[News] Practice Notes - 11/13

[Otto-matic]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1062412157281689600

Interesting to see Benny on the 2nd line. Hope he can bury a few goals with Backlund and Chucky to get his mojo back.

Smith played well in SJ so isn't a huge surprise he's in the starters net.

[flamesfan55]

Smith in net makes me want to rage

[colbym72]

Originally Posted by flamesfan55

Smith in net makes me want to rage

He played great Sunday. I dont think its insane to start him again

[keenan87]

Originally Posted by Otto-matic

https://twitter.com/user/status/1062412157281689600

Interesting to see Benny on the 2nd line. Hope he can bury a few goals with Backlund and Chucky to get his mojo back.

Smith played well in SJ so isn't a huge surprise he's in the starters net.

haha Neal continuing on the third line.. I think this is going to end up being a major distraction for the team moving forward. Listening to Warrener and Boomer in the morning, they don't think he is very happy with the lack of chances and benching he has received.

[David Struch]

Originally Posted by Otto-matic

Smith played well in SJ so isn't a huge surprise he's in the starters net.

Another softie in the first couple minutes of the next game could really deflate the team.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by colbym72

He played great Sunday. I dont think its insane to start him again

Insane? According to Socrates that would be doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result.

Smith did play very well Sunday. I though Rittich played rather perfectly on Saturday.

[Otto-matic]

Originally Posted by keenan87

haha Neal continuing on the third line.. I think this is going to end up being a major distraction for the team moving forward. Listening to Warrener and Boomer in the morning, they don't think he is very happy with the lack of chances and benching he has received.

I don't blame Neal, He hasn't really been given the chance to play his style of game. He's playing on lines with players who either have stone hands or can't cycle the puck.

[FlamesAreOne]

Happy to see Andersson back in the lineup.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Otto-matic

I don't blame Neal, He hasn't really been given the chance to play his style of game. He's playing on lines with players who either have stone hands or can't cycle the puck.

5v5 I get it but at least put the guy in his strong spot on the PP. The whole point of Neal is is shot from the circles. Why is he down low

[SportsJunky]

I’m not worried about Neal or Bennett...yet. I’m fine with the Bennett we’ve seen this year. We don’t need him to be a top 6 guy. Neal, IMO, is a top sixer and that will prove out as the season goes on. This is as good a time as any for Peters to experiment. Let’s watch.

[direwolf]

Originally Posted by keenan87

haha Neal continuing on the third line.. I think this is going to end up being a major distraction for the team moving forward. Listening to Warrener and Boomer in the morning, they don't think he is very happy with the lack of chances and benching he has received.

He needs to earn it. Dude has been very underwhelming so far and he looks slow out there at times. Perhaps he should put more effort into his game and score a couple of goals FFS. And then maybe the coach will move him up the lineup.

That being said, I'd like to see him on the PP more. Maybe that will finally get him going.

[Otto-matic]

I would split up Mony/Johnny IMO right now. They're getting too cute with the passing plays and we need to get back to getting those quick quality shots on net.

Mony can carry his own line - he's done it before Johnny came to the Flames.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Agreed about Neal on the PP. If he is here to be a shooter, use him in that way.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Agreed about Neal on the PP. If he is here to be a shooter, use him in that way.

Johnny needs to be dishing the puck to Neal, especially once they're doing on offensive zone rush. Johnny sweeps in first, usually circles back, and by that time Neal should be in position to receive a pass. Johnny is trying to do too much on his own I've noticed, and he gets pushed off the puck easily. Neal, when not skating, is pretty stable on his feed and can handle his own.

[Wolfman]

Gaudreau-Monahan-Neal
Tkachuk-Lindholm-Bennett
Dube-Backlund-Frolik
Czarnik-Ryan-Hathaway

Jankowski

[foshizzle11]

Ya, more Neal on the PP is what we need and not him standing in front of the net either. He needs to be in a shooting position, on his off side so he can one time pucks at the net for Chucky to deflect in. I am fine with him playing on the 3rd line but he needs more PP time. He can stay on the 3rd line until he starts playing a bit harder, turn it up a notch, he does look slow at times so playing him with Monahan and JG doesn't seem smart at the moment with how that line has played. Maybe if the struggle, then shuffle some lines.

Maybe something like this?

Tkachuk - Monahan - Bennett
Gaudreau - Lindholm - Neal
Dube - Backlund - Frolik
Hathaway - Ryan - Czarnik

I think the top line would be pretty fun to watch because they would be hard to play against and the second line could be a very skilled line, that is also responsible defensively.

Backlund and Frolik could still be that shutdown line we need, I think Dube could learn a lot from those two, kind of like Tkuckuk before him.

Splitting up JG and SM likely won't happen, but if it does, I would like to see something like this.

[Flames1217]

Love the line up to be honest. Show players that if they bust their ass they are going to move up the line up. Neal floating does not merit playing on the second line.

Give Peters a reason to move you up, if not be a pro and play as hard as you can to contribute. Frolik should be on the third line though i think.

[Otto-matic]

I like these lines posted by my buddy.

Gaudreau-Lindholm-Neal
Tkachuk-Monahan-Czarnik
Bennett-Backlund-Frolik
Dube-Jankowski-Ryan
Hathaway

Gio-Brodie
Hanafin-Hamaonic
Valimaki-Andersson

Rittich
Smith

[flambers]

Originally Posted by Flames1217

Love the line up to be honest.

.

I second this, lines look really good.

I am really interested to see how Neal responds with the benching.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by direwolf

He needs to earn it. Dude has been very underwhelming so far and he looks slow out there at times. Perhaps he should put more effort into his game and score a couple of goals FFS. And then maybe the coach will move him up the lineup.

That being said, I'd like to see him on the PP more. Maybe that will finally get him going.

He's a goal scorer so putting him on a line with two players struggling offensively is basically a recipe for failure. I'm pretty sure Trevling didn't have 3rd line duty in mind when he signed him. Expecting him to excel on a 3rd line is a recipe for misery all around IMO.