rickross Posted March 20, 2017 Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 2 minutes ago, robrob74 said: We might be lacking in a few areas, but one major one, to me, is the elite D. Maybe Hamilton gets there? The Flames D core is intriguing. A few seasons ago they were strongly being considered an elite D with the way Gio, Brodie, Wideman and even Russell played big parts on the Flames unexpected playoff berth. It's a bit tricky gauging if Gio or Hamilton are considered "elite" at this point. Hamilton has been the model of growth and consistency..he's only going to get better defensively being partnered up with Gio. Brodie has the skill set and skating ability to be talked about in the same way we do Doughty and Karlsson, he may not be as productive offensively but any team would love to have a player like him as part of their core. I'd prefer to play an elite level of defence as a team than to harbour only 1-2 elite D men IMO. I think moving forward the Flames have the potential to own an elite group of D man, if Kylington, Andersson, Fox amongst others continue to develop then i'm not sure you'll find a more mobile, offensively capable stable of young D men. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pucksage Posted March 20, 2017 Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 3 minutes ago, hockeypriest2 said: I see it...Young serious top centre...young small extremely talented American...Terrific top pair D...Excellent depth and balance...well coached... Let's just enjoy this run as long as we can because I believe we are definitely a team on the rise!!! Yes that's what I was getting at exactly and if I can add to that is Ferland playing the role of Dustin Byfuglien, agitator, skates well for a big man and can score to boot. Coincidentally having Versteeg and Brouwer also adds to the similarities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hockeypriest2 Posted March 20, 2017 Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 37 minutes ago, Pucksage said: Yes that's what I was getting at exactly and if I can add to that is Ferland playing the role of Dustin Byfuglien, agitator, skates well for a big man and can score to boot. Coincidentally having Versteeg and Brouwer also adds to the similarities. I would even go so far as to say they both have underappreciated goaltending, and excellent 2nd lines... Didn't Frolik come from the Hawks organization??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyerfan52 Posted March 20, 2017 Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 I'll just say that despite my dislike of Lombardi I'm hoping for a Kings win tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pucksage Posted March 20, 2017 Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 11 minutes ago, Flyerfan52 said: I'll just say that despite my dislike of Lombardi I'm hoping for a Kings win tonight. My like for Iggy outweighs my dislike for Lombardi. Sadly, the Kings didn't look like a playoff bound team to me last night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travel_dude Posted March 20, 2017 Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 56 minutes ago, Flyerfan52 said: I'll just say that despite my dislike of Lombardi I'm hoping for a Kings win tonight. I'm hoping that they win all their remaining games against the Oilers. Their chances of making the dance are almost zero, but I want them to finish off some of the teams they have left to play. I hope they absolutely leave Anaheim looking like the aftermath of a turkey shoot. And I hope that the Oilers get a PO'd Doubty that plays his usual dirtbag self. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyromancer Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 Off-topic but I had to capture this moment of NHL ineptitude. The dreaded 2 goal OT. Must have been a off-duty referee doing the boxscores & he got the call wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyromancer Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 The lack of a true WC race anymore sort of makes the West projections almost meaningless. The WC2 (NSH) projects to 95 pts while the 9th place team (LAK) projects to 85 pts. A fairly significant gap this late in the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC331 Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 Last night was a good measure for us. We have some work to do but without Tkachuk and Ferland we were not all there. Holtby played awesome for them keeping us at bay and we didn't get the defensive effort we needed. Let's go beats the Preds, more important now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travel_dude Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 42 minutes ago, MAC331 said: Last night was a good measure for us. We have some work to do but without Tkachuk and Ferland we were not all there. Holtby played awesome for them keeping us at bay and we didn't get the defensive effort we needed. Let's go beats the Preds, more important now. The 2nd period effort was not there, or at least we let them generate too much offense. The game results came down to two questionable calls. A late PP in the 2nd on a fall by Ovi gave them enough momentum to score a last second goal. A late delay-of-game call for a puck that ended up in the Flames bench stalled the comeback. Agreed about losing both Tkachuk and Ferland. We can play without one but not both. As far as defense, we let them have too much time in the D-zone. 40 shots is too many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickross Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 4 hours ago, travel_dude said: The 2nd period effort was not there, or at least we let them generate too much offense. The game results came down to two questionable calls. A late PP in the 2nd on a fall by Ovi gave them enough momentum to score a last second goal. A late delay-of-game call for a puck that ended up in the Flames bench stalled the comeback. Agreed about losing both Tkachuk and Ferland. We can play without one but not both. As far as defense, we let them have too much time in the D-zone. 40 shots is too many. Flames were actually right with the Caps for about 60% of the game..the penalties killed us, can't be taking those untimely penalties in the playoffs or we're toast. The Caps showed their resolve and why they have such a tremendous home record. Flames still have work to do and its a fairly good sign that we could still hang in there without 2 key players. Now we just need the Ducks to keep the Oilers in check and turn our attention to getting that W from the Preds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBurn Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 I hope the experiment with Freddie Hamilton is done. Hathaway brings something (borderline) to the bottom pairing but Freddie is not good enough to be in the NHL yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC331 Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 36 minutes ago, TheBurn said: I hope the experiment with Freddie Hamilton is done. Hathaway brings something (borderline) to the bottom pairing but Freddie is not good enough to be in the NHL yet. Does it really matter ???? who else do you want to be sitting around as an extra ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travel_dude Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 45 minutes ago, TheBurn said: I hope the experiment with Freddie Hamilton is done. Hathaway brings something (borderline) to the bottom pairing but Freddie is not good enough to be in the NHL yet. Who was worse in the game - Freddie or Lance? I would argue that Freddie gets actual quality chances when he is in the O-zone. Garnet gets the odd scoring chance, but they aren't usually ones that the goalie has trouble stopping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robrob74 Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 20 minutes ago, travel_dude said: Who was worse in the game - Freddie or Lance? I would argue that Freddie gets actual quality chances when he is in the O-zone. Garnet gets the odd scoring chance, but they aren't usually ones that the goalie has trouble stopping. For me, when Hathaway is on his game, it's the energy he brings that gets the team going. He and Ferland's hits seem to be more impactful than Bouma's. Bouma hits, but they're routine. Hathaway and Ferland pick their spots and they're near thunderous. Bouma on a lesser contract would be fine. Freddie, is ok, but, when Stajan is on the 4th, it really brings a lot of depth to the team. We can't use Ferland and Tkachuk out as an excuse. We've been very healthy this year for the most part, and other teams have had it worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_People1 Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 20 hours ago, Pyromancer said: Off-topic but I had to capture this moment of NHL ineptitude. The dreaded 2 goal OT. Must have been a off-duty referee doing the boxscores & he got the call wrong. Work of the Devil. Hall can now tell his coach he scored such a nice goal, it counted for two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickross Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 Bouma is ineffective, he's a heart and soul guy but his value on this team is extremely limited since he signed the extension. I agree, we can't use Ferland and Tkachuk as reasons we didn't win the game. The Capitals put up way to many shots on us, our D was overwhelmed by the constant pressure the Caps provided. Its what led to us taking those penalties, the Caps kept skating throughout the entire game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robrob74 Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 16 minutes ago, rickross said: Bouma is ineffective, he's a heart and soul guy but his value on this team is extremely limited since he signed the extension. I agree, we can't use Ferland and Tkachuk as reasons we didn't win the game. The Capitals put up way to many shots on us, our D was overwhelmed by the constant pressure the Caps provided. Its what led to us taking those penalties, the Caps kept skating throughout the entire game. I think we are close. And we are a lot closer than I thought we were at the beginning of the year. Adding Stone was a big! Getting a fit with Gaudreau and Monahan was big. I wouldn't take Tkachuk off of Backlund's line and I'd concentrate on finding a good winger for Bennett next year. That would give us 3 solid lines. Playing Stajan on the 4th line really gives us depth that most teams don't have. Washington showed that we need that 4th line depth as we moved Stajan up, and there was a big drop off in the 4th line match-up. We can fight Edmonton for the division next year. Edit: I also think the team wasn't as on as they've been. Even though they played a good half game, it was the subtleties that seemed to cost us. They played well, and had times of really good play, but they need to be sharp to be considered a team that is considered a contender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTech780 Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 1 hour ago, TheBurn said: I hope the experiment with Freddie Hamilton is done. Hathaway brings something (borderline) to the bottom pairing but Freddie is not good enough to be in the NHL yet. Hamilton is better offensively and defensively than Hathaway. Hathaway does bring energy and a physical presence, outside of that his defense and offense are not NHL quality. Hathaway has hands of stone. Hamilton plays a pretty simple game . At the end of the day if it's Hathaway or Hamilton I don't think it makes much difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC331 Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 15 minutes ago, robrob74 said: I think we are close. And we are a lot closer than I thought we were at the beginning of the year. Adding Stone was a big! Getting a fit with Gaudreau and Monahan was big. I wouldn't take Tkachuk off of Backlund's line and I'd concentrate on finding a good winger for Bennett next year. That would give us 3 solid lines. Playing Stajan on the 4th line really gives us depth that most teams don't have. Washington showed that we need that 4th line depth as we moved Stajan up, and there was a big drop off in the 4th line match-up. We can fight Edmonton for the division next year. Edit: I also think the team wasn't as on as they've been. Even though they played a good half game, it was the subtleties that seemed to cost us. They played well, and had times of really good play, but they need to be sharp to be considered a team that is considered a contender. It is the type of constant pressure that WAS displayed last night that makes you a constant contender and having a Holtby doesn't hurt either. You know it's odd, Bouma and Brouwer ave been our biggest disappointments outside of Wideman this season. Bouma plays like he doesn't ever want to get hurt again which makes him ineffective. Brouwer is so awkward whenever the puck is around him, it's quite bizzare and then he is like Johnny on the spot to pot a few goals. I disagree with you about how to use Tkachuk next season, it will be time to have him with Bennett IMO and use Backlund and Frolik to school another one of our LW prospects. I honestly hope we can replace Stajan with Jankowski next season. We have milked Stajan for all he is worth to us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robrob74 Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 10 minutes ago, MAC331 said: It is the type of constant pressure that WAS displayed last night that makes you a constant contender and having a Holtby doesn't hurt either. You know it's odd, Bouma and Brouwer ave been our biggest disappointments outside of Wideman this season. Bouma plays like he doesn't ever want to get hurt again which makes him ineffective. Brouwer is so awkward whenever the puck is around him, it's quite bizzare and then he is like Johnny on the spot to pot a few goals. I disagree with you about how to use Tkachuk next season, it will be time to have him with Bennett IMO and use Backlund and Frolik to school another one of our LW prospects. I honestly hope we can replace Stajan with Jankowski next season. We have milked Stajan for all he is worth to us. I am open to both. Another thing they could do is find someone to play with Monahan's line and play Ferland with Bennett. Gaudreau, Monahan, XXX Ferland, Bennett, Tkachuk XXX, Backlund, Frolik XXX, Jankowski, XXX It looks like we have at best, 2 forward lines to fill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travel_dude Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 9 hours ago, robrob74 said: For me, when Hathaway is on his game, it's the energy he brings that gets the team going. He and Ferland's hits seem to be more impactful than Bouma's. Bouma hits, but they're routine. Hathaway and Ferland pick their spots and they're near thunderous. Bouma on a lesser contract would be fine. Freddie, is ok, but, when Stajan is on the 4th, it really brings a lot of depth to the team. We can't use Ferland and Tkachuk out as an excuse. We've been very healthy this year for the most part, and other teams have had it worse. I was only comparing them on their games, not their contracts. Bouma has basically been reduced to a role player. He hits, he blocks shots, and he kills penalties. His offense has dried up and his timing is off. Money aside, I take Freddie for his speed and his shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robrob74 Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 16 minutes ago, travel_dude said: I was only comparing them on their games, not their contracts. Bouma has basically been reduced to a role player. He hits, he blocks shots, and he kills penalties. His offense has dried up and his timing is off. Money aside, I take Freddie for his speed and his shot. That was my biggest fear when signing Bouma. He was such a result of circumstances that I worried his contract would haunt us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC331 Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 13 hours ago, robrob74 said: I am open to both. Another thing they could do is find someone to play with Monahan's line and play Ferland with Bennett. Gaudreau, Monahan, XXX Ferland, Bennett, Tkachuk XXX, Backlund, Frolik XXX, Jankowski, XXX It looks like we have at best, 2 forward lines to fill. Why would to want to switch Tkachuk over to RW when Ferland has made that adjustment over the past few season. I am really liking Ferland with JG and SM. I think next season will be time to get Bennett settled in with some decent line mates that can work well together. I think you can put almost anyone with Backlund and Frolik and have them do relatively well. Maybe even Bouma if he is still here, he had one of his most productive seasons playing with Backlund. Hard to say what will happen this offseason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travel_dude Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 3 hours ago, MAC331 said: Why would to want to switch Tkachuk over to RW when Ferland has made that adjustment over the past few season. I am really liking Ferland with JG and SM. I think next season will be time to get Bennett settled in with some decent line mates that can work well together. I think you can put almost anyone with Backlund and Frolik and have them do relatively well. Maybe even Bouma if he is still here, he had one of his most productive seasons playing with Backlund. Hard to say what will happen this offseason. That's the big thing. What will we get in the off-season. And who will graduate from the AHL. And if we are able to trade/expose Brouwer, Stajan and/or Bouma. Tkachuk is the wild card for me. He has exploded out of the gates to become a top 6 player on a shutdown line!! I think it's actually easier to replace his spot on the Backlund/Frolik line with a complementary player and move him to a scoring line. Would like to see what he could do on the off-wing before I made any major UFA signings, though. He might be a great fit for Monahan or Bennett. Option 1 JH-Monahan-Tkachuk (Klimchuk/Mangiapane)-Backlund-Frolik Ferland-Bennett-Brouwer Stajan-Janko-(Chaisson/Lazar) Option 2 JH-Monahan-Ferland (Klimchuk/Mangiapane)-Backlund-Frolik Tkachuk-Bennett-Brouwer Stajan-Janko-(Chaisson/Lazar) Option 3 JH-Monahan-UFA Versteeg-Backlund-Frolik Tkachuk-Bennett-Ferland Stajan-Lazar-Brouwer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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