[PGT] Flames Lose Both Games in Battle of Alberta Split-Squad

[djsFlames]

Really don't care about preseason. Wouldn't be celebrating if we won both. Oiler fans will relish it though because they can. Pretty sure the same thing happened last pre-season.

Elliott and Bennett looked prime. Brouwer showed that he hates to lose. Tkachuk pissing off Edmonton and drawing a spearing penalty. Jankowski setting up a nice goal in EDM. Shinkaruk looking decent. Gio and Brodie are mid-season.

I'm fine with tonight.

[Bunk]

Some impressions that stuck out for me:

Bennett-Brouwer = goooooood. Bennett in particular was a force. Once he finds his finishing touch, he could be quite dominant. Added weight and strength really helping his game.

Tkachuk - looked fine, probably needs another year in Junior, but still too early to really tell.

Kylington - really a strong prospect, very impressive for such a young D-Man. His skating and offensive instincts area great.

Brodie-Gio - will dominate again. Nice to see that Gio rocket.

Shinkaruk- looking much more poised. Solid play. Probably will be on the team. Will float up and down the line-up probably.

Elliott - what a relief to have such a rock solid goalie. Will make a massive difference.

McDonald - something needs to change, he's been struggling.

Jankowski - looks close to NHL ready to me. Would not shock me if he cracks the opening night roster.

Gillies - solid outing, good goalie prospect. Hope he has a good (healthy) year in Stockton.

[AC]

Top line looked great. Not sure I noticed Chiasson do much at all.

Loved Elliott and most of our offensive zone pressure was intense when the top line was doing their thing.

[Rejean31]

Question for any Flames fan oldtimers. In 1983 when the Flames moved to the Saddledome, did they play the 1983 exhibition games in the Saddledome, or did they play them in the Corral?

[bubbsy]

Did poirier play??

[djsFlames]

Also Moose looks sick in those red pads. I dug it.

[CalgaryFan1988]

I'd like to see Stajan on the wing this season. Alongside Backlund?

Gaudreau - Monahan - ???
??? - Bennett - Brouwer
Stajan - Backlund - ???

[hockey.modern]

Defineltly saw a lot more possession in the offensive zone. Special teams were pretty good as well. PK was pressuring the Oilers really well, making them to force a pass and turn it over. Lots of shots on the PP and getting the puck on the net.

Still seeing the odd stretch pass by some players however. Let's hope that changes once players get more familiar with the new systems.


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[TheIronMaiden]

Anyone with strong feelings about how Chiasson played? He didn't seem to be very impactful, good or bad. I'm interested in hearing some one else's opinion.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Sam Bennett has officially arrived. The Brouwer pickup was a great move. That's a good combo.

[btimbit]

Is like to see

Gaudreau - Monahan - ???
Shinkaruk - Bennett - Brouwer
Stajan - Backlund-Frolik
Ferland - Hamilton - Chaisson

Really struggling with that 1rw spot. Who am I missing? Beers make me not remember good. Bouma and Ferland rotate out/around?

[Bunk]

I think the top three line pairs are quite clear. Obvious and promising looking chemistry.

Gaudreau-Monahan-X
X-Bennett-Brouwer
X-Backlund-Frolik


Off the bat, it's really, really hard to say who the three should be to fill out those lines.

Right now, I'd think about Shinkaruk on the top line, try Tkachuk for the first several games (maybe Ferland if Tkachuk goes down) on the second line, and Chiasson with the third line.

Fourth line - Bouma-F. Hamilton - Stajan (Ferland)

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

No good.

But who cares because it's pre-season and our two best forwards didn't play.

Actually three

As I'd consider Backlund the third most important forward on the team.

[hockey.modern]

I'm thinking Jankowski could be a wild card to play on that top line. He's got the size to play around the boards and get pucks, cover the goalie and create a net front presence. Not to mention his high hockey IQ and reading plays before they even happen. Great playmaking abilities.


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[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Actually three

As I'd consider Backlund the third most important forward on the team.

I agree. Hopefully Bennett proves us wrong though.

[djsFlames]

Gaudreau - Monahan - Shinkaruk/Chiasson
Tkachuk - Bennett - Brouwer
Stajan - Backlund - Frolik
Bouma - Jankowski - Ferland

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

Anyone with strong feelings about how Chiasson played? He didn't seem to be very impactful, good or bad. I'm interested in hearing some one else's opinion.

Didn't notice him much bit when I did I thought good hustle, good on the pk, not afraid to battle. Still a bottom 6 player imo. so far I view him as a Jooris upgrade but not much more

[Five-hole]

Originally Posted by GoJetsGo

Still way too early to be asserting this. This was his first game against NHLers and he started slow but looked good in the end.

No need to be making determinations when there's so much time left to see how he looks based on a much bigger sample size.

Yeah. Tkachuk was essentially on the top line (i.e. getting the hardest minutes), and that line dominated. Granted, the best that Oilers squad had to throw at them ain't much, but still.

He's a quietly effective player (as is Brouwer). He's not flash and dash like Gaudreau and Bennett. He's the axle grease that makes a line tick.

I think whether he sticks will depend on how his 200' game looks against NHL squads. I think he'll get 9 games to show it.

[Locke]

This concerns me a Grand Total of not at all.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Rejean31

Question for any Flames fan oldtimers. In 1983 when the Flames moved to the Saddledome, did they play the 1983 exhibition games in the Saddledome, or did they play them in the Corral?

I don't know, but the wikipedia page says it opened on October 15th so that was a regular season game (a loss to the Oilers, booo!).

I would guess that they had pre-season dress rehearsals in the 'dome though and the 'official' opening was that game. If the building was ready, I'm sure they would have played in the Saddledome.

Was the game in Edmonton tonight in Northlands, or the new rink?