Quote:
Originally Posted by lanny9
That may be the case for a game during the season but I would hate to have to meet them in the playoffs at this stage. We aren't big enough up front to deal with the west coast teams over a 7 game series imo. They would wear us down the way LA wears teams down. We are very fast and hard working but taking the hits and rubs would take it's toll over time. So really like what we are developing for the base of this team, give us 3 years to bring in some size and watch out!
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First of all, I am firmly in the camp that you can't have a soft team - size and physicality matter. But this argument that the west is big and physical and you have to play like ANA and LAK is
way overdone.
In the last 7 years, 5 of the cup finalists from the west were skill teams: Detroit 2, Chicago 2, and Van. The only physical team to make it has been LA and they were lucky to get by CHI last year (or it would be 6 of the last 7).
IMO, the Flames are modelled more like CHI than any of the Pacific teams. CHI beats you with speed and mobility at the backend. Yes, they can handle the rough stuff, and that is important. But it is not who they are.
Same can be said about Detroit.
The Flames have to get bigger, no question. But some of the guys coming - Bennett, Poirier, Ferland, Wotherspoon and (hopefully) Sieloff - add a
lot of grit, along with tons of speed and skill.
They showed last night that they won't be intimidated - that's the most important thing. Once some of the bigger and grittier kids come up, that will be fine.