Practice Notes - December 30, 2019

[Toonage]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1211727310505828352

Lines today:

Tkachuk-Lindholm-Mangiapane
Gaudreau-Monahan-Backlund
Lucic-Ryan-Dube
Rieder-Jankowski-Frolik

Giordano-Stone
Hanifin-Hamonic
Kylington-Andersson

Bennett, Rinaldo extra forwards. Brodie not on the ice today.

Brodie is taking a maintenance day

My take: So ultimately it looks like it will be the same lines as last game, which is surprising.

[Moneyhands23]

Whats up with Sam Bennett sitting out! Weird as he seemed to be playing well

[Toonage]

Its a bit worrying. Either he isn't fully healed or fully up to speed or they're keeping him healthy while something is worked out.

That last bit is pure speculation on my part.

[Joborule]

It's weird Bennett is out back-to-back games when he hasn't been that bad to justify two games in a row. It being health related would make sense.

[DoubleK]

Move Reider to 4C and sit Janko in favour of Rinaldo.

[bubbsy]

Yup Bennett not playing is definitely interesting. At the same time, he has been more or less invisible in most of the games he has played this year.

[shadowlord]

Since the initial 7-game winning streak, the Flames have been floating around the .500 mark. Time to switch up those forward lines. I don't want to see more GG or Bill Peters-like stubbornness to refuse to change the lines.

[SeanCharles]

Originally Posted by shadowlord

Since the initial 7-game winning streak, the Flames have been floating around the .500 mark. Time to switch up those forward lines. I don't want to see more GG or Bill Peters-like stubbornness to refuse to change the lines.

I agree.

The only line I’d keep together is the Lindholm line.

Nothing else is working.

[FanIn80]

Brodie and Bennett on the move?

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by shadowlord

Since the initial 7-game winning streak, the Flames have been floating around the .500 mark. Time to switch up those forward lines. I don't want to see more GG or Bill Peters-like stubbornness to refuse to change the lines.

Lucic-Ryan-Gaudreau looked better to me than Gaudreau-Monahan-Backlund has.

I gotta agree with those who believe Backlund ideally shouldn't be on our top two lines. He'd make an ideal 3rd line two way centre.

I've long argued that Gaudreau has to play with a power forward for him to be successful. IMO that means he has to play with one of Lucic, Tkachuk or Lindholm since those are the only guys who play hard enough on the puck to make up for Gaudreau's softness.

HOWEVER Lucic, Tkachuk and Monahan are all mediocre skaters so it's hard to ever put them on a line together.

Gaudreau's weaknesses that must be worked around (softness and defensive play) make the lineup construction a lot trickier than one might think.

Ward's lines have given us the emergence of Mangiapane which is a big deal long term for us.

I think trying to develop two elite pairs (Tkachuk/Lindholm, Gaudreau/Monahan) is the right move. The problem is that Gaudreau/Monahan look like crap without Tkachuk or Lindholm. A lot of this boils down in my mind to Gaudreau not playing up to his potential.

You choose to blame the lines for our record. I think we need to dig a little deeper and realize new line combinations aren't the cure all tonic that many wish they were. Sometimes when a player is struggling we should be blaming the player, not the lines.

[Roof-Daddy]

Lol healthy scratch.

Some 4th overall pick.

I know it's not entirely his fault but godamn its tough to get past the fact that if he had turned into a legit elite #1C this team is actually a contender right now instead of a middling wannabe.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Lol healthy scratch.

Some 4th overall pick.

I know it's not entirely his fault but godamn its tough to get past the fact that if he had turned into a legit elite #1C this team is actually a contender right now instead of a middling wannabe.

You live too much in the past my friend. This regret about Bennett can only lead to misery.

Instead I'd focus on how great the Tkachuk, Monahan, Brodie, Gaudreau, Andersson, Kylington, etc picks were. Under previous regimes we may not have hit on ANY of those picks. Would you rather have Tkachuk, Monahan and Bennett? Or would you rather have Rico Fata, Daniel Tkaczuk and Oleg Saprykin? Or would you rather have RNH, Yakupov and Nurse? Would you rather have Ristolainen, Juolevi and Michael Dal Colle?

Yeah Bennett not turning into a star sucks but it happens quite often at the draft. We should still be quite thankful we hit on many of our other picks, it could've been FAR, FAR worse.

You can't expect perfection in the draft. Putting the entire weight of the Flames future on Bennett's back isn't healthy for Bennett or for you. This regret about Bennett is eating you and some others up.

[SeanCharles]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Lol healthy scratch.

Some 4th overall pick.

I know it's not entirely his fault but godamn its tough to get past the fact that if he had turned into a legit elite #1C this team is actually a contender right now instead of a middling wannabe.

Pasternak at 25 overall

Easy to say in retrospect tho.

[yourbestfriend]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Lucic-Ryan-Gaudreau looked better to me than Gaudreau-Monahan-Backlund has.

I gotta agree with those who believe Backlund ideally shouldn't be on our top two lines. He'd make an ideal 3rd line two way centre.

I've long argued that Gaudreau has to play with a power forward for him to be successful. IMO that means he has to play with one of Lucic, Tkachuk or Lindholm since those are the only guys who play hard enough on the puck to make up for Gaudreau's softness.

Agreed with the powerforward sentiment, but I would expand that to include anyone who can get in on the forecheck and dig out pucks. I've been baffled the last few games when Backlund would just dump in the puck... is he really expecting Johnny or Monahan to go in and get the puck out?
I would add Mangipane to your list of players who would look good next to Johnny. He's got that tenacity and compete that is lacking on that line. With the way he's been playing, he's definitely deserved it.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Lol healthy scratch.

Some 4th overall pick.

I know it's not entirely his fault but godamn its tough to get past the fact that if he had turned into a legit elite #1C this team is actually a contender right now instead of a middling wannabe.

No point on dwelling on it. The way I look at it, is the flames suffered not getting a top line player at 4, but did hit a home run with Gaudreau as a 4th round pick. Those balance each other off.

I will say this, however, I think it's getting time to just move on from Bennett. He's not skilled enough to contribute any real offence. He's basically still around because he can add an edge and actually throw a hit, something few forwards on this roster are capable of.

I'd be happy to simply move him, just so we can stop hoping for some magical, never gonna happen moment, where he somehow just figures it out and actually becomes an impactful player.

[home_sweet_dome]

Ward is showing he's no better than Peters, these lines could be much better. It's good that they moved Lindholm to center but why Backlund isn't the 3rd line C is mind boggling.

The 4 C's should be Monahan, Lindholm, Backlund and Ryan. Building around that would lead to:

Tkachuk-Lindholm-Mangiapane
Gaudreau-Monahan-Dube
Bennett - Backlund - Frolik
Lucic-Ryan-X

with X being any of Reider, Czarnik, Janko etc.

Admittedly another top 6 right shot winger would be ideal to add and maybe you could do that near the deadline with someone like Toffoli and drop Dube down to Frolik's spot but this configuration would at least be using your personnel in the best possible way rather than what we're seeing now...so frustrating.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by yourbestfriend

Agreed with the powerforward sentiment, but I would expand that to include anyone who can get in on the forecheck and dig out pucks. I've been baffled the last few games when Backlund would just dump in the puck... is he really expecting Johnny or Monahan to go in and get the puck out?
I would add Mangipane to your list of players who would look good next to Johnny. He's got that tenacity and compete that is lacking on that line. With the way he's been playing, he's definitely deserved it.

Mangiapane has the grit I'd be looking for opposite Gaudreau but not the size/strength. He'll go after any puck but that line would still struggle to win puck battles because of their size and strength IMO. I wish Gaudreau had Mangiapane's grit and heart. I'm not sure any of Gaudreau, Mangiapane or Czarnik can play together except on the PP.

[djsFlames]

Backlund been a bit better of late. Have him on line three and try Dube with gaudreau and Monahan. They combined for some big goals during the streak.

[DoubleK]

Have they tried Gio and Stone together in a game?

[jayswin]

Stone should be getting very limited minutes as he's a "smash the puck away" old school defenseman that destroys possession. Playing with Giordano would be way too much Stone in a game.