Post-Game Talk: GOATest 4 - WOATest 0 || Everyone is amazing... except You-Know-Who. Luca. Sbisa.

[Cupless44]

Sedin - Sedin - Eriksson
Granlund - Sutter - Hansen <-- Tough minutes
Baertschi - Horvat - Rodin <-- Sheltered minutes
Virtanen - Gaunce - Skille <-- Great forechecking line
Burrows

Edler - Tanev
Hutton - Gudbranson
Tryamkin - Stecher
Sbisa - Biega

Miller
Markstrom

PP:
Sedin - Sedin - Eriksson
Edler - Stecher

Baertschi - Horvat - Rodin
Hansen - Hutton

PK:
Hansen - Sutter
Edler - Tanev

Eriksson - Gaunce
Sbisa - Gudbranson

Shootout:
Baertschi --> Eriksson --> Horvat --> Rodin --> Virtanen

Great lines.

Totally agree with you.

Finally someone else sees that the 13 th forward should be Burrows.

 

[Shareefruck]

Great lines.

Totally agree with you.

Finally someone else sees that the 13th forward should be Burrows.

I'm actually pretty on the fence about it.

 

[Nick Lang]

I just have to laugh at all the naysayers with their line-up criticisms.

Ha-ha.

 

[robbie111]

From a Flames fan here's the lowdown on Granlund.

He plays to the level of his linemates. He is an excellent two way player and when he centered Gaudreau and Hudler for a month and a half he led all Flames in points per game.

He is really intelligent on the ice and has a bullet for a shot and an incredibly quick release which you don't get to see often as he passes on a lot of shot attempts.

His negative was faceoffs which is why he was moved from the Gaudreau Hudler line as they were always chasing the puck, but he has slowly improved his faceoff skills and was noticeably better last year.

Because of his excellent defensive coverage, Hartley saw him as the replacement for Backlund when Backlund was struggling early on last year and tried him for a while as a second line center near the end of his time in Calgary but he never gelled with his linemates and was never given a shot on the PP.

He was probably Calgary's best penalty killer last year on a pathetic PK until the last month he was in Calgary and then he was scored against a few times, but up to that point he was far and away the most effective PK Calgary had.

Flames brass traded him because he didn't have the truculence Burke loves and at the time Backlunds play had really improved and they had many centers in the NHL and AHL and coming up and no room for them. (Grant, F Hamilton, Jooris, Jankowski)

They saw Shinkaruk as having more edge to his game but they pooped the bed on this trade and so long as he gets a fair shake with good linemates in Vancouver this will go down as one of the worst trades Calgary has made this decade.

Enjoy your new star and God help us if you ever stick him with the Sedins.

 

[Nick Lang]

This conversation is useless but does not stop. Granlund looks great. If he keeps looking good and Hunter sucks it was a good trade. Perhaps people overrated hunters value? Is there any evidence that he was worth more than a 2nd. I world say at worst he was worth half around more. Now is is worth nothing more than Granlund.

Right now Granlund is miles ahead of Shinkaruk. Shink is a hotdog that will never make it. Grabner like.

 

[DL44]

From a Flames fan here's the lowdown on Granlund.

He plays to the level of his linemates. He is an excellent two way player and when he centered Gaudreau and Hudler for a month and a half he led all Flames in points per game.

He is really intelligent on the ice and has a bullet for a shot and an incredibly quick release which you don't get to see often as he passes on a lot of shot attempts.

His negative was faceoffs which is why he was moved from the Gaudreau Hudler line as they were always chasing the puck, but he has slowly improved his faceoff skills and was noticeably better last year.

Because of his excellent defensive coverage, Hartley saw him as the replacement for Backlund when Backlund was struggling early on last year and tried him for a while as a second line center near the end of his time in Calgary but he never gelled with his linemates and was never given a shot on the PP.

He was probably Calgary's best penalty killer last year on a pathetic PK until the last month he was in Calgary and then he was scored against a few times, but up to that point he was far and away the most effective PK Calgary had.

Flames brass traded him because he didn't have the truculence Burke loves and at the time Backlunds play had really improved and they had many centers in the NHL and AHL and coming up and no room for them. (Grant, F Hamilton, Jooris, Jankowski)

They saw Shinkaruk as having more edge to his game but they pooped the bed on this trade and so long as he gets a fair shake with good linemates in Vancouver this will go down as one of the worst trades Calgary has made this decade.

Enjoy your new star and God help us if you ever stick him with the Sedins.

Don't worry... you guys traded Hull, St. Louis and Gilmour all time. .
As for this decade... what did you guys get for Iginla and Bouwmeester again?


Granlund has a ways to go before touching those guys.

 

[David71]

Yep, that's an elite checking and PK pair. They should be staples together on the PK and at even strength.

the neweset pair since kesler/burrows back in their prime

 

[Shareefruck]

I say this as a skeptic-- Granlund with the twins actually isn't a terrible idea. He thinks the game on similar level and plays the game at a similar speed.

 

[Nick Lang]

Just have to say that when everyone is listing their forward lines
that Burrows should no longer be in the top 12 forwards. He can provide the leadership that management always talks about as a highly paid extra forward. He brings very little to the ice anymore and has trouble keeping up. Even Skille brings more speed, hustle and size and looks better on the 4th line.

100% agree. One play that brought that home was when he tried to one time that puck on the left hand side early. Even Garrett made a fake deflection up.

 

[DL44]

I say this as a skeptic-- Granlund with the twins actually isn't a terrible idea. He thinks the game on similar level and plays the game at a similar speed.

Just may not be aggressive or strong enough for puck retreval for them... sort of like how the Sedins-Rodin line wasn't that effective tonight.

 

[Saturated Fats]

This team has some tough triggers to pull - namely, sending down Larsen and sitting Sbisa in favour of Stecher, as well as waiving Etem and signing Skille.

If they make these correct decisions, though - they'll be a lot better than prognosticators are suggesting.

The upside shown by the likes of Granlund, Hutton, Stecher and Gaunce this pre-season should instill a little more confidence in the club. If they can have 2 or 3 guys beyond the first line pushing for 20 goals, they'll contend for the playoffs.

And yeah, I like Shareefruck's lines. Rodin has been up-and-down for me, but deserves a chance. And you have to have JV start with the big club - too much potential drama if you don't.

 

[StrictlyCommercial]

This team has some tough triggers to pull - namely, sending down Larsen and sitting Sbisa in favour of Stecher, as well as waiving Etem and signing Skille.

If they make these correct decisions, though - they'll be a lot better than prognosticators are suggesting.

The upside shown by the likes of Granlund, Hutton, Stecher and Gaunce this pre-season should instill a little more confidence in the club. If they can have 2 or 3 guys beyond the first line pushing for 20 goals, they'll contend for the playoffs.

And yeah, I like Shareefruck's lines. Rodin has been up-and-down for me, but deserves a chance. And you have to have JV start with the big club - too much potential drama if you don't.

Why send down Larsen when Tryamkin has been considerably worse?

 

[Saturated Fats]

Why send down Larsen when Tryamkin has been considerably worse?

To be fair, I don't see either as being able to positively contribute right now - but I see Larsen as redundant with Stecher on hand, and Tryamkin has a completely different set of tools.

But you could argue that you'd be fine with Larsen as a 7D. I actually prefer Biega as a 6D right now, but I'm not sure you can pair him with Stecher - would be the Hornswoggle of defensive pairings.

 

[Nick Lang]

Weak Flames team with the likes of Vey, Higgins and would say Shinkaruk but have to be happy with the play of many players.

The Good

Miller - looked so settled and confident. Had some difficult scrambles around his net but seemed to get his body square and in front of everything. Defense, in general, did a decent job of covering the slot and taking out people going to the net which made things easier

Sutter - this, to me, along with the play of Burrows, was the most heartening aspect of the game. Sutter showed upper level speed and energy in the game. He is, as he has been, a danger on the PK. Thought that the Pk was great in the game. Sutter plays like this and he is going to help the team

Edler - real good game. Good around his net and taking the body better. Outlet passes were outstanding and excellent puck movement in the offensive zone. If Edler could play consistently like this against better opponents, he would be elite.

Hutton - does so much to get the team out of trouble. Pulling pucks out of scrambles and getting the team away on the offense time after time. His ability to to stick-handle in traffic is high end stuff.

Gudbranson - made the one bad back pass to Hutton (and I think he is still trying to adjust to Hutton) but if he plays like this, there are no complaints. Played big and controlled his area. Kept it simple and much better at his line. Is how he has to play. Canucks asking him to step up the offense and take chances is not the way to go. Just fine if he can play good defense and contributes to Hutton doing his thing.

Burrows - ready to throw in the towel on Burrows but he was close to being the old Burrows in this one. Good on the Pk and forecheck. Skating was not an issue

Hansen - man what a difference this player makes. Put him somewhere and others get better around him. Helped improve the play of Sutter and was a force on PK. Had a rough first shift but after that was noticeably good on most every shift.

Baertschi - took his game to another level. Maybe ran out of gas a bit in the third but was dominant offensive player throughout the first and second. Appears a ton faster than at this point last year. If he can continue to combine that type of speed with his high level passing ability should have good year. This especially so if the Sedins are playing well since he won't see top level defense. Looks to be a top 6 player.

Granlund - another solid game. This player is under-rated in his ability to move the puck and read the game. When ever he gets a chance at center this preseason, he has shown well. I think he has to play center even if that pushes Gaunce to a wing or to a 13th forward position. If it is b/w Gaunce and Granlund for that center position, Granlund wins. Has better overall game and is likely to produce just as much offense as Guance.

Sedins - only problem I had with them was number of chances they gave up. Puck possession in the offense zone was, per usual. outstanding. I guess from the Canucks stand point you just worry how long they keep it up. If they can, should form, with Eriksson, one of the best line in the history of the club.

Eriksson - thought he started slow and was not really executing in the defensive end. But he got better as the game went on. Like how he gets to the net for chances. Goals weren't classics but showed his net presence. Intelligent player

Tanev - still don't think he is playing at the level he showed in the World Championships but he was still an effective player in this game.

The Not So Good

Sbisa - got to give him some time, I guess, but looked slow in movement and in moving the puck. Got turned over too much and not really skating well enough to give his partner an outlet. Noted Larsen played much better when paired with other partners.

Virtanen - nice release on goal but still shaky in his own end. At times does things too quickly and doesn't let the outlet play or the play in general develop. Also, too much start and stop hockey. Virtanen has an amazing first two steps (he hits warp speed faster than anyone on the team) but he needs to see the play quicker and hit the holes better.

Rodin - weakest game of the pre-season. Lugged at times and will probably take some time to get up to NHL speed. He showed again he is clever with the puck but, at times, got standing still with it and turned the puck over. I think we are seeing that as play speeds up, Rodin gets exposed a bit. Need him to make the same transition as Baertschi did and adjust to the speed.

Others

Skille - if Skille could score he would be a bona vide NHLer. That's always been his problem. Tons of chances but little finish. He isn't the greatest all round player but can bust it in off the wing to the net. Maybe a little like Virtanen that way and we have to hope that Virtanen a can be scorer. Whether to give him a contract or not is a dilemma. If you figure that Gaunce can produce then maybe not. Lot of David Booth in Skille. However, has definitely outplayed Etem.

Larsen - Great wheels. If you are just concerned about entertainment then Larsen needs to be here. Kind of rover player that can be all over the ice making plays. Has potential to be a big time offensive weapon but also potential get blown up in his own end. Could see him subbing in and out Stetcher. Unknown upside so I would probably keep him over Biega (remains a very close call with Tram, Larsen and Biega - if you are looking to the future probably means you send out Biega). Larsen might be a very good 3 on 3 player.

Easy to get carried away in a game like this but, at least, some hope provided by showings like this.

Absolutely terrific post based on what I saw. I will say.

Hutton: I agree he seems to making very strong defensive stick plays, especially just over our blue line.

Gudbranson: Solid ... awesome. The composure Hutton is showing with him is boding very well.

Granlund: Good and creative. Smart player. Very encouraged now.

Baertschi:


I like Skille, along with Gaunce to make the team.

Burrows should be waived.

 

[StrictlyCommercial]

To be fair, I don't see either as being able to positively contribute right now - but I see Larsen as redundant with Stecher on hand, and Tryamkin has a completely different set of tools.

But you could argue that you'd be fine with Larsen as a 7D. I actually prefer Biega as a 6D right now, but I'm not sure you can pair him with Stecher - would be the Hornswoggle of defensive pairings.

Well, Larsen can play either side, so ideally you end up with all of Stecher, Larsen and Hutton in the lineup. In reality we'll keep plugging along with Sbisa. Both Biega and Larsen are possible waiver claims. For the sake of depth it's Stecher v. Tryamkin. I personally keep Stecher.

 

[Huggy]

From a Flames fan here's the lowdown on Granlund.

He plays to the level of his linemates. He is an excellent two way player and when he centered Gaudreau and Hudler for a month and a half he led all Flames in points per game.

He is really intelligent on the ice and has a bullet for a shot and an incredibly quick release which you don't get to see often as he passes on a lot of shot attempts.

His negative was faceoffs which is why he was moved from the Gaudreau Hudler line as they were always chasing the puck, but he has slowly improved his faceoff skills and was noticeably better last year.

Because of his excellent defensive coverage, Hartley saw him as the replacement for Backlund when Backlund was struggling early on last year and tried him for a while as a second line center near the end of his time in Calgary but he never gelled with his linemates and was never given a shot on the PP.

He was probably Calgary's best penalty killer last year on a pathetic PK until the last month he was in Calgary and then he was scored against a few times, but up to that point he was far and away the most effective PK Calgary had.

Flames brass traded him because he didn't have the truculence Burke loves and at the time Backlunds play had really improved and they had many centers in the NHL and AHL and coming up and no room for them. (Grant, F Hamilton, Jooris, Jankowski)

They saw Shinkaruk as having more edge to his game but they pooped the bed on this trade and so long as he gets a fair shake with good linemates in Vancouver this will go down as one of the worst trades Calgary has made this decade.

Enjoy your new star and God help us if you ever stick him with the Sedins.

Dear god this air iam breathing is unbelievable

 

[Pip]

Good to hear about Burrows

 

[Nick Lang]

Good to hear about Burrows

How do you mean, that he sucks now?

 

[Pip]

How do you mean, that he sucks now?

orcatown, in the post you quoted, said that Burrows played almost like the Burrows of old.

 

[Nick Lang]

orcatown, in the post you quoted, said that Burrows played almost like the Burrows of old.

yeah, tough call, he just doesn't have the je ne se quois

 

[me2]

Skille has outplayed Gaunce... great flash of his speed and potential on the rush tonight.

Would like to see him as our 13th.

Send down Etem and Gaunce. Gaunce as first call up... will get 50-60 gms anyway.

Phone dying and too lazy to say more... except.. how about Granlund!

Skille is competing with Virtanen and Dorsett on the right wing. So maybe he takes their spot.

Gaunce is competing at centre and left wing. IMHO he has beaten out Etem. Competing with Burrows.

 

[go comets]

Weak Flames team with the likes of Vey, Higgins and would say Shinkaruk but have to be happy with the play of many players.

The Good

Miller - looked so settled and confident. Had some difficult scrambles around his net but seemed to get his body square and in front of everything. Defense, in general, did a decent job of covering the slot and taking out people going to the net which made things easier

Sutter - this, to me, along with the play of Burrows, was the most heartening aspect of the game. Sutter showed upper level speed and energy in the game. He is, as he has been, a danger on the PK. Thought that the Pk was great in the game. Sutter plays like this and he is going to help the team

Edler - real good game. Good around his net and taking the body better. Outlet passes were outstanding and excellent puck movement in the offensive zone. If Edler could play consistently like this against better opponents, he would be elite.

Hutton - does so much to get the team out of trouble. Pulling pucks out of scrambles and getting the team away on the offense time after time. His ability to to stick-handle in traffic is high end stuff.

Gudbranson - made the one bad back pass to Hutton (and I think he is still trying to adjust to Hutton) but if he plays like this, there are no complaints. Played big and controlled his area. Kept it simple and much better at his line. Is how he has to play. Canucks asking him to step up the offense and take chances is not the way to go. Just fine if he can play good defense and contributes to Hutton doing his thing.

Burrows - ready to throw in the towel on Burrows but he was close to being the old Burrows in this one. Good on the Pk and forecheck. Skating was not an issue

Hansen - man what a difference this player makes. Put him somewhere and others get better around him. Helped improve the play of Sutter and was a force on PK. Had a rough first shift but after that was noticeably good on most every shift.

Baertschi - took his game to another level. Maybe ran out of gas a bit in the third but was dominant offensive player throughout the first and second. Appears a ton faster than at this point last year. If he can continue to combine that type of speed with his high level passing ability should have good year. This especially so if the Sedins are playing well since he won't see top level defense. Looks to be a top 6 player.

Granlund - another solid game. This player is under-rated in his ability to move the puck and read the game. When ever he gets a chance at center this preseason, he has shown well. I think he has to play center even if that pushes Gaunce to a wing or to a 13th forward position. If it is b/w Gaunce and Granlund for that center position, Granlund wins. Has better overall game and is likely to produce just as much offense as Guance.

Sedins - only problem I had with them was number of chances they gave up. Puck possession in the offense zone was, per usual. outstanding. I guess from the Canucks stand point you just worry how long they keep it up. If they can, should form, with Eriksson, one of the best line in the history of the club.

Eriksson - thought he started slow and was not really executing in the defensive end. But he got better as the game went on. Like how he gets to the net for chances. Goals weren't classics but showed his net presence. Intelligent player

Tanev - still don't think he is playing at the level he showed in the World Championships but he was still an effective player in this game.

The Not So Good

Sbisa - got to give him some time, I guess, but looked slow in movement and in moving the puck. Got turned over too much and not really skating well enough to give his partner an outlet. Noted Larsen played much better when paired with other partners.

Virtanen - nice release on goal but still shaky in his own end. At times does things too quickly and doesn't let the outlet play or the play in general develop. Also, too much start and stop hockey. Virtanen has an amazing first two steps (he hits warp speed faster than anyone on the team) but he needs to see the play quicker and hit the holes better.

Rodin - weakest game of the pre-season. Lugged at times and will probably take some time to get up to NHL speed. He showed again he is clever with the puck but, at times, got standing still with it and turned the puck over. I think we are seeing that as play speeds up, Rodin gets exposed a bit. Need him to make the same transition as Baertschi did and adjust to the speed.

Others

Skille - if Skille could score he would be a bona vide NHLer. That's always been his problem. Tons of chances but little finish. He isn't the greatest all round player but can bust it in off the wing to the net. Maybe a little like Virtanen that way and we have to hope that Virtanen a can be scorer. Whether to give him a contract or not is a dilemma. If you figure that Gaunce can produce then maybe not. Lot of David Booth in Skille. However, has definitely outplayed Etem.

Larsen - Great wheels. If you are just concerned about entertainment then Larsen needs to be here. Kind of rover player that can be all over the ice making plays. Has potential to be a big time offensive weapon but also potential get blown up in his own end. Could see him subbing in and out Stetcher. Unknown upside so I would probably keep him over Biega (remains a very close call with Tram, Larsen and Biega - if you are looking to the future probably means you send out Biega). Larsen might be a very good 3 on 3 player.

Easy to get carried away in a game like this but, at least, some hope provided by showings like this.

In my opinion, Biega will be kept and played for a dman to expose in the expansion draft. Unless they are going to expose Sbisa....which might not be a bad idea.

Baertschi and Grandlund were motivated against their former team, so I would put that into perspective when accessing their play.....but still good to see.....

 

[AwesomeInTheory]

From a Flames fan here's the lowdown on Granlund.

He plays to the level of his linemates. He is an excellent two way player and when he centered Gaudreau and Hudler for a month and a half he led all Flames in points per game.

He is really intelligent on the ice and has a bullet for a shot and an incredibly quick release which you don't get to see often as he passes on a lot of shot attempts.

His negative was faceoffs which is why he was moved from the Gaudreau Hudler line as they were always chasing the puck, but he has slowly improved his faceoff skills and was noticeably better last year.

Because of his excellent defensive coverage, Hartley saw him as the replacement for Backlund when Backlund was struggling early on last year and tried him for a while as a second line center near the end of his time in Calgary but he never gelled with his linemates and was never given a shot on the PP.

He was probably Calgary's best penalty killer last year on a pathetic PK until the last month he was in Calgary and then he was scored against a few times, but up to that point he was far and away the most effective PK Calgary had.

Flames brass traded him because he didn't have the truculence Burke loves and at the time Backlunds play had really improved and they had many centers in the NHL and AHL and coming up and no room for them. (Grant, F Hamilton, Jooris, Jankowski)

They saw Shinkaruk as having more edge to his game but they pooped the bed on this trade and so long as he gets a fair shake with good linemates in Vancouver this will go down as one of the worst trades Calgary has made this decade.

Enjoy your new star and God help us if you ever stick him with the Sedins.

I'm sorry Brian Burke is sticking his nose into contract negotiations with your RFAs. Gaudreau should be in a Flames jersey, not dealing with Burke's blarney and bluster.

 

[jd22]

What is going on in here? So much positivity. I had to check that I was on the Canucks section.

 

[Canucks LB]

Granlund is a player that took his off season serious, busted his ass off in camp and WON a roster spot.

Makes benning look pretty good also in the process.