Thornton/By S. Bradley
Taking care of my 7-month-old and traveling to Tampa today cut me out of the popular parlor game “guess which Bruins player sits after Patrice Bergeron returns.”
So forgive me for catching up with that now.
Unfortunately, the only logical way to make room for both Bergeron and Tyler Seguin in tomorrow night’s Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against Tampa Bay is to sit Shawn Thornton. Everyone knows how valuable Thornton is to the Bruins on and off the ice. And this is no slight to what he brought to the team this year in regards to both his usual grit and his surprising 10 goals.
This is all a tribute to the Bruins’ depth now that Bergeron appears healthy and Seguin has morphed into a man. Thornton has said all along, as his role in the playoffs has diminished to a shift or four a night, that he’s all about team and he’ll do whatever the team thinks is right to win. He’s been here before. He was a healthy scratch for one game against Carolina, as the Bruins searched for more offense. And last spring he was the odd man out for one game when Marc Savard came back against Philadelphia.
Today head coach Claude Julien made it clear that he was still mulling things over with his staff and general manager Peter Chiarelli for a lineup. But in a rare break from Julien tradition, he declared Seguin will be in regardless of Bergeron’s status (which sounds as close to a definite as can be without being definite).
Here’s how my lines would look if I was Julien (with more hair):
Lucic-Krejci-Horton
Marchand-Bergeron-Recchi
Ryder-Kelly-Seguin
Paille-Campbell-Peverley
Julien alluded to how well that third line played together in Game 2. So I’m almost certain he’ll keep that line together. All the people suggeting Mark Recchi get bumped down are forgetting not just what a slap in the face that would be to a future Hall-of-Famer but how much better he plays when he has Bergeron as his center.
With Peverley and Paille on Campbell’s wings, that fourth line not only becomes an energy group but a speedy offensive threat that would definitely give Tampa Bay some match-up problems.
So there you have it. A simple drop of Peverley down the depth chart and Thornton to the press box and the Bruins have the recipe for seven more wins and the Stanley Cup. Boy, that was easy.
fair enough. nice backcheck though by Ryder the last game, probably saved the tying goal….
RYD/PEV/SEG works as a powerplay line, but Kelly as the center allows them to run it as a regular line, as Kelly is super-responsible with his positioning (and you must admit that Ryder and Seguin are not). Peverley would be a third offensive forward, rendering the line too defenseless to play against the high-scoring Lightning. assuming Ryder and Seguin will share a line despite the terrible example Ryder sets for the franchise star, we’ll most likely get Peverley and Recchi on the second and fourth right wings, either way. ideally, to me, though, the staff will see the impending disaster of forming Easy Ryder 2 and put Seguin on the second line right wing, Peverley on the third and Recchi on the fourth. I hold hope, at least, but I do expect PAI/CAM/PEV.
Rickinnh I think we need Kelly between Ryder and Seguin. He is the better defensive center. Ryder and Seguin beat the D just the two of them.
Kaberle moved the puck well in the last game 2
Matt I like your call, but I would seriously consider:
Lucic-Krejci-Horton
Marchand-Bergeron-Recchi
Ryder-Peverley-Seguin
Paille-Campbell-Kelly
oops. I guess Lucic was just confirmed as playing. I’m now at 85% Thornton sits, 15% Recchi sits.
how long have I been here? how long has this place existed may be a better question. I bet the answers are similar. it could be Recchi or Lucic that sits, but I bet it will be Thornton. I am very curious to see the starting lines and then what they become during the game. I have a lot of opinions, but they have mostly been covered already by myself and others. is it 8pm, yet?
While I agree with most of what is being said regarding the shuffling of lines, I think it is valuable to look more at how a line performs than the individuals on the line. Rex has played poorly this series, but he is missing the key piece to the puzzle on his line in Bergy. The same may be able to be said (eventually) about Ryder and Seguin, even though i dont think Ryder is deserving of a new deal with this club.
Regarding Thornton, he has been there before. He understands and probably will not be losing any sleep tonight if he doesnt play.
Séguin – Bergeron – Marchand. Recchi sits. Who else really??
Oh… and enough with the Kampfer talk. Guy’s been out of games for a long time – he was in the skybox since way before he was hurt. I like him as a player, but I’m not ready to take that risk (yet).
Julien has already hinted by saying the he has liked the way the 3rd line has played together. I don’t like it but it’s looking like Peverley to the 4th but should be Recchi. Julien won’t send Mark down though as we know Claude is loyal to his favorites. Hopefully will see some line shuffling seeing that Boucher has last change.
Lucic must pick up his game. Just like I said before Game 2. He needs to go stand in front of Roloson for the whole game.
Personally, I’d like to see Julien send a strong message to Lucic and sit him for a game. I’m so tired of seeing a play move up ice in either direction and watch Lucic stand there flat footed. It’s time he got a clear signal that he hasn’t been showing up to play.
I bet Julien will start with Recchi on the 2nd line and will move him down unless he is effective in an attempt to get the second line going again.
Oilers Ryan Whitney tweeted Hall asking him what year Seguin was drafted in. Hall said ” he’d be even sicker if he got traded for you”. I like this quote. “All I can say is wow. I’m glad he got the opportunity to play and make something of it. Give him a chance and he will perform. He looked so happy. I’m happy for him” Jackie Seguin, Tylers Mom. Me too Mrs. Seguin. There’s a bunch of quotes on the Toronto Star from various people. It would make Matt sick. There’s no sarcasm.
Thanks for the props wermdog. Back at ya.
Hey guys…. your right… “I come here for good hockey arguments and discussion”…
I would go with Seguin into Rexs place. Move Recchi to the third and let Pev light up the foruth line. That would look good!
I really like Rex. But he hasn’t just been failing to produce, he’s been a turnover machine.
Yeah.. the Recchi question is a tough one. Clearly this series is being played at a gear Rex lost a couple years ago. I said it during the Montreal series, and I say it again now. Playoffs are about match ups. If Rex wants to ride his Zamboni off into the sunset with Lord Stanley as the figurehead on his bow… he’s already made it clear that his ego has been safely stowed away. If I’m Clode, I had a beer with Rex last night, and told him just that, and then told him he’ll be filling a checking role and screening Rollie the Goalie for a game to see how it plays out. I’d also put Seguin on line 2 and put Peverley back with his old mates on line 3.
Just drop the puck, already!
I completely agree with mattK’s and others’ suggestions, for the reasons they all gave. I couldn’t believe I heard guys on NHL network offer up Paille and Recchi as players who should sit (though I’ll admit Recchi hasn’t been as effective this series).
Hopefully it comes to such a decision. And hopefully it won’t be a matter of risking Bergeron by rushing him in too soon. As painful as it is to say, I personally would rather the Bs lose the series than that.
Thornton sits. MattK, I can go with your lines Recchi will be better with Bergeron in. Hey fans, take a good look at those lines with a healthy Bergeron and Segun contributing the Bruins have an extremely deep team.
Cormac, I like your thinking.. switch Kelly and Pev. interchangeable pieces really, depending on who’s playing better that given night, you could switch them Should be good one tonight. Hopefully Bergeron is not to tenative, took him a while to get back into form last time he got concussed. Sounds like this time around is not as severe. BTW, Great Blog! Keep it up! Regards, K-Bizz
It is a really tough decision. They have 2 lines that are definite, at least there is that. I think I agree with MK after some reflection. Peverly has not produced and he makes that 4th line something of a defensive powerhouse with speed. They could match that 4th line, now with Thornton off the ice, with the Stamkos-Lecavalier-St. Louis line, as clearly the KHL line cant hang with them. I just can’t put Recchi down in the 4th line. He is too good in front of the net and has shown up when it matters most. If Recchi struggles, Peverly can come up for him.
No defensive changes, unless there is a viable option to replace Kaberle
Can Marchand Recchi and Bergeron get back to running that high triangle? They really loosen up the defense when they implement that play.
Yeah as much as you hate to see them send Thornton to the press box, I think he is a team player enough to realize he is the odd man out.
Paille has been outstanding in his role-shoot he was a one man PK machine in the last game at one point. You don’t sit one of your best PKers against Tampa in order to play Thornton who doesn’t kill penalties or play on the PP.
I also think the idea of sitting Campbel is insane. He works hard and plays a key role on that line.
I think the real question is who wings Bergeron and while I would put Recchi on the 4th line and have Peverly wing Bergeron, I don’t think Julien will do it. I think Peverly will play where they put him and I do agree Peverly on that line will make for a speed line, and while Paille has trouble shooting Peverly and Campbell are both pretty good about putting shots in. That line could score some goals.
I think Tampa is already going to be challenged with regards to defending both Seguin’s line and the krejci line and if Bergeron gets the second line firing again, some match ups are going to be hard for Tampa.
Oh, and one other advantage to having Peverly play the 4th line is that if they want to shorten Bergeron’s minutes some (which they may given his return from concussion) it will be easier to slot Peverly into that spot without messing with any other lines.
Wermdog – Thanks for including me in your list of readable posts. But to answer your question… I care what Matt has to say. I came ‘this close’ to reading him the riot act for that very prediction post – but I don’t come here for pompoms and bullshit. I come here for good hockey arguments and discussion. Do I agree with Matt every time. Hell no (sorry Matt – its true), but I respect his opinions more than anyone else covering the Bs.
Anyway.. Werm… you should drop your opinion on the guys once in a while as well. I’d rather read what you think about the lines, than how you little you think of the guy that’s making this all possible (gift horse in the mouth, if you ask me!)
Sticking with Bs in 6! (Although I’ll admit, I was WAaaY off on my prediction for how it would play out)
Peace!
Also, even if Tru was a first-time poster, there is nothing wrong with him contributing. This is a public discussion space that is fueled by MK’s thoughts, but enriched by each and every person who speaks their mind. Minus JPT… glad that clown is gone.
Tru’s been on here for a while. Also, hindsight is 20/20 wermdog… looking at Philly after they just seemed to be heating up towards the end of the first round, and noting how the B’s had just finished digging themselves out of an exhausting 0-2 hole vs. MTL, I don’t blame Matt for his prediction. It was viable.
yeah he follows the team closely…. he picked the flyers to win in six!!!
to quote matt K “Basically, I see this series shaking out with the Bruins finally playing one great, 60-minute, all-around game (something they failed to do against Montreal in seven outings) and the Flyers’ goaltending faltering one time so that they have to switch goaltenders at least once. And I don’t see the Bruins getting more than those two games.”
Really?! this is a Bruins Blog not ESPN. He is supposed to be biased when it comes to the B’s. He couldn’t think of two more reasons of how we could get two more wins… How about timmy stealing one for us….. etc…
I only come on here to read comments by nifty, bojangles, coooaaaaaccccchhh, karl, MCK, TCL, RD, The GO BRUINS GO! ALL OF THEM guy and the hab trolls. They usually have good stuff to say.
anyways TRU when did you start commenting on here… today?
I’d switch Kelly for Peverley. Then you’d have the top 3 lines with very good FO centers and a very good and quick 4th line.
rex has turned into mr magoo around the net. flip him with pev.
i didn’t realize boychuk was -3 last night! paging kampfer.
I do. they are a good guess from somebody who follows the team closely. why read just to make moronic comments….or is that travesty of a post a question? feel better about yourself, now that you’ve put Matt down?
who cares what you lines would look like Matt K.
well, I don’t want Seguin to spend the rest of this postseason emulating Ryder, so don’t think the risk to the franchise is quite worth a hot pairing. this a a good time to shake it up. your lines are extremely likely and Recchi deserves all accolades and considerations, but I hold hope for:
LUC/KRE/HOR
MAR/BER/SEG
PAI/KEL/PEV
RYD/CAM/REC(THOR)
CHA/SEI
FER/BOY
KAB/MCQ
THOM(RAS)
I’d be cool with McQuaid and Boychuk switching spots from that, as with Peverley and Seguin swapping, but I cannot stand the idea of Seguin chumming a player I don’t want to see re-signed due to lazy regular season play. Seguin must not become Easy Ryder 2. he can make magic with the top lines; I’d rather he take Lucic’s spot, even. I’m not expecting quick action on lines from Julien, but don’t want this team trying not to lose anymore. it is time to try to win.
Campbell? No way?! Someone else suggested Paille. It’s an absolute joke. This is a no-brainer folks. I love Thornton too. But he brings the least value right now. That just shows the depth of our team. The penalty kill is SO important, especially against the Bolts. Campbell and Paille are great penalty killers. They must be in. Not to mention we need depth at center in case of injury.
Interesting, MK. I’d rather see Pev and Rex switched. But, what do I know? However, whatever are the best combinations must see the most ice. This is about a Cup, not about anyone’s feelings or sentimentality for a respected vet.
What a gut-wrenching decision Julien and brass have to make here. Thornton’s really been the guts of this team for the last couple of years, fighting all the battles, getting his forehead carved up, facing the media….in some ways more deserving of the captaincy than the lumbering Czech D. If I were making the call Campbell would be the odd man out.
If