Flames - Boxing Day Practice

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

Sub in a healthy Frolic for Raymond and we have 4 really solid lines. Love the idea of running with 4, responsible, relatively equal TOI lines

I hear what you're saying, but I don't want any 30 point guys getting equal ice-time to Gaudreau.

Having 4 lines is great. Equal ice-time is not.

[AcGold]

We can make exceptions for Gaudreau, if he makes eye contact with Raymond he has to change off.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by DropIt

Let Bennett earn his way up. Always earned, right?

Here is as good of a place as any for this -

"What we are trying to do with Sam is the same thing as we did with Sean Monahan, we're doing with Ferly, we did with Johnny Gaudreau -- to teach them to play the game in three zones, on both sides of the puck. This is a critical age for them. I know many people are looking at how many goals a player scores and you kind of dictate a rookie's season by the number of goals but that's now how we work here. We want to make him a complete player ... He's playing in a way that gives us a chance to win ... He's a special player learning the way to play in the NHL right now." - Bob Hartley on Sam Bennett

[Patek23]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Except it's not a scoring line because every play dies on Raymond's stick.

They were together last game and it was the worst game in a while for both Bennett and Granlund.

How was the Winnipeg game Granlunds worst? I was at the game and it seemed like he was always in the mix offensively. 3 registered shots on the game. Seemed a lot more too me. But it's funny how some people can see a completely different game. I thought Granlund had one of his strongest games even without hitting the score card.

[Dr. Doom]

In retrospect, Bennett should have had a season or two in the AHL. We took short term gain last season instead - which really did make sense at the time - and now people really need to stop blaming Hartley for anything, it just is what it is. If anything it takes some heat off and ensures he doesn't wind up in Oiler territory (playing heavy minutes and still not producing will get in his head). He will find his game there on the lower two lines and it will be rockets from there. It could just take a year or two..

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by Dr. Doom

In retrospect, Bennett should have had a season or two in the AHL. We took short term gain last season instead - which really did make sense at the time - and now people really need to stop blaming Hartley for anything, it just is what it is. If anything it takes some heat off and ensures he doesn't wind up in Oiler territory (playing heavy minutes and still not producing will get in his head). He will find his game there on the lower two lines and it will be rockets from there. It could just take a year or two..

Except he can't play in the AHL and is probably too good to go back to junior.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Flaming Homer

How was the Winnipeg game Granlunds worst? I was at the game and it seemed like he was always in the mix offensively. 3 registered shots on the game. Seemed a lot more too me. But it's funny how some people can see a completely different game. I thought Granlund had one of his strongest games even without hitting the score card.

Granlund has been playing his best hockey since being called back up. But against the Jets, that line just didn't generate the scoring chances that they have been in the prior games - neither in quantity nor in quality.