travel_dude

It's GDB again. Lightning in town. Chance of Thunder. Sutter has unfinished business with the Bolts. We want to destroy them like we did their state counterparts. Finally have a day of rest between games. Lines looking a lot like Monday against Oilers ... Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk (Automatic) Coleman-Backlund-Lewis Mangiapane-Ruzicka-Toffoli Lucic-Monahan-Dube

This in from Wes Gilbertson: #Flames lines looking a lot like Monday against Oilers ... Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk (Automatic) Coleman-Backlund-Lewis Mangiapane-Ruzicka-Toffoli Lucic-Monahan-Dube

Bennett here the end of last year and this year? No different than last year. I have no reason to believe he would have become a pleyr here. Nothing I saw under Sutter suggests he would have. It's just one of those teams things. He would have been 3C with Monahan out. Lucic-Bennett-Dube, really not going to show much. Not exactly Duclair and Huberdeau. They play wide open, which is not Sutter hockey.

I do think the term and dollars is reasonable and should be what both sides work towards. An arbitration pending case gives them time to hammer one out, but IMHO 5x5 is good for the player. He's not on a top line. He's tied for team lead in goals only. He's very efficient in scoring. He's not just benefitting from a top player passing to him.

Backlund pulls the line in a defensive direction. Because they were getting defensive assignments at home, Mangiapane was losing some of his offense. That's why he was scoring more on the road where they got less defensive matchups. I thought that Toffee with Ruzie and Mange was a good line. Putting Dube there took a shooter away. The 4th line was the worst last night. Monahan 17% on the dot. Monahan struggled in all aspects. As did Lucic. Lewis coulnd't prop it up. They played 9 or less. Monahan didn't see the PP. Then again we had one PP. One. About the only lines doing anything were 1st and 3rd. I am concerned about how we structure the 4th line. Ruzie is easily outperforming Mony. Dube IMHO is concerning. Only can handle two things, speed and shooting. Struggles defensively and any kind of zone entry where he has the puck.

You know, in spite of the poor play at times, the lack of speed, we were in this game to the end. The EN goale ensed up being the difference.

When asked about the goalie's night, Sutter said he didnn't like a couple of goals. When you are in a B2B, you have to get those saves.

I think they messed with a good thing. Moving Toffee to Backlund kinda killed Toffee. Dube was flying, but I think you need that speed with Monahan. Maybe not. Maybe we just trade Dube for Strome.

The thing that bothers me about this game is Sutter will not like the goalie in it. I don't know that I would fault the goalie for any. Other than we had the lead and you have to make the stop. That PK he was peppered by some tough shots/sequences. And faced down a clear breakaway.

Oh well, losing to the Caps on the back end of a B2B is better than losing to Seattle or some other basement team after a couple of days off.

The thing that makes this bad is the GWG was an EN goal.

It was an odd time to pull the goalie. 3rd line on with Toffee as the extra. Not sure why you go to the LHS RW with Toffee out there. Mangiapane and Ruzie out there. Just a weird sequence.

EN situations are dangerous. You can't just pull the goalie when you are just skating up the ice. Have to wait to you gain entry with control. Wasn;t on Dube, it's just a high risk entry with no goalie.

Wrong person to gain entry. Oops? Stage 4 complete.

I think I'm going to call this one a loss

Ovi tied with Jagr

Stupid goalie pull. We had no entry yet. Dube can't enter the zone with control.

Hanifin has to stop that Satoshi Nakamoto. He gets burned when he try to shoot through a player at the line. How many times have we seen that turn into a high danger chance or goal.

I hate when we get down with less than 8 in the 3rd. Fading in the back half of the B2B. Oilers get the Caps after we are done with them. Easy schedule for the little North Babies.

After a perfect kill and Vladar making 10 bell saves, a simple around the boards shot ends up being misplayed. Get it back.

Dan the Man.

That was an iffy penalty. For all the missed calls, that is cheap.

Hold back Mony for a few shifts. They are not fresh.

Caps player was holding Shilly's stick. Had no ability to attack the player.