Will we ever be a successful playoff team until we get a line driving #1C?

[flamesforcup]

Ive seen alot of people criticising Johnny but i dont think hes been THAT bad. He tries making plays but Monahans always no where to be seen for support.

For the last couple decades we havent had a bonafide #1C who can carry a line himself and our playoff records reflect that. If Johnny is shutdown than at least our centre should be able to take some pressure off and do something. I know Monahan puts up a lot of points but lets be honest guys, his style is not the type that drives lines or takes over games in the playoffs. I dont think this series is over and i think theres a good chance we come back but it has also showed us our huge weakness.

Even if we manage to squeak out a comeback and make in to round 2 my opinion wont change. I know its almost impossible to get a line driving #1C outside of drafting but i think we have some options this summer. Duchane is a UFA and if he decides to move on from Columbus i would love to throw a big contract at him and than trade Monahan. Even if we cant get an elite centre i think we should still at least try getting an upgrade on Monahan.

Thoughts? St Louis got ROR and Columbus became insane after they got Duchane. If these teams can acquire centres of that calibre through trade i think we can too.

[Vinny01]

Why are people jumping at having off-season discussions so early?

[8sPOT]

Originally Posted by flamesforcup

Ive seen alot of people criticising Johnny but i dont think hes been THAT bad. He tries making plays but Monahans always no where to be seen for support.

For the last couple decades we havent had a bonafide #1C who can carry a line himself and our playoff records reflect that. If Johnny is shutdown than at least our centre should be able to take some pressure off and do something. I know Monahan puts up a lot of points but lets be honest guys, his style is not the type that drives lines or takes over games in the playoffs. I dont think this series is over and i think theres a good chance we come back but it has also showed us our huge weakness.

Even if we manage to squeak out a comeback and make in to round 2 my opinion wont change. I know its almost impossible to get a line driving #1C outside of drafting but i think we have some options this summer. Duchane is a UFA and if he decides to move on from Columbus i would love to throw a big contract at him and than trade Monahan. Even if we cant get an elite centre i think we should still at least try getting an upgrade on Monahan.

Thoughts? St Louis got ROR and Columbus became insane after they got Duchane. If these teams can acquire centres of that calibre through trade i think we can too.

Columbus became insane? Playoffs are a weird beast. Things happen, games are decided by the closest of margins. People need to stop overreacting here. Its a 3 game losing streak at the worst possible time.

Should Tampa get rid of Kucherov? This isn't an exact science, Flames lost 2 games in OT, and in both those games had a glorious chance to win it only to have the opposing team skate down the ice and score right after.

[flamesforcup]

Originally Posted by 8sPOT

Columbus became insane? Playoffs are a weird beast. Things happen, games are decided by the closest of margins. People need to stop overreacting here. Its a 3 game losing streak at the worst possible time.

Should Tampa get rid of Kucherov? This isn't an exact science, Flames lost 2 games in OT, and in both those games had a glorious chance to win it only to have the opposing team skate down the ice and score right after.

Tampa has Point too (who i believe is a #1C) and has had playoff success before. My point is not from just losing 3 games in a row it is from more than 2 decades of playoff failures outside of 1 year. Even in the Iginla years all we heard every year was that we need to get him a #1 centre and we never did and wasted the hall of fame careers of him and Kiprusoff. I dont wanna waste Giordano and Gaudreaus primes either.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by flamesforcup

Ive seen alot of people criticising Johnny but i dont think hes been THAT bad. He tries making plays but Monahans always no where to be seen for support.

For the last couple decades we havent had a bonafide #1C who can carry a line himself and our playoff records reflect that. If Johnny is shutdown than at least our centre should be able to take some pressure off and do something. I know Monahan puts up a lot of points but lets be honest guys, his style is not the type that drives lines or takes over games in the playoffs. I dont think this series is over and i think theres a good chance we come back but it has also showed us our huge weakness.

Even if we manage to squeak out a comeback and make in to round 2 my opinion wont change. I know its almost impossible to get a line driving #1C outside of drafting but i think we have some options this summer. Duchane is a UFA and if he decides to move on from Columbus i would love to throw a big contract at him and than trade Monahan. Even if we cant get an elite centre i think we should still at least try getting an upgrade on Monahan.

Thoughts? St Louis got ROR and Columbus became insane after they got Duchane. If these teams can acquire centres of that calibre through trade i think we can too.

I don't know...many teams got great players at the trade deadline and the Flames held tight...think we missed the boat by standing pat.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by redforever

I don't know...many teams got great players at the trade deadline and the Flames held tight...think we missed the boat by standing pat.

They didn’t stand pat, and would look much better with Zucker in the lineup.

[Psytic]

I feel we need to add rather than move out core pieces. If we can get somebody for Brodie our 1st, Jankowski and Kylington then I do it and bump Monahan down to make a killer 2nd line and have Backlund run a killer 3rd shutdown line. These guys arent chopped liver but we need to add to it like a Statsny or Stone or Duchene or something. I'm actually envying how Vegas put together a second line as good as most teams 1st lines out of thin air like that and they are expansion draft exempt. Its hilarious.

[PepsiFree]

The Flames have at least one more playoff game left and I’m already tired of the negative think-piece threads.

Flames have a lot of money to clear up in some areas where it isn’t doing much for them. Frolic, Stone, maybe Brodie, Neal, etc. “I’m not making decisions based on 3 games, but from 20 years” no, of course you are. A month ago people would be happy if Smith was fired into the sun, but really good things and really bad things happen in short order.

We had a great regular season. One. Instead of looking to gut a major player maybe we should allow things to get cleaned up and adjusted a bit first?

[burn_this_city]

Lets see if he's actually hurt as well. Wouldn't surprise me if he's got a bad injury again from taking abuse in the slot.

[GranteedEV]

Need to start keeping our firsts and trying to draft a Kuznetsov type, however unlikely it may be

[Jiri Hrdina]

I want Dammage to start advocating for Barlow
He did that last year constantly with Lindholm and we got him

[Jiri Hrdina]

I want Dammage to start advocating for Barkov
He did that last year constantly with Lindholm and we got him

[Hockey-and_stuff]

I assume you meant Barkov, and yes I want this now and no other alternative is acceptable.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Jiri Hrdina]

Stupid autocorrect

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by 8sPOT

Columbus became insane? Playoffs are a weird beast. Things happen, games are decided by the closest of margins. People need to stop overreacting here. Its a 3 game losing streak at the worst possible time.

Should Tampa get rid of Kucherov? This isn't an exact science, Flames lost 2 games in OT, and in both those games had a glorious chance to win it only to have the opposing team skate down the ice and score right after.

Yes, Tampa should get rid of the Hart and Art Ross winner from this year on a sweatheart deal. Very good comparable to Monahan.

[Zoller]

I'll echo what I posted in the Johnny thread as I feel it more aptly belongs here.

Watching Mackinnon carry the puck across the blue line is a treat. The guy is so dynamic with the puck. And when you can carry the puck across the blue line as a center you have more options to dish the puck.

Monahan is not a guy who carries the puck across the blue line. He does not possess that kind of puck handling ability, nor does he possess the kind of shifty skating ability needed to "thread the needle".

Johnny is great at gaining an opponents blue line. But as a winger he has less options to dish the puck. The avs have picked up on the fact that our entire offence is based off Johnny gaining the blue line. They double and triple team him, taking away his time and space. They are able to do this because the flames don't have any other legitimate puck carrying threats on that line.

Incase anyone hasn't noticed, our second best player at gaining the blue line is Doc Ryan. That's a problem.

There is no doubt in my mind that having Johnny and Monahan as your 2 best forwards is not a cup winning formula. Johnny and someone else maybe, but not Monahan. Problem is those "someone elses" are few and far between.

[Dajazz]

I think Monahan and Co are finding out what’s needed to take that next step. Win or lose, some grim determination is needed to win.

Monahan is part of the solution, he’s not the problem. Every team in the league want that player at that contract.

No team EVER wins without all pieces just coming together, its such a crap shoot. Look at Tampa - built the wrong way? Hedman, Kucherov, Point, Stamkos and all the other stars are not good enough?

It’s luck, , timing, experience, talent, coaching, leadership, goaltending. President Trophy teams are rare SC winners. Hot teams that are clicking win the Cup. Crosby and Malkin are not guaranteed to win you the cup - these play driving centres got SWEPT. A year ago fans poo pooed all over O’Reilly and Duchesne, now they’re awesome again.

Calgary is slumping at the wrong time. Peters is not adjusting the game plan (####ing trap that neutral zone already and cloooooose the gaps). Avs are hotter than hell riding the confidence of McKinnon and Aebischer.

It’s sucks to see it, but win or lose, this team will be better for it.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I want Dammage to start advocating for Barlow
He did that last year constantly with Lindholm and we got him

I hope it’s not the Mr. Barlow from Salem’s Lot!

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I want Dammage to start advocating for Barlow
He did that last year constantly with Lindholm and we got him

I am intrigued by this Barlow fellow.

[GioforPM]