Gaudreau: Flames have 3 year window to do something pretty great

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I remember Cory Sarich in an interview once talking about all you have to do is reach that #8th seed, and then anything can happen.

That really irked me how their apparent goal was 8th.

They proceeded to miss the playoffs for 4 years.

This is a pretty common thing for players to say, and not all of their teams miss the playoffs. I like how confidently Gaudreau is talking about the Flames, but I won't put much stock in this rhetoric as a factor in on-ice success.

[Since1984]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

Good goaltenders like Bobrovsky, Dubnyk and Crawford can fall apart in the playoffs and lesser goaltenders like Fleury, Allen and Rinne can catch fire.

If you're top ~20 in goaltending and your goalie isn't slumping at the wrong time, it's not much of a reliable bottleneck OR advantage in a seven game series. Goalies can win/lose you a series but it may not be the goalies expected to win/lose you a series. Hell Jonas Hiller stole us a series a couple years back.

I would not refer to either Rinne and Fleury as lesser goaltenders in any conversation lol

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

I think we only have three players who will drop the gloves in Giordano, Tkachuk, and Ferland. Is it enough?

Brouwer (who had a broken hand) fought as much as Gio last year and averages two or three more per year. Bart had a two in his limited time here. Bennett will fight. Hamonic fought 4 times last year. Stone had one.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

This is a pretty common thing for players to say, and not all of their teams miss the playoffs. I like how confidently Gaudreau is talking about the Flames, but I won't put much stock in this rhetoric as a factor in on-ice success.

I believe in sports psychology. Think like a champion; become a champion. You have to set high expectations of yourself and your team in order to become a champion.

IMO, anyway.

It was refreshing to hear him use that language as opposed to some of the things we've heard from yesteryear.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I believe in sports psychology. Think like a champion; become a champion. You have to set high expectations of yourself and your team in order to become a champion...

Oh, sure. I get it, and I generally agree that championships require an element of psychological fortitude. But what I take issue with is the opposite—that when players talk about "just making the playoffs" this is some sort of indication of failure. Plenty of players have said things just like this and gone on to win championships.

Psychology is interesting that way.

[MisterJoji]

Originally Posted by heep223

You're not alone. I like Smith but goaltending is the biggest wild card. Again.

Given that we haven't had a reliable starter in years any acquisition this summer is a wild card.

Sign Bishop: can he stay healthy, will the decrease in equipment size affect him?

Trade for Grubauer/Raanta: are they the next Cam Talbot or the next Alex Auld?

Re-sign Elliott: is he too mentally broken down, can he recover from the playoff collapse?

Every acquisition is a dice roll.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

Enough for what exactly? Fuelling media narratives about hanging with big bad bubble teams like Winnipeg and Los Angeles? Or keeping up with such truculent contenders as Pittsburgh, Chicago, Nashville?

Yeah sure, that's why the Pens traded their first round pick and a young centre for Ryan Reeves and a second. Just because a team doesn't carry a fighter doesn't mean they don't need one.

Unhappy with the physical abuse that Crosby took in the playoffs, the Penguins gave up a first-round pick (No. 31 in 2017) and 23-year-old prospect center Oskar Sundqvist to the St. Louis Blues for tough guy Ryan Reaves and a second-round pick (No. 51 in 2017).

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...guy/425805001/

[Love]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Yeah sure, that's why the Pens traded their first round pick and a young centre for Ryan Reeves and a second. Just because a team doesn't carry a fighter doesn't mean they don't need one.



https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...guy/425805001/

Who says that move is even going to pay off? We've seen them go back to back with Patric Hornqvist as their most physical player who probably wouldn't even be top three in Calgary

[codynw]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Yeah sure, that's why the Pens traded their first round pick and a young centre for Ryan Reeves and a second. Just because a team doesn't carry a fighter doesn't mean they don't need one.



https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...guy/425805001/

If having Ferland on the first line doesn't help Gaudreau, having Ryan Reaves on the 4th line or in the press box isn't going to change how much abuse Crosby takes.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Yeah sure, that's why the Pens traded their first round pick and a young centre for Ryan Reeves and a second. Just because a team doesn't carry a fighter doesn't mean they don't need one.



https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...guy/425805001/

Yes, that is exactly what it means, because no team really needs a "fighter" in today's NHL. Teams that carry them might find them useful distractions given that most of these tend to be short on talent, but Pittsburgh's acquisition of Reeves is a pointless mistake.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by codynw

If having Ferland on the first line doesn't help Gaudreau, having Ryan Reaves on the 4th line or in the press box isn't going to change how much abuse Crosby takes.

From what I see, Ferland isn't there to protect Gaudreau. Ferland fights his own fights, and with his hitting gives the opposition something more to distract them.

Reaves provides protection in the sense that he'll be sent out to hammer anyone who takes too many liberties.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Reaves provides protection in the sense that he'll be sent out to hammer anyone who takes too many liberties.

Has that ever really stopped a Kesler, Marchant, or Perry from taking liberties? Would Reaves in the lineup have prevented the play where Ovechkin and Orpik gave Crosby that headshot?

[Heavy Jack]

Marchand... I had to

[Jebus]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

We had Alex Singleton on our podcast last night and he talked about the unfortunate horse ride that Johnny took during the Stampede parade that involved falling off of the horse into something unpleasant.

Like the back seat of a Volkswagen?