[GDT] WCQF-G3: (P1) Calgary – 1 @ (W2) Colorado -1 ~ 8:00pm (CBC, CNBC, TVA2)

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

We are calling Neal a POS now? Ouch.

POs = "Playoffs" not POS.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

Makar is a defenceman. We are talking defencemen, not forwards.

Not to mention that this is the playoffs and not a string of meaningless games in March.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Murph

Sven...

How is Sven coming up mid season on an emergency recall the same as putting a defenceman into the regular lineup in the POs?

[shotinthebacklund]

This GDT is pretty pathetic for the most part. Go Flames.

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

I don't think the Flames need Jankowski to go out and suddenly change his game to the point where he's running around trying to hit everything. In fact the more Flames get dragged away from playing the game that they've played so well during the year, the more likely it is that they'll lose. But this is the playoffs, and you need to be hard on the puck, and win your battles, and be smart with the puck.

I think the 3M line needs a bit of a bounce back, and the Flames top players need to do a bit more.

I think it just comes down to upping the compete level.

He doesn't need to become Ryan Reaves. But he certainly needs to compete like a dog on a bone for the puck, and utilizing that frame with some intensity will go a long ways to accomplishing that.

[The Boy Wonder]

I think rolling 4 lines will be good. and I hope that the mackinnon line goes against Bennett and Janko, Bennett is one of our forwards who can actually almost skate with Mackinnon and that line is great on the cycle and could be instrumental in penning Mackinnon in his own zone.

Time to change the story from "how do we deal with one player" to "make them deal with our 4 lines and active D"

[868904]

I'm already reserved to the fact that the Calgary kid Makar will play well and even score a goal tonight. It's the playoffs and things like this always happen.

However, Makar should not change this series on his own and if he does, then we've over rated the Flames grossly.

[FlameyMcFlameFace]

[Manhattanboy]

Am still steamed we did not lock things down in Game 2 and steal one for Smith. But that's me, I tend to ruminate a lot.

Playoffs is about dealing with adversity, so tonight is the series in my view. Need to show the Avs and their fans why we are the top seed in the west and get the momentum back.

Flames teams always seem to start playoff games nervous and tentative. Do that tonight and it could be curtains before long.

[Itse]

With the Flames loss, the fiasco of the Womens final and the election results in Finland, I feel like I've suffered enough disappointments lately.

My heart can't take going down in this series.

Just take of business, okay?

[icecube]

Too many chicken#### overly negatively worry warts come out during the playoffs to spout doom and gloom after a loss. Have some confidence in a great team bouncing back. They need the support and belief of the fans. Hopefully the good energy will rub off. The best news is that Mike Smith has found his game again. This team could win the big silver shiny thing with a bit of luck.

[JBR]

Go Flames. Play to their capability and they will be OK. If that happens...

5-2 for the local hockey heroes.

[Manhattanboy]

Originally Posted by shotinthebacklund

This GDT is pretty pathetic for the most part. Go Flames.

Why because the Flames have been playing to their potential for over two months now? Fans' anxiety is entirely justified.

[CSharp]

Originally Posted by FlamesAreOne

Brodie on the 3rd pairing tonight.

Flames should actually bench Brodie and make him watch if he's not even going to throw a body check. Throw in Stone, Valimaki, or Kylington than have him getting flat footed on the ice. Brodie is just so soft. You can play like this all you want in regular season, but this is the playoffs! Andersson earned his spot with Gio on the first line of defense IMO.

[oldschoolcalgary]

i'd be curious to see how the Flames coached in the regular season versus the avs?

i don't recall them doing too much line matching, though i could be wrong.

maybe Calgary being on the road, will worry less about matching up now and also playing a little looser and not trying to be overly "pretty" in their passing plays...

the more calgary can roll their lines, the better it is for Calgary.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by CSharp

Flames should actually bench Brodie and make him watch if he's not even going to throw a body check. Throw in Stone, Valimaki, or Kylington than have him getting flat footed on the ice. Brodie is just so soft. You can play like this all you want in regular season, but this is the playoffs! Andersson earned his spot with Gio on the first line of defense IMO.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

Obviously the conversation is not about where in the first round they were selected....both players were their teams first round picks that year and Valimaki is primed to be more impactful than Makar at this point - he's actually been playing as a pro all year vs NCAA competition. It's not even close. You can argue a forward can pull it off, but I'd bet you'd be hard pressed to find much of a track record of an NCAA player stepping into the playoffs and contributing at more than a replacement level.

Oh boy. The homerism is strong in this one.

Valimaki had a great year. He's right on track for overperforming his 17th overall selection. And he's got some nice tools and hockey sense. But he's never been considered the same tier of prospect as Makar. You wouldn't offer him to the Avs for Makar and expect them to take that trade.

And using generalizations about NCAA players is missing the point, he's not an average NCAA player. Here's a list of ALL U21 Hobey Baker winners.


Paul Kariya
John Gaudreau
Jack Eichel
Cale Makar

So maybe you need to admit he's not just an ordinary prospect. Even Zach Werenski and Charlie McAvoy didn't dominate that league as much nor were they drafted so high, and they jumped right into the NHL as top pair defenseman. McAvoy right into the... you guessed it... playoffs. Werenski's team wasn't playoff eligible when he signed, but he probably plays for CBJ in the 2016 playoffs too. Instead he had to settle for playing for Jared Bednar and leading them to the Calder Cup in the AHL as their #1D.

Girard is hurt

Girard wasn't hurt two nights ago when Bednar was raving about Makar. Bedner, who we see above knows a thing or two about defensemen straight out of the NCAA.

and the Avs are out of options beyond Makar unless they want to put a Prout level player into the lineup in Barbiero. No depth. At least the Flames can go to Stone, Valimaki, Kylington before they have to dip into relative AHL level or Collegiate level players after their first injury. Depth.

Valimaki is by your warped definition an "AHL level player" too though.

You're overvaluing NHL experience. Especially in April when a lot of these guys are fully dialed into their games, as opposed to October when all players, not just prospects but seasoned vets, have a lot of rust in their game that gets mistaken for inexperience. Yeah, the NHL playoffs are fast, and a huge step up. But elite talents make that adjustment quickly, and Makar is an elite talent.

Makar would be playing whether Girard were injured or not, it's not really a matter of depth, it's a matter of adding an elite talent to your lineup.

That said Calgary should be able to neutralize him and anyone else on the Avs not named MacKinnon because we have a damn good team.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

It would be essentially unheard of if he somehow did.

McAvoy stepped in with Boston a couple of years ago and performed quite well. The Bruins still lost in 6 and I don't think you can say he set the world on fire. He was a useful piece of the puzzle but he was hardly a game changer or anywhere near the best skater on the ice.

As you say, a gifted forward like Guadreau took 10-15 games to start hitting his stride. You can probably double that timeline for a gifted defender like Makar to start making more positive contributions than negative on this stage.

Didn’t Subban debut and do well in the 2010 playoffs for the Habs? I know he was a big part of that run and I could be wrong but I thought he was similar to Sam and joined the team after his junior squad was eliminated then played a decent role for the Hans who beat the Caps and Pens shockingly that year as a 88pt 8 seed

[Brick]

Originally Posted by Redliner

The problem with putting the Johnny line out there more is that right now it's a one man show. Lindholm has played pretty well and shown a surprising amount of physical edge but his offense has completely dried up. Even though Monahan had a goal in game 2, he was mostly invisible the rest of the time and often looks completely disengaged. This leads to Johnny trying to do too much. He ends up attempting to dangle through the entire opposing team or doing a button hook just inside the blueline waiting for options then ultimately loses the puck. I certainly don't think Johnny is the problem but until his linemates (particularly Monahan) can up their game, I don't know if putting them out there more is the answer.

If Johnny had have passed the puck to Monahan (who was open and called for it), late in the game, the Flames probably would have won game 2.

Gaudreau needs to up his awareness level. I think he doesn't pass to the middle as much because he's afraid of turning the puck over. He needs to know when and when not to do it. He tries to shoot short side on his own too much. The defence needs to be on high alert when these opportunities occur so that they are ready if the puck does get turned over.

[Duffalufagus]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

I don't think the Flames need Jankowski to go out and suddenly change his game to the point where he's running around trying to hit everything. In fact the more Flames get dragged away from playing the game that they've played so well during the year, the more likely it is that they'll lose. But this is the playoffs, and you need to be hard on the puck, and win your battles, and be smart with the puck.

I think the 3M line needs a bit of a bounce back, and the Flames top players need to do a bit more.

Agreed. That's not his game. What the Flames need to do is play way more with the puck and not run around their own zone all night. And Backlund needs a huge bounce back game. MacKinnon abused him Saturday night.