Question of the year folks..what is wrong with Gaudreau

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by pepper24

Needs better line mates. Buddy Robinson is a good story but not a top line player.

We have a winner!

He's playing with one player in Monahan who has very little passion, no assertiveness and needs to be driven to the well 100/100 times. The other, has essentially been a rookie or pretty raw youngster that isn't yet up to task to help carry the load every shift.

Split him and Monahan up for a while and allow him to get acclimated with a centre like Lindholm or a winger like Tkachuk who both reek passion and have non stop motors. If that doesn't work, I would wager he's checked out this year and you just have to hope he gets his mojo back next season.

[Pizza]

Last season, I started a thread regarding my concerns for Johnny's diet. How it wasnt a secret that his diet was poor, the locker room knew about this and he even admitted on a TSN interview that he doesnt eat vegetables. This community, mostly, reacted with vitriol claiming that I was trolling, didnt know what I was talking about, etc etc... The Mods even locked up my thread since it was so one sided.

Since that thread, the All Star Weekend happened, the Flames' play has slowed in the 2nd half of the season, the Flames lost first round 4-1 to the Avs and now this disappointing season. Now we have discussions on multiple threads with concerns for Johnny's drop off in production, his mental health and even what trading him would look like.

For the record, I never wanted Johnny traded, but just wanted to bring awareness for him to being more accountable to himself and to his team. He was playing great last season but I always believed he could achieve much more had he taken care of himself.

Now look at where we are now. A thread created about our concerns for Johnny, not so much different than the one I started about his diet, and the tone from everyone on CP has changed since.

While I don't doubt there's many other factors in this, I'm still in the belief that Johnny's diet has affected him. A year later, his body's metabolism probably has changed and changed to a point where all the sweet, delicious food he once used to eat would go through him, is now sticking around longer in his body and he's now feeling the affects of it. It was all fine as a teenager/early 20 year old, but now as he's entering his mid to late 20s, that metabolism is wearing off

On ice performance isn't just based on ice attitude and work ethic. It's also based on your off ice attitude and work ethic

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Pizza

Last season, I started a thread regarding my concerns for Johnny's diet. How it wasnt a secret that his diet was poor, the locker room knew about this and he even admitted on a TSN interview that he doesnt eat vegetables. This community, mostly, reacted with vitriol claiming that I was trolling, didnt know what I was talking about, etc etc... The Mods even locked up my thread since it was so one sided.

Since that thread, the All Star Weekend happened, the Flames' play has slowed in the 2nd half of the season, the Flames lost first round 4-1 to the Avs and now this disappointing season. Now we have discussions on multiple threads with concerns for Johnny's drop off in production, his mental health and even what trading him would look like.

For the record, I never wanted Johnny traded, but just wanted to bring awareness for him to being more accountable to himself and to his team. He was playing great last season but I always believed he could achieve much more had he taken care of himself.

Now look at where we are now. A thread created about our concerns for Johnny, not so much different than the one I started about his diet, and the tone from everyone on CP has changed since.

While I don't doubt there's many other factors in this, I'm still in the belief that Johnny's diet has affected him. A year later, his body's metabolism probably has changed and changed to a point where all the sweet, delicious food he once used to eat would go through him, is now sticking around longer in his body and he's now feeling the affects of it. It was all fine as a teenager/early 20 year old, but now as he's entering his mid to late 20s, that metabolism is wearing off

On ice performance isn't just based on ice attitude and work ethic. It's also based on your off ice attitude and work ethic

I highly doubt Johnny's diet is so poor as to mimic that of a lethargic couch sponge that does nothing but sit around, gourge himself on garbage food and blow farts all day.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

We have a winner!

He's playing with one player in Monahan who has very little passion, no assertiveness and needs to be driven to the well 100/100 times. The other, has essentially been a rookie or pretty raw youngster that isn't yet up to task to help carry the load every shift.

Split him and Monahan up for a while and allow him to get acclimated with a centre like Lindholm or a winger like Tkachuk who both reek passion and have non stop motors. If that doesn't work, I would wager he's checked out this year and you just have to hope he gets his mojo back next season.

The offensive drivers of the team (like Kane, Crosby) often get paired up with substandard line mates and it's up to them to make something of the line.

Monny is a shooter and the exact type of player Johnny needs. We've seen it before and has always worked before.

[Hoop27]

I'd really like to see a quality RW with him and 23 before making a snap trade of Gaudreau. Whether that is Lindholm put back or someone else coming in. If it still doesn't work then I guess a trade is likely the best option.

[Pizza]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

I highly doubt Johnny's diet is so poor as to mimic that of a lethargic couch sponge that does nothing but sit around, gourge himself on garbage food and blow farts all day.

So have you ever heard of anyone eating nothing but nutella? or a pro athlete eating a whole pizza pie in their hotel room? That sounds like a lethargic couch sponge would do.

While I dont think his normal diet that extreme on a daily basis but I doubt his diet is close to what the average NHL player has

as I said, this diet likely hasnt changed, just his body's metabolism.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

The offensive drivers of the team (like Kane, Crosby) often get paired up with substandard line mates and it's up to them to make something of the line.

Monny is a shooter and the exact type of player Johnny needs. We've seen it before and has always worked before.

I beg to differ.

It's complicated, but even players who are great with the puck on their stick need go be given a chance to play away from the puck and reset their mindsets. To just focus on sneaking around and sniping a weakside goal. It's a mental adjustment.

As long as Gaudreau is linemates with Monahan they will continue to play too one dimensionally. Where Gaudreau is expected to drive and kick to an open Monahan for a goal. It's too predictable. It lacks the variance you need from your stars.

Even Kane has had some great playmaking linemates over the years - Panarin and Toews are two that come to mind.

Monahan has stretches where his playmaking is solid. But as-is, both players are too stuck in one dimensional mindsets of playmaker and shooter. Gaudreau is a former 30 goal scorer, but those are goals he scored away from the puck. Give him a reprieve from trying to do everything and he may get back to remembering that he can do everything without needing to go one on three.

And if Monahan can't be trusted to drive his own line, maybe he shouldn't be playing the position where that's an expectation. Even Stamkos is playing the wing in Tampa right now.

And as for Crosby, he's a center. Centers impact the game in a completely different way. He's also a generational talent that might be the best to lace em up since Mario Lemieux. Gaudreau was drafted in the 4th round.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Flames0910

It's the exact same complaint we had under GG.

It's like they switched to the uptempo system, had a tonne of regular season success, and then when they got crushed in the playoffs the coaching staff decided uptempo was too risky and would never work, threw out the whole system and went back to safe/slow hockey.

One thing became clear to me watching them play last night.

In the past they've been able to attack quickly because they won the puck back quickly. What I think some people don't realize from watching the games on TV and not live is that after we've spent 45 seconds defending in our zone you can't actually attack quickly because the forwards are exhausted and they need a complete line change. That's why the D slow it down and go D to D and piddle around. They're killing time for the entire forward line to change. It's quite obvious when you're there live because you see the line changes much more easily as your entire field of vision is the ice. Watching on TV really masks half the stuff going on.

So in this case being better defensively and winning the puck back earlier in the shift or winning the face-off leads to fast attacking options. Spend a whole shift pinned in our zone? We can't fast attack because we have to line change first.

I think some people really underestimate this aspect.

[Jason14h]

It sure is interesting how the attacks against posters pointing out a concern for JG partying and the impact it will have on his play has disappeared

Guess they are no longer internet rumour trolls....

[Pizza]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

It sure is interesting how the attacks against posters pointing out a concern for JG partying and the impact it will have on his play has disappeared

Guess they are no longer internet rumour trolls....

It really is unfortunate that CPers would go to that extreme

There was a chance to bring awareness to some issues that might snowball into bigger problems that would affect a player's on ice performance and subsequently the team. Perhaps with some awareness, preventative measures could be taken by the team coaches and managers before it really affected the player

But no, any negative news about a core player must be swept under the rug, the poster must be ridiculed and called a troll

[Strange Brew]

Quite a difference between negative news and rumors/innuendo. Or an invasion of an individual’s private life.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Pizza

It really is unfortunate that CPers would go to that extreme

There was a chance to bring awareness to some issues that might snowball into bigger problems that would affect a player's on ice performance and subsequently the team. Perhaps with some awareness, preventative measures could be taken by the team coaches and managers before it really affected the player

But no, any negative news about a core player must be swept under the rug, the poster must be ridiculed and called a troll

It's what happens when people deify sports players. They're just humans. But to some players like Gaudreau became like gods or idols. No criticism of their off ice behaviour was allowed in their world view.

[DiracSpike]

Probably a lot of stuff but overall, JMO, I don't think he wants to be here anymore. The contract he signed, Tkachuk making more, being so far from family and friends, being in the middle of a contract so who cares, it's all combining to make him disengage from this team and City. He won't be re-signing here. The tough part now is when to trade him to avoid getting 0. This offseason might dull the return due to how bad he's been, next season or the season after that he might be more plugged in due to it being closer to his contract expiring but then the diminished term might hurt the return. Plus it delays a necessary reboot of the team because it's going nowhere and JG should theoretically be the best asset to trade for the Flames. Tough call for BT, it will probably define his GM term and determine if he's still here three years from now. I could easily see the Flames trading him this offseason, getting a disappointing return, and have the old Johnny show up in New York or Boston lighting it up like he would not have done here.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Do people not grasp that posting slanderous things about a player can get this site sued?

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

I highly doubt Johnny's diet is so poor as to mimic that of a lethargic couch sponge that does nothing but sit around, gourge himself on garbage food and blow farts all day.

I feel personally attacked

[Fighting Banana Slug]

No one is above criticism, certainly not JG with his performance this year. i think most people are taking issue with unsubstantiated rumour of off ice issues, to be charitable. There is no place for that kind of speculation here, in my view. Friends of friends seeing him at Cowboys is not substantive reporting.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

One thing became clear to me watching them play last night.

In the past they've been able to attack quickly because they won the puck back quickly. What I think some people don't realize from watching the games on TV and not live is that after we've spent 45 seconds defending in our zone you can't actually attack quickly because the forwards are exhausted and they need a complete line change. That's why the D slow it down and go D to D and piddle around. They're killing time for the entire forward line to change. It's quite obvious when you're there live because you see the line changes much more easily as your entire field of vision is the ice. Watching on TV really masks half the stuff going on.

So in this case being better defensively and winning the puck back earlier in the shift or winning the face-off leads to fast attacking options. Spend a whole shift pinned in our zone? We can't fast attack because we have to line change first.

I think some people really underestimate this aspect.

Sometimes yes and sometimes no.

The D to D garbage isn’t isolated to when they have been hemmed in for a long shift.

Heck, even when it is, I saw Bennett a couple of games ago hop on the ice, skate back and run a route between the D and begin to head up ice to give them a moving target, they passed amongst themselves, he held up at the blue line, then they dumped it in once he stopped moving, and had no speed to get behind the D.

PS. You are funny. It appears that you think nobody here actually goes to games. If that is what you think, you are quite incorrect.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I feel personally attacked

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

I highly doubt Johnny's diet is so poor as to mimic that of a lethargic couch sponge that does nothing but sit around, gourge himself on garbage food and blow farts all day.

Hot Flatus knows farts.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

It's what happens when people deify sports players. They're just humans. But to some players like Gaudreau became like gods or idols. No criticism of their off ice behaviour was allowed in their world view.

People that fixate on athlete’s off ice behavior tend to be those that “deify” them as opposed to respecting their privacy.

This isn’t a celebrity gossip site and I like to think that most people that frequent this forum don’t care about that stuff.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Pizza

So have you ever heard of anyone eating nothing but nutella? or a pro athlete eating a whole pizza pie in their hotel room? That sounds like a lethargic couch sponge would do.

While I dont think his normal diet that extreme on a daily basis but I doubt his diet is close to what the average NHL player has

as I said, this diet likely hasnt changed, just his body's metabolism.

Pizza has all of the food groups, man. Balanced diet.

I thought you of all people would appreciate that.