I think Gaudreau just doesn't know where to go right now. He's being physically closed in, and his usual weapons (linemates) have been cold for more than a month. We wonder why he missed seeing a wide open Monahan in game 2? He's been feeding him gimmes since the trade deadline with nothing to show for it. And Lindholm? Where is he? Is he even in the zone? The defensemen are better targets. And by the time his brain has made this calculation his result is a giveaway.
I think putting Bennett on his other side would give him a little more confidence to drive to the middle of the ice a bit more. We need Gaudreau to find the level Mackinnon has. He's done it before, there's no reason he cant. And he might keep us alive for a round (if Smith continues to hold up). But if the Flames want to do as well as expected, Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm will need to be a thing.
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