GDT: Flames at Rongos: 5pm MT on SNW

[Baxterman]

Since you are such a big fan of his and Jank, please educate us on why they are not producing? Dont say opportunity, because they got plenty

Bennett is in large part because of the plugs he is playing with.

Jankowski is because he flat out sucks.

 

[BigRangy]

Pissed away 2 easy points

 

[DFF]

Bennett is in large part because of the plugs he is playing with.

Jankowski is because he flat out sucks.

I agree that that Jank has been looking really bad...He looked really slow tonight

But I wouldnt give Bennett that much credit. I think he has skills of a 3rd line thug at best. I dont think he has the hockey sense to be a top 6 player.

 

[Baxterman]

I agree that that Jank has been looking really bad...He looked really slow tonight

But I wouldnt give Bennett that much credit. I think he has skills of a 3rd line thug at best. I dont think he has the hockey sense to be a top 6 player.

Oh I don't think will at say a Hart level or anything but I think he could be better than this if given better line mates.

 

[Skobel24]

I want to see Rittich start the next game. Start splitting the games 50/50.

 

[The Gnome]

I agree that that Jank has been looking really bad...He looked really slow tonight

But I wouldnt give Bennett that much credit. I think he has skills of a 3rd line thug at best. I dont think he has the hockey sense to be a top 6 player.

Yes he looks bad now but he's so young still and has talent. His IQ isn't there, but many players figure it out and bloom later. What the flames need to decide is if it is worth waiting for, or trade him now in a package to hopefully push this team to another level. Tough choice, and I wouldn't want to be the one trading Bennett. I think he still has upside.

 

[BigRangy]

Bennett has talent and that is indisputable

The question is why does he not display it during games?

Personally I think he doesn't play quick enough. His release is glacial and anyone who's spent 5 seconds scouting him knows his every move on the rush. Couple that with being defensively unaware and prone to stupid penalties and it adds up to someone who's not helping right now.

Also, that one zone entry by Hamilton on the PP was so nice, he actually thought for himself instead of stupidly passing it to Johnny like the rest of the d-men have been drilled into doing

Maybe that's why the coach doesn't like him, he actually thinks for himself

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Since you are such a big fan of his and Jank, please educate us on why they are not producing? Dont say opportunity, because they got plenty

You want my opinion? No, you just want to vent and take vealed jabs at me. But here's my opinion:

1) They've actually been sheltered more lately because Stajan's line sans Brouwer has been given some heavy lifting and succeeded. This pseudo-"sheltering" in my opinion is counterintuitive because players like Janko and Benny thrive on attacking on the rush, not grinding out offensive zone faceoff wins and cycling against set bodies.
2) Hockey is a game of inches and when you're not playing at peak level, you are not making great takeaways and slick passes. For players in a 3rd line or third pair role there is even more volatility because ice time and touches are at such a premium that guys fight their instincts. Top sixers play more freely because they have higher quality of teammate and copious touches in the powerplay they do shit all with. That line is at its best with the center patrolling the neutral zone while both wingers are pressing hard on the forecheck. It's a low margin for error style and a style that takes a lot of energy and commitment It's basically Darryl Sutter LA Kings hockey and you've seen that team stumble through regular seasons ànd then come alive when the stakes are higher.
3) the 3RWs keep dumping pucks deep and turning everything into a puck battle. When Hathaway first came up he was carrying eveything in with offensive confidence from his AHL season, which allowed him to unseat Jagr. By carrying the puck that line was generating real dangerous cycles and effective rushes. But ultimately he regressed to his 4th line talent level. Versteeg/Jagr are still the best wingers for that line, not Brouwer/Hathaway who love to turn everything into board battles they won't win. Those board battles are also what cause Bennett to chase the play. Because...
4) Bennett isn't a winger. His game isn't suited to playing on the wing no matter what an eight game sample early this season tells people. He is a player who thrives on dominating his own end down low and then headmannig the puck to fast wingers not named Troy Brouwer. his bestnplay the last handful of games was his hit to save Bartkowski's rear end three games ago... as a center. He still had shitty wingers. Bennett needs to be flying down the middle with a Frolik on his right or such, not stationary along the walls where he can do nothinf but a) get caught reaching or b) give up on plays. He isn't Tkachuk. That isn't his game.
5) NHL players slump at times over an 82 game season like anyone and those slumps get magnified for depth players who have less... wait for it... opportunity. Janko is slumping and his instinct durig slumps is to focus on not getting caught too low in the o zone and Bennett is frustrated that his RW keeps throwing pucks away while Janko is slumping.

Really, I'm not at all worried about Janko nor Bennett. I'm just hoping we can win the fifteen more random chance events needed to secure a playoff spot. This is a team built for the playoffs. Full Stop.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

OKG, it sounds like you are describing Evander Kane.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

I know its fun to bash Bennett but the third line didn't cost us this game.

Top line didn't do their job (did they generate a single decent scoring chance?)

Shut-down line didn't do their job.

Flames showed up for the middle 20 minutes, that's all. You can't do that and expect to win.

 

[Jagrmeister 68proof]

Honestly the loss hurts.. but Its not entirely Bennett or Janks's fault. Yes they are struggling but who hasn't on this team at some point. Again they are very young with lots of potential. You just don't throw away potential because two twenty year olds can't figure it out early in there careers. Some people take more time than others. Its more to do with coaching than players themselves. If two guys are struggling then help them get it together rather than keep doing the same thing over and over again. A good coach is the one that can bring the best out of players and knows how to utilize them to there strengths.

 

[DFF]

Thanks OKG...your posts are always well thought out even when you are wrong

Bennett has the physical attributes but he lacks the brain to make the right plays most of the time. That's why he is 20 pt grinder.
Maybe a superstar may help him but he isnt going to be line driver.

 

[JPeeper]

I didn't read the last 2 pages, but don't turn this into CalgaryPuck, where everyone just bashes Bennett and blames him for the loss. No one showed up for half the game, the PK was absolutely horrendous, the PP had 1 lucky goal, but we're going to blame Bennett for a penalty. The game is 60 minutes long, if the team had any back bone or killer instinct New York doesn't come back in the 3rd.

Yeah it was a dumb play, but we lost as a team, not because Bennett took 1 penalty.

And if people want to blame Bennett for continuing to take dumb penalties, blame Gulutzan. A good coach would coach them to stop it and help them. I have seen nothing of the sort.

 

[DFF]

It's Bennett's fault because he took a dumb penalty late that cost them the game.

But yeah, the team didnt show up in the third but they may have squeezed out a point....

 

[Master Bill]

I didn't read the last 2 pages, but don't turn this into CalgaryPuck, where everyone just bashes Bennett and blames him for the loss. No one showed up for half the game, the PK was absolutely horrendous, the PP had 1 lucky goal, but we're going to blame Bennett for a penalty. The game is 60 minutes long, if the team had any back bone or killer instinct New York doesn't come back in the 3rd.

Yeah it was a dumb play, but we lost as a team, not because Bennett took 1 penalty.

And if people want to blame Bennett for continuing to take dumb penalties, blame Gulutzan. A good coach would coach them to stop it and help them. I have seen nothing of the sort.

What? I didn't know you had insight to the dressing room

I'm not the biggest GG fan but a coach can't control the amount of stupid penalties a player takes.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

OKG, it sounds like you are describing Evander Kane.

I don't think Kane is a fit. But we do need a true top 9F who is going to be the foil to Bennett and Jankowski the way Ferland is to Gaudreau and Monahan and Frolik is to Backs and Chucky. Versteeg when healthy is that guy, hiam and Bennett were a dynamite duo with Chiasson as the third wheel and Janko >>> Chiasson. Jagr when healthy was also that guy in a different way but with a few too many bad and unneeded penalties. If we add anybody from a "selling" team I'd be hoping for Mats Zucarello, Bobby Ryan, Sam Gagner, Jordan Weal, or Travis Konecny rather than Kane.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

I'm not the biggest GG fan but a coach can't control the amount of stupid penalties a player takes.

Bennett didn't take many if any "stupid penalties" under Hartley.

 

[JGaudreau]

Cameron, Bennett, Gulutzan are the ones costing us this season. Bennett with a number of game losing penalties, Cameron lost us who knows how many games with the powerplay, Gulutzan can't turn a game around when we start to lose momentum. Blech... this team is infuriating to watch.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

I don't think Kane is a fit. But we do need a true top 9F who is going to be the foil to Bennett and Jankowski the way Ferland is to Gaudreau and Monahan and Frolik is to Backs and Chucky. Versteeg when healthy is that guy, hiam and Bennett were a dynamite duo with Chiasson as the third wheel and Janko >>> Chiasson. Jagr when healthy was also that guy in a different way but with a few too many bad and unneeded penalties. If we add anybody from a "selling" team I'd be hoping for Mats Zucarello, Bobby Ryan, Sam Gagner, Jordan Weal, or Travis Konecny rather than Kane.

Konency would be awesome, but there’s no chance we get him.

 

[Wish You Were Here]

Positives:
Kulak's first NHL goal.
Lazar's first goal this season.
The PP scores (though it took 6 attempts).

 

[Pekkas Purse]

Oh I don't think will at say a Hart level or anything but I think he could be better than this if given better line mates.

The difference between Ferland and Bennett is when Ferland left the top line early in the season his production continued (scoring), Bennett need to land in Florida or Vancouver.

 

[lightstorm]

I dont know if Bennett can salvage his nhl career but im almost positive its not going to happen under gulutzan playing with janko/brouwer/ hathaway/versteeg

 

[Anglesmith]

I missed the latter 40 minutes, but how disappointing.

Oh well, this was their third game in four nights. Understandably there's some fatigue there. Really nice to see Kulak and Lazar score. Both guys were so happy. On to the next one. Hopefully they're ready to play on Sunday.

 

[Mr Snrub]

Was hoping to enjoy these Kokanees over a nice crisp Flames 7-2 win highlight package and now I see the boys somehow managed to lose to the god damn Rangers. Now they're Rage Kokanees.

 

[Volica]

I dont know if Bennett can salvage his nhl career but im almost positive its not going to happen under gulutzan playing with janko/brouwer/ hathaway/versteeg

I'm leaning that way a bit too.
I'd finally be okay with moving him for a similar player.

Even a guy like Galchenyuk I'd be okay with. It'd continue our American renaissance in Calgary.