Playing Payne: Lines You Should Be Using
by gallagher on Nov 2, 2011 11:00 AM CDT
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PrintI don't want to pretend like I know more than coach Davis Payne, but he doesn't try to tell me how to loom like an accountant and he's pretty good at that, so we'll just call this an free exchange of information.
Tinker all you want, overthink all you want, Davids, but the tried-and-true NHL model is this:
- Roll four lines, giving the top scoring minutes to lines one and two, the top checking assignment to line three and the energy/secondary checking line role to line four. If line three and four can also score from time to time, all the better.
- As best as possible, each line should have a playmaker, a sniper and a power forward.
- Your defensive pairings should be one offensive-minded guy and one defensively-responsible guy.
- Your defensive pairings should have one right hander and one left hander (harder to do since only 30% of NHL blueliners are righties.
All that said, here are the lines you should be using, D-Payne.
FORWARDS
T.J. Oshie (sniper) - Patrik Berglund (playmaker) - Chris Stewart (power forward)
Alexander Steen (playmaker) - David Backes (power forward) - Matt D'Agostini (sniper)
Vladimir Sobotka (playmaker) - Jason Arnott (power forward) - Jamie Langenbrunner (power forward)
Evgeny Grachev - Scott Nichol - Chris Porter
DEFENSE
Barret Jackman (LH, defensive) - Alex Pietrangelo (RH, offensive)
Roman Polak (RH, defensive) - Kevin Shattenkirk (RH, offensive)
Nikita Nikitin (LH, offensive) - Carlo Colaiacovo (LH, offensive)
GOALTENDING
The only assignments that go against my rules are on the second and third pairings, where I've put two right handers together and two left handers together. Bring Kent Huskins back (lefty) and everything goes back to normal as Jackman slides down one pair, Polak switches to the right side on the third pair and Colaiacovo switches back to the left side (only on the right because I'd rather have the vet playing his off-hand side).
Go ahead and ignore me, Davis, but you know I'm right - this is the lineup you should be running 90% of the time.
I assume some of you might disagree, tell me where I'm wrong in the comments.
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I may not have intimate knowledge of hockey strategy, and I am speculating here
but something tells me that Payne is not actually in charge and the strings are being pulled by bennett and shaw.
St Louis Blues - Season Ticket Holder - Sec 106
SUTA
Twitter: @jdandturkelton
What Exactly is a God Wand?
Anyone who says "Nuff said" or "Need I say more?" needs to be elbowed in the cock.
I do have a disagreement.
My choices
Oshie-Berglund-Stewart
Sobe-Backes-Dags
Steen-Arnott Langenbruner
Grachev-Nichol-Porter
I’d leave the defense as it is, although I think I’d sit Nikitin until he figures out what he’s doing out there. Either give Chorney the chance or call up Cole and see what he can do, but for the most part our D hasn’t been our problem.
I don’t see why they broke up the SOB line. They were really generating quality chances and were starting to click.
The Backes line I have isn’t ideal, but I think they all play the same type of game and will work their tails off to get some pucks.
The "3rd’ line has been our best and I really think breaking them up would be a mistake.
Barret Jackman is my hero.
In remembrance of Pavol Demitra and all our fallen Blues brethren.
Basically all of this.
Don’t get at all the mindset of breaking up the 3rd line. More so from people who give the Note shit for breaking up SOB. You want that line back together because they produced, but you want to break Arnott and Steen, who seem to have excellent chemistry, to try to quick fix the Backes line?
The one disagreement I have is they should move Vodka to line 4 in order to give Grachev a shot on the Backes line. Grachev has been solid in my book, why not try him out on a scoring that is struggling to produce anyway?
Is willing to go to the mattresses with the lot of yous.
by Novacain on Nov 2, 2011 1:03 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
i agree with the line combos
however, i would switch the top 2 lines… oshie has zero business getting first line minutes and most nights i wouldnt consider him good enough for 2nd line minutes.. Other than that I think this is pretty spot on how it should be
If you have a donkey and i have a chicken and your donkey ate my chickens feet what would you have.... 2 feet of my cock in your ass!! haha
I personally don't give a shit.
But stop changing the fucking lines every other shift.
PC Load Letter? What the fuck does that mean?
they wouldnt change
if the top line ever scored a goal that counted
And a harvest of righteousness is grown from the seed of peace planted by peacemakers.
by Childhood Trauma on Nov 2, 2011 8:08 PM CDT up reply actions
Flip-flop Steen with Oshie and you got it...
Based on what I’ve seen, Oshie has performed definitively better with Backes than he has with Berguland. I haven’t looked at the numbers, but I’m willing to believe that Oshie’s numbers are better when he plays with Backes as well. Steen fits better with Berglund and Stewart. It might also be worth mentioning that Steen is the only player that has earned a top six spot so far on the team.
Bring back Glumac
That’ll solve things.
No beer and no TV make Homer...something something.
by Poor College Student on Nov 2, 2011 2:30 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
And Shishkhanov
Don’t forget Shishkhanov.
Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not. - Thomas Jefferson
NO LOVE FOR PETR CAJANEK!
DAMN YOU.
Fight Club writer for the print edition of St. Louis Game Time . . . I need another beer.
The Throwdown Lowdown Report, only on The Bluenote Zone.
And I can also write things in 140 characters or fewer.
MARK RYCROFT DEMANDS HIS MOMENT IN THE SUN.
Who are you to deny him?
Pressbox hall-of-famer...
Simon Gamache is super pissed nobody’s mentioned his name yet.
by forgetyerskatesdream on Nov 3, 2011 9:27 AM CDT up reply actions
Jane,
you ignorant slut
No beer and no TV make Homer...something something.
by Poor College Student on Nov 3, 2011 12:19 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
The only line that's working well is Steen-Arnott-Langenbrunner
I’d almost be willing to push them to the first line, follow it with Sobe-Backes-D’Agostini then put the SOB line in 3rd, with a Grachev-Nichol-Porter line in 4th. When McDonald and Perron come back, you can juggle the lines a little more.
Let's Go Blues!
Support your local NAHL team. Seriously.
Offense isn't the problem.
Goals For: 28, t-6th in the West
Goals Against: 31, t-11th in the West
Offense isn’t great, but defense is clearly the bigger problem.
5-on-5 GF: 21, t-4th in the West
5-on-5 GA: 18, 8th in the West
At even strength, the Blues are doing pretty well. Both ends of the ice are playing at a playoff-caliber level.
PP%: 8.3%, 15th in the West
PK%: 72.2%, 14th in the West
Here’s the problem. The Blues have given up 10 power-play goals, despite being shorthanded only 36 times (t-1st in the West). They’ve only given up 53 Shots Against while shorthanded. Payne can shuffle the lineups from now until April; but if he can’t find a couple of four-man units who can start killing penalties with regularity, the team as a whole is going nowhere.
If youre
Going to have the righty, righty d pair put your offensive d on the left for the one timer, polak would be no good there
going through the handshake line at my game the other night, guy says youre still a prick Evan...me: yep sure am next time stop me from scoring
by DESTROYER on Nov 2, 2011 7:06 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
close...
Grachev-Backes-D’Agostini
Oshie-Berglund-Stewart
Steen-Arnott-Langenbrunner
Sobotka-Nichol-Porter
No way you can complain about these. Obviously they will be shuffled more when perry and A-Mac return, but you will dent the twine with this setup for sure.
D pairings Idc, as long as Chorney gets a shot (the next 28584828437 games someone is injured).
by WhoLeTheDagsOut on Nov 2, 2011 8:16 PM CDT via iPhone app reply actions
Ya see though...
WhoLeTheDagsOut actually needs to change his moniker to OscarTheGrachev… or something.
PC Load Letter? What the fuck does that mean?
I've always tried to avoid complaining about lines.
I figure the coach knows better than I do so i shouldn’t complain about line combos, but the last few games I’ve grown extremely frustrated. I can understand shuffling the lines every couple games if a line or two need tweaking or when there’s an injury, but this rolling out different lines every couple of shifts shit needs to go. I realize these guys have to have chemistry or their line isn’t going to produce, but a few minutes is simply not enough to be able to tell if they are going to work out. Hell I think you need to give it at least a game or two if not longer before tweaking a line. I just want to see a little consistency. I can’t remember any time since the lockout where I’ve watched a game and known for sure which was the definitive number 1 line and that is infuriating as a fan.
"At least we aren't Cleveland." - every team that's ever sucked that wasn't from Cleveland.
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