They could be a force
Rookies Adam Fantilli and Dmitri Voronkov have routinely been the most visible players on the ice for the Jackets in the last week or so. Add Kirill Marchenko to the mix, who was scratched for two games a couple of weeks ago, and that line has been the one that seems to be the one that creates the most on the ice.
The first line has always been centered around Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner. This season has seen Gaudreau struggle mightily though, scoring just one goal and adding five assists. Maybe it's time for a change?
Boone Jenner is the team's leading scorer. He currently sits with seven goals and nine points. The Captain is leading by example, but his linemates don't seem to be following his lead. Jack Roslovic has eight points and started the season hot, but has since cooled off.
Adam Fantilli, the third overall pick has been playing as advertised. Fantilli has seven points in 13 games this season. He's currently tied for third in rookie scoring behind leader Connor Bedard, who has 11 points. He's also tied for third in points on the Jackets. Fantilli loves to drive play and set up his teammates. Against the Stars last night, he assisted on a Marchenko goal, and the pass was a thing of beauty. Fantilli has two points since Marchenko has come back.
Fantilli has routinely been the best player on the ice for the CBJ. You can look at him compared to his teammates here. He needs more ice time. Against the Stars last night, he only had 11 minutes on the ice. His line was the only plus line on the night.
Kirill Marchenko had his struggles early on in the season. Through the first seven games, he only had three assists, which led to him being scratched for two games. In the four games since he's been back, Marchenko has scored three goals and has an assist to push his points total to seven in 11 games. He's also registered a point in every game since his return and is a plus-3.
Kirill Marchenko is a scorer, plain and simple. People last year complained that he didn't have many assists, but in my mind, he needed to shoot more and pass less, because that is what he does. This season he had three assists to start the season and people were telling him to shoot more. Marchenko is very fun to watch and has been one of the best players on the ice since November 1st.
Dmitri Voronkov has played seven games in Columbus since being called up from Cleveland, and he has not disappointed. He has points in five of seven games with 2 goals and 3 assists. He is a big man, standing at 6-feet-5, and weighing in at 240 lbs. When he stands in front of the opposing goalie he's a wall.
Stats over the last four games
- Marchenko has averaged around 15 minutes on ice over the last four games.
- Fantilli has averaged less than 15 minutes of ice time over the last four games.
- Voronkov is averaging far less than 15 minutes a game.
- The line has 9 points over the last four games, including 5 goals.
- They are a plus-8 in those four games.
- They have 28 shots on goal.
- Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner are both averaging 20 minutes a game.
The team is in a slump right now and needs something to happen. They've lost 7 of the last 8 games and need a spark. The team has shown flashes of being good, and have talent. But one thing needs to change in my opinion, and that's the top line. I know they don't want to punish Boone Jenner, who has been the best player on the team, but he can do what he's doing on the second line. Move Fantilli, Marchenko, and Voronkov up to the top line and see what happens.
The argument against this would be that they will match up against the other team's top line, which on a nightly basis is generally better than the Jackets top line. Defensively this could be a gamble.
Why not give them a shot? It's worth it to try.
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