[GDT] Calgary Flames at St Louis Blues 6:00pm TV: SNW, BSMW - RADIO SN960

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

The Ruzicka part was the best. Whoever does these videos is good.

The guy representing Phillips at the end actually kind of looks like him IRL, just taller.

The one with Ritchie and the LA reunion was the best.

[sss1]

Originally Posted by Flaming Horse

Since Darryl arrived back with the team he has been criticizing the org and how things have been done. I don't think he is a Treliving fan. I am not either. Tre has had 9yrs with this team and has had very little playoff success. ALMOST NONE.Two playoff rounds won in 9 yrs is very sad. People need to start putting the focus on Tre and not Sutter. Tre built this team and he is the reason their are foundation issues and flaws. This team had no identity for 7 yrs until Sutter got here.That is on Tre. This org had no clue what it takes to win until Sutter got here.

Any example of his criticisms? Not trying to refute, but I have not gotten that impression from him so far.

[Dion]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1613576967902855169

[Yikes]

Originally Posted by Dion

https://twitter.com/user/status/1613576967902855169

Big and slow, kinda makes sense.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Making a change in the lineup after a loss is the easiest way to get a guy in. If Pelts isn't playing tonight I doubt he gets in the lineup. Just another player Sutter will refuse to play who will be sent down and next day he will complain about lack of skill while Lucic continues to get top 6 minutes.

I think the mistake was giving him the extension before seeing how he meshed with this new core, it doesn't seem to be a fit.

At least Vladar starts tonight.

Would another coach be doing any better? My gut says no. The current coach was a Jack Adams winner last year and has had to deal with catastrophic roster turn-over this season that would sewer just about any decent coach.

We've gone through piles of coaches in the last 10 years and maybe 1 other guy has been impactful enough to polish a turd into more than it should have been (Hartley).

Say what you want, but this was always going to be a slog this year. The lack of dominance from Huberdeau and surprisingly mediocre year from Markstrom has only made things worse up to this point, and yet, this team could still very easily go on a .600 clip and end up a big threat in the post season. At this point I really doubt benching Lucic for Pelletier/Phillips/Ruzicka would amount to anything more than what we are currently getting so we are pretty much stuck with it until an injury or trade is made.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

At this point I really doubt benching Lucic for Pelletier/Phillips/Ruzicka would amount to anything more than what we are currently getting so we are pretty much stuck with it until an injury or trade is made.

I don't think Lucic necessarily needs to be benched but the Huberdeau-Kadri-Lucic line has basically been a 50/50 possession line with a scorching hot on-ice shooting percentage since it was assembled. They've actually been slightly outplayed in terms of scoring chances — Lucic is a defensive liability.

Putting a guy on that line who might be able to help drive play at both ends of the ice could do wonders toward turning that line into an actual top-six unit.

You could probably go back to the 2017–18 season and find posts on here reading something like, "At this point I really doubt benching Brouwer for Mangiapane/Hathaway would amount to anything more than what we are currently getting so we are pretty much stuck with it until an injury or trade is made."

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Duehr was fine.

I just dont think he should have been given the look before Pelletier. More just a point that he gets into the lineup because of his size.

If he was replacing Ritchie/Zohorna, it was bound to be Duehr. I think Pelletier would be fine on the 4th line over time but it's not the same style. Duehr is actually pretty close in skill set to Ritchie.

[SuperMatt18]

I get Sutter's hesitation with Phillips.

Super small, doesn't PK, maybe not the best 200ft player...I can kind of see it. (Although the offensive performance this year is so elite he still deserves a look).

But Sutter not giving Pelletier a look baffles me a little though, because to me he is a Sutter type of player.

Tenacious on the forecheck, character guy (remember him consoling teammates on that WJC team), elite PKer at the AHL level, and a strong 200ft player.

If he's 6'0" instead of 5'10" then it's not even a question and he's already in the lineup IMO.

[Drunk Uncle]

Originally Posted by Cain

Are we judging this entirely on preseason? Because that seems like a pretty narrow view. A lot of players had terrible starts this year, including veterans.


I don't think anyone expects players in the AHL to bring their PPG seasons into the NHL and just continue on without trouble, but the success they are having does show that they a) have talent and b) could possibly bring some of that success to their parent club.

Lot's of talk on Pelletier getting a shot in the top 6... well top 9 but nobody is advocating breaking up Mang-Backs-Coleman.

Both Zary's and Pelletier's AHL PT/GP numbers at 21 are between Mangiapane's and Dube's at the same age.

Add to that, neither Mangiapane or Dube stepped into top 6 roles, and both had to work their way up from bottom 6 roles... because that is their talent level just like Pelletier's. Then consider that Pelletier did himself no favours in camp to show he was ready for even a bottom 6 role and I guess the better question is what in people's minds has changed in the last 3+ months that shows them Pelletier is ready for top 6 ice?

I can't wait to see Pelletier in the line-up but I'm certain he'll have to work his way up. I'm definitely not advocating for giving it the ol' college try in a top 6 role at a critical point in our schedule in the thick of a playoff race that is on the razors edge of us being on the outside looking in.

I personally think the play was always to reward him with an NHL paycheck while being available for injury back-up.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by Yikes

I don't think that even the Flames are dumb enough to hire Sutter back as GM. With that thought in mind...I think my Bruins jersey is in storage?

It's not the Flames who will hire him.
It's their dimbulb entitled and greedy majority owner.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Flaming Horse

The issue is not with Sutter giving the young guys a chance, it is the lack of talent within the org. That is TRE. Nobody told Tre to trade a first round pick and two second rounders and the first which turned into Noah Dobson for travis harmonic.Nobody tells Tre to draft all these small guys with skating issues. Just look at the lack of talent on the farm other than WOLF. These guys showed nothing in preseason and just because they are point a game player does not mean that translate to the NHL. If they were ready and able to contribute at the NHL level they would be playing.

I'm so tired about hearing about the Hamonic deal.
It sucked.
It was a mistake
It was also in 2017.

Assess the GM for decisions he's made more recently.

[butterfly]

It's just so much more exciting to watch players like Phillips and Pelletier. You can dream on players like that! Give them a chance playing with Huberdeau, Lindholm, Kadri, etc. Are we scared that it might actually work? Or is winning 19 out of 42 games cool?

[chummer]

Originally Posted by Yikes

Big and slow, kinda makes sense.

Another awful take, kinda makes sense.

[Mindtravellee]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I get Sutter's hesitation with Phillips.

Super small, doesn't PK, maybe not the best 200ft player...I can kind of see it. (Although the offensive performance this year is so elite he still deserves a look).

But Sutter not giving Pelletier a look baffles me a little though, because to me he is a Sutter type of player.

Tenacious on the forecheck, character guy (remember him consoling teammates on that WJC team), elite PKer at the AHL level, and a strong 200ft player.

If he's 6'0" instead of 5'10" then it's not even a question and he's already in the lineup IMO.

If he's 6"0 instead of 5"7 he would've gone 2nd or 3rd round. IIRC he does PK (although doesn't seem as much in the AHL) and does play PP. I would've called both Phillips and Peltier pests on the forecheck.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Mindtravellee

If he's 6"0 instead of 5"7 he would've gone 2nd or 3rd round. IIRC he does PK (although doesn't seem as much in the AHL) and does play PP. I would've called both Phillips and Peltier pests on the forecheck.

I think the 6'0" v 5'10" comment your responded to was actually about Pelletier, who was a first rounder.

[Cain]

Originally Posted by Drunk Uncle

Add to that, neither Mangiapane or Dube stepped into top 6 roles, and both had to work their way up from bottom 6 roles... because that is their talent level just like Pelletier's. Then consider that Pelletier did himself no favours in camp to show he was ready for even a bottom 6 role and I guess the better question is what in people's minds has changed in the last 3+ months that shows them Pelletier is ready for top 6 ice?

I don't think most people mind having the young guys work their way up, especially as Sutter generally plays all his lines as opposed to some of the other teams in this league.


And I'd say what has changed minds in the last 3+ months is guys like Philips/Pelletier/Zary driving their AHL team to success. They don't seem to be passive participants and are taking an active role on that team and have the stats to go along with it. I'd say a very positive 3+ month sample is far more valuable than a 1-2 week span.


Again, I don't think many people would begrudge having them work their way up ala Mange and Dube, they just want to either see them given that chance to do so, or have faith that it will come.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by chummer

Another awful take, kinda makes sense.

When Sutter first came to Calgary he declared that Calgary's team was too small but also that they were too slow. He likes big, but he likes fast too. And the big guys he plays outside of Lucic have some speed - Ritchie for example.

The team isn't that big up front anyway. Outside of Lucic, Duehr and Ruzicka, no one in last night's game is above 6'1" (right around league average). And 3 guys were below 6 feet. There are no Gaudreau sized small guys but this isn't a particularly big team up front.