Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina
There are all sorts of ways to win in the nhl
Size
Speed
Skill
Tight d
The Flames win because of skill. Adding a guy won’t change them into a tough team
We’ve said this team has needed an identity for years. They have one. And more often than not that’s how they win
Don’t try and change that. They need to own what they are and beat teams on that basis
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And having said that, you could also say the team wins because of the top line, sometimes the second line, a pretty impressive set of 6 D, and sometimes goaltending.
Can you really say the bottom 3 affect the identity positively?
Peters shortens his bench a lot because of who is going and who can’t cut the mustard, right?
Is there not the opportunity for the 4th line to fill 6-8 minutes more effectively?
Wear down some opponents while the stars are catching their breath?
Playoff teams can roll 4 lines, (never equally), but the bottom 6 can certainly have some positive impact, and there is room for improvement here. Getting better minutes from the bottom doesn’t change the top, but it could help. Mangiapane is a non factor and does not contribute significantly to team identity.