[GDT] Calgary Flames at Buffalo Sabres 5pm TV: SNW, RSNF - RADIO SN960

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Flames1217

Lindholm isn't the best entry guy. His bread and butter is getting to the soft spots of the ice and remaining open.

Huberdeau needs someone who is also capable of bringing the puck up the ice because as is teams swarm Huberdeau in the neutral zone and effectively take away a lot of his options. If we had another winger who was very efficient at entering the zone it would take a significant amount of pressure off Huberdeau.

In my opinion Mangiapane isn't exactly that player and is better suited for when the puck is forced into the zone. Maybe Ruzicka would work?

This isn't a simple fix but the problem is that our exit and entry game is very predictable for the first line as Huberdeau is so far above both Mangapiane and Lindholm in terms of capability to.effectively enter the zone. Top line needs more options.

I think Backlund is the best fit in that area.

As we saw last year Kadri just wont pass so he is not an option.

Thats the issue with Lindholm as well he doesn't bring that elite #1C ability to carry the puck and gain the zone. He had Johnny on his line for such a long time and now he doesn't have that player its kind of exposing his limitations as the #1 guy.

Dube has the ability to do it as well, but the team getting shredded defensively in game 1 ended that quickly.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

I think with the Huberdeau line Lindholm needs to take reigns and carry the puck through the middle of the ice and dish off and both him and Mangiapane need to take straight line routes right down the middle and Huberdeau will get them the puck in prime scoring areas.

I think the fall into the bad habits a bit from last year of going to the boards to try and cycle it around.

Chucky and the Backlund are good along the boards, Huberdeau isn't they need to find the open ice down the middle.

I guess I'm just looking at how many guys they have that can score this season. Quite a few. Maybe no 50 goal scorers, but could have lots in that 10-20 range, if not more. Look at the 3rd period of last game - Backlund with that wide open net on the PK. Coleman's penalty shot. Multiple PPs. One of those has to go in. Looks like a team that's going to have to be opportunistic when they get their chances this year. If they are, could be a good season. But I like a lot of other stuff. Hope to see more of it tonight.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

I guess I'm just looking at how many guys they have that can score this season. Quite a few. Maybe no 50 goal scorers, but could have lots in that 10-20 range, if not more. Look at the 3rd period of last game - Backlund with that wide open net on the PK. Coleman's penalty shot. Multiple PPs. One of those has to go in. Looks like a team that's going to have to be opportunistic when they get their chances this year. If they are, could be a good season. But I like a lot of other stuff. Hope to see more of it tonight.

Yeah we have goals in the lineup we need to finish the chances.

Like against Pittsburgh a 20 goal scorer in Sharngovich misses a open net that goal could have turned the game.

Lots of people talking about we have no 40 goal guys or whatever. We never had any 40 goal scorers in 21/22 until they 3 of them scored 40 each.

Once they click they should fill the net.

[playmaker]

Tage Thompson surprisingly with 0 points and -3 in 3 games. Guess who scores first for the Sabres tonight.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Flames1217

Lindholm isn't the best entry guy.

Naz is pretty good at entering the Zone with control. Problem last year was he took a mid shot on net one and a half strides later.

edit: i see this has already been mentioned lol

[WhiteTiger]

Go Flames go!

[SuperMatt18]

I still think that stylistically Lindholm and Huberdeau maybe aren't the perfect fit, and the team kind of is used to what Gaudreau provided and Huberdeau won't do that and that's part of the issue a bit still.

The type of player/playmaker Huberdeau is vs the type of player/playmaker Gaudreau is are very different.

Gaudreau was the chaos in the offensive zone with his puck skills and shiftyness...he required finishers like Monahan / Lindholm who would find the soft areas on the ice and get open for his pass.

Huberdeau needs somebody to create the chaos to open up space for him, but once he has that space he can make those insanely hard to make passes through traffic to find the player driving the net in the middle of the zone. It's why he worked well with Bennett who was a bit of a chaotic force in the offensive zone.

Mangiapane fits the bill a bit because he drives the net, even if he's not the most fleet of foot or best puck carrier.

Problem is I still don't know if Lindholm is that guy. Lindholm is more of a find the soft spot and let it rip type of shooter...not the drive the net with speed and hit me with the pass type of finisher.

I do wonder still if maybe Huberdeau-Kadri - somebody who is not Lucic would work...it failed last year but that was actually mostly the minutes they had with Lucic on their line.

Huberdeau-Kadri-Lucic: 49.7% xGF, 42.6% HDCF%
Huberdeau-Kadri - Not Lucic: 56.7% xGF, 56.9% HDCF%

[Reggie Dunlop]

Gilbert's hometown... I expect a good game before friends and family.

[Flames1217]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I still think that stylistically Lindholm and Huberdeau maybe aren't the perfect fit, and the team kind of is used to what Gaudreau provided and Huberdeau won't do that and that's part of the issue a bit still.

The type of player/playmaker Huberdeau is vs the type of player/playmaker Gaudreau is are very different.

Gaudreau was the chaos in the offensive zone with his puck skills and shiftyness...he required finishers like Monahan / Lindholm who would find the soft areas on the ice and get open for his pass.

Huberdeau needs somebody to create the chaos to open up space for him, but once he has that space he can make those insanely hard to make passes through traffic to find the player driving the net in the middle of the zone. It's why he worked well with Bennett who was a bit of a chaotic force in the offensive zone.

Mangiapane fits the bill a bit because he drives the net, even if he's not the most fleet of foot or best puck carrier.

Problem is I still don't know if Lindholm is that guy. Lindholm is more of a find the soft spot and let it rip type of shooter...not the drive the net with speed and hit me with the pass type of finisher.

I do wonder still if maybe Huberdeau-Kadri-Mangiapane would work...it failed last year but that was actually mostly the minutes they had with Lucic on their line.

Huberdeau-Kadri-Lucic: 49.7% xGF, 42.6% HDCF%
Huberdeau-Kadri - Not Lucic: 56.7% xGF, 56.9% HDCF%

He needs options, he can't be solely relied upon to create everything. Mangiapane is a muck it up type player and loses/get knocked off the puck far too often to be relied upon for zone entries.

When Huberdeau has been successful he has had players who can enter the zone with the puck. All of Bennett, Duclair, Barkov, Dadanov etc were/are capable of entering the zone when needed. Lindholm and Mangiapane aren't real threats for zone entry.

I've mentioned it before but someone like Konecny would be perfect. He could fly into the zone (if needed) and has enough hockey IQ to get open if Huberdeau enters the zone with the puck.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Flames1217

He needs options, he can't be solely relied upon to create everything. Mangiapane is a muck it up type player and loses/get knocked off the puck far too often to be relied upon for zone entries.

When Huberdeau has been successful he has had players who can enter the zone with the puck. All of Bennett, Duclair, Barkov, Dadanov etc were/are capable of entering the zone when needed. Lindholm and Mangiapane aren't real threats for zone entry.

I've mentioned it before but someone like Konecny would be perfect. He could fly into the zone (if needed) and has enough hockey IQ to get open if Huberdeau enters the zone with the puck.

I have a feeling that if Lindholm leaves Tarasenko is going to be the star the Flames target.

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

I have a feeling that if Lindholm leaves Tarasenko is going to be the star the Flames target.

That would be 1 step forward, 2 steps back

[cam_calderon]

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

That would be 1 step forward, 2 steps back

Would be a disaster. We need a Cup-winning No.1 centre, whether through the draft or trade, not an overpaid winger. Lindholm probably won't win anything here if he signs, but I'd much rather have him than Tarasenko.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

I have a feeling that if Lindholm leaves Tarasenko is going to be the star the Flames target.

[OutOfTheCube]

Levi in net for Sabres tonight, fourth straight start. Has looked a little bit better every game so far. Be an interesting game tonight, Thompson has been cold to start the season just like last year but was knocking at the door all night against Tampa.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Tkachukwagon

Francis is reporting Vlader with the start tonight

They're already giving up on Markstrom? And why not go with Wolf... he should have started 17 games already!

[Samonadreau]

Makes sense, Vladar was getting one of these b2b games.

[Toonage]

Interesting that Francis also reports Vladar was to have gotten the start against the Caps on Monday but was sick.

I saw several people whining that the coach should have started Vladar against Washington due to his career stats. Well, rest easy knowing that was in fact the plan.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Buff

They're already giving up on Markstrom? And why not go with Wolf... he should have started 17 games already!

He should be the starter for the Flames and Wranglers. 120 starts let's go

[Drunk Uncle]

Originally Posted by Flames1217

He needs options, he can't be solely relied upon to create everything. Mangiapane is a muck it up type player and loses/get knocked off the puck far too often to be relied upon for zone entries.

When Huberdeau has been successful he has had players who can enter the zone with the puck. All of Bennett, Duclair, Barkov, Dadanov etc were/are capable of entering the zone when needed. Lindholm and Mangiapane aren't real threats for zone entry.

I've mentioned it before but someone like Konecny would be perfect. He could fly into the zone (if needed) and has enough hockey IQ to get open if Huberdeau enters the zone with the puck.

They've tried Mang, Shary and Dube there. Nothing really sings. Before you they go get someone, I hope they exhaust all options (including Kadri) on the right side to see if anything sticks.

Huberdeau-Lindholm-Rosie/Coronato/Pelletier/Kadri/Duehr

I think the fit they need is with Lindholm more than Huberdeau. If you find a good duo with Lindholm, teams with get burned pressing Huberdeau too hard which in-turn will free up Huby. To me that someone must be able to win battles down low and make plays to Lindholm's spot in the slot. The one beauty goal that line did score came from that exact type of play and what ultimately made the Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk line so dangerous. If you keyed in on Gaudreau, he dumped it deep, Tkachuk won the puck and found Lindholm. The issue is Mang can't win the battles consistently enough to make that play and that really isn't the strong suit in his game.

I'd try everyone to see who, if anyone, can unlock that chemistry which also allows Mang-Backs-Coleman to be re-united. The remaining 3 guys that don't work make-up the 3rd line. That line may need to be sheltered but early on it appears any Kadri line should be sheltered.

[transplant99]

Wes Gilbertson
@WesGilbertson
A neat tidbit — it was 10 years ago today that Nikita Zadorov logged his NHL debut on behalf of the home team in Buffalo. And the #Flames just happen to be playing tonight in the exact same rink.