Quote:
Originally Posted by Macindoc
True. Gallant didn't put career tweeners on the ice in critical situations, didn't replace 1st line RWs with players who have gone an entire season without scoring, and was able to make in-game and in-season adjustments not called "line blender". Ward might have a shorter resume, but it's also a LOT more questionable in terms of player utilization and strategy. It's clear that he has alienated some players. Also, don't forget that Ward's post prior to the Flames was coaching Ottawa to league-worst special teams. The Flames on paper look considerably better than last season's bunch, but on ice the opposite appears to be true.
IMO, the level of incompetence Ward has demonstrated more than outweighs the relatively short tenure he has had.
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Gallant mixed his lines often enough. Marchessault often split time between wing on the top line and C on the second. Eakin travelled up and down the lineup.
I never liked the Simon assignment but TBF other than Lindholm, who they wanted at C, who on the present roster has ever worked well consistently with those guys. It’s a different situation.
Also, as far as blending and using tweeners, Gallant experimented with Tuch, Neal and Tatar with Karlsson kin his first year, before settling in on Smith. And amazingly enough, he did, in fact, put a tweener who hadn’t ever scored in the NHL with Karlsson and Marchessault in his last year (Nicholas Roy).