[ricardodw]

It is a function of TOI along with toughness.

Backes, Doughty, Regehr, Mitchell, Greene, Brown, Lucic, mark stuart, Brouwer, Byfuglien, Seabrook, Subban, Phaneuf, Orpik are all tough to play against and initiate physical play AND are taking an average or above average shift.

St.L losing Polak , Morrow and Ott along with Stewart are left with Backes, Sobotka and Jackman as above average ice-time tough players. Lapierre, Reaves and Porter are 4th line maybe some time on the third line players.

The Defense is physical soft and easy to play against.

PS Having McGrattan and Engelland make Backlund, Stajan, Bouma and even Glencross and Gio and Monahan play better. The Flames problem is that of the higher TOI players only Smid and Glencross initiate physical play..... Gio can (and in a playoff series I expect would) but in his current role does not initiate physical play.