[GDT] Flames @ Jets. 5pm MT City

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Randy Sportak @SUNRandySportak
#Flames lines in morning skate:
Colborne-Monahan-Hudler
Glencross-Stajan-Setoguchi
Gaudreau-Backlund-Raymond
Bollig-Byron-Bouma

Yes Gaudreau is with Backlund

Jooris did not skate this morning


Randy Sportak @SUNRandySportak
#Flames doing powerplay drill this morning. Gaudreau is skating with Colborne and Raymond on the 2nd unit.


Derek Wills @Fan960Wills
#Flames projected defence vs. #Jets:
Giordano-Brodie
Russell-Wideman
Smid-Diaz

Goaltenders:
Hiller

[heep223]

Finally moving Colborne back to wing where he belongs. Excellent

[FBI]

Yeah Colborne and Monahan were great together last year.. Add Gaudreau there and we could have something.. JG Might work ok with Colborne if he's not playing center.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

My prediction, a convincing 4-1 Flames win over a struggling Jets team. The city of Winnipeg collectively loses their ####.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

So.... Anyone else excited to see how Gaudreau responds tonight?

[Street Pharmacist]

Yes

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by 868904

I still don't see it working. Like Colbprne and Raymond, Backlund likes to carry the puck, and if Johnny's linemates are carrying the puck it means he isnt.

Both Backs and Johnny can make a zone entry just fine and neither would have an issue having the other guy on it. It's the offensive zone cycle where that might be an issue - and both are good on the cycle. They're easily two of our best possession players.

Colborne and Raymond are just terrible linemates for Johnny, je'd honestly find more success with Bollig and McGrattan.

Oh FFS

[Buck]

Lines look good. A little scared about Glencross and Seto on the same line though. It will be interesting to see how that line performs

[Finger Cookin]

I hope Ron McLean's sap doesn't permeate all the way through to the play by play.

[Rerun]

Colborne-Monahan-Hudler
Glencross-Stajan-Setoguchi
Gaudreau-Backlund-Raymond
Bollig-Byron-Bouma

I REALLY like this line up.

Colborne is back on the wing playing with Monahan.
Stajan is back centering Glencross, instead of centering the 4th line.

... and... Gaudreau is back at left wing (where he belongs) and is playing with a center who has first class puck handling skills.

Not sure why it took so long to get here.... but the important thing is that we're here.

I'm excited!

[Racki]

I think Johnny gets off the schneid tonight and gas a 2 point game

[Gaudfather]

Originally Posted by Buck

Lines look good. A little scared about Glencross and Seto on the same line though. It will be interesting to see how that line performs

Hopefully Setoguchi's "give a crap" meter is set on high tonight - as opposed to the nil reading he usually gets.

[FlameZilla]

Originally Posted by Gaudfather

Hopefully Setoguchi's "give a crap" meter is set on high tonight - as opposed to the nil reading he usually gets.

Setoguchi looked ok against the Blackhawks. His Give-a-Crap meter was reading at least a 2.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by 868904

I still don't see it working. Like Colbprne and Raymond, Backlund likes to carry the puck, and if Johnny's linemates are carrying the puck it means he isnt.

Johnny's struggles this early season are really similar to the wjc a few years ago when the US coach started him off with Grimaldi who hogged the puck and never passed to Johnny, It completely neutralized him.

Johnny started to dominate as soon as he got paired with some crash and bang types like JT Miller and became the puck carrier and play maker.

Of the centremen on the Flames roster that I see having the most potential success with Johnny, it's only Stajan and Monahan. Monahan inarticulate should be really effective because he has the size and the finishing ability to get into scoring position and Johnny has the vision to find him.

Colborne and Raymond are just terrible linemates for Johnny, je'd honestly find more success with Bollig and McGrattan.

While it's true that Backlund likes to carry the puck, I disagree with your conclusion.

The big difference is that Backlund is really good at supporting the D down low and then likes to carry the puck out of the defensive zone. This creates more neutral zone possession where Backlund can move it to Gaudreau (a better place for Gaudreau to get the puck - better than the hash mark in his own zone where the D is waiting for him). Backlund is not a puck hog and would be more than happy to move it to a winger he trusted IMO. You can see this when he rushes with Brodie.

Also, it is more than just wanting to carry the puck. Colborne and Raymond are both good players, but you can see when you watch the 3 of them that they are all going to the same areas and getting in each others' way. The line just doesn't work.

Backlund (and Monahan) are far better positionally, and either one would be a better C for Gaudreau.

[Enoch Root]

The write-up in Cali's OP mentions the Flames being tired. This got me thinking: I would love to see winning percentages for teams on long road trips (not overall percentages, which wouldn't be different from road games in general, but specific percentages for game 5 vs game 6 vs game 7, etc).

I would speculate that, once a road trip gets up to and past game 5, that there is a pretty sharp drop-off in winning percentage for the later games. I would bet that game 6 and game 7 of long road trips have a horrible historic WP.

Anyone know where to dig this up?

[Anar]

Too bad that Josh is not playing due to injury; but it is good that Gaudreau will be in the line up tonight. Good luck boys.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

...it is more than just wanting to carry the puck. Colborne and Raymond are both good players, but you can see when you watch the 3 of them that they are all going to the same areas and getting in each others' way. The line just doesn't work...

How much of this do you think is a product of Colborne's recent inexperience at playing the centre ice position?

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by FBI

Yeah the only thing I don't like about that is Byron on the 4th line, but glad Stajan is getting a chance to do something on the 2nd. And glad to see Johnny with Backlund!

Back to being excited for flames games!

With Gaudreau moving up to play with Backlund I'd imagine Stajan has to move up to take some of the defensive load off Backlund's shoulders. Backlund's been the two-way work horse for the forwards so far this season, but shifting Gaudreau, a rookie, to that line means Hartley wants to ease the defensive pressure on him 5on5.

[djsFlames]

I'm sensing a big game/return for Gaudreau, now that Bob has finally shuffled up his line.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

I'm sensing a big game/return for Gaudreau, now that Bob has finally shuffled up his line.

I predict a goal and an assist by Gaudreau.