Brett Ritchie, why?

[Flamesfan05]

Monahan is in a bad spot. Not good enough to drive his own offense. There is only one guy that can help him and we are not going back to that disaster

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood

I know you're the biggest Monahan fan come on now. You actually believe Monahan is driving offense and looking dangerous 5 on 5?

81:48 of his 5 on 5 time has been with Dube and Lucic.
72:11 with Lewis and Lucic.
66:29 with Pitlick and Dube.
44:08 with Richardson and Lewis.
42:32 with Coleman and Mangiapaine.
28:53 with Coleman and Lewis
24:40 with Mangiapaine and Dube.
18:46 with Gaudreau and Tkachuk.
17:54 with Ritchie and Dube.
14:19 with Lucic and Mangiapaine.

I think he’s usually the most dangerous looking on his line. BTW, your time breakdown has a lot of Lewis, Pitlick and Dube. The first two are not offensive players and Dube has just been pretty bad this year.

And have a look at his numbers with Mangiapane and Coleman (the line I suggested).

I’m not even a Monahan fan frankly. I just think the criticisms are over baked and don’t take his assignments into account. I like fair criticisms, not “he sucks”. His underlying numbers are pretty good.

[TheScorpion]

Matthew Phillips had a hatty tonight and decked a guy who's five inches taller than him. I'd rather see him in the NHL than the guy with zero points in 21 games.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1489465646848958468

[robertsfanatic]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Matthew Phillips had a hatty tonight and decked a guy who's five inches taller than him.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1489465646848958468

for a small player, Phillips seems to have quite a few crushing hits in his career...didn't he destroy someone in junior with a hit or am I thinking of someone else?

put him with Monahan/Dube and let's see what happens.

[Mindtravellee]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Matthew Phillips had a hatty tonight and decked a guy who's five inches taller than him. I'd rather see him in the NHL than the guy with zero points in 21 games.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1489465646848958468

He knows how to line someone up, throws good hits. His size is a benefit

[Mindtravellee]

Originally Posted by robertsfanatic

for a small player, Phillips seems to have quite a few crushing hits in his career...didn't he destroy someone in junior with a hit or am I thinking of someone else?

put him with Monahan/Dube and let's see what happens.

He threw a couple, but in Juniors he was more a target. Got absolutely crushed some nights and still went as hard in the 59thmin as in the 1st

[GS Skier]

Originally Posted by robertsfanatic

for a small player, Phillips seems to have quite a few crushing hits in his career...didn't he destroy someone in junior with a hit or am I thinking of someone else?

put him with Monahan/Dube and let's see what happens.

Let me now where you Philips bandwagon guys buy your weed. Philips is great, very talented to be sure. Have you heard of this Sutter guy running the team?

Have you seen his past history of building teams? You hold out this miraculous hope that someone Sutter will "see the light" and bring 140 lb Philips up???

Is he opposed to young players??? Rudzicka is 22, spent 2 1/2 years simmering in the AHL and has 14 games experience and yet Sutter seems fine with him. Of course he's 6'4" 212lbs.

Philips? On a Sutter team?

Good luck with that.

[Heavy Jack]

Call him up! It’s overdue and he’d be fantastic on a line with Monahan and Dube and I wouldn’t worry if he was on the 4th line with Lucic - Ruzicka. It’s about time we see what we have in Matty Phillips!

[Lanny_McDonald]

A multi-empty net goal "hatty".

I want Phillips called up just so he gets a few games, doesn't do anything, if he sees the ice, and puts an end to this nonsense. His game is not likely to translate to the NHL and the big team knows it. His lack of speed and the lack of space on the NHL ice is going to hurt his offense, and his lack of stature is going to limit where he can play. He is not a replacement for anyone on the third or fourth lines, even with this "big" hit as supposed evidence to the "grit" in his game. He may be tenacious on the puck, but he doesn't play the heavy game that Sutter expects out of those lower lines. Sutter has gone bigger and heavier in the lineup, which has lead to incredible success for the team, so I don't see him bringing the smallest player in the system up to address a non-existent concern (Ritchie's production).

This "hit" was interesting because of the lack of response from the Canucks. I don't see how Phillips survives the outcome from that type of play in the NHL. There's a bit of a code that you don't take a run at guys that are already engaged in a puck battle with another player, which is what Phillips did on that hit. He'd likely have to answer the bell for that hit or become a target, and I don't see him being able to do that.

[Heavy Jack]

Lol yes fans wanting a hometown drafted player who has played as well or better on the farm as call ups like Mangiapane, Andersson, Kylington is ‘nonsense’ but wanting to keep a pointless in 21 games Brett Ritchie who doesn’t even drop the gloves anymore since he got injured in his last fight instead isn’t nonsense.

Seriously the pessimistic views posters can have here is getting old especially in a season such as this. But keep eating those piss filled cornflakes if that’s what you dig, all the power to ya.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Ritchie's role is not to score goals or points. His job is to be a big body that grinds the opposition down and makes life difficult for the defensemen in deep. This is not rocket science, it's Sutter hockey. If you're too dense to look at the players that were brought in during the off season and understand what Sutter was trying to accomplish, that's on you, and "all the power to ya". The team got bigger with intent, and as a result, got better with intent. They are NOT going to go against that intent and bring in an undersized midget who can't fill the role of an existing player. Dueher probably gets the call up long before Phillips, because he has the size and ability the team is using to success. Enjoy the success the team is experiencing and recognize that any help up front is not coming from within the system this season. Expect a trade to fill any gaps in the lineup.

[Erick Estrada]

You can't have your cake and eat it too. The team brought Darryl Sutter in to win games and he's going to do it his way which means he's going to play players like Ritchie even if the organization has young skilled players in their system that deserve a chance. I don't like how Darryl underutilize his backup goaltenders and has a very short leash for young players but you take the good with the bad and the good in this case is very good as wins are all that count at the end of the day.

[robertsfanatic]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

Expect a trade to fill any gaps in the lineup.

I just want someone to help the Mony/Dube line - don't care if it's Phillips, Dueher, or trade.

[Lil Pedro]

For a team desperate for secondary and tertiary scoring, why wouldn't they call him up? Hoping we see him on the big club after the break. Brett Ritichie does very little for this team

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Lil Pedro

For a team desperate for secondary and tertiary scoring,

Desperate? I believe they are 12th in the NHL for G/GP. It would be better if guys like Backlund/Monahan/Dube who all get much more ice time started chipping in a bit more. Yeah if Ritchie could bag a few it would help, but that is not his role on this team...it is for the others. Look for a trade for a bigger and more established player before seeing MP get that call.

why wouldn't they call him up?

Because for him to even have a chance to succeed at the NHL level, he would need to play top line minutes...who are you bumping in that scenario? Yeah if a Gaudreau/Mangiapane/Lindholm type suffers an injury, he can slot into that kind of role. He isnt bumping the big wingers nor a bigger C.

Hoping we see him on the big club after the break. Brett Ritichie does very little for this team

Brett Ritchie does what his coach asks of him, if he didn't, he wouldn't be playing.

It's Sutter hockey. This is what he was hired to provide and thus far the returns are really good. Let him do his thing and enjoy. MP just isn't a guy Sutter will run with unless there is a spot for him to do so....its just how it works.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Lol yes fans wanting a hometown drafted player who has played as well or better on the farm as call ups like Mangiapane, Andersson, Kylington is ‘nonsense’ but wanting to keep a pointless in 21 games Brett Ritchie who doesn’t even drop the gloves anymore since he got injured in his last fight instead isn’t nonsense.

Seriously the pessimistic views posters can have here is getting old especially in a season such as this. But keep eating those piss filled cornflakes if that’s what you dig, all the power to ya.

Really it's just the same 4 posters that don't want Phillips to get a chance or to succeed so they can say "Ha, told you he was too small to ever be an NHLer".

It's funny because the same posters support dropping Ritchie or Lewis out of the lineup if we can add a skilled top 9 player in a trade...but giving a guy who is over a PPG and has been the top offensive player on the farm team for most of the last three seasons a chance is out of the question because Ritchie is essential to our success or something.

There is easily a role for him on the third line with Dube and Monahan. Those two could benefit from playing with a creative playmaker, and are already getting more sheltered minutes as the Backlund and Lindholm lines take the tough match ups.

Honestly it would be the perfect spot, especially with a long run of games at home coming up where we control the match ups.

I have no problem with Lewis and Ritchie in the lineup, but neither guy should be near the top 9. They are ideally 12/13th forwards that rotate in and out for one another.

Originally Posted by robertsfanatic

for a small player, Phillips seems to have quite a few crushing hits in his career...didn't he destroy someone in junior with a hit or am I thinking of someone else?

He caught a guy a couple years back in the AHL with a nice open ice hit too.

He's small but he's built a lot more solid than people give him credit for and doesn't shy away from being physical or going to the dirty areas of the ice.

Similar to Byron in that way.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1194080472302792705

[robertsfanatic]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

He caught a guy a couple years back in the AHL with a nice open ice hit too.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1194080472302792705

YES, this is the one I was thinking of, thank you!

[heep223]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

This "hit" was interesting because of the lack of response from the Canucks. I don't see how Phillips survives the outcome from that type of play in the NHL. There's a bit of a code that you don't take a run at guys that are already engaged in a puck battle with another player, which is what Phillips did on that hit. He'd likely have to answer the bell for that hit or become a target, and I don't see him being able to do that.

There are plenty of unwritten codes and nuances in hockey but this is certainly not one of them.

[GioforPM]

I am not a big Ritchie fan, though I had hopes for him last year right off the bat. I do think we as fans look at things a lot different than Sutter or Treliving. We are always after more scoring, ways to make the team perfect top to bottom. They look at the standings and the record and think “this is pretty good - we are a winning team”. I think Sutter is resistant to changing a lineup that’s 6-2 since the postponed Vegas game and the losing streak before that game.

Ritchie is also a guy that a coach might look at and figure is really close to being a productive player. Big, fast, plays with a lot of energy and once upon a time scored 16 goals. I just think he doesn’t have any finish and doesn’t put himself in positions to score.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by GS Skier

Let me now where you Philips bandwagon guys buy your weed. Philips is great, very talented to be sure. Have you heard of this Sutter guy running the team?

Have you seen his past history of building teams? You hold out this miraculous hope that someone Sutter will "see the light" and bring 140 lb Philips up???

Is he opposed to young players??? Rudzicka is 22, spent 2 1/2 years simmering in the AHL and has 14 games experience and yet Sutter seems fine with him. Of course he's 6'4" 212lbs.

Philips? On a Sutter team?

Good luck with that.

Gaudreau is a favourite. Mangiapane is a favourite. Heck, Ryan was one of Darryl's trusted guys out there last year as a 4th liner and he was NOT physical at all. While we are at it, let's tackle all his 'myths':


1) Darryl Sutter teams are smashmouth hockey teams.
2) Darryl Sutter teams play slow plodding and boring games.
3) Darryl Sutter teams are defensive trap-fests.
4) Darryl Sutter loves winning games 1-0 and 2-1.
5) Darryl Sutter is a dinosaur stuck in the 80's.



As for Phillips - I would be interested to hear why people think that Phillips has been deserving of a call-up in the past. He has never led the Heat in points (1 point lead right now). First year being a PPG or better (thus far). He simply hasn't shown ENOUGH to warrant a call-up. It isn't about his size.



I like that he has taken a step forward this season. I do think that perhaps he has suffered from not playing enough games. However, he simply hasn't been outstanding enough to warrant a look. You might argue that he is the stick that stirs the drink on that line, but I will argue that he still needs to stand-out more than his line-mates.



Am I writing him off? Absolutely not. I really like this kid in every way. Like I said, covid may have thrown a wrench into his seasons. Not playing enough affects players in different ways and to different degrees. The important thing is that NOW he is playing better and getting better results. He is taking a step forward, and I think that he is capable of even more. My argument is that he hasn't shown ENOUGH so far to warrant a long look in the NHL, rather than his size has held him back from getting a look.



Once again, this is the first season in which he is a PPG. Pelletier is doing it in his first season. Gawdin has led the team in scoring once, and is 3 points back. Ruzicka was just as impressive as Phillips, but is a full foot taller. Nobody is being unfair to Phillips, and Ritchie has so far earned his limited (thankfully limited) ice-time because he is the hardest worker on the team while not hurting the team, and that's a good example to set. I hope there is an upgrade there, but Phillips is by no means a 'guarantee' as an upgrade. Let him just continue to improve his game and earn a spot on the team eventually.