My twelve

Taking this challenge was supposed to be no sweat. After all, the rules can be summed up in twelve Habs' names, opening night, and your own opinion, so it's not as serious as it would be if it were cemented in stone, right?

Then the telling word. Explain. Oh. Uhhh.

If I were to totally go nuts with this my first line would look like Palushaj-Desharnais-Dumont but I'll spare you having to read any of that because JMart's spared ME the possibility of even imagining it (rude).

So, somewhat rational thinking ahead:

Kostitsyn-Plekanec-Cammalleri
Pleks is the main cog of this line and I just don't see the other two away from him. Kostitsyn, well, we've tried him with other guys and it just doesn't seem to have the same flavour. I do not see him anywhere near Gomez, that's for sure. Relegating him any lower than that is silly and will surely only backfire. Meanwhile, Cammy and Pleks seem to have Siamese-brain complex. One always finds the other no matter where they are on the ice. The result, if they don't overthink it, is usually the back of the net. No issues there.

Pacioretty-Gomez-Gionta

In which I am laughed out of the blogosphere. Probably. Okay. Injuries and whatnot have indeed gotten in the way of Pac's development and I've read a lot of arguments in favour of giving him more time to blossom in Hamilton--I am not fully against this. However, this is still just opening night. It's not for nothing that he's still around, and he should be given a few games to get his bearings and at the very least, enjoy the company of two bona fide veterans like Gomez and Gionta and work hard like we know he can (and has lately) to stay there with them. If it doesn't work out, fine. There is a taxi squad for that. And here again, I see him benefiting from more ice time, not less.

Moen-Eller-Lapierre
Grit is the usual term associated with this line and they have it. While Eller is probably more technical than shutdown, he has enough savvy to be both. The energy that the other two bring should be nicely complemented by his vision and they can support (and defend) him if needed.

Pyatt-Boyd-White
Kid line? Energy line? They don't have a name but come to think of it, they probably don't need one. All three are battlers in their own right, with varying levels of experience but just looking for the right chemistry that they just haven't found yet.

Extras: Halpern, Pouliot
Having followed Pou's camps in Minnesota to some varying degrees of success, nothing ever really stuck out for me, as I am sad to report is the case again this year. He'll have chances to work at it for sure, I'm just not entirely certain he warrants a curtain call right now. And Halpern probably fits in at 4th line, I just saw Boyd fitting in better. As for the Darches and Maxwells of the world, try as I might to rearrange their names up in the 12+ they just didn't stick anywhere I placed them. I need better tape. Or rosters just need to be longer.