From Gulutzan's comments, the plan is to play Grossmann against slow, heavy teams, Kulak against speedy teams, and Jokipakka against everyone else.
i don't think this is good for the Flames going forward or good for them in the short run either, but then there haven't been a ton of decisions by this management that I have been enamoured by. Just par for the course to mediocrity. Deryk "Top 4 Defenseman" Engelland needs his minutes after all.
I think the Flames need Deryk "Top 4 Defencemen" Engelland's minutes. You knock him at every turn, but I (and many others) seem to think he has been a steadying influence in the back end and playing good, reliable defensive hockey. I have been fine with him playing top 4 minutes - sure, he can improve his transition game, but he defends well and provides a nice physical presence on the backend.
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I think the Flames need Deryk "Top 4 Defencemen" Engelland's minutes. You knock him at every turn, but I (and many others) seem to think he has been a steadying influence in the back end and playing good, reliable defensive hockey. I have been fine with him playing top 4 minutes - sure, he can improve his transition game, but he defends well and provides a nice physical presence on the backend.
Prior to the game last night, Engelland was leading the Flames defense in PK TOI with 36:08. The Flames had surrendered the second most PP goals in the league.
Doubt those stats have gotten any more flattering since last night.
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Originally Posted by JobHopper
The thing is, my posts, thoughts and insights may be my opinions but they're also quite factual.
I think the Flames need Deryk "Top 4 Defencemen" Engelland's minutes. You knock him at every turn, but I (and many others) seem to think he has been a steadying influence in the back end and playing good, reliable defensive hockey. I have been fine with him playing top 4 minutes - sure, he can improve his transition game, but he defends well and provides a nice physical presence on the backend.
He's a good #6, but he's not a top 4 on actual playoff team IMO. I realize he played in the top 4 in the 2015 playoffs (if you want to call Brodie lugging him around playing in the top 4), but no way do we make the playoffs in 2015 with him being a staple there all year.
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Send Wideman to pressbox and play Kulak on bottom pairing. If they are going to continue to put Wideman in ( i really don't see what he brings to the team) then send Kulak down.
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Send Wideman to pressbox and play Kulak on bottom pairing. If they are going to continue to put Wideman in ( i really don't see what he brings to the team) then send Kulak down.
We're the most penalized team in the league since the incident, that's what he brings
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JobHopper
The thing is, my posts, thoughts and insights may be my opinions but they're also quite factual.
Thanks for that info. It feels like he has been around forever. I guess it was all those injuries that didn't get him to the threshold for game and such.
Umm... 71 regular season games left + 28 max playoff games = 99 games left this season to lose his waiver exempt status which he loses next season anyways.
