If Datsyuk is back, what are the lines you want?

[Stiffy 0]

Okay, if he comes back we have to assume he is limited a little in mobility. Given that, if we see him on a line with Homer, I will flip. Speaking of Flip, why not have him play wing on a line with Flip? I mean Flip was been 100% wasted playing with Hossa of late. Hossa has become an out of control puck hog, so why waste a play maker and hustle guy like Flip on him?

Hey, nothing against a super star puck og IF they score, but when they repeatedly fail to do it on their own and their previous success came from great plays with great line mates, then WTF?

[eva unit zero 271]

Harder than Huds anyway...

Nothing against Leino, but Hudler is hardly soft. He works hard and gets dirty in the corners as much as anyone, despite his size advantage. You can use his size to call him soft, but that's simply inaccurate.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

Franzen - Z - Cleary

Filppula - Datsyuk - Holmstrom

Hudler - Helm - Hossa

Maltby - Abdelkader - Samuelsson

Holmstrom really throws everything off right now. Ideally, I would stick Hossa with Fil and Datsyuk but Holmstrom without one of the Euro Twins at even strength makes the situation go from bad to worse. I think at home it would be best to split up Z and Pavel to have them each center a line that matches up with Crosby and Malkin respectively. I haven't been that impressed with Leino and Abdelkader is playing far better than Draper so I gave the fourth line center spot back to Abdelkader.

[Aussie_Wing 354]

Franzen-Zetterberg-Cleary

Datsyuk-Filppula-Hossa

Leino-Helm-Samuelsson

Hudler-Abdelakder-Maltby

[58Miles2Joe 12]

According to MLIVE here are the lines:

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Franzen

Cleary-Filppula-Hossa

Hudler-Helm-Samuelsson

Holmstrom-Draper-Maltby

Leino-Abdelkader (scratched)

Hudler and Sammy on the same line? Helm's good but he can't set up two snipers by himself, especially when one of them is Sammy. Yikes. Holmstrom becomes worthless on a line with Drapes and Maltby because they can't get any quality shots on net. Lines 3 and 4 scare me, Babs.

According to me, here are the lines:

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom

Franzen-Filppula-Hossa

Cleary-Helm-Hudler

Samuelsson-Draper-Maltby

Leino-Abdelkader (scratched)

I think the Wings are better than the Pens, and getting hung up on matching up against Crosby and Malkin is getting us off of our game. Our top three lines have a guy capable of shutting down Crosby (D/Z, Hoss, Helm/Cleary) and no one can really stop Malkin one-on-one right now anyway.

Lines 1 and 2 are proven performers. Line 3 allows two fast guys to dig the puck out to a sniper. Line 4 allows Sammy (who shoots almost every time anyway) to fire away and let 33 and 18 muck it up down low.

And if the Drapes/Malts PK combo can't capture some of their old magic we're in trouble, and they need to be scratched for 6 and 7.

Edited June 6, 2009 by 58Miles2Joe

[Finnish Wing 110]

Nothing against Leino, but Hudler is hardly soft. He works hard and gets dirty in the corners as much as anyone, despite his size advantage. You can use his size to call him soft, but that's simply inaccurate.

Well he's small too. But what I meant was that he has been totally invisible for the whole series now...

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

helm - z - franzen

hossa - dats - flip

cleary - abby - sammy

homer - draper - maltby

hudler has been invisible, aside from his turnovers and general f***-ups. i've always backed the kid up, but it's time to sit in the press box for a game and think about how shameful he's been playing.

helm has been awesome! he would be even better with more ice, and on a line with hank and franzen. f*** the sedin cycle, watch those 3 work around gill and orpik.

keep flip and hossa together, chemistry is important. dats will fit in good with those 2. the way the 3 play will mesh quickly.

abby and cleary can dig in the corners and throw the puck out to sammy for a one timer.

homer doesn't deserve top 6 minutes at the present time.

[Theophany 110]

helm - z - franzen

hossa - dats - flip

cleary - abby - sammy

homer - draper - maltby

hudler has been invisible, aside from his turnovers and general f***-ups. i've always backed the kid up, but it's time to sit in the press box for a game and think about how shameful he's been playing.

helm has been awesome! he would be even better with more ice, and on a line with hank and franzen. f*** the sedin cycle, watch those 3 work around gill and orpik.

keep flip and hossa together, chemistry is important. dats will fit in good with those 2. the way the 3 play will mesh quickly.

abby and cleary can dig in the corners and throw the puck out to sammy for a one timer.

homer doesn't deserve top 6 minutes at the present time.

Those lines don't work at all. Helm is basically a grinder; he's been playing great, but there's no way he'd be able to keep up his energy for an entire game playing minutes like Zata and Dats normally play.

Homer on the 4th line doesn't make much sense either, to me. It would make more sense to leave Leino in, to have someone that actually forechecks and hits.

My own lines would go like this:

Homer - Zata - Franzen

Filppula - Dats - Hossa

Cleary - Helm - Sammy

Maltby - Draper - Leino

That's my personal feeling; scratch Hudler and Abdelkader (only because he's not that great at wing). Put Dats on the wing if he can't really work the center dot tonight (i.e. he's not 100%).

[Ozzie30 170]

I don't care as long as Babs moves Franzen back with Fillpula and Hossa. This line was killer against the Ducks until they had to split it up for defense.

[wingsdiehard13 33]

According to MLIVE here are the lines:

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Franzen

Cleary-Filppula-Hossa

Hudler-Helm-Samuelsson

Holmstrom-Draper-Maltby

Leino-Abdelkader (scratched)

Hudler and Sammy on the same line? Helm's good but he can't set up two snipers by himself, especially when one of them is Sammy. Yikes. Holmstrom becomes worthless on a line with Drapes and Maltby because they can't get any quality shots on net. Lines 3 and 4 scare me, Babs.

Hudler is our 2nd best playmaker behind Datsyuk. I like those lines a lot. Lines 1 and 2 are both very good shut down lines as well as goal scoring lines. Use Holmer on the power play I would imagine, but it would probably be with Filppula and Hossa instead of breaking up Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Franzen just for the powerplay.

[CMatt89 63]

This is realistically what Babcock will work with

Franzen/Zetterberg/Cleary

Holmstrom/Datsyuk/Hossa

Hudler/Filpulla/Sammy

Maltby/Helm-Draper

Every line is a lethal mix of offense and defense

[FedorovMan91 1]

Well, as I posted in another topic, I do not have much knowledge on line changing but what I think is: (Isn't Cleary out?)

Zetterberg-Franzen-Datsyuk

Hossa-Filppula-Hudler(or Helm)

Samuelsson-Holmstrom-Helm(or Hudler)

Maltby-Draper-Abdelkader

I think Leino has been very bad out there. He does not look to be able to contain the pressure of first Stanley cup while Abdelkader can play with much of grit and forecheck.

Just my opinion, but I think Helm deserves to be on the 2nd line unlike other people's thoughts. I know his stick handling is not enough good but he is fast and playing up to his new level.

If I know correctly, Babcock can choose the line matching, not Dan Bylsma. If then, our 3rd and 4th lines do not necessarily have to meet Crosby or Malkin even though they will face both players sometime in tonight's game.

[Jake Ryan 1]

Anybody that puts Holmstrom in the top 6, much less the line-up, at this point OBVIOUSLY has no clue what has happened this entire playoffs. It's simply a joke to think that we're going to play a full 60 minutes of solid hockey if Holmstrom is on the ice 5 on 5 at any given point in time. The Wings chase the puck in their own zone for 90% of the shifts Ninety-SUX is on the ice. I hope Mike Babcock doesn't have a huge HHO going come gametime tonight. That could be disasterous.

Cleary-Zetterberg-Franzen

Samuelsson-Filppula-Datsyuk

Hudler-Helm-Hossa

Leino-Draper-Abdelkader

That's how I would do it. There is no weakness in any of those lines. DEFENSE and SPEED are what we need out of our forwards. DEFENSE wins championships.