Line 2: Tomas Tatar – Nico Hischier – Ondrej Palat
Nico Hischier has played 524 5v5 minutes alongside Tomas Tatar. They are one of the best pairings in the league. There’s something about their chemistry. Hischier played 232 minutes with Ondrej Palat. Yet, the trio only played 3:24 together. Hischier has been great with Tatar. He’s been okay with Palat. Tatar and Palat have been great together without Hischier (61.1 CF%).
It’s time to give this line a shot. It would be better to do it now since they’ve played so few minutes together.
As we said, Tatar and Hischier have been cooking with gas together. Palat has been playing much better as of late now that he’s fully healthy. He’s been with inconsistent linemates, and injuries have the lineup as a whole going through a transition.
Finding the right fit for Palat is a major priority for Lindy Ruff and the rest of his coaching staff. He’s here in New Jersey to bring a veteran presence when it comes playoff time. He’s played in 71 playoff games over the last three seasons. He has two Stanley Cup rings, and he was on a team that beat the New York Rangers to win the Eastern Conference last season. There’s value in keeping him with Nico Hischier in the postseason.