Quote:
Originally Posted by devo22
Rec%: .650 (10th in AHL)
GF/G: 4.1 (2nd in AHL)
GA/G: 2.8 (9th in AHL)
PP %: 20.8 (8th in AHL)
PK %: 86.0 (10th in AHL)
in contrast to the Flames tire fire, it's good to see the Heat in the top 10 in all these categories.
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The Flames/Heat play a style that is dependant on forward play more than defensemen. The role of defensemen is to move the puck quickly to the forwards and jump into the play rather than to go full Bobby Orr.
The Flames, relative to the NHL, have a weak forward group. Monahan is not a number one centre. In a number one centre role, with a number one winger and a fourth line winger, his line has struggled. Backlund is a number two centre, but is playing with a middle six winger and a rookie who may be our best forward outside of Gaudreau. In a middle six role, he is having a great season. Bennett is inexperienced at centre as it is, and is playing with a third line winger in Brouwer and usually an undersized skill winger without elite skill (Shinkaruk/Versteeg). In a middle six role, he has done admirably enough but his wingers have not made things easy for him. Stajan is a third line center playing fourth line with fourth liners and is having unsurprisingly, a fantastic season.
The Heat,
relative to the AHL, have a strong forward group. Jankowski while young might actually be the best number one centre in the AHL. The AHL Bergeron (
). Vey is an AHL number One-B centre himself, basically the AHL Krejci. And Pribyl, talent-wise he may be an AHL number one centre himself although he's still adjusting to the North American game speed. The Heat may have the best centre depth in the AHL. On the wings they have had
six forwards who could all be first line AHLers and are probably NHLers at their core (Shinkaruk, Mangiapane, Klimchuk, Poirier, Frattin, Hathaway) plus Lomberg who is a beauty and Angelidis who has had a very nice AHL career for himself higher up the lineup. And as much as I dislike Bollig, you can't discount his hundreds of games of NHL experience... the AHL must seem slow motion to him.
Talent matters.