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Originally Posted by Freddy
Not necessarily this afternoon, but as far the internal culture/identity the dressing room knows they aren’t getting pushed around this year, whereas the last few years if a team like the Caps pushed hard like in the 2nd the Flames couldn’t shift the tide back.
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I still don't get this claim at all. The Flames didn't "shift the tide back" any differently than in past years. They won in 3v3 OT after a tight checking, scoreless 3rd. A bounce one way or the other changes the whole storyline.
Maybe in another timeline the goalie doesn't make a save on an unlucky bounce and we lose 4-3 in the 3rd. Or Geoff Ward pulls the goalie for choking a 3 goal lead and the backup goalie who hadn't played in months is suddenly being asked to warm up.
A few big bodies didn't make that perceived difference. Zadorov wasn't in the lineup. They had big bodies like Bennett, Lucic, and Jankowski in past years too. And usually the backbreaking mistakes would be made by a guy like Juuso Valimaki or Dougie Hamilton or Lucic, not a core player or a small player who gets pushed around.
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Throughout this season the Sutter low chances given heavy boardplay instills confidence throughout the lineup.
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Sutter's style of play is appropriate for tight checking games, but it's not going to be because of Trevor Lewis or Tyler Pitlick or even everyone's new favourite Gudbranson. Those guys are responsible ways to plug the lineup but they're still just that - plugs. Not one of them has even established themselves as Garnet Hathaway tier since arriving here.