Quote:
Originally Posted by 868904
Monahan is usually in the high slot, that's his preferred place to stand and shoot. That's not really in the slot as the defensemen don't usually come out that far and if they do, they usually only come out partially so as not to commit.
In that way, it's a "perimeter" as it's not right in the area where he's going to get crosschecked or have to "battle" too hard.
The problem in recent years is that the opposition has figured this out and is allowing Gaudreau to run around the perimeter as he can't score from there and is allowing him to pass to Monahan while they just collapse in front of him so he can't get a good shot.
With Tkachuk, the opposition can't cheat out too much to cover Monahan, because Tkachuk will take the puck right to the net and crash or try one of his between the leg goals. This should open Monahan up for more clean looks.
I know that Monahan comes from a lacrosse background and isn't "scared" of taking punishment, but I think teams have just figured out how to defend him and Gaudreau.
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The problem for me is just a little bit more than that, They are not physically impact players and drive the play less and less in recent years. Gaudreau shies away from contact while Monahan who had been hampered with injuries, still doesn't play a physical game. I get that the Flames are building a team that can play all through the line up, but agree those 2 while offensive players are too easy to play against and not built for the playoffs.