EHM The Blue Line

Im interested in how everyone builds their lines, especially 3rd and 4th lines.

As for me, I keep 1st and 2nd line as scoring lines, 3rd as defensive, and 4th for introducing new players.
But how is everyone else doing it? I was thinking of putting the prospects on 3rd so they'd get some more icetime, eventually combined with a pos on the PP.

How is everyone else doing it? Whats the best philosophy?
Do I really need　a defensive line at all?

I lay them out the same way as you do: 1st, 2nd = scoring, 3rd = defencive, 4th = goons / youngsters

Although I do tend to give young players quite a good chance on playing in the first and second line aswell, many times the veterans have to make way for them - especially in 2nd line.

I'm still trying to figure out how to make my 3rd - the defencive line - do what they're supposed to do: which is shut out the opponents number one line. I match their line against the opponents finest, and I put my best defencive forwards in it, but no matter, it never seems to work like I hope.

I have no standard way of building. As you can tell from my challenge teams...I don't exactly use checkers anymore. I used to, but it is very rare now.

My goon plays on the 4th line but if I get a lead, he gets benched in favour of whatever forward I feel is going the best that nite.

Tasku: you're not alone having issues in building a checking line. I have Pandolfo, Yelle and Dingman on the 3rd. You should expect that both Pandolfo and Yelle would shut down nearly every first line, but surprisingly it's Dingman who checks best, while the others are usually...useless!

Other than that, i'm pretty classical in my lines setup. 1st and 2nd as scoring lines, 3rd mostly defensive, and 4th with whatever is left on the team, goons, youngs, veterans, backups, pack of beer... hem... no, the pack of beer is in my office

I had Dingman on my previous game, before I started a new game with the updated rosters. He's quite good checking liner for sure. To my surprise John Madden on the other hand sucks at that position, but he likes his big paycheck very much. At the moment Pettinger and Ortmeyer are making pretty good and consistent checking line, with Sutherby on the middle, but he's not too happy there. Chris Clark on the other hand likes to change his play from naff to okay, to pretty good and back to naff. He's different every night, very versatile, you see

I hate those players that are unconsistent I hate them harder when they cost 6M$ (yes, i'm looking at you Mr. Havlat!). As i can't shut down opposing forces, i know run with 3 offensive lines and a defensive one. I take many goals, but as long as i score more, that's fine

Shadd666 wrote: Other than that, i'm pretty classical in my lines setup. 1st and 2nd as scoring lines, 3rd mostly defensive, and 4th with whatever is left on the team, goons, youngs, veterans, backups, pack of beer... hem... no, the pack of beer is in my office

Me too. I'd like to fill my 4th line with two-way forwards, so I can change my gameplan according to the situation. If I play a team with two impressive scoring lines, I use to put defensive defencemen there and order my entire 4th line to check, just like my 3rd liners do. And vise versa, weaker team=offensive mentality to my 4th line.

Usually I try this configuration, and I got success using these.

Line 1 & 2: Scoring Lines
Line 3 & 4: Checking Lines

Also, I tend to specialize my Scoring Line, one playing finesse and the other one playing with the board. Here a example of my last season (just won the cup with these btw, sweeping Buffalo 4-0 )

Big guys: Morrow-Modano-Dumont
All-Finnish Finesse guys: Jokinen-Lindgren-Lethinen
Checking 1: Avery-Halpern-Crombeen
Checking 2: Tjarnqvist-Ott-Hagman-Hagos-Barnaby (3 of them each time, if Hagos scratched, Avery goes #4 center )

I try to put my rookies on 2nd-3rd lines. I tend to match them with a stable veteran, same thing for defensemen.
So you can see: Lindgren with Papy Jere and Crombeen with Uncle Jeff

I play (in the year 2007):
1 - Scoring - Wellwood - Sundin - Poni
2 - Scoring - Michalek - Richards - Bobby Ryan (supposed to be having a development year in the AHL, but, injuries drug him up and his play has kept him here(8.03 29gp 12-14-26)
3 - Defence - Hagman - Scatchard - Dingman
4 - Whatever - Hollweg - Chubarov - Betts

With Ortmeyer and Prust rotating in and out, also I end up flipping guys back and forth between my 3/4th lines depending on who's playing on which, avreg line. Scatchard is tearing it up for me. avg.rating of 8.45 with 42p in 45gp, with NO pp, 3rd line duties with bumping up depending on injuries and first line pk. Tried him on scoring lines and did the same so I put him on the 3rd. Ortmeyer is my only forward right now with and average rating under 7.

Defense is:

Kaberle McCabe
Leopold Kukkonen
Witt Kubina

Cory Murphy and he's the only one with and average rating under 7 for D. Actually won the cup first year with them, surprisingly.

Nittymaki
Homlqvist

fave pair of goalies.