[GDT] Flames @ Rangers, 5 pm, SNW/SN, NHLNetwork (US)

[tvp2003]

I actually hope we see Lundqvist play tonight.

After we pump 4 goals past Raanta in the first period, the game should be hopefully out of reach by then.

[Huntingwhale]

Possible Stanley Cup final preview

[heep223]

Bennett has been ok, he needs to put on weight and that will come. I agree that he should spend a night in the press box at this point and be coached through the game from above. It's all part of his development!

[hockey.modern]

Hasn't Raanta been pretty good for them though?

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by hockey.modern

Hasn't Raanta been pretty good for them though?

Nilsson was very good for Edmonton until Friday. Raanta has played a grand total of one game this season, so "pretty good" is also to be taken within the context of a tiny sample size. In any event, facing him is better than facing Lundquist.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by hockey.modern

Hasn't Raanta been pretty good for them though?

He has played one game for them so far. He shut out San Jose on 22 shots last Monday.

[Gaskal]

If one or two lucky bounces pinball their way into the Rangers net, I think the floodgates open.

[hwy19man]

Game is also on Sportsnet One and TVA Sports in french.


USA
Sirius Radio-- Siri Internet 926
XM Radio-- XM Internet 926
SXM Radio-- SXM Internet 926

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Nilsson was very good for Edmonton until Friday. Raanta has played a grand total of one game this season, so "pretty good" is also to be taken within the context of a tiny sample size. In any event, facing him is better than facing Lundquist.

I would rather have 33 year old Lundqvist on the second night of a back to back that went to Overtime and then a Shootout.

[polak]

If we can pull out a win from a great team like the Rangers I think everyone will get some confidence back. This could be a season changing win.

[hockey.modern]

Originally Posted by polak

If we can pull out a win from a great team like the Rangers I think everyone will get some confidence back. This could be a season changing win.

Didn't they get the confidence they needed back last game?

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by hockey.modern

Didn't they get the confidence they needed back last game?

Another come from behind OT win with a late third period goal to tie? I think they need a regulation win to really be confident.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Another come from behind OT win with a late third period goal to tie? I think they need a regulation win to really be confident.

They were by far the better team for the last two periods. Process more than results should give them confidence

[locsofblu]

Go flames Go!

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

The point isn't whether he deserves ice time. It's about what's best for his development. If he's not getting ice time he needs to be sent back to Kingston.

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

It has to. 15+ minutes a game was Burke's condition for keeping Monahan up at the same age and it should be the same for Bennett especially as Bennett has MORE upside than Sean. Sam played 10:20 last game, that's Brandon Bollig minutes. If this persists for 3-4 more games it should absolutely be a consideration to send him down.

First off all, talking about him getting 7 minutes a night is a farce - he has averaged 14 minutes per game so far.

Second, he was too good for junior last year. Sending him back would be a complete waste of his season and would likely only instill bad habits.

He is not the first 19 year old the coaching staff has worked with. Show some patience, they know what they are doing.

Even if he does get less than 10 minutes tonight, that doesn't mean he is going to get less than 10 minutes every night. Its a long season. There are 75 games remaining.

Also, he is a competitor. If he doesn't like his ice-time, he will try harder next shift.

And you think Hartley needs to show some longer-term thinking? FFS.

[saillias]

Getting sick of the NY teams owning us in low scoring, boring games. Didn't get a single win out of the NY teams last year. We need to get a few points out of these Eastern road trips if we want a divisional playoff spot, because it's unlikely we will have the same dominant record against the Pacific.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I will jump in with the Bennett argument a little. Bennett has looked good (mostly) but hasn't been getting on the stat sheet much. This is much better than Bennett just looking bad and overwhelmed, of course. However, remember when Hartley sometimes demoted Backlund to the 4th line, or scratched him completely because he wasn't producing? Remember when Hartley had the talk with Monahan about worrying too much about defence and not putting up enough points? Remember even when he had a talk with Wotherspoon about "Don't limit yourself to being a defensive-defencemen, you could be a good 2-way guy"? Hartley is a guy that has very high expectations and demands that his players perform - especially rookies. I think he challenges them the right way.

Who has failed under his watch? Baertschi - who doesn't look much like an NHL'er anyways. Hartley has a long history of doing wonders with rookies/very young players. Tanguays, Drury, Hejduk, Kovalchuk, Heatley, Monahan, Gaudreau - those were all 'superstars' (or are quickly on their way to becoming one) under his tenure. Also solid role guys like Jooris seem to blossom under Hartley. It is fine to have a differing opinion than Hartley - nobody is above criticism and nobody is perfect. However, after 2 games of reduced minutes (and if only Bennett doesn't respond tonight), I think it is extremely premature to start labeling Hartley as a guy who is bad for rookies. His experience and results more than speak for themselves. I just really find it absolutely hilarious that people still think he is terrible for rookies. It is an incredibly laughable comment when you actually consider the facts!

As for the game tonight...

Rangers are a good team that had a tough game last night, and lost in a SO. Tough to predict how teams respond after. Hopefully they will come out flat-footed and the Flames can take advantage. Flames might be the ones that come out a bit flat after the layoff. The Flames last year (IIRC anyways) were much better in B2B games themselves. Flames also did relatively poorly against the Eastern teams last season. They lost to Washington already (though, in all fairness, the Flames were hardly looking like up until the last game). Hopefully they have cast-off all heebie jeebies that were messing them up, made a couple of sacrifices to the hockey Gods (something involving an Oiler hopefully) and all is right in their own game now. Flames will need to do better against the Eastern teams this year. Vancouver feasted on them last year (also, IIRC). HOpefully the Flames blow them out 15-0. Let the Erixon curse forever haunt them!

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

Possible Stanley Cup final preview

Pfft the Rangers won't make it out of the east.

[foshizzle11]

I spent the afternoon watching game 6 from last season. That was the first time I've watched it again. I love this team.

Please play with half the intensity of that game and we will tonight. A tired opponent, backup goalie, feeling high after Friday's win. We got this.

[FireItUp]

This is Gaudreau's (home) road trip, I expect him to be even better then he already has been.