Dec 14 Practice Notes: Backlund and Smith will travel with team on road trip

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Maybe not, but he is certainly more likely to put up points than Bennett and is unequivocally better defensively. I can see Frolik getting to 40ish pts with a full season of Backlund and Tkachuk....assuming healthy. Bennett looks like he will never be able to do that.

Agreed that Neal should be the easy solution but when has anything come easy for this club?

By age I don't know if I agree.

I'd assume Frolik has topped out or is in decline to some point. Hard to say. I won't talk about empty net goals or I'll drive some crazy.

If Bennett never finds it though, hard to disagree. He hasn't been productive. I'm just one of the few that still holds out hope based on numbers.

[FBI]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Last year Jankowski recorded three powerplay points in 58:36. In 2018 Derek Ryan has four powerplay points in 52:50. I think the advantages of swapping Jankowski and Ryan are either entirely misconstrued or badly exaggerated.

Not that simple, who do you think has more potential to have more powerplay points over the next 4 years? Ryan is what he is. It would be beneficial to see what Janko can potentially be.

[Always Earned Never Given]

Originally Posted by Cycling76er

That's not his schtick

Correct! His schtick is to throw the lines in the blender when things aren't going right instead of a twig!

[Rollin22x]

Originally Posted by keenan87

First shift of the game... the fans look up and there is a cage coming down from the rafters right to the middle of the ice.

Tag-Team match:

Backlund+Giordano (Gaudreau as manager)

vs.

Koivu+Dumba (Staal as manager)

The winning team gets to join Connor McDavid for dinner one night!

The losing team has to have dinner with Connor would be more motivational.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by FBI

Not that simple, who do you think has more potential to have more powerplay points over the next 4 years? Ryan is what he is. It would be beneficial to see what Janko can potentially be.

Four years from now? That has virtually nothing to do with this season. I don't dispute that Ryan "is what he is" but as of today and likely for the balance of the season he is a better all-round player than Jankowski.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Bingo

By age I don't know if I agree.

I'd assume Frolik has topped out or is in decline to some point. Hard to say. I won't talk about empty net goals or I'll drive some crazy.

If Bennett never finds it though, hard to disagree. He hasn't been productive. I'm just one of the few that still holds out hope based on numbers.

Maybe he is...but at age 30 i dont think its a hinderance at this point. Perhaps his injury recovery abilities are affected but i don't believe his skating is....or maybe i just hope that's the case?

At any rate I just can't believe Bennett is the answer for top 6 minutes... even if the fancy stats suggest he should be, because the eye test says exactly the opposite.

Neal needs to damn well figure it out, then everyone slots in where they should and would be most effective.

[GioforPM]

The answer to Jankowski versus Ryan on PP2 is probably "none of the above". In fact, it might be Lindholm:

Gaudreau/Monahan/Neal/Tkachuk/Gio

Bennett/Lindholm/Czarnik (or Janko/Mangiapane)/Brodie/Andersson

Long run, I'd like to see what Dube or even Quine could do.

Until the team starts losing on a regular basis I don't see much point in questioning Peters' choices though.

ETA: I had Neal on two units. Part of the point of my lines was to put him with Gaudreau. Czarnik/Jankowski/Mangiapane on unit 2 isn't ideal but not everyone is a scorer on a PP unit. Hell, put Hathaway there in front of the net.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

I can't say I have been very impressed with Czarnik so far this season. 1 point and -5 in the last 10 games.

Hard to get down on the guy when he has not played enough and not utilized properly. I like most of what Peters does but not his handling of Czarnik.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Last year Jankowski recorded three powerplay points in 58:36. In 2018 Derek Ryan has four powerplay points in 52:50. I think the advantages of swapping Jankowski and Ryan are either entirely misconstrued or badly exaggerated.

Would be a fair comparison if the efficiency of the two powerplays was the same.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

The answer to Jankowski versus Ryan on PP2 is probably "none of the above". In fact, it might be Lindholm:

Gaudreau/Monahan/Neal/Tkachuk/Gio

Bennett/Lindholm/Neal/Brodie/Andersson

Long run, I'd like to see what Dube or even Quine could do.

Until the team starts losing on a regular basis I don't see much point in questioning Peters' choices though.

I doubt you will see Peters and company go to 2 different configurations on the PP.

Its either 3 F's and 2 D or 4 F's and 1 D for both.

Continuity and repetition are just to important for success in those areas IMO.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Hard to get down on the guy when he has not played enough and not utilized properly. I like most of what Peters does but not his handling of Czarnik.

When Czarnik shows something, I imagine Peters will give him more. To me, his play has explained why he gets attention from teams when he's available, but not a lot of time after he's on a team. His compete level isn't great, he stays outside a lot - not in the dirty areas. He's a bit like Sven.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Flames Fan, Ph.D.

Would be a fair comparison if the efficiency of the two powerplays was the same.

Maybe. But for both players these are second-unit minutes, and with the low number it is pretty difficult to determine which of these players ihas a greater share in the effectiveness/ineffectiveness of his unit's powerplay production.

But my point was not too suggest that Ryan has been a good fit on the powerplay. It was rather an attempt to balance some of the exaggerated opinions of some of the Flames players. Jankowski is not really a better option to play ahead of Ryan, and yet discussions tend to focus on Ryan's second-line promotion as some outrageous and obvious injustice. It's not.

[868904]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Last year Jankowski recorded three powerplay points in 58:36. In 2018 Derek Ryan has four powerplay points in 52:50. I think the advantages of swapping Jankowski and Ryan are either entirely misconstrued or badly exaggerated.

I think it makes a whole lot more sense to swap Ryan with Andersson on the PP. Andersson has greater offensive instincts and also a good point shot. He can also make better zone entries too.

It’s clear they like the right shot in that place and Andersson fits that too.

It’s just a better utilization of the skill on this team.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by transplant99

I doubt you will see Peters and company go to 2 different configurations on the PP.

Its either 3 F's and 2 D or 4 F's and 1 D for both.

Continuity and repetition are just to important for success in those areas IMO.

Maybe not. Sometimes I think it's a benefit to having two different looks or styles to the PP. You can counter different PKs.

But I wasn't thinking of using Brodie as a D on PP2. I thought of him more in the Gaudreau role. He's the best puck carrier/passer in that group.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Hard to get down on the guy when he has not played enough and not utilized properly. I like most of what Peters does but not his handling of Czarnik.

I'm not down on him, I just don't see what others do in him. I understand that he hasn't been playing choice assignments with choice players. Still,what has he done to prove that he should get those chances? The few times he has played greater assignments nothing came from it. I understand that averaging 10:47 a night isn't conducive to great counting stats. However, Most nights he is not making the most of his time, even Lomberg and Hathway has been making impactful plays,even with less ice time. what has he done to prove that he deserves more.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Maybe not. Sometimes I think it's a benefit to having two different looks or styles to the PP. You can counter different PKs.

But I wasn't thinking of using Brodie as a D on PP2. I thought of him more in the Gaudreau role. He's the best puck carrier/passer in that group.

This is a bit beside the point, but am I correct in thinking that the second hit has been more productive as of late? They certainly have looked better to me than they did through the first 5/6 weeks.

[rohara66]

Says a lot about Gio....

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Michael Russo @RussoHockey
Koivu said Mark Giordano texted him and apologized. Koivu called it a “classy move.” #mnwild

Says a lot about Dumba....

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Pat Steinberg @Fan960Steinberg
Mikael Backlund on the Matt Dumba hit that put him out of action just over a week ago: “I had my head down, but...40 seconds left, I don’t know if he has to do that. I think it’s an unnecessary play. Says a lot about the guy.” #Flames

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

When Czarnik shows something, I imagine Peters will give him more. To me, his play has explained why he gets attention from teams when he's available, but not a lot of time after he's on a team. His compete level isn't great, he stays outside a lot - not in the dirty areas. He's a bit like Sven.

Czarnik does not fore check well, or win a lot of board battles.


Czarnik to me is a prototypical open ice player. I don't have a problem with that, but to find success in that role, you need to make the most of the space you are given when you have the puck, and be able to put the puck into open ice well. Moreover, you need to defend passing lanes well. It is debatable if he has been effective in doing that.

[Bingo]

Your eye test. Not “the” eye test.

When Bennett was on that line had more going in than at any other point this season.

Not sure why he let up for 3-4 games. He doesn’t have the production tone made up on the forecheck and energy.


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[oldschoolcalgary]

sure hope johnny wears gloves with extra padding.... Have zero respect for Minnesota and get the feeling they are going to take liberties with Johnny tomorrow night