Not the most exciting game (I read during a lot of it, sigh) but the win is good. Maybe helps the Flames' confidence a bit. They'll need some for the next two.
Anyway - glad to see they came out on top, sloppy as it was for the first period. They cleaned up quite a bit of that in the second and third. They won't be able to get away with that endlessly though.
Loved Bennett and Frolik tonight (and even Bollig...) and that seeing-eye shot from Johnny was fantastic.
I find it kind of insane that that 5-6 rookies are on pace for 25 goals. Young players are getting better/more productive.
Not sure that's really a trend that will continue to always go up and up. I think each draft class is different. Just so happens the top end of Bennett's draft was quite good with Reinhart, Draisaitl and Bennett all looking like future stars and then the draft after also had a couple franchise centre men in McDavid and Eichel. Probably a better two year stretch than any in the 2000's. Although we did have Crosby/Malkin/Ovechkin I believe in a two year stretch.
But draft crops will vary. There will be mediocre years, below average years as well. In general worldwide talent seems to be improving but each region will vary by year. This year there might be no Canadian taken in the top 5 and Finland is having an unprecedented year with Laine and Puljujarvi.
Panarin is freaking unreal good as well. Super impressed by him when I've watched him. Let's not put it all on Kane, Panarin looks a lot more similar to Gaudreau/Kane then it looks like he's riding anyone's coattails. In fact perhaps part of why Kane is having such an unreal season is playing with another sicko like Panarin.
Completely agree, and wasn't dismissing Panarin in the slightest. Offensively talented players need other talented players to work with in order to produce.
Gaudreau would have more points if he had more offensively-talented line-mates. That isn't an insult to Gaudreau, it is just a fact.
What I said was that if Bennett were playing with Gaudreau, he would have more points - just as Panarin has more points playing with Kane than he would have playing with Shaw and Rasmussen.
If Bennett hadn't been snake-bitten for most of the first half, despite pretty good play, he'd be close to Panarin. He's already catching him in goals.
If Bennett hadn't been snake-bitten for most of the first half, despite pretty good play, he'd be close to Panarin. He's already catching him in goals.
After watching Panarin highlights he reminds of Sam Bennett. Sure we had Panarin on our team! Not sure if it was posted, mentions here that Calgary was one of the teams in the mix for him.
After watching Panarin highlights he reminds of Sam Bennett. Sure we had Panarin on our team! Not sure if it was posted, mentions here that Calgary was one of the teams in the mix for him.
yup it was mtrl cgy and toronto who were the other teams interested. our rebuilds done imo if we got panarin just goaltending and some complementary pieces here and there and we are set!
