[PGT] WILDFIRE!! Flames burn it down in Minnesota in the SO 5-4

[slybomb]

I though Lucic looked like Marshall Mathers

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Yrebmi

That stat also highlights that we're giving up almost as many shots in the first as the other two periods combined.

Well, not exactly. The numbers were compiled following the second period last night:

40 shots against / 4 1st periods = 10 SA/period.

49 shots against / 7 periods (4 2nd + 3 3rd) = 7 SA/period.

The averages for first periods are higher, but not remarkably so.

*EDIT* Updated with last night's third period also factored into consideration:

59 shots against / 8 periods = 7.4 SA/period

Again, I don't think that a difference of 2.6 SA between the first and the combined second/third periods is especially significant.

[GioforPM]

[Always Earned Never Given]

Originally Posted by slybomb

I though Lucic looked like Marshall Mathers

Really! I think he looks more like Eminem!

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by Always Earned Never Given

Really! I think he looks more like Eminem!

You’re both wrong, he looks like the real Slim Shady.

[Monahammer]

I would like to see the following lines next game:

Tkachuk-Lindholm-Backlund
Bennett-Monahan-Gaudreau
Lucic-Ryan-Mangiapane
Reider-Dube-WINaldo

Backlund and Tkachuk already have chemistry, Lindy apparently thinks of Backlund like a mentor now (great vidya btw) so I would like to see how the chemistry works. I feel like this could be 3M on ultra steroids.

Line 2 is interesting. I feel like we have always lined benny up on the right wing when playing these guys together, but that's a mistake. Bennett plays well with Mony alone and well with Gaudreau alone, let's give him a sustained shot in this config.

Lines 3 and 4 I think are a carousel depending on who's playing best that game.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I would like to see the following lines next game:

Tkachuk-Lindholm-Backlund
Bennett-Monahan-Gaudreau
Lucic-Ryan-Mangiapane
Reider-Dube-WINaldo

Backlund and Tkachuk already have chemistry, Lindy apparently thinks of Backlund like a mentor now (great vidya btw) so I would like to see how the chemistry works. I feel like this could be 3M on ultra steroids.

Line 2 is interesting. I feel like we have always lined benny up on the right wing when playing these guys together, but that's a mistake. Bennett plays well with Mony alone and well with Gaudreau alone, let's give him a sustained shot in this config.

Lines 3 and 4 I think are a carousel depending on who's playing best that game.

It seems like the best solution right now, no? I'd probably keep Dube with Ryan and Lucic though.

Tkachuk - Lindholm - Backlund
Gaudreau - Monahan - Bennett
Lucic - Ryan - Dube
Mangiapane - Jankowski - Rinaldo/Rieder

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

It seems like the best solution right now, no? I'd probably keep Dube with Ryan and Lucic though.

Tkachuk - Lindholm - Backlund
Gaudreau - Monahan - Bennett
Lucic - Ryan - Dube
Mangiapane - Jankowski - Rinaldo/Rieder

Fair- I like the Ryan-Dube connection too. I was just trying to find a way to shoot janko into the sun, and Dube has played centre in the past... lol

But seriously, let's give a shot to these two top lines. What harm can it do to give those a couple of games at this point.

[Toonage]

Plenty of opportunity to move on from Jankowski in house.

Rieder has played C here, recently too
Czarnik has played the position and is probably just as good as Rieder
Gawdin is an AHL all star waiting for his chance up here and he too plays C
Rinaldo plays C

Its kind of weird that Jankowski is still here and still gets all this opportunity

[Spinach]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

My take is grammatical: if something is stolen it is not earned and does not belong to the thief. The Flames earned that win in spite of a tonne of adversity.

If it was earned, then it cannot by definition be stolen.

Nor can it be stolen if it's given, but the Wild certainly didn't give this one to the Flames. That was a tough game.

The take a few pages back that "stealing a game" can apply when the odds seem against you and you pull out a victory anyway (or something along those lines) is appropriate. I'd add that the goaltender bailing the team out time after time can constitute a "stolen" win; of course, that wasn't the case last night. The Wild had the Flames on the ropes, and the Flames clawed out a win regardless.

Maybe "yoink" works better than "stealing" it.

[Enoch Root]

I thought Bennett looked good with Tkachuk and Lindholm last night. They generated a few good chances.

[Toonage]

All lines were back to normal at practice today FWIW

But its good to know they can go to the mix we saw last night and right the ship if needed.

[SeanCharles]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Plenty of opportunity to move on from Jankowski in house.

Rieder has played C here, recently too
Czarnik has played the position and is probably just as good as Rieder
Gawdin is an AHL all star waiting for his chance up here and he too plays C
Rinaldo plays C

Its kind of weird that Jankowski is still here and still gets all this opportunity

Or just put Backlund at 3C where he is best suited.

Probably need to make a trade first however.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Plenty of opportunity to move on from Jankowski in house.

Rieder has played C here, recently too
Czarnik has played the position and is probably just as good as Rieder
Gawdin is an AHL all star waiting for his chance up here and he too plays C
Rinaldo plays C

Its kind of weird that Jankowski is still here and still gets all this opportunity

What’s with the strange obsession people have with the 4th line centre? Don’t think any of the players you’ve mentioned have proven to be better centres than Jankowski. He hasn’t been so bad that we need to try anybody over him!

We win and still all people can focus on is Jankowski? So frickin bizarre

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

What’s with the strange obsession people have with the 4th line centre?

I think it stems back to when Matt Stajan was arguably the best 4th line center in the league for us.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

What’s with the strange obsession people have with the 4th line centre? Don’t think any of the players you’ve mentioned have proven to be better centres than Jankowski. He hasn’t been so bad that we need to try anybody over him!

We win and still all people can focus on is Jankowski? So frickin bizarre

Well. That's not true. Czarnik, Reider, and Rinaldo have all played much better in the NHL than Janko this season.

Gawdin looks very promising too.

[Monahammer]

Also Janko's awful "defense" on two of those goals nearly cost us the game... I think it is really relevant to focus on just how brutal he has been this year. If he's moping about being trade bait this season then he should be doubly gone.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

What’s with the strange obsession people have with the 4th line centre? Don’t think any of the players you’ve mentioned have proven to be better centres than Jankowski. He hasn’t been so bad that we need to try anybody over him!

We win and still all people can focus on is Jankowski? So frickin bizarre

My post was in response to another. Also, given how much I talk about Jankowski I'd say obsessed is a little unfair. Regardless, if the possibility exists to potentially improve the team (no matter the position) then of course I think they should try it.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Toonage

My post was in response to another.

I didn't see a quote in your post. The 4 posts above it are on my ignore list so from my perspective just looks like you bring Jankowski up out of nowhere.

Anyways IMO its not that weird Jankowski is here, not that weird he gets opportunity. On the other hand it is weird how much posters talk about him given his role and ice time.

Gaudreau's been a far, far bigger problem this year than Jankowski.

[Toonage]

When there are cheaper options to take those limited minutes, and those cheaper options may be able to produce I'd say its worth looking into.

Gaudreau's struggles, or the struggles of any of our top 6 don't let our support players off the hook for doing nothing with the role they've been given.