Lines For Game 1

by Connie Kim on Apr 15, 2010 10:53 AM PDT in Playoffs

Here are the potential lines per Rich Hammond at LA Kings Insider. Canucks fans, what say you?

D. Sedin-H.Sedin-Burrows
Demitra-Kesler-Samuelsson
Raymond-Wellwood-Grabner
Hansen-Pettinger-Bernier

Salo-Edler
Ehrhoff-O’Brien
Bieksa-Alberts

Luongo

Here are what the Kings lines should look like at puck drop. But, how come I'm having a brain aneurysm over the defensive pairings? Please correct me because I'm positive I've mixed these up.

Ryan Smyth - Anze Kopitar - Justin Williams
Alexander Frolov - Jarret Stoll - Dustin Brown
Wayne Simmonds - Michal Handzus - Brad Richardson
Raitis Ivanans - Jeff Halpern - Fredrik Modin

Drew Doughty - Rob Scuderi
Sean O'Donnell - Jack Johnson
Randy Jones - Matt Greene

Jonathan Quick
Erik Ersberg

[Edit]: Randy Jones - Jack Johnson
Sean O'Donnell - Matt Greene

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Comments

Should be Randy Jones-Jack Johnson/O’Donnell-Greene

by Nut on Apr 15, 2010 10:58 AM PDT reply actions

Yeah, Johnson-Jones and O’Donnell-Greene, with O’D probably jumping up to play with Jack every once in a while.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Apr 15, 2010 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions

I don't get this...

TM insisted that Jones was his boy weeks ago when he was coughing the puck up on a regular basis and handing out goals like Halloween candy. His reasons were that ‘he has the skill set we need’ and ’he’s good on the break out’.

OK, fine, we had Drew for the break out paired with a defenseive Scuderi, you got JJ for the break out with the defensive OD and you got Jones on the breakout with the defensive Green. No room for another defensive guy like Drewski.

Now lately Jones has been much more responsable on defense and I’ve noticed his ability to help get the puck out of the zone with control through the neutral zone so I can see where Murry was coming from. Fine and dandy…

But now we’re supposed to believe that a OD/Green pairing has enough ability to cleanly break the puck out of the zone when three weeks ago it didn’t? I don’t get it.

by Jietoh on Apr 15, 2010 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions

Maybe TM is going to use the OD/Green pair as a shut down pairing…

"It's not illegal. It's frowned upon, like masturbating on an airplane."-Alan Garner

by card_base on Apr 15, 2010 12:11 PM PDT up reply actions

Generally (and I mean generally, because Murray is always switching up and defensive pairings shift differently from forward pairings), the Kings will run with these 5-man pairings:

Smyth-Kopi-Williams
Johnson-Jones

Rich-Zeus-Meat
Scuderi-Doughty

Fro-Stoll-Brown
O’Donnell-Greene

…with Doughty probably double-shifting a lot and the Johnson-Jones getting the call with the 4th line. The idea is that Scuderi-Doughty can do everything, Johnson-Jones can play offense and O’Donnell-Greene can play defense. If you put Jones with Greene you’re left with a unit that can’t really do anything, plus they both play the right side now. O’Donnell’s been a lot better since they put him back on the left side.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Apr 15, 2010 12:20 PM PDT up reply actions

Rich-Zeus-Meat

Made me laugh when I read it as a sentence instead of separate names.

by Connie Kim on Apr 15, 2010 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions

That is how Handzus refers to himself around the ladies.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Apr 15, 2010 12:54 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Haha, love it.

by Connie Kim on Apr 15, 2010 12:55 PM PDT up reply actions

I’m not going to disagree with your points. But I would like to say that even though he may not get the points totals as Johnson, Jones or Doughty, Matt Greene’s skating skills are very underrated and I have confidence in his ability to get the puck up ice to his forwards.

and on the 93rd postseason of the National Hockey League, the Slovakian-hockeygod Zeus commanded from high atop Mount Figueroa..."RELEASE THE MEAT TRAIN!" And it was good.

by DodgerBlueBalls on Apr 15, 2010 12:14 PM PDT up reply actions

I like Greene…remember how crappy things were in our zone while he was injured for a few games?
He can move the puck…

"It's not illegal. It's frowned upon, like masturbating on an airplane."-Alan Garner

by card_base on Apr 15, 2010 12:18 PM PDT up reply actions

He was especially bad when we first picked him up, but I’m very confident now with him on the ice in defensive situations (including the PK, obviously).

by Connie Kim on Apr 15, 2010 12:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Positivity!

I’m not so pessimistic about the Defensive pairings as you. Let’s face it, both The Johnson and Jones are prone to frak up. Splitting them up allows you to pair J&J with another more responsible defenseman who can mitigate away the risks taken by J&J. I would say that Jones is more likely to make a costlier mistake than Johnson, so you put the better mitigator (Greene) with him, and then hope O’Donnell can compliment Johnson well, too.

With these pairings, you have what should be one defensive-defenseman and one puck-moving defenseman per match. I’m content with what Terry’s magic 8-ball came up with here. Talk to me again at 8:30pm tonight…

and on the 93rd postseason of the National Hockey League, the Slovakian-hockeygod Zeus commanded from high atop Mount Figueroa..."RELEASE THE MEAT TRAIN!" And it was good.

by DodgerBlueBalls on Apr 15, 2010 11:21 AM PDT reply actions

With these pairings, you have what should be one defensive-defenseman and one puck-moving defenseman per match.

That’s what I’m expecting on a nightly basis. If you have the assets, why not, right?

by Connie Kim on Apr 15, 2010 11:39 AM PDT up reply actions

Hansen-Pettinger-Bernier

Anytime you look at Vancouver’s fourth line and Hordichuk’s name isn’t there is a good thing.

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on Apr 15, 2010 12:24 PM PDT reply actions

Good for whom?

You guys or us?

by Jietoh on Apr 15, 2010 12:29 PM PDT up reply actions

Us. He’s terrible. Vancouver has enough grit without unleashing him.

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on Apr 15, 2010 1:21 PM PDT up reply actions

So question for LA fans: why bother playing Ivanans? Rudy Kelly has been uh uncomplimentary about his play in the past.

by antro on Apr 15, 2010 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions

We haven’t figured that out yet…

Most of us would rather see Clune in the lineup instead but TM is old school and likes to have an enforcer type presence against certain teams (cough DUCKS *cough).

by Jietoh on Apr 15, 2010 1:35 PM PDT up reply actions

Considering he was in the box

during 3(?) goals against his team last game against the Kings, I’d say Yankee Canuck is saying it’s a good thing for his team… not sure though.

"I did nothing. I did absolutely nothing, and it was everything that I thought it could be." -- Peter Gibbons

by dtownmbrown on Apr 15, 2010 1:26 PM PDT up reply actions

Bingo. Huge liability. And honestly I don’t think he’s that great a fighter and would prefer Vancouver doesn’t get involved with dropping the gloves either. They have enough problems staying out of the box.

Though my hate on for Hordichuk could be just me. Maybe other VAN fans love him.

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on Apr 15, 2010 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions

Ratis is not good, but lately has been a lot more dependable, hasn’t taken too many dumb penalties, and has even taken a pass or two. I think Murray just wants size against you bastards, but that could change and I think Parse would go in.

by Nut on Apr 15, 2010 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions

Update on Vancouver Line Up

For those that care,

Grabner is out, Rypien is in

Hansen is up on third line.

Hordichuk might be a game time decision based how AV feels about the intent of playing Ivanans.

Not sure who they’d take out, maybe Bernier

by Leftcoaster on Apr 15, 2010 2:20 PM PDT reply actions

Thanks for the update

How do you guys feel about O’Brien?

by Connie Kim on Apr 15, 2010 2:27 PM PDT up reply actions

He’s been a lot better this year, but he’s still very much a game to game-type player. Sometimes he plays well above his normal level and other times he’s like a second Bieksa (in terms of poor positioning or terrible penalties). But between him, Alberts and Rome, I’d take SOB.

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on Apr 15, 2010 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions

Thanks for the update. Good to know.

by Connie Kim on Apr 15, 2010 2:42 PM PDT up reply actions

Hopefully, after the Kings take an insurrmountable lead on the Canucks tonight, we can see some much-ballyhooed glove dropping between Rypien and Ivanans!

and on the 93rd postseason of the National Hockey League, the Slovakian-hockeygod Zeus commanded from high atop Mount Figueroa..."RELEASE THE MEAT TRAIN!" And it was good.

by DodgerBlueBalls on Apr 15, 2010 2:33 PM PDT up reply actions

I’m hoping for a lackluster performance by the Kings and a 2-0 Canucks lead… followed by a rousing comeback after Meat Train punches a hole through Rypien’s chest.

(Don’t fight Rypien, Meat, you can’t win!)

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Apr 15, 2010 2:52 PM PDT up reply actions