Quote:
Originally Posted by Flash Walken
At this point I have huge concerns about Gaudreau.
2 years ago I thought he was going to be a datsyuk type player who generated the majority of his offense through tenacious defense. That player is basically gone at this point and that is exceptionally troubling because of how starkly ineffective he is when he isn't playing both sides of the puck.
More than anything else that is a very, very troubling indication for the future of the team.
What a waste of a great game from Monahan.
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The biggest difference between the Flames and the Ducks is how complete of a 200 game they play. You see how difficult it was for the Flames to clear the zone, or set up in the attack zone? The Ducks never give up on the puck and are tenacious on keeping possession. They play with high determination which is why the Flames keep being their bitch. You can really tell after the Flames made a critical mistake (line change) that this was very prevalent. Flames mental resilience when something goes wrong is another thing...
Until the Flames play with the same level and improve on getting the puck out of their zone better, as well keeping the puck in the attack zone, they're not going to yield success against this team. It's a complete team game. Everyone has to be committed to creating turnovers just as much as they are at maintaining possession.
Gaudreau if going to continue to have an impact in this league, his defensive game is going to have to make big steps forward. In the regular season, he can be fairly productive since you're playing a different team each night, but in the playoffs that game is much more tighter and physical. He's gonna have to work twice as hard to create opportunities for himself. If he's not gonna have players set him up, he's gonna have to do it via creating turnovers.