Quote:
Originally Posted by ricardodw
In what scenario can you see Gaudreau shining in the playoffs?
How much bigger and faster and meaner does the rest of the team need to be for Gaudreau to dominate in important games?
The Flames have done a poor job of providing a supporting cast if indeed Gaudreau is the key to the team.
Gaudreau would prefer to play on a team that already has the pieces in place where protecting him and creating space is the normal way the team plays.
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Johnny Gaudreau doesn’t need to be protected, guys have been trying to kill him since day 1. What Gaudreau needs is a guy to take the double team pressure off of him and that was Matthew Tkachuk in the last month there.
I’ve said it many times that Gaudreau can be absolutely lethal when he plays more off the puck and that’s what occurred in the last month. He didn’t need to exit and enter the zone every shift because Matthew Tkachuk is more than capable of this himself.
Everyone focuses on the wrong thing when talking about Gaudreau in the playoffs. It’s not about his inability to handle the physicality, it’s about the way teams defend his line on the rush. But the new top line can easily break the trap because they have 2 dynamic players to keep the defense constantly guessing. Then you have Lindholm who’s quick enough to get into the play to provide support. These 3 together would be great in the playoffs.