[GDT] Flames @ Hurricanes, battle of the fireman helmet teams, 5 p.m., SNW

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by DropIt

Im going to guess this game goes just like the last meet up. Carolina is a bad, bad team

They've been good since they finished their west coast trip - 4-0-1. Wouldn't expect a cake walk.

[J epworth]

Originally Posted by keenan87

Jeff Skinner is playing on the third line? Hasn't he been one of their best players for a few seasons now.

He's been really off since his concussion to start the year this season. Ice times been cut to less than 12 minutes the last few games. He just can't get anything going right now, looks really concerning for him. Hate how concussions can just change a player so drastically, so crappy for them.

[DJones]

Thumbs up just for that Gif haha. Priceless

[sureLoss]

Baertschi is confirmed out

Calgary Flames @NHLFlames
Sven Baertschi (virus) will not skate this morning and will not play tonight. #CGYvsCAR

[DJones]

Any guesses on who Reinhart plays with?

[DionTheDman]

Hopefully Sven will be watching from the press box, and learn from it in the same way that JG did.

[JJ1532]

Interesting to see who gets put in his place on the roster? Obviously Jooris will move up from the 4th line, but who replaces him on the 4th? McGratton or Reinhart? I'll wait and see what develops before making any comments.

[sureLoss]

Derek Wills @Fan960Wills
#Flames power play at morning skate:

Gaudreau-Monahan-Jones
Russell-Giordano

Glencross-Jooris-Hudler
Brodie-Giordano

guessing Wideman is with Russell and the two giordanos is a typo

[sureLoss]

Reinhart on Byron's line, essentially taking Baertschi's spot

Roger Millions @RogMillions
#Flames Lines..-
Glencross Monahan Jones-
Bollig Bouma Jooris-
Gaudreau Granlund Hudler-
reinhart Byron settoguchi.

Roger Millions @RogMillions
#Flames D+G+
Giordano Brodie,
Russell Wideman,
Smid Engelland
Hiller.

[GioforPM]

Hmmm - no Wideman on the PP?

[polak]

Gaudreau with a hat trick.

Flames win 4-3.

[ClubFlames]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Derek Wills @Fan960Wills
#Flames power play at morning skate:

Gaudreau-Monahan-Jones
Russell-Giordano

Glencross-Jooris-Hudler
Brodie-Giordano

guessing Wideman is with Russell and the two giordanos is a typo

We are still 3 Giordano's behind the Oilers.

[sureLoss]

hmm so it is actually Byron-Reinhart-Setoguchi

Wes Gilbertson @SUNGilbertson
Looks like #Flames Max Reinhart will work at centre tonight, with Paul Byron shifting to left side.

[JJ1532]

Setoguchi off the powerplay. Good, he's been given a chance, not really taken it. Obviously that could all change.

Right then, looking at our projected lines, I have this concern: Brian McGratton. He is clearly a fantastic guy to have in the locker room and his experience has clearly rubbed off on Monahan over the last 6 months(maybe more, dunno). Like others I'm sure, I am happy to have him around the locker room, both short and long term. But clearly with the fact that the management have elected to have him as a healthy scratch for all the road trip but use Jooris, Granlund, Ferland and now Reinhart ahead of him, is his NHL Hockey career finished? Because it looks to me like it is. And if it is, then what point is there in paying him his salary or having him on the roster from a hockey point of view?

Would it be wise to rip up his contract and employ him in some sort of coaching mentoring role, rather than have him sat in the press box as a healthy scratch every night? I mean, that roster spot could be filled permanently by Jooris, Granlund, Ferland etc.

Its not an issue now, but once Stajan, Backlund, Colborne and Raymond return to fitness, it might well be.

[GioforPM]

I'd rather see McGrattan healthy scratched every night than those guys. I'd rather see them playing in the AHL as opposed to sitting.

His salary's not a concern with this team.

[Travis Munroe]

His salary is of no concern and he is making more sitting in the box than he is being employed with some sort of mentoring role.
Also, I would love nothing more than to see Gratts stick around in the organization however there is a big difference between him as a player and him having a role. Its easier to bond with the guys when your playing on the team. I think it could be a bit awkward for him to take on any sort of role. Unless Hartley wants to hold more fighting clinics in practice...

[Yrebmi]

Ok I'll ask.
Did we get the Fire hat gig from them or vise versa?
Or did the fireman hat evolve from the hard working hard hat independently?

[sureLoss]

Yeah McGrattan being a constant healthy scratch isn't really a concern.

If he wasn't there than you would most likely have another prospect sitting out most of the time.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Yrebmi

Ok I'll ask.
Did we get the Fire hat gig from them or vise versa?
Or did the fireman hat evolve from the hard working hard hat independently?

They had a hard hat in the past. Last year it was changed to fire hat in gratutude to the firemen's work at the dome in the flood.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Just wait, we will need McGrattan when we face Vancouver, L.A., Anaheim, and maybe San Jose. Once in a while you need a big, bad, enforcer to keep the bigger, dirtier teams honest against a smaller lineup.