Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
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Point
Kucherov
Johnson
Gourde
Coleman
"never win"
I don't believe size is the issue you are making it out to be considering the defending champs are hardly the biggest team.
I hope we bring in guys like Phillips and Zavgorodny.
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You dont have to be the biggest to win. You just have to be big enough to not get outmuscled time and time again. Hockey, especially playoff hockey is about winning puck battles. We are losing them all over the ice.
The Flames top forwards are as soft a group as one can be. Tkachuk is the only one that can hold his own, but he is usually busy watching out for retribution. His head is everywhere, but the game. Lidholm is not soft per se, but he is not one to drive the net either.
We have seen this year after year. Johnny and Monahan, 2 most important pieces up front just flat out disappear in tough games.
Our promising young players are all small too. Mangi battles so hard, but he is not going to outmuscle a guy like Hedman, McDonaugh, Shattenkirk, Sergachev, Schenn or Bogosian since we are bringing up the "soft" TB team.
The D toughness has been improved a bit, but we still dont have one guy that can strike fear in to opposition. Players are camping in front of Markstrom and Rittich without any meaningful push back.
Some will say that the game has changed and getting rough causes penalties. But that's not true, the whole NHL is doing it mostly without any problems. Yes, some will get too aggressive, but those are exceptions to the rule. You need to protect the front of the net. The Flames are terrible at that.
But really, it comes down to the top line. Come playoff time, we dont have one. This is why a guy like Sam Bennett looks so good, because he is one of very few that is willing to get bruised up to make a play.
In the end you need skill, size and speed. But skill is the easiest to snuff out. Coaches and defenders have spent years in developing traps, neutral zone systems and intimidation to limit skilled players. This is why lesser players become playoff heroes so often. They have more room to play.
And I am not suggesting that you need 12 big and mean forwards. But you need someone that can break thru tight checking on a scoring line. The Flames top line needs a puck retriever and a playmaker. Someone to win battles and be able to carry the puck in so JG isnt the only one doing it. Add a different dimension to them. A Josh Anderson comes to mind.
Second line needs some speed. A North-South player than can skate the puck in, let Tkachuk catch up (his skating..oooff) and shoot. Dube may be that guy, but he needs time. Lids is a good compliment to that line already.
If you can have the 2 lines spend some o-zone time you will wear out the opposition D and make it easier for the 3rd and 4th lines to make plays too. Make it tough on them and tire them out. Right now they are one and out. Or shoot the puck in and lose it. That's an indirect indication that they are not tough enough to win battles down low.
Just think how different this team would look if we somehow managed to add Josh Anderson and Toffoli like Montreal did. Its not just "early season" envy because they are winning. They added 2 skilled and gritty guys that can reshape the entire forward group of a team.