GDT Flames- Oilers

[Beninho]

Playing a 3rd line that has never played with each other in a must win game vs our most hated rival has got to be one of the most damming things GG has done in his time here. There is zero reason Janko shouldn’t be in the lineup.

I cannot wait for his BS excuses

[northcrunk]

Originally Posted by Beninho

Playing a 3rd line that has never played with each other in a must win game vs our most hated rival has got to be one of the most damming things GG has done in his time here. There is zero reason Janko shouldn’t be in the lineup.

I cannot wait for his BS excuses

It's brutal. Making me feel apathetic about the team. What's the point of watching if the on ice product is junk?

[SeanCharles]

Originally Posted by Otto-matic

They really need to revamp that bottom 6 this summer. The only 3 players I see staying are Brouwer/Lazer/Shore.

The rest I would jettison.

The bottom 6 does need revamping and I think we'll need to inject 3 new forwards to fix it.

Brouwer is not one I consider part of the solution however, contract aside he needs to go.

Gaudreau-Monahan-????
Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik
Bennett-Jankowski-Ferland
????-Shore-????
Lazar/Hathaway

We need another top 6 forward and a brand new 4th line.

The part about the lineup for tonight that bothers me is not that Janko is scratched. It's that for Shore to finally get into the lineup we had to scratch Janko.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by nik-

A guaranteed 25+ goals a year might have a little to do with that though. I dunno, I'm just spitballing here.

Spoiler!

It's not entirely unprecedented in the history of the NHL for a #1 centre to be both a skilled sniper and difficult to play against. In fact, it's almost unprecedented for a Cup contender not to be led by a very strong two-way centre.

Crosby
Toews
Kopitar
Bergeron
Datsyuk
Getzlaf

Every one of those guys would still be a highly paid and highly sought-after centre if he only scored 40 pts a year. Can we really say the same for Monahan?

[nik-]

Well because we didn't draft someone as good as one of those players, clearly.

[kevman]

You guys are brutal. This thread is brutal. I get it, they haven't lived up to expectations this year. It's been a real let down. But they're still a team in the thick of things only 2 years removed from being 26th. To be honest they were never going to be contenders this soon no matter what you thought in September. However, it's not over yet and there is still meaningful hockey to be played. Try to enjoy it a little.

If you want instant success I hear there is a team in Nevada accepting new fans.

[northcrunk]

I've had a Vegas jersey since the season began. Gotta pick up a second team to cheer for in case our Mayor loses us the team.

I don't think you can blame fans for how they feel. This isn't year 1 or 2 of the rebuild. They spend first round picks to bring guys in. They cannot miss the playoffs. The fact that they are 2 points out is unacceptable at this point. We're not the Oilers. We don't care about draft picks. We expect more.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by kevman

You guys are brutal. This thread is brutal. I get it, they haven't lived up to expectations this year. It's been a real let down. But they're still a team in the thick of things only 2 years removed from being 26th. To be honest they were never going to be contenders this soon no matter what you thought in September. However, it's not over yet and there is still meaningful hockey to be played. Try to enjoy it a little.

If you want instant success I hear there is a team in Nevada accepting new fans.

Yeah, Flames fans are expecting instant success.

[Aarongavey]

If we tried to trade the six guys on the bottom six in a straight up hockey trade in a non-cap world we may be able to get a combined 4th and 5th round pick for those 6 guys. That is young guns bad. It is a true indicator for the need for multiple draft picks in the next couple drafts to replenish the forward ranks, the cupboard is thin.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by kevman

You guys are brutal. This thread is brutal. I get it, they haven't lived up to expectations this year. It's been a real let down. But they're still a team in the thick of things only 2 years removed from being 26th. To be honest they were never going to be contenders this soon no matter what you thought in September. However, it's not over yet and there is still meaningful hockey to be played. Try to enjoy it a little.

If you want instant success I hear there is a team in Nevada accepting new fans.

I think people are starting to get sick of the same thing year after year. I don't blame these guys for being negative when this team has 2 wins at home in there last 9 weeks.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

McDavid is the issue. Backlund, though an top notch defender IMO, seems to have difficulties with his speed and muscle. Backlund fares best against shifty playmaking centres like Tavares, who he was effective against last game. It's still gotta be Backlund against him tonight but Backs is going to have to have a great game.

Actually, Backlund does really well head-to-head against McDavid if memory serves. There was an article somewhere exactly about this, and how Backlund's line turns the tables on McDavid's line. When Backlund isn't out against McDavid? McDavid destroys Monahan's line and the third line even worse.

At any rate, I predicted that tonight's game would feature Stewart back in. This is exactly the game you pencil him in for. He can beat up Lucic - at the very least stand toe-to-toe with him. I hope that he does this early in the first period and the Flames set the tone. I think when Edmonton got bigger and tougher, the Flames just play them poorly. Having Tkachuk out just makes this decision easier.

Oh, and Jankowski does NOT play soft. I am rather impressed with his belligerence after whistles, and after he got slew-footed. I didn't think he had that side to his game, but boy does he seem to have a bit of a temper. I think that will really serve him well in the long run.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by kevman

You guys are brutal. This thread is brutal. I get it, they haven't lived up to expectations this year. It's been a real let down. But they're still a team in the thick of things only 2 years removed from being 26th. To be honest they were never going to be contenders this soon no matter what you thought in September. However, it's not over yet and there is still meaningful hockey to be played. Try to enjoy it a little.

If you want instant success I hear there is a team in Nevada accepting new fans.

We're just tired of being that team that either barely misses or barely makes the playoffs. It's mediocrity at its best. I don't think this thread is brutal, it's a thread with passionate fans that have been following the Flames through the thick and thin. Yes, I know that CP can sometimes get a little out of hand, but it just shows at how much we want our team to be successful. We know our team can do better, we are just sucking at putting everything together.

[Fan in Exile]

Originally Posted by kevman

You guys are brutal. This thread is brutal. I get it, they haven't lived up to expectations this year. It's been a real let down. But they're still a team in the thick of things only 2 years removed from being 26th. To be honest they were never going to be contenders this soon no matter what you thought in September. However, it's not over yet and there is still meaningful hockey to be played. Try to enjoy it a little.

If you want instant success I hear there is a team in Nevada accepting new fans.

I wasn't disappointed after they finished 26th two years ago. They had bad goaltending and had good draft picks ahead of them. They were a young team with potential. This season, they finally have good goaltending, the roster has been upgraded, they have no picks in the first three rounds this year, they are almost certain to miss the playoffs, and they play slow dull hockey.

[Robbob]

I got this. Flames are undefeated when I drink Scotch. Sure it is only a 3 game sample size, but 3 for 3 is still batting 1.000.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

At any rate, I predicted that tonight's game would feature Stewart back in. This is exactly the game you pencil him in for. He can beat up Lucic - at the very least stand toe-to-toe with him. I hope that he does this early in the first period and the Flames set the tone. I think when Edmonton got bigger and tougher, the Flames just play them poorly.

Lucic is almost useless. Better to have him out on the ice.

Stewart is also almost useless. I thought he was supposed to be some sort of scorer and not a face-puncher.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

janko is the softest player in the lineup.

I'm not concerned about his grit. It's certainly not why I choose Hathaway over him.

[hwy19man]

The game will start on Sportsnet Pacific and West at 1900h.

The game will be joined in progress on Sportsnet One and the East and Ontario channels after the Bruins-Hurricanes game is completed.

This is very strange and poor scheduling by Rogers. The Bruins-Hurricanes game should only be Sportsnet One.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by nik-

Well because we didn't draft someone as good as one of those players, clearly.

Half of those guys did not enter the league as elite two-way players. They became two-way players once they understood that's the way they had to play if they wanted their team to win at the highest levels.

Any skilled player can become a two-way player. The only thing stopping them is dedication and will.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

janko is the softest player in the lineup.

Do you have an example of Janko's softness with respect to goal scoring or goal suppression?

Or is so-called "softness" restricted to meaningless factors like hit stats, throwing crosschecks and taking boarding penalties?

Jankowski gives the Calgary Flames a better likelihood of outscoring opponents in NHL games than Hathaway, Stewart, Brouwer, Lazar, or Stajan. If he is struggling, an effort should be made to help him, rather than punish him. Especially when those struggles are not unrelated to pucks consistently dying on a certain linemate's stick. If he is struggling with center responsibilities, fine, shift him over to wing and let Shore or Bennett take on some of the tougher duties, as they've both been 3Cs on playoff teams themselves. The twelve guys who give your team the best chance to win should be the twelve guys who suit up at forward. Jankowski is easily one of our top seven forwards this season, despite some natural streakiness to be expected of someone not getting much if any power play time. Scratching him tonight is just another in a long list of Gulutzanisms that have led to the vast underperformance of this roster.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

Actually, Backlund does really well head-to-head against McDavid if memory serves. There was an article somewhere exactly about this, and how Backlund's line turns the tables on McDavid's line. When Backlund isn't out against McDavid? McDavid destroys Monahan's line and the third line even worse.

At any rate, I predicted that tonight's game would feature Stewart back in. This is exactly the game you pencil him in for. He can beat up Lucic - at the very least stand toe-to-toe with him. I hope that he does this early in the first period and the Flames set the tone. I think when Edmonton got bigger and tougher, the Flames just play them poorly. Having Tkachuk out just makes this decision easier.

Oh, and Jankowski does NOT play soft. I am rather impressed with his belligerence after whistles, and after he got slew-footed. I didn't think he had that side to his game, but boy does he seem to have a bit of a temper. I think that will really serve him well in the long run.

Thanks, I won't quibble because I don't have any data on Backlund v. McDavid. I'm sure can't argue that, when McDavid is out against the Monahan line he does really well. Monahan is average defensively, and not fast. Gaudreau is no help in the D zone and Ferland doesn't seem to anticipate well, or use his stick well in the D zone.

If it was me I'd shadow him through the neutral zone at least, and do a hard match especially on D against him. I'd assign Backlund's line against him, with Backs as the shadow, or maybe Bennett, but I'd also cover each additional line by making a player the shadow, in case they get stuck on the ice. I'd put Shore on him for the third line and Lazar on him on the fourth. On the top line, it's tougher but maybe you put Ferland on but also emphasize a hard forecheck.