Quote:
Originally Posted by browna
Including the disaster Vegas game Jan 30:
Ferland, 28 GP, 2g, 8 assists. -5 - Flames top line RW
Frolik, 32gp, 3g, 7a, -16 - Top 6 fwd
Backlund 32gp, 5g, 8a, -17 - 2nd line centre and former Selke candidate as a defensive centre...who got a 5y contract extension during that span too.
Total 92gp 10 goals for half of our top 6 forwards after what was a tough loss, in over the next 2 calendar months when the action got tougher. Those guys flat out disappeared.
These stats above are the main reason why this team fumbled its chance away on the ice.
Nowhere near good enough.
Tkachuk carried that second line, Frolik was injured earlier in the season but no excuses, but Backlund fell off a cliff. Ferland is the definition of a streaky player but these two+ months have been especially bad, especially with JG lighting it up.
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I'm going to take issue with that one.
He has the same amount of assists as last year but 8 fewer goals because his shooting percentage went from 11.2% last year to 6.6% this year (Career shooting percentage before this year was around 9%), and he took the most shots of his entire career at 211, indicating that he created just as much offense.
The -23 is obviously worse, but considering Frolik's drop in play, I can allow for that somewhat. I would have to dig deeper into when the majority of those minuses came (injured starter etc. to consider) but we all know Backlund does the heavy lifting defensively for this team matching up against the opposition's best forwards and largely doing a good job.
I just don't think Backlund was the problem, because when I watched the team play, Backlund was making good plays at both ends of the ice. I'd be careful to not lump him in with the rest of the underperforming players. Shots just didn't go in, possibly due to the GG system that was not creative enough offensively.