Dec 14 Practice Notes: Backlund and Smith will travel with team on road trip

[AhiChicken]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

https://twitter.com/user/status/1073629165142843395

Great defensive depth! Flames should roll 3 forward lines, 4 defense pairings + cycle in Harvey the Hound with his drum set to get the team riled up!

[sureLoss]

Kristen Anderson @KdotAnderson
#Flames Bill Peters said that Backlund and Smith will travel. Rittich will start vs. #Wild and Gillies will back up.

[wretched34]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Doesn't look like Backlund draws in tomorrow

Pat Steinberg @Fan960Steinberg
#Flames at practice today:

Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm
Tkachuk-Ryan-Bennett
Mangiapane-Jankowski-Neal
Czarnik-Quine-Hathaway

Giordano-Brodie
Hanifin-Hamonic
Kylington-Andersson

Why.... why does Bill Peters keep doing this.
Either give Jankowski a chance to produce offense with Tkachuk and Bennett, or utilize Lindholm as a center for a few games.
Ryan is not producing offense, or providing good defense from the 2C position.

I believe you could swap Tkachuk and Lindholm, and move Neal up to a top 6 spot, without hurting the bottom 6.
I think Tkachuk can produce as well with Johnny and Money as Lindholm has been, and Lindholm provides some much needed 2 way play from the 2C slot, maybe he even gets Neal, since Lindholm can be a playmaker, and Neal is a sniper.

Gaudreau-Monahan-Tkachuk
Bennett-Lindholm-Neal
Mangiapane-Jankowski-Czarnik
Lomberg-Ryan-Hathaway

or, just swap Ryan and Jankowski, I don't think Ryan is much better defensively than Jankowski, and Janko has far more offensive potential.

[868904]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

I can't say I have been very impressed with Czarnik so far this season. 1 point and -5 in the last 10 games.

Lack of finish is killing him. He doesn't bring anything else so if he doesn't finish his chances, he's not going to be in the line up.

When Backlund gets back, I could see Czarnik sitting while Quine stays in, he's been the better player in the short sample size.

The more I look at it, Quine could be that "diamond in the rough" the Flames were hoping they were getting in Czarnik. Quine has always been an offensive producer at every level, like Czarnik. He's also produced a bit at the NHL level and also has a much more complete and 200 foot game. Quine is actually a year younger than Czarnik too.

[sureLoss]

Jermain Franklin @TSNJFranklin
Backlund says he hopes to play at some point during the #Flames 3 game trip. He started feeling better Monday and wanted to participate in the full practice today, contact included. Backlund said he "felt good".

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by transplant99

That's huge for this club.

2/3 of their shutdown line has been out...that's going to hurt any team.

Defensively they have been slipping...this should really help assuming they are back soon.

Also gets Bennett off that 2nd line if Peters wants to go that direction.

Which IMO he should as SB just isn't playing well enough to warrant those minutes as he is on a 26 point pace...yet again. On a team that scores goals at a greater pace than every other team in the league but 2.

I would agree if they had a 45 point player to replace him, but do they? I don't think Frolik is that anymore.

If they want to build a shut down line Frolik is the better option, if they want the speed/forecheck a motivated Bennett is the better option.

Neither would be needed if Neal was a fit there.

[sureLoss]

Jermain Franklin @TSNJFranklin
Peters stopped practice early and made the players skate... Monahan admitted that he was the main culprit. He messed up the drill that made the coach mad. Drill buster Monahan �� #Flames

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by 868904

Lack of finish is killing him. He doesn't bring anything else so if he doesn't finish his chances, he's not going to be in the line up.

When Backlund gets back, I could see Czarnik sitting while Quine stays in, he's been the better player in the short sample size.

The more I look at it, Quine could be that "diamond in the rough" the Flames were hoping they were getting in Czarnik. Quine has always been an offensive producer at every level, like Czarnik. He's also produced a bit at the NHL level and also has a much more complete and 200 foot game. Quine is actually a year younger than Czarnik too.

I think that over the last 20 game Czarnik has been given a fair shake. The season isn't over, and the Flames have him signed for another year after this one, so there is a chance that he could break out. I am just not convinced that it is inevitable.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by wretched34

Why.... why does Bill Peters keep doing this.
Either give Jankowski a chance to produce offense with Tkachuk and Bennett, or utilize Lindholm as a center for a few games.
Ryan is not producing offense, or providing good defense from the 2C position...

Well, the second part of this is just not true. I suspect Peters continues to play Ryan in Backlund's spot because he likes what he sees relative to the options at his disposal.

[Toonage]

Why are we whining about Ryan in a 2C role when Backlund is a day or 2 away from taking that back?

Focus.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Jermain Franklin @TSNJFranklin
Peters stopped practice early and made the players skate... Monahan admitted that he was the main culprit. He messed up the drill that made the coach mad. Drill buster Monahan �� #Flames

I like how this sounds, both in the sense that he's owning up, and in the sense that he's not afraid to do it publicly. Sounda like a good atmosphere around the team.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I would agree if they had a 45 point player to replace him, but do they? I don't think Frolik is that anymore.

If they want to build a shut down line Frolik is the better option, if they want the speed/forecheck a motivated Bennett is the better option.

Neither would be needed if Neal was a fit there.

Maybe not, but he is certainly more likely to put up points than Bennett and is unequivocally better defensively. I can see Frolik getting to 40ish pts with a full season of Backlund and Tkachuk....assuming healthy. Bennett looks like he will never be able to do that.

Agreed that Neal should be the easy solution but when has anything come easy for this club?

[sureLoss]

Michael Russo @RussoHockey
Koivu said Mark Giordano texted him and apologized. Koivu called it a “classy move.” #mnwild

Pat Steinberg @Fan960Steinberg
Mikael Backlund on the Matt Dumba hit that put him out of action just over a week ago: “I had my head down, but...40 seconds left, I don’t know if he has to do that. I think it’s an unnecessary play. Says a lot about the guy.” #Flames

[Imported_Aussie]

I tried to see the benefit of Ryan as #2C and the main benefit is in not moving Lindholm.
Perhaps Jankowski getting more PK minutes is why Ryan skates with Tkachuk, but on the face of it, with the way Tkachuk creates offence, a better finisher like Jankowski would probably play better on that line. And then Ryan and Neal IMO is a better combo than Janko and Neal.

Perhaps it comes down to Ryan being a low-event player, playing it safe on that line, rather than the risk/reward factor with Janko?

[FBI]

Fine keep Ryan on #2C, but get Janko on the damn PP (unit 2) at least.. He already scored some nice powerplay points last year.

[wretched34]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Why are we whining about Ryan in a 2C role when Backlund is a day or 2 away from taking that back?

Focus.

Whining? Because I question a decision?
Anyway, if it's whining, it's because I feel there are better options, why does it matter how close it is to being resolved? It's been 3 games, Ryan hasn't shown anything when playing 17-20+ minutes per game.
His poor offensive zone turnover and lack of hussle on the back check resulted in McDavid's goal, and the Oilers 1-0 victory.
He has a single point, and it came as an assist on Gio's short handed goal against Philly, but if you watch the play, Ryan actually chips the puck back into the open slot in front of his own net, with 3 flyers circling. Luckily Hamonic was able to get it out of harms way and onto Gio's stick.

Do we have to settle for sub standard replacement because "it won't be long", when there are likely better options, or atleast other options to try? That's all I'm saying. If Backlund is 2 or 3 days away, rather than 1 or 2, that's another game.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Michael Russo @RussoHockey
Koivu said Mark Giordano texted him and apologized. Koivu called it a “classy move.” #mnwild

Pat Steinberg @Fan960Steinberg
Mikael Backlund on the Matt Dumba hit that put him out of action just over a week ago: “I had my head down, but...40 seconds left, I don’t know if he has to do that. I think it’s an unnecessary play. Says a lot about the guy.” #Flames

I feel the exact same way about the Backlund hit.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by wretched34

Whining? Because I question a decision?
Anyway, if it's whining, it's because I feel there are better options, why does it matter how close it is to being resolved? It's been 3 games, Ryan hasn't shown anything when playing 17-20+ minutes per game.
His poor offensive zone turnover and lack of hussle on the back check resulted in McDavid's goal, and the Oilers 1-0 victory.
He has a single point, and it came as an assist on Gio's short handed goal against Philly, but if you watch the play, Ryan actually chips the puck back into the open slot in front of his own net, with 3 flyers circling. Luckily Hamonic was able to get it out of harms way and onto Gio's stick.

Do we have to settle for sub standard replacement because "it won't be long", when there are likely better options, or atleast other options to try? That's all I'm saying. If Backlund is 2 or 3 days away, rather than 1 or 2, that's another game.

"why...why..." comes across that way sorry.

Why does it matter how close it is to being resolved? Because its a game away. Its not worth getting upset over at this point. You didn't like the fit, thats fine, but its almost done. Ryan may never see that spot again for all we know.

And its not like Ryan as 2C sewered the team.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by wretched34

His poor offensive zone turnover and lack of hussle on the back check resulted in McDavid's goal, and the Oilers 1-0 victory.

Yes, Ryan is solely to blame for that loss . . .

Give it a rest.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by FBI

Fine keep Ryan on #2C, but get Janko on the damn PP (unit 2) at least.. He already scored some nice powerplay points last year.

Last year Jankowski recorded three powerplay points in 58:36. In 2018 Derek Ryan has four powerplay points in 52:50. I think the advantages of swapping Jankowski and Ryan are either entirely misconstrued or badly exaggerated.