Maybe I was a bit harsh on the AHL bit, but for instance that last game vs the stars I thought they looked flat and really uninspired, not at all like a contender or a division winning team.
That was a game where
- they were playing their 3rd game in 4 nights, teams usually look flat in those scenarios, arguably even more often than in back-to-backs.
- they were missing Bennett, Frolik, Neal against a Stars team with some serious size. Putting a smaller guy like Czarnik in Bennett's place on their shutdown line obviously didn't favour them. Czarnik is flatout undersized for that role against averaged size teams, never mind a big team with bodies like Benn, Radulov, Nichushkin, Gurianov, and Faksa thrown at him. Peters should have put Quine or Jankowski on that line instead.
- they were hot off a 7-2 blowout win, the Stars obviously didn't want that happening to them and showed up ready to play their best shutdown hockey. That was a well-prepared Stars team that took it to Calgary and made them look bad.
- they were up against a Stars team that is an excellent 11-4-1 at home. Stars may be awful on the road but they're one of the best home teams.
The missing Bennett part is especially significant. He's one of our best puck carriers, forecheckers, two-way players, defensive zone passers, penalty drawers, chance generators, and is our best hitter. The Flames may be cursed when he's on the ice but he creates all kinds of momentum for the next line to take advantage of.
