[PGT] Sabres 0 Flames 5, 3 points for Johnny, Markstrom with a shutout

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

I think the underlying part of this is that Darryl cares about only his players and his team and doesn't give a crap about anything else. I'm sure he praises as needed in the room, but he rarely does it publicly because it's not about the player for him...it's about the gestalt and the whole team's performance. If one guy is great but the Flames lose, he won't be happy. If all players "do their job" and Flames get a W...that's what "impresses him" (love that GIF!).

He brightens up when someone asks a hockey question he cares about or interests him. The toughness of this kind of road trip and schedule, etc. He dislikes focusing on an individual or events within a game, which is something fans and media get caught up in. A nice goal, a mistake on the ice - he’s been around long enough to see a ton of those and he knows they don’t make a difference in the long run - it’s overall consistency in play.

[SuperMatt18]

He's also always been the type that tends to be a bit more grumpy and negative when things are going well - helps keep focus.

And then he tends to get a little lighter and might be a little more open when things are on the down swing - to lighten the mood around the team.

He's the king of never letting teams get too high or too low with their performance.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

All this is fine, but to me part of the frustration is the insistence that Monahan still play the centre position. It cannibalizes our speed down the middle because even as a 3C Monahan isn't really bringing a lot 5v5 that the most vanilla of centres straight out of the AHL can't bring.

If Monahan isn't going to be an impact centre, move him to the wing. We've already seen Dube look solid down the middle (observe his game-to-game trends before you paint him with the brush of his first couple of games at the position) so we're just putting a glass ceiling on the team's success by pidgeonholing both guys at the opposite positions... not unlike when Lindholm, Backlund, and other past forwards were forced to be Monahan's wingers, when the skillsets they too possess(ed) are far better-suited to the middle than Monahan.

Move Monahan to the wing, and let him take some offensive zone faceoffs if you want, but don't ask him to play low and be a shutdown guy or to carry the puck in transition. Let him play along the boards in the D zone and allow Dube to grow into someone who uses the extra open ice and support his defensemen down low, support his wingers, and drive transition. It might even give you a chance to put Monahan on Backlund's line in a shutdown role - because Monahan is a solid defensive player when not asked to cover large amounts of space not unlike Matthew Tkachuk, Milan Lucic or even Mark Stone.

Hmm. I'm not against trying Monahan on the wing, it's not like he's impressed 5v5, although I'm skeptical whether it would make a difference.

I will say there's plenty of time to try other combinations before the playoffs. Nothing major is likely to happen before this roadtrip is over, but after this they'll have a lot more time at home, which gives more time to try stuff in practice, which makes it easier to experiment.

At this point I think it makes sense to have him play the position he's used to. One thing at a time.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by HighLifeMan

Monahan has 9 points in his last 12 games and is trailing only Blake Coleman in terms of negating high danger chances against per 60 minutes. He is playing very low event hockey at even strength and is contributing on the PP. He's doing exactly what is being asked of him... Leave the guy alone. Trevor Lewis remains his most commonly used linemate through 17 games at even strength this season.. Keep that in mind.

You are describing Monahan's role now very well. Play low event hockey. His expected goals number is pretty low so you're hoping that nothing much happens when he's on the ice. I don't get the feeling his line is getting especially tough matchups.

As you say, he's chipping in on the PP. Right now, you just need to take what you can get from 23.

[Enoch Root]

So, the bitch-about choice for last night's victory is Monahan? Got it.

[Enoch Root]

Just a really, really solid game. I thought they were looking tired against Philly, but they came out flying last night. If they can get 2 more points this weekend, it will be a very successful trip.

[Azhouse]

https://records.nhl.com/records/goal...uts-one-season

George Hainsworth had 22 wins and 22 SOs in 1928-1929. So in each of his wins no one scored a single goal? That's pretty amazing.

[devo22]

really solid performance again. It'd be easy to say "well it's just the Sabres", but you still need to be ready. Good to see them take teams like Ottawa and Buffalo behind the woodshed during this roadtrip after failing to do the same with the Covid-depleted Sharks ... need to take care of business against these teams.

the SO streak isn't sustainable, but it's been a fun ride. Not the most difficult night for Markstrom, but he didn't have a lot to do in the 1st and then the game was a dead rubber in the 3rd ... would be easy to let one slip by in those circumstances.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Azhouse

I didn't realize how many SOs there were from 1925-1929!?

George Hainsworth had 22 wins and 22 SOs in 1928-1929. So in each of his wins no one scored a single goal? That's pretty amazing.

It's kind of worse than that. Those weren't all the same 22 games. Sometimes Hainsworth got the shutout and the win, sometimes the team won without a shutout… and I believe there were a number of 0-0 ties in there as well. (EDIT: I checked; there were six.)

If you think the NHL screws up nowadays, you should read up on the 1920s. They expanded the league from four teams to 10 in a couple of years, moved into most of the biggest U.S. markets, and then squandered a golden opportunity by putting a product on the ice that resembled a cross between drying paint and a root canal. By the time they realized that fans are seldom entertained by a scoreless tie, the Great Depression was on and the opportunity was gone.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

So, the bitch-about choice for last night's victory is Monahan? Got it.

To be fair they were discussing him on 960 this morning basically saying he still looks just like injured Monahan of last season. I don't dwell on him because it's clear what he is now and he's still decent on the powerplay so it's just a matter of hoping he can chip in here and there 5 on 5. There's only a year left on his deal so it's not like there's a long term concern here.

[Joborule]

Flames certainly have a interesting philosophy this season against their opponents.

Either you're gonna gonna get beatdown and not score a single goal, or you'll have to score the game winning goal in overtime.

Either way, Flames get points.

I'm with it.

[cowtown75]

Dominant win against a team that has pulled off some sneaky wins over some good teams this year. Kept the foot on the gas the whole way and put it away convincingly. Great even, team effort as we were able to roll our 4 lines better.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

He brightens up when someone asks a hockey question he cares about or interests him. The toughness of this kind of road trip and schedule, etc. He dislikes focusing on an individual or events within a game, which is something fans and media get caught up in. A nice goal, a mistake on the ice - he’s been around long enough to see a ton of those and he knows they don’t make a difference in the long run - it’s overall consistency in play.

He also doesn't like when reporters opine on the game themselves. That's when you get his best snap backs. Do you want his opinion or do you just want him to affirm what you think?

Dude is a master. And that jacket from the Buffalo game was straight out of the early 00's Sutter collection.

[chummer]

Originally Posted by Coach

He also doesn't like when reporters opine on the game themselves. That's when you get his best snap backs. Do you want his opinion or do you just want him to affirm what you think?

Dude is a master. And that jacket from the Buffalo game was straight out of the early 00's Sutter collection.

He had the vest going early in the game but then ditched it.

Don't care what he wears, the guy is a General behind the bench.

[DinnerDog]

Really hoping he still has the road tie in the closet somewhere...

[djsFlames]

Francis just mentioned Gaudreau and Tkachuk have not been scored on at even strength this season while on the ice.

They've outscored opponents 11-0.

[Knightslayer]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Francis just mentioned Gaudreau and Tkachuk have not been scored on at even strength this season while on the ice.

They've outscored opponents 11-0.

5 on 5. Not even strength.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Knightslayer

5 on 5. Not even strength.

Ah.

I suppose even strength would include 3 on 3. So yes.

[CSharp]

Flip that bird to the Sabre's management for that Eichel trade. Flames still looks like a team. Guess Buffalo is in for that sweepstakes for the next two years - again!

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by CSharp

Flip that bird to the Sabre's management for that Eichel trade. Flames still looks like a team. Guess Buffalo is in for that sweepstakes for the next two years - again!

Hope Tuch and Krebs were worth getting totally fixated upon for the last couple months.

Maybe there was a better solution long term from Calgary. But they'll never know. With our fantastic depth drafting, in recent years turning out guys like Mangiapane and Gaudreau maybe our prospects shouldn't be as poorly valued as they seem to be.

Any team that goes out of their way to help the Vegas Handouts stand against everything that is good and right in hockey IMO and can get blasted for years to come.

Suck it Adams.