This lack of secondary scoring has plagued this team it seems like forever, along with never having a Norris trophy type dman.Island Nucklehead wrote:The biggest reason I don't think the Canucks will make the playoffs this season is that "2nd line". You look at some of the Western teams' second lines:SKYO wrote: Burrows-Bonino-Higgins the veteran 2nd line
Chicago has Hossa-Richards-Saad
Colorado has Landeskog-MacKinnon-Tanguay
Dallas has Cole-Spezza-Hemsky
LA has Williams-Richards-Carter
SJ has Hertl-Couture-Nieto
St Louis has Swartz-Backes-Teresenko
Burrows-Bonino-Higgins would be a 3rd line on several of these teams. I just don't see where the goals will come from on a consistent basis this season. Our top-6 is actually quite weak in a stacked Western conference.
We've had some great 1st lines, but when we do we've never had that elusive scoring 2nd line wave of attack, Ryan Kesler in his prime was great in that regard, which helped with that 2011 run, but he never had a winger that he gelled with after that.
Higgins - Bonino - Burrows will be an adequate 2nd line, but not dominant, part of why I was hoping Jensen or Shinkaruk would make the team as at least they have the potential to be some great scorers shortly.
*silver lining*
If nothing can be done and we roll with these lines, at least what we lack in uber snipers on the 2nd line, we make up with quality 3rd and 4th lines (secondary scoring by committee), along with a decent top 4 D and great goaltending.
mid-season at least we should see Shinkaruk/Jensen at times, and next season we'll have them and Virtanen on the squad!
I can see the allure of having evander kane on our 2nd line now ha.