If you havent noticed, it is depth that HS hockey teams lack in this area. So really when it comes down to it, i feel that the more you play your top line (depending on how strong they are) the more games you win and the farther you will advance in the Flyer's Cup. Let's take Holy Ghost for example, because most of us watched the AAA final on CN8. In the final game Holy Ghost used Andrusko and Soroka on their first line, on their second was Seravalli and some nobodies. The PP consisted of the 3 guys together. Both lines contributing goals and both lines logging major minutes in this game. So my point is this why not just not have a 3rd line.....Seriously, why have these kids sit the bench to the better players when they can be developing somewhere else. I know for my HS team to win games, our third line needs to hit the ice as least as possible. Really think about the best lines in the league.....people mention Henderson's top line, CB West's top line, Haverford's top line, etc. Look where these teams ended up. The CB West vs. Haverford game could have been the FC final for me. Again, i will reiterate my point here, because i have gotten tangled up in this mess. Why have a 3rd line in High School Hockey in the area? Is it to give the top line a break? Is it to have freshman mature? Thoughts please because it makes no sense to me to have a 3rd line when you can just have a 1st line of ironmen win a FC championship.......

You make a great point, but the way I see it is that games like the HH/CB West Flyers Cup game come down to who can stop the other teams top line. If you have a solid second line that can back check or a shutdown defenseman that can contain another teams top line, then you'll probally win the game. I thought CB West's top line was better than HH top line. Difference in that game was HH defense was much better overall, and they won the game.

That sounds good in theory but if you played hockey you know that, if your only running 2 lines, by the third period the two top line players will be dead. It seems like all the teams you mentioned do have a great top line but also have a third line that they are confident enough to put in the game and just be grinders. Those 3rd lines may not be getting the goals. Methacton seemed to only have a 12 man bench when I saw them play Conestoga and it looked like they were relying too much on two players, Even parents in the crowed were yelling at certain players to get rid of the puck the second they touched it (which was absurd, they were yelling it for the kids on the ice to hear it, that shows a lot of confidence)

I think deeper teams tend to win the big games, and the deeper teams all see to have at least 1 strong line.

Rex, If you want to win a SHSHL championship, one line may be enough.If you want to win States, you better have more than one stacked line against the West. See the last two "A" State champs from the East (Radnor,Penncrest).

Yeh, Radnor had the Brennans, but they were a deep team. Penncrest had more balance than superstars, but were deep as well. What did that depth equal? How about a total of 5 Flyers Cups and 3 State Championships from 2002-2006.

You can't survive at the higher levels of competition without quality on your 2nd and sometimes 3rd lines.

To beat the west you not only need to be deep, but you need to be ready for as our old coach called it "a football game".

now now....if you're gonna quote the immortal Ed Ritti III, you gotta get it right.

"It's like a football game on ice"

Ed, I know you still check this board....stop blaming the refs for the loss in '02. John Brennan deserved to get tackled and Chris shouldn't have mouthed off in the last three minutes of the game.

I actually blame you.....you should have taught John how to fend off tacklers in practice, and we all know much Chris talked during games, you should have been on that.

You're right Matt, while he was at it he also should have taught John how to check...

Hhaha..chris..talking..

Ugh i will forever hate Pittsburg refs for that crap..and the spitting on the radnor players from the fans was nice too..

beef--

This is where you are wrong. In the HH/CB west game HH's line played about 2 shifts all game and none were in the 3rd period. Late in the 3rd period they went to 8 players. While west continued to basically run 3 lines. Haverford winning the game 4-3 because of their 8 players. My point was if the players are good enough conditioned would it be better just to have 2 lines.

i agree with danglesaurus..yeh im on haverford but that doesnt mean anything..if your players are enough well conditioned to play as much as the coaches put them out..then it is deffinately better to have 2 lines..not saying our third line is bad at all but if you have two solid lines then your better off keeping that last line for when you get up in a game to rest your top line..just my opinion

Matt,
I blame your faulty scouting reports for '02. I should be blaming Mauro.

We should have implemented the wishbone offense we would have been more successful breaking their arm tackles.

This is a great topic. I always have believed that the deeper you are the farther you can go. In states one line will get you no where.

The third line allows the coach a lot of flexibility in case of injury/ suspensions/ other unforeseen problems. I always thought that if you could keep your top line fresher in the third period, then they could take over the other team's top line when it mattered most.

I know one reason we won states twice was b/c our guys were fresher in the third. If that's b/c they were better conditioned, they practiced at a higher speed, they had jungle juice, we played a third line, or they had shorter shifts. Whatever it was, it was a major reason we won both of those games. Every little aspect matters in states b/c so often the teams are so close in terms of overall talent.

Good luck to all the teams competing in states. The best advice I received when playing a pittsburgh team is "you can't retaliate if you initiate"
Ritti

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ritti,

a 3rd line is necessary when you get into penalty trouble, or injury problems. you can win with only 2 lines, but it will be much easier with 3. any hs coach will tell you you need 8 or 9 solid forwards, and its too tough to run 4 lines. rotating 2 centers in 3 lines is also a good game plan. at the high school level, your 3rd line should play right after you score or have alot of momentum, and play a different forecheck then your top two lines to throw the other teams break out off. their main goal should be not to allow a goal. so imo its not a necessity, but id rather have 3 lines then 2.

ritti
shouldn't you be teaching

the same thing can be asked of you woody.