[PGT] Gillies gets the win! 5-2 over the Coyotes!

[smiggy77]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

Well thank goodness they won.

220+ games into his NHL career, and Sam Bennett gets one of his few first starts on a Top NHL Line, and ends up with 2 points, and helps to spark the top line back to the score sheet.

Please don't trade bennett. Instead, please put him in a position to succeed by playing him with other offensive talent.

I really don't care what happens with this team this season. However, Bennett development is so crucial to this team's progression from rebuilding to a true contender. So unless they can trade for a young player with a similar level of potential, it's just not worth it.

I don’t believe in giving up on Sam either but to be clear, he has been given SO many opportunities with very skilled players since he was drafted. They’ve always tried to put him in a position to succeed but if he brings down the top line, you need your strongest performers to be put in a spot to succeed.

I think like most others have stated, he seems to just have confidence issues and maybe not the strongest IQ. I hope this is a new Sam Bennett out there and not the one that goes back into his mental cave. He or Jankowski really are the keys to making us a contender with three strong lines.

[YourMother]

Originally Posted by smiggy77

I don’t believe in giving up on Sam either but to be clear, he has been given SO many opportunities with very skilled players since he was drafted. They’ve always tried to put him in a position to succeed but if he brings down the top line, you need your strongest performers to be put in a spot to succeed.

I think like most others have stated, he seems to just have confidence issues and maybe not the strongest IQ. I hope this is a new Sam Bennett out there and not the one that goes back into his mental cave. He or Jankowski really are the keys to making us a contender with three strong lines.

I feel like he actually hasn’t been put in a great situation to succeed to this point. Forced to play centre which he struggled with very clearly, played primarily with Brouwer last year and this year with two rookies. He had chemistry in the pre-season with Johnny but tonight was the first time we’ve seen that since. Maybe I’m missing something.

[Dion]

http://flames.ice.nhl.com/club/galle...n=/photos&pg=1

[AC]

This Gillies interview is really great I thought:

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by AC

This Gillies interview is really great I thought:

Well spoken down to earth guy. I enjoyed that as well.

[N-E-B]

That was a great game, I hope to see more of that down the stretch! Bennett seems to have injected a little life into the first line. Wouldn't mind seeing that experiment continue for a few more games. Could do wonders for Bennett's confidence too, which I think he's struggled with.

[jg13]

Nice to see Mama Gaudreau come around on the city after she was hesitant on Johnny playing in Calgary

"Calgary has that family atmosphere"

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by browna

According to the other ridiculous thread it was possibly only a matter of days until the teeth fell out due to tooth decay anyways.

Johnny has vegetable deficiency induced scurvy?

[HockeyKhan]

The Flames are now 9-0-0 when Jankowski scores!

[rhino]

Originally Posted by smiggy77

I don’t believe in giving up on Sam either but to be clear, he has been given SO many opportunities with very skilled players since he was drafted. They’ve always tried to put him in a position to succeed but if he brings down the top line, you need your strongest performers to be put in a spot to succeed.

I think like most others have stated, he seems to just have confidence issues and maybe not the strongest IQ. I hope this is a new Sam Bennett out there and not the one that goes back into his mental cave. He or Jankowski really are the keys to making us a contender with three strong lines.

Please elaborate on SO many opportunities with very skilled players?.?.? His first full season he played wing with Backlund and Frolik and did fairly well. Last season played 3rd line centre with not very skilled players and started this year the same before moving to wing. Most of his career has been on the third line with good players but not highly skilled ones.

[-TC-]

Loved that Ferly scrap!

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by YourMother

I feel like he actually hasn’t been put in a great situation to succeed to this point. Forced to play centre which he struggled with very clearly, played primarily with Brouwer last year and this year with two rookies. He had chemistry in the pre-season with Johnny but tonight was the first time we’ve seen that since. Maybe I’m missing something.

"Forced" to play centre? How memories fade. When Bennett started out here, on wing, posters were apoplectic that he wasn't being used as centre.

As for his linemates, what you are suggesting is that he be gifted top line minutes when he hadn't done anything yet. Both Monahan and Johnny started in the third line and succeeded. Also, if you had put him on the top line, you put him against top defenders. If you play him on Backlund's line, you are giving him heavy defensive responsibility. Putting a young player in a position to succeed usually means putting them on a line that will get lots of offensive zone starts without a top defensive opposition, and without having to play a checking role.

Last year he played with Brouwer, true. But Brouwer was expected to be an offensive contributor. That's not on the coaches and not indicative of not putting Bennett in a position to succeed. This year he was given Jagr and Jankowski. I think the GM and coaches fairly expected more offence from Jagr, and Jankowski is a decent centre who will improve.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by smiggy77

I don’t believe in giving up on Sam either but to be clear, he has been given SO many opportunities with very skilled players since he was drafted. They’ve always tried to put him in a position to succeed but if he brings down the top line, you need your strongest performers to be put in a spot to succeed.

I think like most others have stated, he seems to just have confidence issues and maybe not the strongest IQ. I hope this is a new Sam Bennett out there and not the one that goes back into his mental cave. He or Jankowski really are the keys to making us a contender with three strong lines.

What opportunities has he gotten?

This is his first real opportunity that I can honestly recall. Ferland has been giving much more than Bennett has.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by Joborule

What opportunities has he gotten?

This is his first real opportunity that I can honestly recall. Ferland has been giving much more than Bennett has.

Bennett was given time with johnny hockey when Mony was injured. They looked good together for a period in one game and had no chemistry in another game.

Hope this works out for Bennett but I'm keeping my expectations down. Wouldn't be surprised if its just a one or 2 game thing.

[wingmaker]

People really want Bennett to succeed, which I totally agree with, but there is also a lot of needing for it to be someone else's fault that he hasn't yet. Sometimes, it just takes time. Bennett has absolutely been given the same opportunities that other young players have been given. He was put on Backlund's line for a season and did pretty well but not as well as Tkachuk did in his rookie season. He was given the same role as Monahan had in his first season when he put on a 20+ goal season and didn't do as well. He has been put with Jankowski on a line that starts primarily in the offensive zone and Jankowski has more goals than he does. Quite frankly, there have been long stretches where Bennett played like garbage and was allowed to play through it.

Hopefully Bennett puts it together. And perhaps with a stint on the top line at this point in his development that will happen. But that doesn't mean that the Flames were holding him back. For whatever reason, Bennett has taken time to become an effective NHLer, and he may not even be that consistently yet. It's not anyone's fault. It is just the way it works sometimes. Backlund also took time to develop into a good player.

[Travis Munroe]

Even if they struggle big time next game, you need to keep them together. Force them to struggle for multiple games and then change it up but don't completely give Bennett the boom or bust treatment otherwise it is setting him up to bust.

I hope Bennett succeeds big time on this top line but if it goes cold, swap he and Tkachuk.... it gives Johny and Mony a top line winger + gives Bennett another kick at playing with elite players.

[Heavy Jack]

Frolik doesn't scream offensively elite to me ~ he's a good 200 foot player (though he has been somewhat off the past 10 games since coming back from that injury) I think a clear need to upgrade on this team is the 2nd line RW. Ferland has shown he can play there for extended periods, Bennett had a good look, Tkachuk almost surely could spend time there as well. Focus here needs to be getting a top 6 RW for the Tkachuk/Backlund duo and allow from with in players to play with Johnny/Money ~ whom ever has the hot hand at the time.

Gaudreau - Monahan - Ferland/Bennett
Tkachuk - Backlund - TOP 6 RW
Ferland/Bennett - Jankowski - Frolik

That top 9 is far more balanced IMO ~ the question is which winger do we find for the top 6 spot, what is the cost ect.

I think there is a deal to be made here and I want to see Flames management do everything they can to get it done.

[Travis Munroe]

Originally Posted by Kybb79

Nice win tonight! Ferly is hurt that explains his poor play. Lots of hate for him around here. 1.75 million a season he has earned his money by far.

He could be a 3m guy on a 5 year contract and I wouldnt have any issues about it. You will struggle to find me a guy who can play on any of the 4 lines and adjust to the role of that line. He stepped up big when needed and played outside his role on the top line. He can drop the gloves without hesitation and with the toughest in the league. He can grind you out hard with clean and heavy checks... I said it last night but outside of Tkachuk and Smith, I am not sure there is a bigger heart/sould teammate than Ferland.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Amazing to me how different this era is from pretty much any other in team history.

The Flames other than Gary Roberts have never really had a star left winger ... now they have Gaudreau and Tkachuk.

Right Wing History

Iginla
Fleury
Nilsson
Loob
McDonald
Mullen
Makarov
Hudler
Bure

Left Wing History

Roberts
Tanguay
Gaudreau
Tkachuk
Gelinas

[cannon7]

Gaudreau and Bennett lit it up in the first preseason game. Then they were promptly kept apart for much of the season after that. Mind boggling.