Agreed. The way they played without him doesnt have me clamoring for his return.
I wonder, if Backstrom can't go, if the idea is to put Burakovsky on line 2 and move Stephenson to 2C (or keep Eller at 2C and make Stephenson 3C). Stephenson has been such a revelation lately, and is defensively responsible enough, that he might be able to handle it, even making the switch now in the playoffs. In a way, I like Stephenson more than Eller there, because Stephenson strikes me as more of a distributor, and both Burakovsky and Oshie qualify as snipers who need to get the puck in advantageous positions. Over his career one of Eller's weaknesses is that he doesn't distribute the puck all that well.
I'm sure if Burakovsky shows rust or doesn't look as if he can handle the assignment, that he WILL be on a short leash and will be interchanged with Vrana.
Tampa's defense is big and heavy except for Strahlmain. They are strong, but not all that quick. The key on offense should be puck movement and quick passes to try to circumvent the D. I think that may be why Burakovsky may be moved back into the lineup at this point -- he's got speed and elusiveness; he's sort of a poor man's Kuznetsov in that regard. I wonder, though, if it might not be a bad idea, if Burakovsky is at 2LW, to switch Wilson and Oshie to give him and Stephenson more protection.
