Practice notes Dec 3 - major forward line shakeup

[MisterJoji]

If these lines stick, I’d love for Johnny to be the one who sets up Lucic for couple. He’s playing great, really looks like he’s about to breakout. Also having Lucic on his line might create a bit more space for Johnny.

[EVERLAST]

I'd like Dube on top line instead of est bread but I'll take it.

This team is so stagnant and dammit its Fata time a shakeup occurred.
Inject some enthusiasm playing with new linemates.
Ward isnt stupid and neither are Gelinas and Conroy.

Try something new heaven forbid it works because what was being tried and retried and dead horsed to death wasnt working.

Keep pushing that square peg hey Bill.....what a breath of fresh air.

We have the talent in spades....now get to work!!!

Thanks GW

[calumniate]

Gfg

[bax]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

He's really not though. Especially when you consider how much ice time, and offensive opportunity he's been getting.

He has 8 points at 5v5 in 29 games - that not good production at all when you are getting first line minutes.

Only 99 forwards have played over 350 minutes at 5v5 (call it top line minutes), his 8 points leave him as a tie for 16th worst in that category.

However it's even worse when you consider that he's played a lot more than others in that range. His 1.11 points per 60 minutes at 5v5 are the 9th worst among forwards that have played 350 minutes or more at 5v5.

At 5v5 he's been one of the worst "top line" forwards in the league this year. And his production only looks respectable since he gets a lot of PP time and has been able to put up some points there.

Not sure where you are getting your information from, but I don't think it's accurate. I see that he has 13 5v5 points this season. Still not great, but not as dire as a picture as you are painting. Still well within the definition of a top 6 forward. He is also in a spell of bad luck. His shooting percentage won't stay this low forever.

I'm not arguing that Gaudreau has been good. He has been bad by his standards given what we have seen in the past. I'm just saying that calling him out for "not playing like a top 6 forward" isn't accurate.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by bax

Not sure where you are getting your information from, but I don't think it's accurate. I see that he has 13 5v5 points this season. Still not great, but not as dire as a picture as you are painting. Still well within the definition of a top 6 forward. He is also in a spell of bad luck. His shooting percentage won't stay this low forever.

I'm not arguing that Gaudreau has been good. He has been bad by his standards given what we have seen in the past. I'm just saying that calling him out for "not playing like a top 6 forward" isn't accurate.

He only has 8 points at 5v5.

He has 13 at Even Strength. He has put up 5 points in his 40 or so minutes at either 4v4, or 3v3, which is actually kind of inflating his point totals. He still has been good in situations where there is more space on the ice for him.

It's pretty fair to say that he hasn't played like a top 6 forward this season.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

He only has 8 points at 5v5.

He has 13 at Even Strength - so that's 5 points at either 4v4, or 3v3. Situations where there is more space on the ice for him.

It's pretty fair to say that he hasn't played like a top 6 forward this season.

Also there's a few goals for Calgary with their goalie pulled - he would have been on the ice. Those are even strength - are they considered 5 on 5?

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Also there's a few goals for Calgary with their goalie pulled - he would have been on the ice. Those are even strength - are they considered 5 on 5?

I believe empty net points would not be included in his 5v5 totals.

So overall he has 21 points.

5v5: 8 points
PP: 8 points
Other Situations: 5 points

With the empty net he has 3 second assists, and those would all fall under the "other situations".

So the three seasons prior to this one Gaudreau put up 2.58 points per 60 minutes at 5v5. That production ranks 6th among all forwards with at least 1500 mintues played in that time. (For the record his pace this season of 1.1 would rank him 310th over that time frame).

This year with the 1.11 points per 60 he's putting up at 5v5 he's ranked 270th among players who have played at least 200 minutes. Tied with Sam Bennett, and Paul Byron.

On Ice Shooting Percentage is some of that but it's also just that he's not generating scoring chances at the same rate as past years.

This year the Flames are averaging 7.79 High Danger chances per 60 minute with Gaudreau on the ice at 5v5. In the three years prior to this one he averaged 12.61 High Danger changes per 60 minutes with Gaudreau on the ice.

That is a drastic reduction of the chances the team is generating with him on the ice, and that is what's creating the woes.

And to be fair to Gaudreau this isn't just on him. Monahan and Lindholm need to shoulder a lot of the blame as well. That whole line just hasn't been able to work well together this year at 5v5.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

I’m all for that first line.

Can’t see Gaudreau doing much on that third line (though he hasn’t done much lately regardless) but a Gaudreau-Backlund-Monahan line could be interesting.

Another alternative I wouldn’t mind seeing:
Tkachuk-Lindholm-Monahan
Gaudreau-Backlund-Mangiapane

Wud? Lucic gonna score his first and second and third goal of the season with Johnny.

[joejoe3]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

#Flames at practice today:

Tkachuk-Lindholm-Mangiapane
Monahan-Backlund-Dube
Lucic-Ryan-Gaudreau
Rieder-Jankowski-Frolik

Giordano-Brodie
Hanifin-Hamonic
Kylington-Andersson
Stone

Czarnik, Rinaldo, extra forwards.

so 2nd line center playing 2nd line wing, and a 3rd line center playing 2nd line center.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by joejoe3

so 2nd line center playing 2nd line wing, and a 3rd line center playing 2nd line center.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Maybe it allows Mony to focus on his offence a little more.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by joejoe3

so 2nd line center playing 2nd line wing, and a 3rd line center playing 2nd line center.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Backlund is profoundly better at things like carrying the puck out of danger and into open space to make exits and entries. And he's not a 3rd line center.

[dino7c]

Gaudreau is 2nd on the team in scoring...not a top six is a bit harsh IMO. I really don't care about all these situations and cherry picked stats. There is ONE guy on the team with more points.

With these lines though the 1-3 ranking doesn't really matter...and Gaudreau will be on the #1 PP. Might make it harder for the other team to line match.

Chances are we talk about this all week and it lasts 5 min anyway

Seems like something we are gonna talk about for 3 days and will last 5 minutes

Remember when Dion played forward? It was the talk of the town and he only played the opening shift at forward then went back to D

[GreenLantern2814]

Tkachuk-Monahan-Mangiapane
Gaudreau-Backlund-Lindholm
Lucic-Ryan-Dube
Reider/Rinaldo-Jankowski-Frolik

I really think Johnny needs to play with a centre who can hold the puck longer.

[Doctorfever]

I like Lindholm at centre. And I was wanting to see him with Chucky. Wouldn’t mind seeing Frolik and Dube switched, to try and get Janko going.

[Dragomir]

I like Dube and I hope he develops into a top 6 player. It’s obvious that we’re going to have to draft and develop our missing pieces in the top 6, Hall is not the answer.

[browna]

Finally having some extra days of practice allows the coaches to put together the wacky combinations like this 2 days out of the next game.

[Jore]

I love those lines. The time to experiment is now and they seem balanced with players who should work well together in positions they should succeed in

[kurwamac]

I wouldn't have put Gaudreau on the 3rd line, I wouldn't want him to get P.O.'d which makes it harder to re-sign him - granted he's been a good team player so far (visibly more present on backchecks). If his production doesn't come back quick I'd keep shaking things up..

We need to develop our own version of Guentzel - give a kid like Dube a chance with top talent, a shake up should have happened a long time ago. I'd slide Backlund down and Gaudreau up with the current lines. Backlund does a lot of things right, but like Bennett in the offensive zone looks confused and gets rid of the puck quick, rather than having set moves.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Geoff Ward is going pretty nuts mixing up the line-up today!

KYLINGTON... TKACHUK AS GOALIES????!!!



Of course they lost again!

[badger89]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Also todays playlist



Pat Steinberg @Fan960Steinberg

Today’s #Flames playlist at practice:



Kenny Chesney - Summertime

Sixpence None the Richer - Kiss Me

Kygo & Whitney Houston - Higher Love

No wonder they play so soft if this is their pump up music.