Is this the most solid 4 lines we’ve rolled for awhile?

[FBI]

I’m loving our current 4 lines. Can’t remember the last time I thought that.
I certainly am not missing Ruzicka (how is he doing anyway wherever he is?)
I am certainly not missing Dube.
I am loving Rooney (never thought id say that) and Pelletier.

We’ve got a great shutdown line, a creative first line that isn’t making too many mistakes. And some great energy and kid lines.

I only wish we had Coronato here too but overall loving the lines.

The 3rd pair D is looking great too.

Also enjoying the stability of these lines so they can really build chemistry.

[Goriders]

I don’t think Coronato is quite ready yet.

But I fully agree with you.

It’s quite frankly why we’re winning the cup this year.

[midniteowl]

You forgot to mention Lindholm, I certainly not missing him, not even in PK.

[topfiverecords]

Too bad Greer got hurt.

[gvitaly]

That's a pretty good group. I still have questions about the 1st line, and Sharangovich playing Center, but they look good so far.

Ruzicka hasn't played a game in ARI just yet.

It's probably the best lineup since the 2021-22 playoffs of:
Gaudreau - Lindholm - Tkachuk
Mangiapane - Backlund - Coleman
Dube - Jarnkrok - Toffoli
Lucic - Lewis - Ritchie

Arguably this 4th line is better/faster this year. That said all of Lewis, Lucic, and Ritchie provided positive value that season, especially when Sutter didn't use them against McDavid.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

It's probably the best lineup since the 2021-22 playoffs of:
Gaudreau - Lindholm - Tkachuk
Mangiapane - Backlund - Coleman
Dube - Jarnkrok - Toffoli
Lucic - Lewis - Ritchie

Crazy that the Backlund line is back together, but the other 9 forwards are no longer on the team.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

It's probably the best lineup since the 2021-22 playoffs of:

Gaudreau - Lindholm - Tkachuk

Mangiapane - Backlund - Coleman

Dube - Jarnkrok - Toffoli

Lucic - Lewis - Ritchie

Huberdeau ‐ Sharangovich - Kuzmenko
I don't like this as much.

Zary - Kadri - Pospisil
I like this better.

Mangiapane - Backlund - Coleman
I like this MUCH better.

Pelletier - Rooney - Duehr
This is also a lot better, especially once Greer is back.

Sent from my SM-G986W using Tapatalk

[FBI]

Yeah the 4th line has been a train wreck all year long EXCEPT for Greer. Greer in for Duehr although Duehr is finally showing some life too.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

I think there's been some addition by subtraction. I think some of the players that left were part of the problem.

Lindholm for example is good with the right counterparts around him. We no longer had those which made him way less effective. And there was practically negative chemistry between him and his linemates, which made two other guys way less effective than they could be.

Ruzicka? He wasn't the guy. Especially not at center.

The pieces coming in relief are more motivated and appear to click better already.

[EVERLAST]

The only way this TEAM wins is by rolling 4 and 3 pairs as Markstrom said in his post gsme interview.

Finally the youth of the team gets to showcase where they are and we get to see how far away they really are from being full time roster players instead of just call ups getting a brief cup of coffee.

Bigger than that is the guys who didn't wanna be here or were apprehensive about being here anymore got shown the door not given the attention they were dying for.

I never want to hear another player get away with saying things like " this is how the Tkachuks do things ".....or.... I'm not sure I'll be back or whatever other nonsense their agents want to spew behind the scenes.

To me players have been given the opportunity to show us and they're doing it.

Any more cast-offs out there that need a change of scenery? Prospects included where....oh we can afford to unload prospect so and so because he won't get a chance for a bit and isn't patient enough to understand your in line waiting for an opportunity.

This is cool. As a fan I feel I've been waiting 2 decades or more for this to happen

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Even with the Feaster/Burke/Treliving rebuild you didn't have nearly as much youth representation on the roster. There were a lot of low skill vets acting as place holders while they tried to find their way.

What the Flames are doing now would be considered "chaos" to the old guard (including the recently departed Darryl), and look how well it's working out for them.

Conroy's radical approach at the helm of a tired, one-trick organization is utterly refreshing.

[Matty81]

It doesn't surprise me that they team is rolling 4 lines more evenly under huska. When he was in kelowna coaching the rockets was one of his defining traits as a coach, can remember some of the whl media calling them a Wolfpack the way he used all 12 forwards so much (and could extend that to 18 skaters really)

[Mattman]

Wow that is a great observation and neat to see how the lineup stacks up to 3-4 years ago.

Yes a better 4th line indeed. I guess that is the trade off and the difference between the two teams, sustainable experience vs fast youthful energy.

You need a balance of experience and energy amongst the line up. Based on the two lineups above I've just shown the ages on the respective lineups.

2021/22(Average age: 28.8)
28-27-24
25-32-30
25-30-29
33-35-28

2023/24 (Average age: 27.75 years old)
30-25-27
23-33-24
27-34-32
22-30-26

Not crazy, but younger for sure and they are playing some solid hockey right now.

[lazypucker]

I am not sure why Sutter never gave Rooney a chance.

IIRC, Rooney was a frequent healthy scratch under Sutter, and only got a few games in before being buried in the AHL...

[Dion]

I'm thinking the trio of Huberdeau, Sharangovich and Kuzmenko should be called the Redemption line. Huberdeau for being Flames fans favourite whipping boy, Sharangovich for the Devils sitting him out of the playoffs last season and Kuzmenko for the Canucks having him sit in the press box for most of the season.

[blankall]

What the Flames were really missing before was the young players like Zary, Popisil, and Pelletier stepping up into full time positions. It just provides so much more depth.

The last two players the Flames had to do that were probably Mangiapane and Dube. Before that maybe Lombardi and Kobasew? They tried with Jankowski and Bennett, but they never panned out.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by blankall

What the Flames were really missing before was the young players like Zary, Popisil, and Pelletier stepping up into full time positions. It just provides so much more depth.

The last two players the Flames had to do that were probably Mangiapane and Dube. Before that maybe Lombardi and Kobasew? They tried with Jankowski and Bennett, but they never panned out.

I'm no Bennett fantasizer but he was about .5 PPG in his rookie year, which is only a little lower than where Zary will end up, and much higher than Pospisil's ceiling this year.