Sam Bennett

[The_People1]

50 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

It's still within the realm of possibilities.

EDM needs top put the boots to MTL.

Considering that Smith drank the magic potion, which will wear off in round 1, they should easily beat MTL these last two games.

Koskinen is now suspect, so I think he's lost the net.

 

FLA is going to have a tough time getting out of the EAST.

 

McDavid already got 100-points so they going to rest him.

[travel_dude]

9 minutes ago, The_People1 said:

 

McDavid already got 100-points so they going to rest him.

 

I've seen nothing from Gregor about them resting McD.  If anything, he's more determined to play hard going into the playoffs.  As it is, there is too many days off before the playoffs, so they can't sit him right now.  Maybe they give him the night off against VAN, but even then it's doubtful.

 

 

[robrob74]

4 hours ago, travel_dude said:

 

I think the best equivalent I could come up with would have been Dube-Bennett-Lindholm.  The impact to the rest of the lineup would have been significant.

Here's a best guess at the lines resulting:

 

Gaudreau-Monahan-scrub

Mangiapane-Backlund-Tkachuk

Dube-Bennett-Lindholm

Lucic-Ryan-Nordstrom

 

Overall, I think it leaves us worse off.  Leaves one of the top 2 lines playing less to maximize our most consistent player (Lindholm).

I'm not losing sleep over the trade.  It was going to happen, so it's good he ended up in the East.

I don't think he would have been as successful in Anaheim.

TG he didn't end up in EDM, where he could have ended up as a winger for McDavid.

Fire Hydrants applying for that job.

the problem is, there is always going to be that hole until BT is able to fix it. And maybe that Benny line would have flourished and we wouldn’t know because for whatever reason not one Flames coach was willing to try it. They’ve tried him on wing but not as a C with guys who can skate.

[travel_dude]

27 minutes ago, robrob74 said:

the problem is, there is always going to be that hole until BT is able to fix it. And maybe that Benny line would have flourished and we wouldn’t know because for whatever reason not one Flames coach was willing to try it. They’ve tried him on wing but not as a C with guys who can skate.

 

BT said they needed a top 6 C and was suggesting Lindholm as that fix.

That was him knowing what we had (Backlund and Bennett) available.

 

So, here's a difference between Bennett in CGY and Bennett in FLA....

In 10 games he has 15 points.

If it was zero in 10, do you think he would be playing with Huberdeau and others?

Perhaps, but they are in win mode, not just to get a guy going.

 

Did he want to play 4th line here because there was an opening there at C?

With Nordstrom and Leivo, both strong skaters.

He wanted to play 3rd or better.

Can't say I blame him, but he was only going to be a wing in the top 9.

 

With the team in general struggling to win or score goals, neither coach wanted to go full blender and play Bennett top 6 C.

That's something that needs to be decided at the start of a season and you make the moves to allow it.

Toffoli can't skate but he can score.  He could have played with Bennett or Monahan.

A top 9 of the following could have worked, but it means we lose out on Tanev and Brodie:

Gaudreau-Monahan-Toffoli/Lindholm

Tkachuk-Bennett-Lindholm/Toffoli

Lucic-Backlund-Mangiapane

 

Without Toffoli, would Bennett have fared as well with Mangiapane and Tkachuk? 

In a short season, there isn't 10-15 games that you can "try" something unless it works right away.

 

[robrob74]

27 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

BT said they needed a top 6 C and was suggesting Lindholm as that fix.

That was him knowing what we had (Backlund and Bennett) available.

 

So, here's a difference between Bennett in CGY and Bennett in FLA....

In 10 games he has 15 points.

If it was zero in 10, do you think he would be playing with Huberdeau and others?

Perhaps, but they are in win mode, not just to get a guy going.

 

Did he want to play 4th line here because there was an opening there at C?

With Nordstrom and Leivo, both strong skaters.

He wanted to play 3rd or better.

Can't say I blame him, but he was only going to be a wing in the top 9.

 

With the team in general struggling to win or score goals, neither coach wanted to go full blender and play Bennett top 6 C.

That's something that needs to be decided at the start of a season and you make the moves to allow it.

Toffoli can't skate but he can score.  He could have played with Bennett or Monahan.

A top 9 of the following could have worked, but it means we lose out on Tanev and Brodie:

Gaudreau-Monahan-Toffoli/Lindholm

Tkachuk-Bennett-Lindholm/Toffoli

Lucic-Backlund-Mangiapane

 

Without Toffoli, would Bennett have fared as well with Mangiapane and Tkachuk? 

In a short season, there isn't 10-15 games that you can "try" something unless it works right away.

 

 

I get that, but they weren't willing to try it before either. It's like what a lot of others have said, they weren't willing to put him in that position in the first place, and it's what we ended up with due to not doing it. I get that Backs was "the better center." Monahan as well. I have always said that Bennett was a casualty of timing. He never got the chances Monahan got to start his career to grow with someone and I was one of the only ones on here arguing that he'd have had a similar trajectory had he had the opportunity. It's all mute points because it's a what if scenario, or could have been... It's why I suggested he needed to be dealt either last season or the year before, because he'd never get that opportunity in Calgary. I've always thought he was a better C and have said many times, he will get dealt and have success elsewhere. Maybe you're right, he doesn't maintain it next year and it's all for nothing. 

 

I will say, probably a quarter to a half of the goals scored by his line have looked somewhat lucky in Florida. The one thing I will say though is, they need to be in those positions to get lucky, and not a lot of our guys were going to those positions to get those bounces the last few years. 

[travel_dude]

I'm not going to worry about the one that got away.  Too many others before him.

Good luck in FLA.

Whether he had the chances in CGY or he failed to take advantage of the situation, doesn't really matter.

He didn't succeed here.

Let's make the most of the 2nd rounder and prospect we don't need to lose for nothing to expansion.

[conundrumed]

5 hours ago, travel_dude said:

 

FLA is going to have a tough time getting out of the EAST.

Everyone's going to have a tough time getting out of everywhere.

What is Tampa doing? The Cats just owned them in 2 straight and sat Bennett and Huberdeau tonight, you know, the psychology game of you sit players to rest like Tampa's doing and losing.

Can't wait to see Tampa flip a switch.

This I gotta see.

Bring Stamkos, Kucherov, Hedman.

You're gonna need them.

Florida's deep and fast. 

Y'all  better watchout.lol

[LouCifer]

 

 

[Krule]

18 hours ago, lou44291 said:

 

 

And that pretty much says it all. Drafted 4th overall as a 2nd line center but never got the opportunity here. Another shining example of poor player development? 

[travel_dude]

50 minutes ago, Krule said:

And that pretty much says it all. Drafted 4th overall as a 2nd line center but never got the opportunity here. Another shining example of poor player development? 

 

Perhaps if he went to 29 other teams he would have been closer to what he did here.

[cross16]

 

Don't blame him. This was likely the last straw. 

[flames-fan-in-jets-land]

24 minutes ago, cross16 said:

 

Don't blame him. This was likely the last straw. 

This should be quoted all over Calgary media and mass inboxed to Flames mgmt at near spam levels.  Then MAYBE something like this wont happen again.

[travel_dude]

40 minutes ago, cross16 said:

 

Don't blame him. This was likely the last straw. 

 

I never understood why we needed to completely change what had worked to something that wasn't working.

January through February, we we 10-10-2.

Something wasn't right.

 

It's one thing to use Bennett on LW in the top 9.

Instead it was 3rd line RW, shutdown duties with a sometimes mistake prone Lucic.

Or 4th line C.

 

I mean it's up to him to elevate his game to get more ice, but not the easiest to do when you are played in a role or position that doesn't make that easy. 

[LouCifer]

3 hours ago, cross16 said:

 

Don't blame him. This was likely the last straw. 

 

This interview is really worth a listen. I recommend everyone listen. I hope Calgary radio is playing it.  

[The_People1]

3 hours ago, cross16 said:

 

Don't blame him. This was likely the last straw. 

 

Can't blame him.  Even during the playoffs, that Lucic - Bennett - Dube line was on fire.  But can't have that.  Must break them up to get Gaudreau going.

[travel_dude]

1 hour ago, The_People1 said:

 

Can't blame him.  Even during the playoffs, that Lucic - Bennett - Dube line was on fire.  But can't have that.  Must break them up to get Gaudreau going.

 

Gaudreau didn't enter the picture.

Tkachuk-Lindholm-Dube was the default 1st line.

The 2nd line made less sense with Gaudreau-Monahan-(Simon, Leivo, Bennett, whatever).

I've never liked Bennett on RW; he gets too cramped and moves to middle to try to beat everyone. 

 

Bennett got a slight bump after he asked for a trade.

But really, at that point Gaudreau-Monahan was completely stagnant.

Should have moved Monahan to a different line to get him going.

And move Lindy back to RW.

 

Tkachuk-Monahan-Dube

Gaudreau-Bennett-Lindholm

 

or

 

Tkachuk-Monahan-Lindholm

Gaudreau-Bennett-Dube

 

Not that there was evidence those would work, but really nothing else was. 

We knew there was chemistry between Bennett and Dube.

We knew you could fit Monahan and Lindholm together.

We knew we could use Gaudreau and Lindholm together.

 

Blame Wardo for screwing up the lines, but part of that came from BT.  

MUST USE LINDHOLM AT C.

But a real coach uses that as a guideline to get a winning formula.

[travel_dude]

Bennett with the first FLA goal and they wave it off.

What a joke call.

Very much a Bennett playoff goal.

[conundrumed]

What a 1st period! Damn.

TBag finding out the cats like physical as much as fast.

[robrob74]

What a weak call on the bennett penalty. He was ahead of the guy and the guy skated into his arm. 

[conundrumed]

15 minutes ago, robrob74 said:

What a weak call on the bennett penalty. He was ahead of the guy and the guy skated into his arm. 

Definitely. NHL reffing always trying to negate physical play too.

[conundrumed]

This reffing is sad.

[conundrumed]

2 Tbag PP goals now on not penalties. If I were Q, I'd tell everyone, "okay, just go headhunting. Blockchaining NHL.

[LouCifer]

Didn’t know this was where the Panthers party was at! Go FLA go! 4-3! - lots of BS with the reffing thus far. Love the TBag moniker! Hate the bolts. How is Kuch and Stamchoke being in the lineup game 1 of the playoffs not cheating.... Kuch doesn’t look slow or rusty or anything. Cheating at its finest. Get’em FLA! Get’em hockey gods!!! Go cats!!!

 

[robrob74]

One thing I see is that the Flames are no where near these team’s  play. 
 

there’s a huge difference in how the teams are built in comparison to the Flames. 

[Thebrewcrew]

8 minutes ago, robrob74 said:

One thing I see is that the Flames are no where near these team’s  play. 
 

there’s a huge difference in how the teams are built in comparison to the Flames. 

This game has been awesome!

 

 

I've pretty much only watched the Canadian Teams this year, the American Teams look so quick