[PGT] 6 in a row!! Flames defeat the Islanders 3-1

[Enoch Root]

Looking at Backlund...

First 23 games, 3G, 8A, 11P, .478 PPG pace
Last 36 games, 14G, 13A, 27P, .750 PPG pace

The guy has been fantastic. And a lot of people were writing him off early in the season.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Looking at Backlund...

First 23 games, 3G, 8A, 11P, .478 PPG pace
Last 36 games, 14G, 13A, 27P, .750 PPG pace

The guy has been fantastic. And a lot of people were writing him off early in the season.

I thought he was incredibly unlucky at the start of the year.

[devo22]

Backs was -21 last year. He's +30 this season.

I know +/- is a bit of a stupid stat, but a +51 jump is simply incredible.

[dash_pinched]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Looking at Backlund...

First 23 games, 3G, 8A, 11P, .478 PPG pace
Last 36 games, 14G, 13A, 27P, .750 PPG pace

The guy has been fantastic. And a lot of people were writing him off early in the season.

It's funny, I remember watching him in junior with Kelowna and marveled at his skill and was very pleased when the Flames drafted him. Obviously, he hasn't put up the offensive numbers that I thought he might (part of that is due to some injury issues in my opinion), but he's turned into a very good NHLer who plays a great 200 foot game. That was a wicked wrister last night.

[Ryan Coke]

Based on his comment last night, I bet he had a injury that affected his shot.

[Enoch Root]

sounds like it, yeah

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Ryan Coke

Based on his comment last night, I bet he had a injury that affected his shot.

I feel like everyone and their mother knew he had a right hand/wrist injury.

Biggest correllary I see is icetime. Backlund has been playing about 16:30 per game since Jan 1

[Toonage]

Backlund?

He did have an injury. Remember the report(s) that he couldn't shake people's hands with his right hand?

It reminded me of when I broke my thumb so I figured that could have happened to him.

[Hockey-and_stuff]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Looking at Backlund...

First 23 games, 3G, 8A, 11P, .478 PPG pace
Last 36 games, 14G, 13A, 27P, .750 PPG pace

The guy has been fantastic. And a lot of people were writing him off early in the season.

Either he was injured or just not confident in his play because he has taken off this year.

Another notable change is the type of goals he's been scoring. He's been dangling defenders and sniping corners this year as opposed to the last couple seasons where that didn't seem to happen as often.

Peters has clearly let Backlund off the leash a bit offensively and it is paying dividends.

[GioforPM]

His goal against the Caps made SN's plays of the month.

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by devo22

Backs was -21 last year. He's +30 this season.

I know +/- is a bit of a stupid stat, but a +51 jump is simply incredible.

Backlund always gets hard matchups and the team sucked last year, so it's no surprise his +/- was bad

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Looking at Backlund...

First 23 games, 3G, 8A, 11P, .478 PPG pace
Last 36 games, 14G, 13A, 27P, .750 PPG pace

The guy has been fantastic. And a lot of people were writing him off early in the season.

I think as fans we really underestimate injuries and are too quick to toss out words like "inconsistent" and "streaky". Mangiapane struggled for much of the season and Peters revealed that not only was he injured, but he had been hiding the injury.

i wouldn't be surprised if Monahan's playing through something right now.

[Otto-matic]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

I think as fans we really underestimate injuries and are too quick to toss out words like "inconsistent" and "streaky". Mangiapane struggled for much of the season and Peters revealed that not only was he injured, but he had been hiding the injury.

i wouldn't be surprised if Monahan's playing through something right now.

I wouldn't be surprised if Neal was working through an injury either.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Otto-matic

I wouldn't be surprised if Neal was working through an injury either.

He actually had an injury in Feb 2018 that could well have never been dealt with due to his free agency. Wouldn't be shocked if he finally has surgery after the season.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Looking at Backlund...

First 23 games, 3G, 8A, 11P, .478 PPG pace
Last 36 games, 14G, 13A, 27P, .750 PPG pace

The guy has been fantastic. And a lot of people were writing him off early in the season.

Just because Nov 30 takes us to game 25 for backlund:

First 25 (Oct. 3 - December 1):
3 Goals
10 Assists
S% 4.8
TOI 18:25
PP TOI 1:53
SH TOI 2:03


Last 33 (December 1 - Feb 27th):
12 Goals
10 Assists
S% 14.3
TOI 17:26
PP TOI 1:12
SH TOI 1:20

But since January 1 it's even more pronounced

Last 23 (Jan 1 to Feb 27th):
9 Goals
9 Assists
S% 14.1
TOI 16:38
PP TOI 0:48
SH TOI 1:01

I think limiting the minutes, and the type of minutes, Backlund is playing is paying off with big dividends for the overall quality of his minutes.

Big factor in this? Emergence of the bottom 2 lines. Derek Ryan on the PP, Hathaway and Jankowski on the PK.

[AC]

Originally Posted by Otto-matic

I wouldn't be surprised if Neal was working through an injury either.

Yeah. His first month or so especially he looked really laboured while trying to accelerate, he had a weird hitch to his first few strides. I know he's a slow skater but it was awkward and seemed painful.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Just because Nov 30 takes us to game 25 for backlund:

First 25 (Oct. 3 - December 1):
3 Goals
10 Assists
S% 4.8
TOI 18:25
PP TOI 1:53
SH TOI 2:03


Last 33 (December 1 - Feb 27th):
12 Goals
10 Assists
S% 14.3
TOI 17:26
PP TOI 1:12
SH TOI 1:20

But since January 1 it's even more pronounced

Last 23 (Jan 1 to Feb 27th):
9 Goals
9 Assists
S% 14.1
TOI 16:38
PP TOI 0:48
SH TOI 1:01

I think limiting the minutes, and the type of minutes, Backlund is playing is paying off with big dividends for the overall quality of his minutes.

Big factor in this? Emergence of the bottom 2 lines. Derek Ryan on the PP, Hathaway and Jankowski on the PK.

Yeah it appears he is a guy that does better with less ice.

Take him off the PP cause it looks like that relation to production is pretty clear?

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Yeah it appears he is a guy that does better with less ice.

Take him off the PP cause it looks like that relation to production is pretty clear?

Yeah, IMO, he's just not a powerplay player and you're better saving his minutes for 5-5 where he plays his best hockey.

Having Ryan able to take draws and make passes on the PP has freed up Backlund from that responsibility.

Incidentally, I hold the same belief for Bennett. He is at his best playing 9-12 minutes per night so that the quality of his minutes are more intense.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

He actually had an injury in Feb 2018 that could well have never been dealt with due to his free agency. Wouldn't be shocked if he finally has surgery after the season.

If that's the case, they should shut him down now to have the surgery so he can spend the summer training rather than rehabbing (like they did with Gillies a few years ago).

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Big factor in this? Emergence of the bottom 2 lines. Derek Ryan on the PP, Hathaway and Jankowski on the PK.

Peters said that they're making a conscience effort to reduce the ice time of the top two lines and the top two defense pairings.