Quote:
Originally Posted by Kovaz
I think there are a lot of factors at play here that aren't as simple as "playoffs vs regular season", but they seem to all have shifted from working against Bennett to working for him at the same time.
Having a longer leash is a big one. In the past he's always been demoted very quickly, whether due to not producing or a bad turnover/penalty. He definitely forces plays that aren't there, but you can hardly blame him when every shift in the top 6 might be his last if he doesn't score. Being able to take a penalty and still keep his regular shift will go a long way towards calming down Bennett's play.
He's also a better centre than a winger. He's great at winning battles down low and I think he creates most of his offence by forcing turnovers in the middle of the ice and springing his wingers for an odd-man rush. He also back-checks pretty responsibly and I think he sees things better from the middle of the ice.
Having better linemates helps a ton too. I think his development was severely hurt by spending two years watching his passes clank off Brouwer's stick to the other team, and he started trying to do too much himself. Being able to chip the puck to Dube flying down the wing and have that turn into a chance helps him a ton. I've written this a bunch of times, but Bennett should have way more assists this year but his linemates have been awful at converting their chances.
The playoff style of game also suits Bennett way better. He's not great at recognizing soft spots in a defence or creating a wide open chance and he's not super creative with the puck, but he's good at grinding out a tough chance in the slot or forcing his way through a defence. In the playoffs those easier chances go away but the tough ones are still there, and since that's all Bennett does it fits him better.
So I think all four of those factors have turned at the same time and Bennett's looked good as a result, but I think having a stable 3C role with decent wingers would make a big difference for him.
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Fair enough. I don't necessarily think that he will continue this but if he can be a legitimate 3C, sure. I just remember having similar conversations last year and he didn't do anything this year in the regular season. Maybe you are righr and that changes next season.
However, I also don't think the Flames should trade their core to give Bennett a shot next year like some posters were suggesting earlier in this thread.