Sensible Playoff Lines

I liked Foligno on the top line
Mikheyev-Nash-Hyman would be the 2nd best shutdown line in the league
ALso Thornton over Galch???

Galch should draw in

Thornton of Galch is definitely something Keefe would do lmao.

I would go
Foligno - Matthews - Marner
Galch - Tavares - Nylander
Hyman - Kerfoot/Nash - Mikeyev
Thornton/Engvall - Spezza/Kerfoot/Brooks - Simmonds/Spezza

Personally I want Brooks in the lineup. I love him, he plays with intensity, he can pk and play on the pp. If he’s not in the lineup by next year at least I will riot. But I’m not sure he gets a spot unless injuries occur.

Defence, I don’t know what to do. Muzzin has been struggling. Holl declined real fast after his hot start. Rielly is atrocious defensively. Brodie has been alright, those passes out front need to go though. Dermott has been fairly good lately. Bogosian is solid. Sandin deserves a spot. This is maybe what I would test, before playoffs to see how it goes.
Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Dermott/Bogosian
Sandin - Bogosian/Dermott

Until Holl proves otherwise, at practice, that he can be a competent part of the d core. I’d sit him.

Split games between Campbell and Rittich until playoffs. Whoever plays better get the start in game 1. Game 2 goes to Andersen, if he blows it, he’s done. I think....
Goaltending is confusing.

Absolutely Thornton over Galch. Look, it's not hard to notice Jumbo's lack of acceleration. He has none, his top speed is about average but it takes him longer than pretty much everyone else to get there. I'd wager in an end to end race he isn't the slowest guy on the team. Regardless, he is good with the puck, never costs you defensively, is physical and is a really good guy to have around from a leadership perspective.

Chuck is fast and has skill but is very bad defensively. He blows the high forward role often, misses his assignment in the defensive zone and he hasn't scored a pile of points either. He is all of the bad Nylander gets railroaded for but is way worse for it and offers a 10th of the benefit. If Keefe keeps Chuck on the 2nd line and runs Hyman on the 3rd, then he could he successful. Either way Thornton stays in the lineup.

If Columbus taught us anything last year, come playoff time, you can't afford to give away goals. Almost every goal against in that series came off an offensive zone turnover where the high forward (Kapanen on 3 occasions) failed to cover. The last loss against Winnipeg, chuck did that 3 times and they scored twice on those. Defenceman pinch it's part of the game and it is a big deal when it works and when it doesn't you need to have high forward protection. Kerfoot does it very well, as does Matthews, Marner, Hyman, Engvall, Mikheyev and Nylander. Chuck doesn't and for that reason alone I would rather have someone who provides less offence but doesn't give away bad chances against for the playoffs.

Until he can prove he can play defence I would sit him.