Johnny Needs Protection

[Aarongavey]

I would get 4 goons, one for each line. Everyone is protected then. Try Peluso on the 1st line for 10 games. If (when) it does not work out going goon, draft Jack Hughes.

[robbie111]

The obvious answer is to injure the other teams best player no matter what penalty gets taken. It sends a message. Start with a good spearing major, that's what I say. Then follow it up with a two handed axe felling swing to that players wrists. Dress someone you don't care about being suspended and let him go nuts. After that run a referee for good measure and then have one of your fans drop hot coffee on the other coach.

[pepper24]

When we had Ferland on his line this wasn’t happening and he could contribute offensively as well. That’s a value Lindholm cannot provide when looking back at trade. I dare anyone to run Aho.

[memphusk]

Originally Posted by pepper24

When we had Ferland on his line this wasn’t happening and he could contribute offensively as well. That’s a value Lindholm cannot provide when looking back at trade. I dare anyone to run Aho.

Giordano did and Ferland did nothing.

[Poe969]

How good would it have been to get Ryan Reeves. I think he'd be a great fit on this team.

[Kybb79]

Originally Posted by memphusk

Giordano did and Ferland did nothing.

The last time we had this topic was before Ferland was put on Johnnys line. It is back now because Ferland is gone. Gio is a great Dman but he is a terrible fighter. No one is scared of Gio.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Kybb79

The last time we had this topic was before Ferland was put on Johnnys line. It is back now because Ferland is gone. Gio is a great Dman but he is a terrible fighter. No one is scared of Gio.

whoosh

[PsYcNeT]

Hey this works again.

[GullFoss]

Johnny should just sit out games up in the press box. Because the best protection is abstinence.

[Always Earned Never Given]

Flames should try something new on the PP. On the face-off, get waved twice, penalty and play 4 on 4 for 2 full minutes.

And if other teams gets another penalty, repeat and play 3 on 3

Think outside the box as Flames are better in counter attacks than set plays.

This would equate to less liberties on Johnny

[Split98]

Originally Posted by Always Earned Never Given

Flames should try something new on the PP. On the face-off, get waved twice, penalty and play 4 on 4 for 2 full minutes.

And if other teams gets another penalty, repeat and play 3 on 3

Think outside the box as Flames are better in counter attacks than set plays.

Love the idea, and maybe some good use we can put Peluso too.

Right at the faceoff, grab the puck and toss it to a fan. March your way right to the penalty box to even things up and give us a chance.

[CroFlames]

Team toughness is the key. If all lines have some degree of grit, the opposition is conditioned to think twice about dirty plays or big hits.



Flames have a handful of those players, Tkachuk, Bennett, Neal, but there is an overall lack of team toughness. I know the march towards non-contact and non-fighting is inevitable, but for now, intimidation still plays a big role.

[Sutter_in_law]

Originally Posted by codynw

So your solution is to acquire a horrible contract, and still have no "protection" for Johnny because Wilson is constantly suspended?

whoosh!

[shutout]

We need to trade for Kurtis MacDermid from the Kings, and Brendan Woods from the Hurricanes. Bring both of them up and play them with Peluso, Prout, and Gaudreau.

Like old style Russian five man units.

Gaudreau - Woods - Peluso
Prout - MacDermid

[flambers]

Unfortunately with the trade of Ferland, players are taking runs at Gaudreau.

Flames were really really lucky the hit by Benn in the Habs game didn't cause an serious injury

Sure an effective power play would be great, however that's not the case.

Flames coaching have no real answer for this issue.....

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Team toughness is the key. If all lines have some degree of grit, the opposition is conditioned to think twice about dirty plays or big hits.



Flames have a handful of those players, Tkachuk, Bennett, Neal, but there is an overall lack of team toughness. I know the march towards non-contact and non-fighting is inevitable, but for now, intimidation still plays a big role.

The Flames are playing 8-9 Lady Byng candidates.

Gaudreau and Brodie and Monahan are skilled enough that they deserve protection ... Czarnik and Ryan and Anderssen and Valimaki are not.

Especially the young guys usually come into the NHL and play a harder game that might not be sustainable but they make sure they contribute physically and don't need someone else to step up and do the dirty work.

Guys that did not make Croflames tough list:

Jankowski is not going to be shut down centre. Physically capable but too polite.

Gio - Playing a physically less demanding game at age 35.

[Tacopuck]

Has anyone suggested LASER SKATES?

[GioforPM]

People took runs at Gaudreau before. Players have then gone after the hitter sometimes, but it really hasn't made much of a difference. Not to mention the fact that having Ferland on the line didn't stop all the slashes to Johnny's hands.

http://dropyourgloves.com/Fights/Gam...px?Game=537655

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaC2wBTsNr8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGEzPtsF_CQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMtkur4bEAw

[Huntingwhale]

Players are going after Gaudreau hard. And with him getting crush seemingly every game, it's going to continue as players now know they can run him hard and he'll go flying.

But a lot of that has to do with Johnny seemingly being less agile and elusive. He's going into corners hard and playing like he's 6 feet tall. I've noticed he seems willing to collide and take players head on. It's good in theory that he's engaged that way. But that's not what makes Gaudreau the star he is. It's the elusiveness and the way he avoids contact that's given him success.

Before this season you could count on 1 hand the number of big hits he's taken. This season, it's at least a couple of hits a game and he's often slow to get up. Part of me thinks it's because he did so well avoiding checks for so long, that maybe he figures he can play a bit more physical and still get away with it. Almost like he's tempting fate because he got away with it for so long.

IMO it's not as much that Johnny needs protection, but more so he needs to get back to playing like the elusive little #### that he is. He doesn't need to be a mucker along the boards. He's a different player then the average NHL player in that he has an entirely different skill set then most, and that's what has made him successful. If that means him turning over the puck along the boards because he's avoiding a hit, then I'll gladly take that over him getting run over because he thinks he can compete physically against men twice his size and risking injury.

And as mentioned before, maybe if the Flames had a good PP and made team regret taking penalties it would help more. If you take penalties against the Caps, you know you're going to pay for it at some point and the coach is going to be pissed at you. But it seems take a penalty vs the Flames and it's actually the PK team that seems to gain momentum.

[Yamer]

Ferland was not a deterrent.