We went over why these lines will work a few days ago, but it's worth looking over why McLellan has opted for this combination again.
Viktor Arvidsson's injury opened up an opportunity for Los Angeles Kings prospect Alex Laferriere to stick in the lineup longer than anyone expected.
He impressed in his first two games but with Arthur Kaliyev returning from suspension, there were question marks about where Laferriere would play.
Would Todd McLellan keep the rookie forward with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Kevin Fiala, or move him to allow Kaliyev to return onto that line?
Well, on Monday morning that question was answered at practice.
We went over why these lines will work a few days ago, but it's worth looking over why McLellan has opted for this combination again.
Keeping Laferriere With Dubois & Fiala:
The very simple answer for why McLellan would keep this line together is not messing with success.
That lines looked good through two games and controlled possession in both games. They have been outscored 1-0 and are marginally losing the expected goals battle, but with such a small sample size you can't take much from it.
More than anything, I think Laferriere has earned the right to stay with this line after his first two games. He hasn't looked out of place on a line with two stars and as he gets more comfortable with the NHL game you figure points will come.
Not just for Laferriere either, for the whole line.
There's also a stylistic fit there too. Laferriere is a more responsible player defensively than both players, certainly more so than Fiala, and can give them a different look.
He doesn't have the raw, offensive firepower of Kaliyev, but his overall game is better.
Fiala and Dubois can struggle at times on the defensive side of the puck and Laferriere helps there.
He's also a better complimentary player than Kaliyev. He doesn't need as many touches and can get a lot of dirty goals in and around the net.
Laferriere's strengths make up for a lot of Dubois, and especially Fiala's, weaknesses and Fiala and Dubois bring the high-end skill Laferriere lacks.
Kaliyev With Danault & Moore:
Speaking of making up for strengths and weaknesses, that's where this line excels.
Trevor Moore and Phil Danault both play with a ton of speed, are very responsible defensively and are puck hounds, things Kaliyev isn't great at.
What Kaliyev can do, is finish chances, and with Danault and Moore, those chances will come.
Moore has consistently been one of the team's best high-danger chance creators over the last two seasons and Danault has always been a good passer.
Danault's also excellent at picking up scraps in and around the net which should complement Kaliyev's shooting well.
For Kaliyev the question will just be, can he keep pace with Danault and Moore? As I mentioned above, those two play with a lot of speed, and Kaliyev might struggle to keep up.
McLellan has complimented Kaliyev's improved skating and engine this summer but this will be a huge test for him. McLellan also expects more physicality from Kaliyev which would complement Danault and Moore's style well.
"Well, what does he do well? He's a big man, he skates, he shoots, that has to be in his game," said McLellan on what Kaliyev can bring to the team. "I think there has to be more physicality to his game, we saw that in exhibition season. He seems to be more confident and I think his engine is better. So, it sounds like we have a player but it still has to happen on the ice and he'll get that opportunity to deliver."
If Kaliyev can keep pace with Danault and Moore, that's going to be a very productive line for McLellan.