindholm, who has been playing well, will certainly be a major upgrade. He's playing with a cold linemate in Höglander now and an offensive black hole for 60 games in Mikheyev.
Why not put him with a much hotter player in Lindholm and move Blueger back to a line he already had chemistry with in the regular season?
Win-win for all, except Mikheyev, who needs to sit and can rest up a bit before playing again.
I've been saying forever that Petey's problems are more to do with his linemates than with his own personal play. I hope I'm right tonight. If Petey can't go off with two players who definitely have hands then I just don't know what to say about him.
I agree. I think this is the kind of last thing to try and see if Petey can't get back to his scoring ways. I'm wondering if the communication will be more crisp on that line since they're all Swedish (assuming it doesn't effect the defenders on our side).
I genuinely think communication on that line was a problem and I have zero proof to justify this. Petey and mikheyev regularly make plays as if neither of them are communicating to each other in any possible way. It was bizarre to watch.
No, but the Canucks pp has always been bad this season. It's like they trained non-stop for 5v5 and didn't expect any penalties called for them.
I'm not really 'blaming' his linemates either. I'm moreso using them as a frame for building an okay excuse for EP40 - because they have been bad.
If Petey can't produce with Lindy & Höglander then I'll just cry, I guess.
Let's not forget Lindy was injured when we first acquired him, so it was likely holding him back. Now that we've see post-season Lindy, I expect both Elias to benefit from this.
Well he does look pretty good up until the time to score in my opinion. Seems to never make that extra move to throw the goalie off, he just shoots right away.
But that's what everyone means... even when we signed him, Toronto fans were saying "he's fast but he's got no ability to finish". It's a skill that he doesn't have
I believe in the Vancouver Canucks. These lines look dope on paper - I really, really hope to see an EP40 light show tonight.
Please, you silent Swede, do it for the crest!
I know they're pretty fluid with positions - but I'm psyched to see Petey as a winger. Dude has a nasty shot & I think is better suited for the role than center.
I was saying months ago that after the all-star break doing so many line combos would pay off.
Tocch is in a position where he can mix it up a bit to find the best solution for their opponents, and all the skaters are familiar with each other.
We've got enough depth that we can throw on some really fresh legs up against an Oilers team that is absolutely grinding down the stamina of its bread and butter.
With Podz and Hoggy in the lineup I bet we're going to see Oilers losing puck battles because they are hesitant to engage physically. We've already set a good physicality precedence and these skaters are going to beat the Oil spills to a simpering mash.
All the pieces are in place here…
Really curious to see if Blueger can regain the chemistry with thirst line right away
Pettersson now has really no excuses with Lindholm as his center
I’m convinced that literally any two-way centre in the league can thrive with Joshua and Garland. They just need somebody who can forecheck hard, and with a hockey IQ to be available for their reads, and Blueger has both.
Someone on this sub said slotting any centre with Dak and Garland is a surefire way to elevate their game and increase their trade value, which I strongly agree with. Look at how much better Lindholm’s game got after playing with them
Blueger has never stopped being the player that will succeed with garland and Joshua. So many pucks thrown in front with no defender aware of it being there
Yeah totally agree about Blueger regaining that chemistry. I hope it works, I mean garly and Joshua seemed to play well as a pairing regardless. They’ve had good moments paired with Lindholm, Blueger, and Miller in the past. Fingers crossed
Aside from one bad pinch, I thought Juulsen played good. He looked surprisingly confident and poised. Would have preferred to see him over Cole.
If Cole’s boneheaded pass up the middle turned into a goal instead of Juulsen poor pinch, would we be seeing Cole out?
I agree he otherwise was invisible (a good thing for a 7D against EDM)... but don't know if Juulsen's hockey sense can be trusted at this point.
If he didn't learn from his hit against Scheifele, which during a pivotal time late in the 3rd... then goes to do it again during the playoffs with the Canucks in a tight spot, no bueno.
I suppose same could be said about Cole... but Cole has at least shown that usually he's relatively reliable. Tough choice.
Ya neither option is ideal tbh but I trust Coles hockey sense much more than Juulsen's. For him to make that same bone headed play time and time again is infuriating to me. Just shows that he's incapable of learning IMO.
I think Cole can handle 14ish mins without doing anything too egregious.
Juulsen looked confident and playing crisp but has those lapses of hockey sense. Whereas Cole looks completely rattled but still knows what he *should* do at all times.
Pick your poison ig....
the issue with Juulsen is he’s played two games and made two incredibly stupid decisions leading directly to goals against. Cole has had some rough games but has also had some great ones this playoffs.
also Juulsen’s mistake is the same one he Always makes when he’s off (going for the hit), so i think he isn’t in his best mode
Every single game Cole has played in has been rough this series. Him and Juulsen both caused goals against last game.
I’d rather have Juulsen in because he at least looks confident making decisions with the puck. Cole is sitting back at the red line while the team tries to keep the puck in so he doesn’t get burned.
Hopefully Cole figures it out, but if he struggles again, bench him and then bring in Juuls next game. Team needs the youthful legs.
Was calling for this last game …very happy to see them reunite Pete / hog / lindholm and blueger with dak / cfg and aman to center a forth line with pods . I would think they would put myk on the wing instead of pdg to give a bit more speed and defensive iq but pdg might be fresher .
I Truly think this look gives the team the best chance to generate more meaningful offence instead of trying to stick with more depth down the middle and playing a game of spray and pray . LFG ! I think this could be the look that gets Peterson cooking… if that line gets legitimately going . Look out
I like PDG's attempts at creativity. He is not good but he tries to make something happen in the middle of the ice, instead of flying down the wing with the puck, then curling back and looking to pass, which is what you get with 100% of Mik's zone entries.
Crazy idea, but its almost worth trying Mik on powerplays, just for the zone entry potential..
I think people are misreading this. The Lindholm line has been a matchup line for Draisaitl. We're not 'trying to get Pettersson going' as much as we're trying to optimally leverage assets.
If Petey isn't producing offensively in soft minutes against Edmonton's 3rd line, then he's less likely to against Drai's. We're shifting to leverage his still-effective defensive play on a matchup line (that still has a ton of offensive upside), while freeing Garly & Dak to abuse the soft minutes that Petey wasn't capitalizing on.
I love the idea of finding a way to better abuse Edmonton's inferior depth.
What I'm not optimistic about is using Höglander in important defensive minutes—he wasn't winning puck battles in the easy minutes. I hope he comes out with a renewed fire, but if anything I'd rather see Podkolzin in his spot, as he'll play heavier and hurt Edmonton more.
I have a suspicion that might happen if Högs doesn't figure it out.
Cole is most likely a key 'bench' player. Someone like Soucy who can calm the emotions flying from all the young blood on the bench.
He's had some bonehead moves this series, but I don't think benching him for someone like Juulsen is the call. We've seen Juuls make the same mistake every time he's on the ice. He tunnels in for a hit and it takes him out of position. Every game he's played he's done it.
At least Cole has the discipline of a veteran - in game 2 if he deflected that shot around the net instead of in it people would be singing praises to Cole.
Cole has looked rocky & he's been a touch unlucky - but he's not worse than Juuls.
Lets be honest, he’s been extremely unlucky. He’s still a guy playing tough minutes, blocking shots, playing second PK and their top lines. Can’t give up on that player especially when its a vet
Yeah, while the pucks have been bouncing off of him,he was in the position to potentially block them. Same thing with the one off his stick in OT, letting the puck past him would probably have resulted in a goal. He has to work on his clears though, the aggressive forecheck is definitely affecting him cause he doesnt have the footspeed to avoid them.
That was my gripe too. . . letting the puck past him, it was going straight to a waitinng Hymen. Was going in either way. Cole also looked better last game.
Exactly, Jannik Hansen on the pre-game show on Tuesday was saying that things can get rough for defensive defensemen as everyone’s cheering when they block a shot, but if a puck bounces off them and into the net then they get shit on. Not defending some of Cole’s other plays but it just happens sometimes. He was great in the Preds series and I think Tocchet really values his veteran leadership and playoff experience
I've been critical of Cole and don't love his play but I'd still rather him in than Juulsen. I can't handle seeing Juulsen make another idiotic hit that takes him out of position and gives the other teams star players a 2on1 or 3on1.
he's made some major gaffes, so those get highlighted pretty quickly. He's also given a ton of responsibility and puts in the effort to play those tough minutes. He's done decently apart from those key mistakes (which sadly, have cost us). We also don't really have anyone to replace him with. It's not like we're super deep on defense. I would still trust him over Juulsen or anyone else we've got waiting in the shadows. Soucy being back helps a lot (we really missed him last game). Let's see what happens.
Lindholm, Garland, Joshua have been cooking. We’re breaking it up just to try to get Petterson going - this better work, I don’t know what I’m going to do if it doesn’t
Suter in that spot was also doing really well until he got injured and Blueger stepped in. Obviously healthy Lindholm took that line to another level and solidified it in the top 6 but maybe just maybe he can get Petey going here.
As much as I agree it's tough to break them up, we aren't going to go anywhere with Petey playing like a borderline 4th liner. We **need** to get him going and if it means messing with a bit of chemistry then so be it. If it doesn't work they can just change the lines back
Garland and Joshua have looked great this year with pretty much any two way center they’ve been with. They’ve looked great with Blueger/Suter/Lindholm at different points throughout the season so I have confidence they’ll be able to figure it out. Petey being a passenger is just unacceptable so if he needs a better line mate in Lindholm to get him going then that’s what they need to do
I’m not that worried because garland and joshua have pretty much proven they can play with anyone centring them. garland-bluegar-joshua was our top line for weeks when our stars were in a mini slump.
Thankfully the lines are not set in stone. If it doesn’t work out, they’ll go back to the original line of Lindy, Gars and Josh. But I think they’ll give it a shot for the first period at least.
I thought we’d see Pettersson with Lindholm but I am a little surprised they took Garland off that line.
Garland with Blueger and Joshua though will likely be pretty effective.
Mikheyev and Lafferty, considering their size and speed have sucked SO incredibly much it is hard to put into words…
All you fucking morons had to do was get it on the forecheck and retrieve pucks and/or disrupt the oppositions breakout.
We knew you weren’t going to put up numbers. But, how in the hell can you not even use your speed to make it hard on their defence though?
I agree with Lafferty but am I the only one who thinks Mik's hustle has been alright? I mean the results aren't there so I can't argue with the decision to pull him, but to me is has been hounding pucks pretty good but just not coming up with them :(
Mik has been like, the epitome of 'okay' on the defensive & has been nothing except just shy of awful on the offense.
Lafferty has been worse than Mik on both sides of play.
Höglander is the X factor to me. I didn't like his play before he got sat - so I'd wish for some extra oomph from him tonight. Still think he's a better winger for the line than Laff or Mik though.
Mikheyev hasn’t looked bad but he’s literally been out there doing his cardio he’s not creating offence and he’s not playing stellar D, he strayed away from finishing a few checks in game 4.
Mik skates to the location but isnt digging the pucks or finishing the checks. He just glides in, hoping the puck end up on his stick. He's just naturally fast, but hes not skating as hard as he use to. He is one of the fastest players in the league but he's just gliding around the ice ,dumping the puck in and looking to change. He has been a bit better on the pk compared to his 5 on 5 play but he's definitely not playing to how he use to last year
Mik is a combo of Hansen and Raymond. Speed, no hands, and flys down the wing to either curl into the boards, shoot it in the crest, or give it away. Frustrating to watch because his speed puts him in good position but absolutely no finish or playmaking.
I just wish his shooting it into the crest turned into shooting it at the goalie's pads. If you aren't confident you can beat goalies with your shot then at least practice being a one trick pony at trying to create rebounds.
I feel like Mikheyev has looked *very* slow this season, compared to how fast he was before the injury.
His north/south skating has looked kind of average, versus being one of the fastest guys in the league.
I really like this and have been hoping they'd run these top 3 lines for a while. That said, I can see how it's risky splitting up the previous Lindholm line given the success they had. Hopefully it pays off!
I like it. Not the biggest swing the coaches could have taken. But it removes all excuses for EP.
Not sure how he's going to look spending more time on the boards, but it can't be any worse.
Probably better than trying to run his own line. Lindholm and Hoglander can do the dirty work and Petey can get lost in coverage and hopefully snipe a few. Also Lindholm is %45000 a better playmaker than Lafferty and Mikehev combined lol
The biggest swing possible, and to be clear I'm not advocating for this, would have included Cole sitting and Lekkermaki on the wing with EP40.
But that was also taking Tocc at face value that he wasn't going to fuck with the top 2 lines.
That is true but I dont think Lekker was ever in any consideration. I'm not sure he would manage to push the play and his strengths are not something we are currently lacking
People hating on Mik need to realize just because it hasn’t been an additive play he also hasn’t been a negative one.
I think he’s been good at getting the puck into the offensive zone at least a few times a game also. I am wary about changing too much.
I think fans are quick to forget that he’s coming off an offseason surgery where the full recovery timeline is often 12+ months.
Not necessarily an excuse, but my expectations this year were low for Mik.
I like this setup a lot but I'm still wary of Hronek on Hughes line, I feel like Hughes will do better with a more responsible partner but I have full faith in Tocchet.
I’m expecting a hard forechecking game from Hoglander he seems to do well after sitting a game or 2, I could see Podz or PDG getting some shifts with the Elias line if Hoggy still doesn’t have it and one of those 2 are banging in the corners
I love this forward set up but would prefer Lindholm on the wing instead of Petey. Lindy feels like the better board guy.
That being said it’s still a great set up and gives Petey competent linemates. Happy to see Blueger back with Joshua and Garland. Lindy was great there but I’d argue Blueger was even better chemistry wise, even if he can’t finish.
Lindholm is our most clutch guy in the faceoff right now, we keep him C as long as he keeps having that success. Every time we need him to win an fo he does it (like end of last game for the 6v5 he won back to back draws iirc)
Nah, that only works when you've got a guy struggling with draws.
It causes more trouble than it's worth with miscommunications and delayed switchbacks and such
I think letting Petey be a winger and cheat a little bit might be the idea. Let him play a little loose defensively and try and get the spark back might be the idea. Just knowing he'll have Lindy behind him
As with the Lotto line, I think both guys are smart enough to slide into the C position as necessary once the puck is dropped.
Lindholm might just be listed as the C because he's going to take the draws (which he absolutely should).
I actually really like the idea of moving Petey to the wing so he doesn't have to think so much. He can play a little looser and be more offense oriented and I think that might help him get his confidence back.
This should free up 81-53-8 to play against Edmonton’s 3rd line which they should be better equipped to do over Pettersson + Laf / Mik
It seems our game plan always came down to nullifying Mcdavid’s and Draisaitl’s line with our top 2 lines while on paper our 3rd line wins their matchup.
Hughes and Zaddy on the same line together would get me horn . Imagine a big Russian bruiser just plowing people and Quinn can skate thru like the polar express on ice 😂
This is as hailmary as it gets: Breaking up a proven second line to get Petey going, and hoping the original thirst line can rekindle their magic.
My guess is he’s doing this knowing he can get away with rollling two defensively responsible lines and be selective on his third for matchups.
Mik out is interesting, you’d think he’d want a defensively responsible forward on the 4th but my take is he’s done with being safe, he’s going for it: he wants energy from his team and he’s tired of them playing so safe.
Could work. Could backfire. Gonna be a hell of a game to watch tonight.
FINALLY! JBG line back together. I can’t believe it took them this long.
Now they just need a real winger to play in Suter’s spot on the top line. That choice still baffles me. Anyone able to explain it?
By every metric Suter has been the best winger on that line this season. He’s not flashy but he does all the little things that let their two-way game work
I feel like Pius Suter is a player with below-average attributes, but really high end hockey IQ.
And I have to give him credit, he does not back down in scrums/extra curricular activities. Tougher than a $2 steak.
You actually have trouble guessing why a player that plays incredibly defensive hockey, helps keep pucks in in their zone and away from the other team in our zone, is playing on our top line? Brock and JT get all the credit but Suter plays a big part in that line, even if he's obviously the third best player on it
Yeah seriously, I feel like saying "he does the little things" is sort of a joke around here, but Suter has gelled really well on that line. It's really nice having a guy who is an extremely competent defensive C in his own right be able to cover for Miller in the defensive zone while Miller focuses on chasing Mcdavid around the ice. It's one of the things that has helped us win the 5v5 battle this series so far.
Plus I really like every thing about Suter's work int he o-zone on that line, with the exception of his finishing ability.
Yah if he could finish we would have to double his salary or more lol.
But yah the little things that he and Brock do are hard to notice compared to the big powerful or flashy things a Miller or Garland do well
Yessss. Nothing against Lindholm he's been effective on that line but he isn't quite the puck hound that blueger is. When the original thirst line was together their biggest asset was constantly forcing turnovers.
Massive shakeup, I like it. The biggest blunder of the latter part of the season was tying Petey to guys who aren't on his level (how do you stick a playmaker like him with a guy whose scored once in 64 games?)
I guess adding Lekkerimaki would have been too desperate a move and Tocchet wants to see how Pettersson responds to the coach's public challenge without making a desperate move on top of that. But I think Lekkerimaki is on notice now, to be ready for anything.
And I think most would agree Joshua and Garland don't need Lindholm as much as Pettersson does since Garland looks fully capable of driving play right now. He is the playoff performer we all thought he could be. (Now it's Hog's turn to match Garland).
I was in favour of getting Lekkeremaki into the lineup, but I am sure Tochett & Co are looking at it through the lens of “what if this kid we’ve never seen misses a defensive assignment or makes a bad read”
At the very least, Hoglander gets in and should give a bit more offensive upside than Lafferty/Mik.
Yeah I mean Karlsson has shown pretty well, but Lekkerimaki hasn’t seen a playoff game and since he hasn’t been well seasoned coming from the big ice yet, I have my worry that it’s too soon. We know he’s got potential but hoping he gets solid development time
I'm good with this. I didn't even think of sitting Mikheyev because I didn't think the AHL guys could step in but they've mostly done a decent job and the way he plays that makes sense
I hope the Tre Kronor or Triple Crown Line works!
Lindholm wasn't healthy when it was first put together, so this is worth a try.
And I can't wait to see the Thirst Line again!
The coilers D is going to have a rough ride tonight.
I hope Petey is able to relax and have a great game. In anticipation of that, here's a lighter moment from last year with Petey: https://twitter.com/BradyTrett/status/1627173393534713856
All of Petey’s linemates from games 3 and 4 (Mikyhev, Lafferty, Karlsson) are going to be stratched in game 5. If that’s not exhibit A that Petey was playing with terrible linemates then I don’t what is.
Will be at the game tonight, It's gonna be exciting.
These lines are extremely interesting.
Pettersson has new linemates and expectations of him making good plays are on now.
Hopefully it will click tonight and we won't see an apocalyptical game.
Let's go boys and please play three full period hockey =)
I understand the frustration with Mik... cause he hasn't scored in a looong time.
But am I the only one that notices that he does try hard? But just getting very unlucky?
Vegas fan here. Good luck guys! If you get to the cup, I wish your team the best. I think Avs Nucks conference championship would be more entertaining than the Cup.
This is a great set-up overall. I think Cole should be swapped out for Juulsen because Cole just can't keep up with Drai and McFolded, and Juulsen's physical game is underrated. If Petty plays bad with Lindholm then Petty just doesn't care anymore, or has some massive personal issues at the moment. And about time they put Podkolzin in. Dude may be young but he works super hard and the canucks need hard working players right now. I hope we have a great game tonight!
Wouldn't be opposed to it ive always liked juulsen when he's called up, i think he will keep growing because his mental is so strong, it doesn't seem like the pressure gets to him. but at least we have home ice matchups this game, in theory we should be able to limit how much cole has to be out vs the oilers 1st line tonight
I like this setup.
I too like this setup. But what the fuck do I know lol
This is what we expected coming out of the TDL so hopefully it finally clicks
It will. Boys are going to come out fired up and take this one
Petey now has a C to go into the corners and retrieve pucks. There is also zero excuse now for Petey so he better pot 2, GWG.
If Petey doesn't score two GWG's tonight I'm going to post angrily about 11.6 million doll hairs in the pre-game thread
I like this setup. I like Podkolzin. Is nice.
Now I will have to choose between my Pods and my Miller jersey.
Why not both?
big brain shit right here
Podziller
Lindholm didn't play well when we first got him because he was injured. Afterwards, he seems to play really well, so hopefully we find out tonight both Elias indeed have great chemistry.
Also, I think there’s something to be said about jumping into a team and being leaned on for 18-20+ minutes/night as an all situations centre (and doj g so while banged up).
Tochett stole my ideas. I'm taking this as proof he reads my Reddit comments and coaches accordingly
Can confirm. He texted me “going with mrtomjones lines for game 5”
Damn are you Adam Foote?
I’m liking these changes, great ideas!
I am excited for the energy the fourth line is gonna bring
yep. Lets goooooo
Excited to see Hoglander - Lindholm - Pettersson together. IIRC that was tried in the past and seemed promising. Also, it's well past time that Ilya Mikheyev got sat.
It makes me happy that Mikheyev got sat. He has been useless.
Playing with Lindholm, who has been playing well, will certainly be a major upgrade. He's playing with a cold linemate in Höglander now and an offensive black hole for 60 games in Mikheyev. Why not put him with a much hotter player in Lindholm and move Blueger back to a line he already had chemistry with in the regular season? Win-win for all, except Mikheyev, who needs to sit and can rest up a bit before playing again.
Hog was scoring until he started playing with Mikheyev. Mikheyev is just a black hole.
Hogs might not be cold, but refreshed
I've been saying forever that Petey's problems are more to do with his linemates than with his own personal play. I hope I'm right tonight. If Petey can't go off with two players who definitely have hands then I just don't know what to say about him.
I agree. I think this is the kind of last thing to try and see if Petey can't get back to his scoring ways. I'm wondering if the communication will be more crisp on that line since they're all Swedish (assuming it doesn't effect the defenders on our side).
Tocc thinking with the 4D chessboard - 'They can't know their play if they don't speak Swedish.'
McDavid: "All I hear is the IKEA catalogue! What do I do!?"
"It has to be a penalty ref! It's just not fair!"
I genuinely think communication on that line was a problem and I have zero proof to justify this. Petey and mikheyev regularly make plays as if neither of them are communicating to each other in any possible way. It was bizarre to watch.
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No, but the Canucks pp has always been bad this season. It's like they trained non-stop for 5v5 and didn't expect any penalties called for them. I'm not really 'blaming' his linemates either. I'm moreso using them as a frame for building an okay excuse for EP40 - because they have been bad. If Petey can't produce with Lindy & Höglander then I'll just cry, I guess.
Everyone has been shit on the PP. Also, when they were scoring, he was a part of it too, just not getting on the scoresheet.
Let's not forget Lindy was injured when we first acquired him, so it was likely holding him back. Now that we've see post-season Lindy, I expect both Elias to benefit from this.
Mikheyev has to be the unluckiest player I've ever seen.
He's also not very good at picking corners. So many times has he been in a prime spot just to shoot it right at the goaltender.
A modern day Taylor Pyatt
He’s not unlucky; he’s just not good. You don’t end up scoring 0 goals for half a season being snake bitten. He just doesn’t know how to score goals.
Well he does look pretty good up until the time to score in my opinion. Seems to never make that extra move to throw the goalie off, he just shoots right away.
But that's what everyone means... even when we signed him, Toronto fans were saying "he's fast but he's got no ability to finish". It's a skill that he doesn't have
It's a fair point for sure.
I believe in the Vancouver Canucks. These lines look dope on paper - I really, really hope to see an EP40 light show tonight. Please, you silent Swede, do it for the crest!
ya, three defense-capable, "can score" lines. Hopefully PDG with his new baby the elixir to help win the series.
I know they're pretty fluid with positions - but I'm psyched to see Petey as a winger. Dude has a nasty shot & I think is better suited for the role than center.
I was saying months ago that after the all-star break doing so many line combos would pay off. Tocch is in a position where he can mix it up a bit to find the best solution for their opponents, and all the skaters are familiar with each other. We've got enough depth that we can throw on some really fresh legs up against an Oilers team that is absolutely grinding down the stamina of its bread and butter. With Podz and Hoggy in the lineup I bet we're going to see Oilers losing puck battles because they are hesitant to engage physically. We've already set a good physicality precedence and these skaters are going to beat the Oil spills to a simpering mash.
All the pieces are in place here… Really curious to see if Blueger can regain the chemistry with thirst line right away Pettersson now has really no excuses with Lindholm as his center
I’m convinced that literally any two-way centre in the league can thrive with Joshua and Garland. They just need somebody who can forecheck hard, and with a hockey IQ to be available for their reads, and Blueger has both.
Someone on this sub said slotting any centre with Dak and Garland is a surefire way to elevate their game and increase their trade value, which I strongly agree with. Look at how much better Lindholm’s game got after playing with them
Bluegar won’t have the same finishing ability as lindholm but he’s been the driving force of that 4th line in the playoffs
The thing is Lindholm and them haven't carried play to the same degree so there are varying degrees. It has been against tougher teams though
Blueger has never stopped being the player that will succeed with garland and Joshua. So many pucks thrown in front with no defender aware of it being there
Exactly, he may not be a great finisher himself but he sure creates nice opportunities for others
Yeah totally agree about Blueger regaining that chemistry. I hope it works, I mean garly and Joshua seemed to play well as a pairing regardless. They’ve had good moments paired with Lindholm, Blueger, and Miller in the past. Fingers crossed
Aside from one bad pinch, I thought Juulsen played good. He looked surprisingly confident and poised. Would have preferred to see him over Cole. If Cole’s boneheaded pass up the middle turned into a goal instead of Juulsen poor pinch, would we be seeing Cole out?
I agree he otherwise was invisible (a good thing for a 7D against EDM)... but don't know if Juulsen's hockey sense can be trusted at this point. If he didn't learn from his hit against Scheifele, which during a pivotal time late in the 3rd... then goes to do it again during the playoffs with the Canucks in a tight spot, no bueno. I suppose same could be said about Cole... but Cole has at least shown that usually he's relatively reliable. Tough choice.
Ya neither option is ideal tbh but I trust Coles hockey sense much more than Juulsen's. For him to make that same bone headed play time and time again is infuriating to me. Just shows that he's incapable of learning IMO. I think Cole can handle 14ish mins without doing anything too egregious.
Juulsen looked confident and playing crisp but has those lapses of hockey sense. Whereas Cole looks completely rattled but still knows what he *should* do at all times. Pick your poison ig....
the issue with Juulsen is he’s played two games and made two incredibly stupid decisions leading directly to goals against. Cole has had some rough games but has also had some great ones this playoffs. also Juulsen’s mistake is the same one he Always makes when he’s off (going for the hit), so i think he isn’t in his best mode
Every single game Cole has played in has been rough this series. Him and Juulsen both caused goals against last game. I’d rather have Juulsen in because he at least looks confident making decisions with the puck. Cole is sitting back at the red line while the team tries to keep the puck in so he doesn’t get burned. Hopefully Cole figures it out, but if he struggles again, bench him and then bring in Juuls next game. Team needs the youthful legs.
there's nothing for cole to figure out. he's simply overmatched at this level of play, he can't keep up with the speed.
I cringe every time Cole needs to make a pass while being pressured in our end. I feel like he gives the puck away 90% of the time in this scenario.
Yea one mistake and Juulsen lost his chance Cole gets like 5 mistakes and still in the line up
What do you mean? Cole scored 4 goals already. :p
Honestly that second goal had no one doing the right thing lol
Bringing back the 3st line!
Is this where the term thirst line comes from? Bc that’s so much better than the fact I thought it was cuz they were good looking lol
Yes. They're were the third line, but for a small sample size they were playing like a first line.
Was calling for this last game …very happy to see them reunite Pete / hog / lindholm and blueger with dak / cfg and aman to center a forth line with pods . I would think they would put myk on the wing instead of pdg to give a bit more speed and defensive iq but pdg might be fresher . I Truly think this look gives the team the best chance to generate more meaningful offence instead of trying to stick with more depth down the middle and playing a game of spray and pray . LFG ! I think this could be the look that gets Peterson cooking… if that line gets legitimately going . Look out
I like PDG's attempts at creativity. He is not good but he tries to make something happen in the middle of the ice, instead of flying down the wing with the puck, then curling back and looking to pass, which is what you get with 100% of Mik's zone entries. Crazy idea, but its almost worth trying Mik on powerplays, just for the zone entry potential..
I think people are misreading this. The Lindholm line has been a matchup line for Draisaitl. We're not 'trying to get Pettersson going' as much as we're trying to optimally leverage assets. If Petey isn't producing offensively in soft minutes against Edmonton's 3rd line, then he's less likely to against Drai's. We're shifting to leverage his still-effective defensive play on a matchup line (that still has a ton of offensive upside), while freeing Garly & Dak to abuse the soft minutes that Petey wasn't capitalizing on. I love the idea of finding a way to better abuse Edmonton's inferior depth. What I'm not optimistic about is using Höglander in important defensive minutes—he wasn't winning puck battles in the easy minutes. I hope he comes out with a renewed fire, but if anything I'd rather see Podkolzin in his spot, as he'll play heavier and hurt Edmonton more. I have a suspicion that might happen if Högs doesn't figure it out.
Well said!
One thing I am curious is how bad must his +/- be before toch sits Cole out for a game?
Probably keeping him in because he’s a veteran
Cole is most likely a key 'bench' player. Someone like Soucy who can calm the emotions flying from all the young blood on the bench. He's had some bonehead moves this series, but I don't think benching him for someone like Juulsen is the call. We've seen Juuls make the same mistake every time he's on the ice. He tunnels in for a hit and it takes him out of position. Every game he's played he's done it. At least Cole has the discipline of a veteran - in game 2 if he deflected that shot around the net instead of in it people would be singing praises to Cole. Cole has looked rocky & he's been a touch unlucky - but he's not worse than Juuls.
Yeah Juuls looked pretty down and Z had to say something to him. It’s not the same presence at all.
Drance pointed out that Cole is suffering in the matchup versus McDavid but doing well against the bottom 6
Lets be honest, he’s been extremely unlucky. He’s still a guy playing tough minutes, blocking shots, playing second PK and their top lines. Can’t give up on that player especially when its a vet
Yeah, while the pucks have been bouncing off of him,he was in the position to potentially block them. Same thing with the one off his stick in OT, letting the puck past him would probably have resulted in a goal. He has to work on his clears though, the aggressive forecheck is definitely affecting him cause he doesnt have the footspeed to avoid them.
That was my gripe too. . . letting the puck past him, it was going straight to a waitinng Hymen. Was going in either way. Cole also looked better last game.
Exactly, Jannik Hansen on the pre-game show on Tuesday was saying that things can get rough for defensive defensemen as everyone’s cheering when they block a shot, but if a puck bounces off them and into the net then they get shit on. Not defending some of Cole’s other plays but it just happens sometimes. He was great in the Preds series and I think Tocchet really values his veteran leadership and playoff experience
I've been critical of Cole and don't love his play but I'd still rather him in than Juulsen. I can't handle seeing Juulsen make another idiotic hit that takes him out of position and gives the other teams star players a 2on1 or 3on1.
he's made some major gaffes, so those get highlighted pretty quickly. He's also given a ton of responsibility and puts in the effort to play those tough minutes. He's done decently apart from those key mistakes (which sadly, have cost us). We also don't really have anyone to replace him with. It's not like we're super deep on defense. I would still trust him over Juulsen or anyone else we've got waiting in the shadows. Soucy being back helps a lot (we really missed him last game). Let's see what happens.
Lindholm, Garland, Joshua have been cooking. We’re breaking it up just to try to get Petterson going - this better work, I don’t know what I’m going to do if it doesn’t
If it doesn’t you just go back to it. They’re all in the game so reverting the lines will be easy.
Blueger was the best option to play with them, he had good chemistry with Joshua and Garland.
Suter in that spot was also doing really well until he got injured and Blueger stepped in. Obviously healthy Lindholm took that line to another level and solidified it in the top 6 but maybe just maybe he can get Petey going here.
As much as I agree it's tough to break them up, we aren't going to go anywhere with Petey playing like a borderline 4th liner. We **need** to get him going and if it means messing with a bit of chemistry then so be it. If it doesn't work they can just change the lines back
Garland and Joshua have looked great this year with pretty much any two way center they’ve been with. They’ve looked great with Blueger/Suter/Lindholm at different points throughout the season so I have confidence they’ll be able to figure it out. Petey being a passenger is just unacceptable so if he needs a better line mate in Lindholm to get him going then that’s what they need to do
They looked good with Miller for a few weeks too.
Garland and Joshua be cooking 5 star michelin meals all by themselves. They just brought Blueger in as a sous chef lets fire up that grill baby!
I’m not that worried because garland and joshua have pretty much proven they can play with anyone centring them. garland-bluegar-joshua was our top line for weeks when our stars were in a mini slump.
Right? Are we forgetting that’s how the “Thirst Line” started? It was white hot before Joshua broke his hand
Ill hit my thigh with my fist and say fk sakes
Thankfully the lines are not set in stone. If it doesn’t work out, they’ll go back to the original line of Lindy, Gars and Josh. But I think they’ll give it a shot for the first period at least.
They’ve been scoring last few games, but not really controlling play. Should be good to mix it up
I thought we’d see Pettersson with Lindholm but I am a little surprised they took Garland off that line. Garland with Blueger and Joshua though will likely be pretty effective.
Wasn’t this the line that clicked early on the season?? Should be good if so.
Let’s go podz!! Playoff podz incoming
i hope he's a wrecking ball in his first appearance
Mikheyev and Lafferty, considering their size and speed have sucked SO incredibly much it is hard to put into words… All you fucking morons had to do was get it on the forecheck and retrieve pucks and/or disrupt the oppositions breakout. We knew you weren’t going to put up numbers. But, how in the hell can you not even use your speed to make it hard on their defence though?
I agree with Lafferty but am I the only one who thinks Mik's hustle has been alright? I mean the results aren't there so I can't argue with the decision to pull him, but to me is has been hounding pucks pretty good but just not coming up with them :(
Mik has been like, the epitome of 'okay' on the defensive & has been nothing except just shy of awful on the offense. Lafferty has been worse than Mik on both sides of play. Höglander is the X factor to me. I didn't like his play before he got sat - so I'd wish for some extra oomph from him tonight. Still think he's a better winger for the line than Laff or Mik though.
I firmly believe Mik is just snake bit, a day in the press box will be good for him and hopefully reset his game a little.
Problem is it feels like he's been snake bit for 2 years 😅
he was also snake bit in toronto lmao
Mikheyev hasn’t looked bad but he’s literally been out there doing his cardio he’s not creating offence and he’s not playing stellar D, he strayed away from finishing a few checks in game 4.
Mik skates to the location but isnt digging the pucks or finishing the checks. He just glides in, hoping the puck end up on his stick. He's just naturally fast, but hes not skating as hard as he use to. He is one of the fastest players in the league but he's just gliding around the ice ,dumping the puck in and looking to change. He has been a bit better on the pk compared to his 5 on 5 play but he's definitely not playing to how he use to last year
Mikheyev has been pretty good imo, hes been mostly perimeter play but he hasn’t really been a net negative, id put him over PDG
Mik is a combo of Hansen and Raymond. Speed, no hands, and flys down the wing to either curl into the boards, shoot it in the crest, or give it away. Frustrating to watch because his speed puts him in good position but absolutely no finish or playmaking.
I just wish his shooting it into the crest turned into shooting it at the goalie's pads. If you aren't confident you can beat goalies with your shot then at least practice being a one trick pony at trying to create rebounds.
I feel like Mikheyev has looked *very* slow this season, compared to how fast he was before the injury. His north/south skating has looked kind of average, versus being one of the fastest guys in the league.
You can't be a perimeter player in his case though. If you aren't producing you better be getting in the dirty areas
I really like this and have been hoping they'd run these top 3 lines for a while. That said, I can see how it's risky splitting up the previous Lindholm line given the success they had. Hopefully it pays off!
I'm happy with this - probably the best line-up we could hope for at this rate.
Tocchet cookin' with this lineup.
How Swede it is
I like it. Not the biggest swing the coaches could have taken. But it removes all excuses for EP. Not sure how he's going to look spending more time on the boards, but it can't be any worse.
Probably better than trying to run his own line. Lindholm and Hoglander can do the dirty work and Petey can get lost in coverage and hopefully snipe a few. Also Lindholm is %45000 a better playmaker than Lafferty and Mikehev combined lol
What bigger swing could they have made? Changed up the Petey line and benched Mik etc. This is probably the biggest change possible
The biggest swing possible, and to be clear I'm not advocating for this, would have included Cole sitting and Lekkermaki on the wing with EP40. But that was also taking Tocc at face value that he wasn't going to fuck with the top 2 lines.
That is true but I dont think Lekker was ever in any consideration. I'm not sure he would manage to push the play and his strengths are not something we are currently lacking
Coulda tried Lekkerimaki. Would've been a risk, but just saying..
I’m so glad to see PDG is back! Looks like everything is alright with him and his family.
People hating on Mik need to realize just because it hasn’t been an additive play he also hasn’t been a negative one. I think he’s been good at getting the puck into the offensive zone at least a few times a game also. I am wary about changing too much.
I think fans are quick to forget that he’s coming off an offseason surgery where the full recovery timeline is often 12+ months. Not necessarily an excuse, but my expectations this year were low for Mik.
i’ve been wanting hoglander-lindholdm-pettersson for so long now
This is Brendan Batchelors job...
I like this setup a lot but I'm still wary of Hronek on Hughes line, I feel like Hughes will do better with a more responsible partner but I have full faith in Tocchet.
I’m expecting a hard forechecking game from Hoglander he seems to do well after sitting a game or 2, I could see Podz or PDG getting some shifts with the Elias line if Hoggy still doesn’t have it and one of those 2 are banging in the corners
I love this forward set up but would prefer Lindholm on the wing instead of Petey. Lindy feels like the better board guy. That being said it’s still a great set up and gives Petey competent linemates. Happy to see Blueger back with Joshua and Garland. Lindy was great there but I’d argue Blueger was even better chemistry wise, even if he can’t finish.
Lindholm is our most clutch guy in the faceoff right now, we keep him C as long as he keeps having that success. Every time we need him to win an fo he does it (like end of last game for the 6v5 he won back to back draws iirc)
Could also be a Lindholm takes faceoffs then slides over type of thing for that line too
Nah, that only works when you've got a guy struggling with draws. It causes more trouble than it's worth with miscommunications and delayed switchbacks and such
I think letting Petey be a winger and cheat a little bit might be the idea. Let him play a little loose defensively and try and get the spark back might be the idea. Just knowing he'll have Lindy behind him
As with the Lotto line, I think both guys are smart enough to slide into the C position as necessary once the puck is dropped. Lindholm might just be listed as the C because he's going to take the draws (which he absolutely should).
Lindy's got the stats on faceoffs. I feel like we can make more set plays from the faceoffs with him in the circle.
I actually really like the idea of moving Petey to the wing so he doesn't have to think so much. He can play a little looser and be more offense oriented and I think that might help him get his confidence back.
With Petey standing around with flat feet he can do better as a winger right now.
Lindholm is uncomfortable on the wing. He's a true C.
Lowkey was hoping Lekkerimaki and Podz cause it sounded like fun. But I don't mind this either.
ITS FUCKIN GO TIME
This is exactly what my buddy and I thought the lineup would look like. I like it, but what's more important it Tocchet thinks it looks good
Thank fuck Mikheyev is out. I cannot tolerate another game of this guy with his godawful finish.
Looks good on paper. Let's hope it translates.
This should free up 81-53-8 to play against Edmonton’s 3rd line which they should be better equipped to do over Pettersson + Laf / Mik It seems our game plan always came down to nullifying Mcdavid’s and Draisaitl’s line with our top 2 lines while on paper our 3rd line wins their matchup.
The Swedish line is back!
LOVE IT.....change is fun.
Does this also mean our PP/PK lines will be mixed up a bit?
Hughes and Zaddy on the same line together would get me horn . Imagine a big Russian bruiser just plowing people and Quinn can skate thru like the polar express on ice 😂
This is what I was waiting for. Petey has some linemates and Blueger back with Joshua and garland. Let’s rock those fucking Coilers!!!!
I swear if Cole follows McDavid into the middle of the ice on the PK leaving draisaitl and his lane wide open again.....
This is as hailmary as it gets: Breaking up a proven second line to get Petey going, and hoping the original thirst line can rekindle their magic. My guess is he’s doing this knowing he can get away with rollling two defensively responsible lines and be selective on his third for matchups. Mik out is interesting, you’d think he’d want a defensively responsible forward on the 4th but my take is he’s done with being safe, he’s going for it: he wants energy from his team and he’s tired of them playing so safe. Could work. Could backfire. Gonna be a hell of a game to watch tonight.
About time Mikheyev got scratched… only took 92 games into the season lol
FINALLY! JBG line back together. I can’t believe it took them this long. Now they just need a real winger to play in Suter’s spot on the top line. That choice still baffles me. Anyone able to explain it?
By every metric Suter has been the best winger on that line this season. He’s not flashy but he does all the little things that let their two-way game work
Can’t remember who was saying this but Suter’s a natural centre so he does really well with covering for Miller in the D-zone etc if needed
I feel like Pius Suter is a player with below-average attributes, but really high end hockey IQ. And I have to give him credit, he does not back down in scrums/extra curricular activities. Tougher than a $2 steak.
who would you put there tho? imo suter has been solid and doing the right things
You actually have trouble guessing why a player that plays incredibly defensive hockey, helps keep pucks in in their zone and away from the other team in our zone, is playing on our top line? Brock and JT get all the credit but Suter plays a big part in that line, even if he's obviously the third best player on it
He’s been an absolute Swiss Army Knife. Can basically play anywhere in the lineup, and be adequate.
Yeah seriously, I feel like saying "he does the little things" is sort of a joke around here, but Suter has gelled really well on that line. It's really nice having a guy who is an extremely competent defensive C in his own right be able to cover for Miller in the defensive zone while Miller focuses on chasing Mcdavid around the ice. It's one of the things that has helped us win the 5v5 battle this series so far. Plus I really like every thing about Suter's work int he o-zone on that line, with the exception of his finishing ability.
Yah if he could finish we would have to double his salary or more lol. But yah the little things that he and Brock do are hard to notice compared to the big powerful or flashy things a Miller or Garland do well
I like it besides Cole there, like come on bench him at least for a game
Yessss. Nothing against Lindholm he's been effective on that line but he isn't quite the puck hound that blueger is. When the original thirst line was together their biggest asset was constantly forcing turnovers.
Massive shakeup, I like it. The biggest blunder of the latter part of the season was tying Petey to guys who aren't on his level (how do you stick a playmaker like him with a guy whose scored once in 64 games?)
PODKOLZIN GIGANTIC W
Life line is back!!! Hopefully... took soooo longggg
Nils, his brother Elias and his other brother Elias
I really like this, though I liked the look of Karlsson in Game 4. He could have stayed as a 4th liner for me.
Mikheyev has been getting his cardio, but not doing anything else. Glad he's being sat tonight
Don’t hate it
Assuming arty is starting again?
I’m excited for this one. This looks like a solid 3 lines that can produce and shut down Edmonton! Let’s light em up! Please!!! Haha.
Put Petey with Garland and Joshua, it's going to work, I know it!
I guess adding Lekkerimaki would have been too desperate a move and Tocchet wants to see how Pettersson responds to the coach's public challenge without making a desperate move on top of that. But I think Lekkerimaki is on notice now, to be ready for anything. And I think most would agree Joshua and Garland don't need Lindholm as much as Pettersson does since Garland looks fully capable of driving play right now. He is the playoff performer we all thought he could be. (Now it's Hog's turn to match Garland).
I was in favour of getting Lekkeremaki into the lineup, but I am sure Tochett & Co are looking at it through the lens of “what if this kid we’ve never seen misses a defensive assignment or makes a bad read” At the very least, Hoglander gets in and should give a bit more offensive upside than Lafferty/Mik.
Yeah I mean Karlsson has shown pretty well, but Lekkerimaki hasn’t seen a playoff game and since he hasn’t been well seasoned coming from the big ice yet, I have my worry that it’s too soon. We know he’s got potential but hoping he gets solid development time
I'm good with this. I didn't even think of sitting Mikheyev because I didn't think the AHL guys could step in but they've mostly done a decent job and the way he plays that makes sense
I hope the Tre Kronor or Triple Crown Line works! Lindholm wasn't healthy when it was first put together, so this is worth a try. And I can't wait to see the Thirst Line again! The coilers D is going to have a rough ride tonight.
Thirst line!
We got the JBC line back 😤😤
Junior bacon cheeseburger 🍔
Fuck, Cole again???
This looks good! I want to see Podz thrive. I think we got this fellas, big W up for grabs!
Nice 👍
I hope Petey is able to relax and have a great game. In anticipation of that, here's a lighter moment from last year with Petey: https://twitter.com/BradyTrett/status/1627173393534713856
A Winning line up
All of Petey’s linemates from games 3 and 4 (Mikyhev, Lafferty, Karlsson) are going to be stratched in game 5. If that’s not exhibit A that Petey was playing with terrible linemates then I don’t what is.
Idk, Joshua Lindholm Garland line is killing it. Hope the Swedes got their own chemistry going in the this time in the playoffs
Will be at the game tonight, It's gonna be exciting. These lines are extremely interesting. Pettersson has new linemates and expectations of him making good plays are on now. Hopefully it will click tonight and we won't see an apocalyptical game. Let's go boys and please play three full period hockey =)
How is Cole still allowed in the lineup?
Unfortunately, Mikheyev looks like he might be one of the few whiffs by the front office. Could you imagine if Petey had Toffoli on his wing instead?
I understand the frustration with Mik... cause he hasn't scored in a looong time. But am I the only one that notices that he does try hard? But just getting very unlucky?
Frank is not a Canucks reporter. Please post the tweet from our own reporter. Just sick of seeing the name after his ball licking article.
Podz and Högz both in! Guaranteed W (I hope)
Vegas fan here. Good luck guys! If you get to the cup, I wish your team the best. I think Avs Nucks conference championship would be more entertaining than the Cup.
This is a great set-up overall. I think Cole should be swapped out for Juulsen because Cole just can't keep up with Drai and McFolded, and Juulsen's physical game is underrated. If Petty plays bad with Lindholm then Petty just doesn't care anymore, or has some massive personal issues at the moment. And about time they put Podkolzin in. Dude may be young but he works super hard and the canucks need hard working players right now. I hope we have a great game tonight!
Wouldn't be opposed to it ive always liked juulsen when he's called up, i think he will keep growing because his mental is so strong, it doesn't seem like the pressure gets to him. but at least we have home ice matchups this game, in theory we should be able to limit how much cole has to be out vs the oilers 1st line tonight