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Flames Fwd line combinations, D pairings, PP units, PK units, and goalie discussion

Mazatt

Mazatt

Registered User
Apr 30, 2019
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DFF said:
Although he didn’t score, I thought Bennett played well and made the 4th line competitive

put Ritchie there probably will make it useless and I don’t know if Bennett mixes well with Johnny and Monahan. His style is different.


But I agree moving Bennett up is the better option,

just saying we would lose the 4th line then
Click to expand...
When they refer to the bubble line it's about

Gaudreau - Monahan - Lindholm
Tkachuk - Backlund - Mangiapane
Lucic - Bennett - Dube
*Ritchie - Ryan - Leivo

so Bennett wouldn't be elevated to the top line and they'd instead have someone like Lindholm there, and Bennett fills in his role. Not sure if the team is willing to step away from having Lindholm at centre (sutter wants to build out from the middle) or if that 3rd line will repeat its chemsitry, but that top 6 would be really good relative to what we have now.
 
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Mazatt

Mazatt

Registered User
Apr 30, 2019
2,819
2,085
Others have mentioned how sick it would be to get the 3rd line back from the bubble, and others have mentioned getting Dube at centre. Would there be anything wrong with running

Bennett - Dube - Lucic?

More of as a thought experiment over anything since the implication on the other lines is too big, but that could look good imo
 
super6646

super6646

Registered User
Apr 16, 2018
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Calgary
Frankly, I do not understand why Valimaki isn't in our top 4.

Our second pair is getting caved night after f***ing night, and I'm inclined to believe Giordano's fall has to do with it. Andy is absolutely top 4 caliber with the right partner, but the #s rn are just awful.

The Ritchie experiment is also another example of a size bias being so stupid, but whatever.

Like I said, I'm very skeptical Sutter is fixing f*** all. So far Gaudreau-Monahan are playing the worst hockey of their lives under him... I think those two are goners if things don't turn around. Really hope we start seeing some kids played soon... Matty phillips sure deserves a chance imo.
 
BigRangy

BigRangy

Get well soon oliver
Mar 17, 2015
3,409
1,111
Gato Gang
Tkachuk-Backlund-Phillips
Dube-Ryan-Mangiapane
Lucic-Bennett-Leivo

every player on the right line according to best to worst except for putting phillips into a sheltered spot with Backlund.

Maybe swap Dube and Lucic too but keep the general spirit. Lindholm is not a C and Tkachuk needs to play with Backlund.

Hantanev
Gio-Kylington
Valimaki-Andersson

let kylington try to be brodie, because andersson is not working with Gio. Maybe swap Hanifin and Valimaki, idk.
 
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DFF

DFF

Registered User
Feb 28, 2002
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Looks like Sutter is done with kylington also. Something professionals don’t like but normal fans can not see

Valimaki is not top 4. He is barely bottom 6 right now

The Flames have 1 decent top 4 pairing.
 
super6646

super6646

Registered User
Apr 16, 2018
17,896
15,762
Calgary
DFF said:
Looks like Sutter is done with kylington also. Something professionals don’t like but normal fans can not see

Valimaki is not top 4. He is barely bottom 6 right now

The Flames have 1 decent top 4 pairing.
Click to expand...

Valimaki is as good if not better than Giordano at this point. Play the younger talent.
 
turnagainoutlaw

turnagainoutlaw

Registered User
Apr 1, 2013
382
131
Yukon
The Flames need to fix the Monahan line and the Giordano pairing, to me those are the biggest problems facing the team. A trade for a RS RW could fix the former. I'm not sure how you fix the latter until the Giordano contract is up... I actually think GIo has been better under Sutter but I'm not seeing much from Andersson lately. The 3rd problem that the Flames have faced is that they aren't getting enough from 19, although I think that he is starting to come around under Sutter.
 
Volica

Volica

Papa Shango
May 15, 2012
21,441
11,115
super6646 said:
Valimaki is as good if not better than Giordano at this point. Play the younger talent.
Click to expand...

He's really not though, but I could see how some people would see that.
Valimaki is struggling playing 15 1/2 minutes a night mostly against other teams' bottom 6 units; Giordano is struggling as bad playing 22 minutes a night against middle six competition.

Truth is the pairings don't work and both guys have been terrible.

Gio and Andersson only works when you have Gio from 2018 patrolling the blue line; not the 2021 version that skate in quicksand. Rasmus isn't fleet-of-foot either, and both could use a pairing to push it up.

Hanifin - Tanev
Valimaki - Andersson
Giordano - Kylington.

Let Gio babysit for a few games to forget how to cheat on defense. Give Valimaki and Andersson some room to grow together, they're important parts of our top 4 for the next decade.

Tanev and Hanifin might have to play 35 minutes a night with those other two pairings though :laugh::laugh::laugh:
 
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super6646

super6646

Registered User
Apr 16, 2018
17,896
15,762
Calgary
Volica said:
He's really not though, but I could see how some people would see that.
Valimaki is struggling playing 15 1/2 minutes a night mostly against other teams' bottom 6 units; Giordano is struggling as bad playing 22 minutes a night against middle six competition.

Truth is the pairings don't work and both guys have been terrible.

Gio and Andersson only works when you have Gio from 2018 patrolling the blue line; not the 2021 version that skate in quicksand. Rasmus isn't fleet-of-foot either, and both could use a pairing to push it up.

Hanifin - Tanev
Valimaki - Andersson
Giordano - Kylington.

Let Gio babysit for a few games to forget how to cheat on defense. Give Valimaki and Andersson some room to grow together, they're important parts of our top 4 for the next decade.

Tanev and Hanifin might have to play 35 minutes a night with those other two pairings though :laugh::laugh::laugh:
Click to expand...

Valimaki still wins his matchups (possession metrics are still favorable even if he isn't as good as he was hyped to be) while Giordano is losing his badly. When you haven't played for roughly 2 years, I think just doing somewhat well against NHL competition is a good step. Giordano-Andy just do not compliment each other whatsoever, what's the harm in trying it out?

As it just so happens we agree on what the pairs should be too! :D
 
BudRobinson53

BudRobinson53

Registered User
Sep 5, 2020
191
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A lot of different ways to look at this roster and this season. From the coulda, woulda, shoulda...if we played better against the worst team in the division (and they look a lot better game to game now) ie. "the Sens," we would be where the Jets are and all of this chatter would be positive and discussing playoff matchups.

The good news we have and the only remaining good news we will likely get from this season is that the guy under the hood of the vehicle now (Darryl Sutter) is a good NHL coach and knows what he needs to be successful. He's already said what I and many others felt, that this current team has more talent than the '04 Stanley Cup team. But, talent isn't the only ingredient, there needs to be a buy-in, from top to bottom.

Remember when Philly tossed Richards and Carter because they wanted a "dry island"? Sutter took those cast-offs, supposedly problem players, and won 2 cups. No one here, no one in any forum will look back at those Kings teams and say they were the best team in either of those years. In fact, they won, No, they stole 2 cups from the Blackhawks dynasty which ended up winning 3 cups in a sandwich around them.

Unfortunately, all we can do is be patient, trust the process, trust that we actually have someone now that can assess talent properly and await what I think will be some considerable off-season changes.

We have some good things - an elite shutdown defensive pairing, which is locked up long term. We have a good starting goalie who hasn't looked that good since he was injured, but he's still solid and should get better. We've seen big steps from Mangipane and there are a few forward prospects in the minors that should be ready to challenge for spots next year.
 
BrodieGoat

BrodieGoat

Registered User
May 24, 2012
1,337
2
Gaudreau Backlund Lindholm - Give Gaudreau the best skating Center and best RW sniper
Tkachuk Bennett Mangiapane
Dube Monahan Phillips - Give Monahan two speedy skilled wingers who can make plays
Lucic Ryan Ritchie

Kylington Andersson
Hanifin - Tanev
Gio Valimaki
 
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Johnny Hoxville

Johnny Hoxville

The Return of a Legend
Jul 15, 2006
37,549
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Calgary
Mazatt said:
We're free
Click to expand...


tenor.gif
 
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Kranix

Kranix

Deranged Homer
Jun 27, 2012
18,246
16,286
Does anybody remember any reporter ever asking Darryl or Ward if they thought about splitting up Jonny and Monahan?
 
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