I wonder how much the Flames' unexpected success has affected the role that these guys (especially McGrattan) can play when it comes to laying down the law. At the start of the year, I figured it would be a season of letting young guys develop while the team struggled a bit in the win column. In this scenario (where a playoff spot isn't in the cards), having the team's muscle take some extra penalty minutes to send a message and ensure that the young guys could do their thing makes sense.
With how things have developed so far and the opportunity the team has to do some damage, gooning it up when Gaudreau gets smacked around isn't really an option. I get the feeling that if the Flames weren't doing so well and were sitting where many expected them to be, McGrattan's would be sending plenty of direct messages, rather than mailing postcards from the pressbox.
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