Quote:
Originally Posted by transplant99
I guess we will disagree about this as well.
Like everything with this guy, he is consistently inconsistent.
He was really good against Minnesota and great against Tampa, but since then he has been anywhere from average to terrible.
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Assist on the tying goal, wrecking ball hit and message sender against San Jose and he was average to terrible?
In Winnipeg he had Bfuglien all riled up for running over Scheilfe and pissing Ehlers off.
The Flames need this kind of player.
He has four points in the eight games since the Oiler game, which is about as consistent as he will get I'm afraid.
Quote:
Originally Posted by transplant99
Maybe this isn't the game to pull him from but this isn't the big old bad Bruins anymore either. They play a fairly quick game now. Though I see now it's Mangiapane that might draw in so that would be in place of Dube and probably the right call there.
I will entirely disagree that Bennett isnt easily replaced...i mean really? Offensively 283 players in the NHL are ahead of him and 222 of those are forwards. Most of them have played fewer games. He is OK at best defensively and yes is pretty good at the sandpaper game...at times. All this while playing 2nd line a bunch.
7th on the Flames only because Frolik was injured and missed 16 games. With him back in and whatever beef he/Peters/Treliving hopefully behind them, Sam will be back to patrolling the 3rd and 4th lines again...where he belongs.
I hope the kid breaks out, i really do, but we need to start seeing him for what he really is. A below averge hockey player who has some really good spirit in his game at times and who will get into the muck when necessary. Those guys are available all over the place though. The sample size is large now and nothing has changed through different coaches/line mates/ or any other excuses many have floated in his defense.
He is a guy that BT should certainly be looking at upgrading on, would you not agree?
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I'm all for upgrading the roster, and the Flames could use that one more productive forward to round out the top six, but Bennett has a lot of room behind him before he's the one that needs to either be switched out or watch from above.
7th in CF% for forwards
1st in SCF%
1st in HDCF%
As an individual ...
7th in shot events
5th in individual scoring chances
2nd in individual high danger chances
I'm as worried as you that he may never be that top line scoring talent he was drafted to be, but he affects the game in a positive way more often than not.
That's why he doesn't get scratched.