If Malhotra Returns To Form...do You Want Him To Take 3Rd Line Centre?

[Canuck Surfer]

Pessimists question. What if it was the Canucks who said to Manny; "Manny, we luv ya, love all the effort and commitment & passion! We know what you have been through, but it ain't workin! How about a sweetheart coaching or management role?"

And the underlying theme behind Manny's days off for "personal issue's" was for him to come to grips with either an even bigger effort to overcome his challenges, or retire...

Just sayin?

If Malhotra can regain his pre-injury form do you want him or Pahlsson as 3rd line centre?

Both are NHL veterans, Pahlsson has a SC ring, more playoff experience, and I think is better at shutting down the opposing team. Malhotra is better at faceoffs and scoring goals/points...Pahlsson avg is around 5-7 goals a season and Malhotra at 10-12.

[RUPERTKBD]

Pahlsson. However, Manny still takes defensive zone draws, especially on the left side.

[Dogbyte]

It doesn't look like pre-injury Manny is coming back, at least not this year so Pahlsson it is.

[Spitfire_Spiky]

If Manny returned to form I would say they are interchangeable. If either ones play suffered you could swap them around but in general I like the way the third line is playing so why mess with it.

[RBCanucks]

Manny should be playing for a 3rd line spot or not at all. If he doesn't make the cut he needs to be dealt. Simple as that.

[tjkaemingh]

IF Manny could return to form of 14 months ago, then yes, he was a stud on the third line.

However, like most are saying, it does not look good that he will ever get to be that way again.

His abilities and role has been diminished.. Now he is fine on that fourth line. Still solid and winning draws.

I sure did not like Pahlson getting hosed on the last couple faceoffs last game though. Wow, cost 1 goal, nearly another right at the end!

WTF.

[nucksmax]

Stay with pahlsson, the third line has looked really good the past couple of games. The Burrows Effect

[canucksnihilist]

I voted Malholtra... but that is a big IF in the question. Right now I'd stay with Pahlsson, as M has not returned to his previous form, and there is no indication he will, at least for this season.

[Franksedin]

Im not sure what this pre-injury manny talk is all about lately. I'll admit at the beginning of the season he looked a little out of place but he had no training camp or preseason and most players that miss that take a while to play better. Having said this, manny has been pretty damn good this year. He has 17 points on a 4th line role, got 30 last year but 6 on the PP, not like this year. He starts 80% of the time in the D zone which makes it damn hard to get points and keep a good plus minus. Wins a ton of faceoffs, at last a looked I thought he was top 5 in the league. Most importantly however, he allows the sedins and kesler to aviod D zone starts thereby letting them focus on offense. Regardless of the line he is on we are not as good a team without him. He plays a thankless, hard minutes role that gets no respect and no credit.

[canucklehead44]

If Kassian could get going with the twins we would have a killer lineup on both ends

Sedin Sedin Kassian - finally a guy who can protect the Sedins and score, brings more size and grit than Burrows. Poor defensive play offset by offensive zone posession

Higgins Kesler Booth - Size, speed, defensive ability and grit.

Burrows Pahlsson Hansen - Speedy checking line that can turn it around and generate offense.

Raymond Malhotra Lapierre - Lapierre brings some grit, Malhotra some size. All three are solid defensively. Defensive zone faceoff win by Malhotra, defense gives the puck to Raymond. Raymond gets to do what he does best: skate really fast up the ice and take a perimeter wrist shot on net. Lapierre then goes to the net for a rebound, pressures the goalie, tries to piss players off to draw a penalty. Goalie covers, Sedins come on.

[Zoolander]

I really like him on the 4th line, and Pahlsson seems to fit better with Hansen than Malholtra. Burrows too.

[canucksnihilist]

Im not sure what this pre-injury manny talk is all about lately.