[CliffFletcher]

Last night showed that the notion young guys on the roster are going to be protected by the likes of McGratton, Bollig, and Engelland is bunk. Maybe it's the game changing. Maybe those guys just aren't doing their job. I don't know. But Gaudreau got a real rough ride last night - and not the just the slash from Phaneuf. Teams are going to be keying on Gaudreau as part of their game plan. If the league is moving away from guys fighting to protect smaller players, then okay. But then what's the point of those guys taking up three roster spots on the Flames?

I like this management team. But I do have my doubts about Burke's approach to toughness. It seems like he's basing his opinions on what the game was like 10 years ago and what worked for him in Anaheim, instead of what the game is like today and in the next 10 years.

In my opinion, team toughness in 2014 means your guys on the ice a lot are tough. Having a couple marginal NHLers whose butts are stapled to the bench every night does nothing for team toughness. It doesn't stop other teams from taking liberties with your skilled players, and choreographed fights are being phased out of the game.