If Calgary Flames Lose, Major Changes Incoming?

[PuckSeparator]

Won the West and looking incredibly toothless in round 1, with Johnny G being a complete no show and looking totally overmatched. Nathan MacKinnon is running roughshod all over that Calgary D and first line with absolutely no answer.

Is it it coaching? Is it that Johnny G is just not built for the playoffs and never will be? Is Sean Monahan overrated? Is Giordano too old? Just too many questions with no easy answers for a franchise that had serious cup aspirations.

Where do the Calgary Flames go from here in the very likely scenario of a first round exit?

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[3074326]

They are super young overall and would be dumb to make any drastic roster changes. Just keep adding/subtracting where needed and keep the core in place.

I don't know much about the coaching situation. But that roster is only going to improve.

 

[Kranix]

They stagnated(perhaps to their true form) after the all-star game and ran into white-hot Colorado with Mackinnon beasty transmetal mode.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Iggy, Kipper and Sutter will come back if the Flames lose.

 

[Szechwan]

They're too early in their window to do anything crazy, but if I were a CGY fan I'd be concerned with the way Gaudreau has looked.

Kid is playing scared, and the Avs aren't even a scary team.

 

[Oak]

These playoffs are a breath of fresh air. I love seeing the midget figure skaters disappear once it turns back to a big boys game. Marner has been the only small skill player who has been able to adapt. Much respect to him.

 

[izzy]

gaudreau has looked pretty pathetic and he has to play like he does in the regular season for them to be effective.

 

[Bounces R Way]

It's the same thing that has plagued the team ever since they traded Joe Nieuwendyk, they don't have that franchise center to take over games in both ends of the rink. I like Sean Monahan, talented goalscorer, but he ain't it and probably never will be. Johnny hasn't been good and definitely deserves some criticism but he shouldn't be expected to be MacKinnon. MacK was a #1 overall and is a freak of an athlete, he was always going to be good. Johnny was a diminutive 4th rounder that nobody really expected to make it.

Doubt they make big changes. Every single team goes through some disappointment in the playoffs, if they lose to Colorado the Flames will be no different.

 

[Langdon Alger]

These playoffs are a breath of fresh air. I love seeing the midget figure skaters disappear once it turns back to a big boys game. Marner has been the only small skill player who has been able to adapt. Much respect to him.

Patrick Kane never had a problem in the playoffs. I love big, tough players as much as anyone, but the small skilled guys are fun to watch too. Some of them do disappear when the going gets tough though. The playoffs separate the men from the boys.

 

[StreetHawk]

These playoffs are a breath of fresh air. I love seeing the midget figure skaters disappear once it turns back to a big boys game. Marner has been the only small skill player who has been able to adapt. Much respect to him.

Marner and Eberle have been the 2 guys who are either in the sub 6 foot group or really light under 175 lbs that have performed well in the playoffs.

 

[Kegsey]

They're too early in their window to do anything crazy, but if I were a CGY fan I'd be concerned with the way Gaudreau has looked.

Kid is playing scared, and the Avs aren't even a scary team.

He's not getting the easy calls he's used to in the regular season. You could see him screaming at the ref last night and smashing his stick as he went to the bench, he's not ready for playoffs.

 

[crazyfisherman]

they need to play JG with players who can keep up with him skating wise, you know why hes doing those button hooks all the time 1v4? its because monahan and lindholm takes forever to join him on the rush. I give lindholm a bigger pass because hes tasked with the biggest responsibility on his line, and hes still a good skater. but monahan's skating has been exposed this series because it takes him like 4/5 seconds to hit the zone after JG hits it

 

[flamesforcup]

We have not had a proper #1 centre for decades and our playoff record reflects that. I would put Monahan on the block and try my best to sign Duchane if he hits Free agency or try anything for a proper #1c or at least an upgrade on Monahan. I think thats the only thing preventing us from being successful.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

It's the same thing that has plagued the team ever since they traded Joe Nieuwendyk, they don't have that franchise center to take over games in both ends of the rink. I like Sean Monahan, talented goalscorer, but he ain't it and probably never will be. Johnny hasn't been good and definitely deserves some criticism but he shouldn't be expected to be MacKinnon. MacK was a #1 overall and is a freak of an athlete, he was always going to be good. Johnny was a diminutive 4th rounder that nobody really expected to make it.

Doubt they make big changes. Every single team goes through some disappointment in the playoffs, if they lose to Colorado the Flames will be no different.

MacKinnon has Landeskog and Rantanen, which makes him much more difficult to double / triple team.

Gaudreau has undoubtedly struggled, but you have to give credit to Colorado and Bednar. They are obviously acutely aware that the Flames top line is completely dependent on Gaudreau to make plays, and as a result they have game planned to swarm him every time he's near the puck. This game plan is exceedingly obvious, yet Peters has refused to adjust - ideally you move Gaudreau to bottom 6 line and have him play with guys like Ryan and Bennett to get Monahan and Lindholm some space.

He was pretty decent in game 1 and got a few looks last night, but it's tough trying to make plays when your swarmed all over the ice.

His lack of production is not for lack of trying or skill, Bednar has just completely outcoached Peters.

 

[Deen]

Calgary doesn't have the cap. T.J., Frolik and Smith are coming off the books probably. That Neal contract is a real stinger. Tre took his shot as most teams do to bring in an impact player and he has been a total dud.

 

[koyvoo]

I’m sorry. They are definitely checking him well and making things difficult but Gaudreau looks like he’d do absolutely anything possible in this series to avoid any sort of physical contact.

 

[InfinityIggy]

I strongly suspect we will move on from Brodie.

That's about it though.

 

[JoemAvs]

Maybe just wait till they are actually eliminated before you start a thread like this?

Because this thing is far from over and Gaudreau, Monahan and a couple of others still have plenty of time to step up their games and make this a complete non-issue.
All they need to do for now is win one game at home. Which sounds very doable. Then the pressure is on for the Avs to close it out at home in game 6. The Avs also are a very young team with not much experience that is not really used to that kind of pressure. This series is far from over. Especially if Smith keeps up his sick voodoo.

Also teams with 107 point regular seasons usually don't shake up their core. Even if they disappoint in the playoffs. Atleast not if it is a rather young team that is just getting their feet wet in the playoffs...

Maybe they move a guy like Brodie if they go out in the first round. Anything more than that? Highly doubt it..

 

[Bond]

I think they basically stay status quo and try to tinker. Flip out Brodie and Jankowski etc, Maybe trade Kylington for someone with top 6 potential.

If Flames make major changes then are committing to rebuilding the rebuild unless another team decides to do something stupid.
They would have to target trading Gaudreau for a center better than Monahan and I don't see a team that would do that. Monahan has issues but he would be good as a #2 and we aren't getting an elite #1 center for Gaudreau.

If you trade Monahan, you are going to get older or are you going to get futures and neither is really appetizing. Gio is too old to trade for a stud center and no one else on the roster has the value to get it done.

 

[13th Floor]

Marner and Eberle have been the 2 guys who are either in the sub 6 foot group or really light under 175 lbs that have performed well in the playoffs.

Barzal?

 

[Newsworthy]

These playoffs are a breath of fresh air. I love seeing the midget figure skaters disappear once it turns back to a big boys game. Marner has been the only small skill player who has been able to adapt. Much respect to him.

This is not true at all.
Sebastian Aho is pretty much the same size as Marner. I can list several other players smaller in stature than Marner who are having a good run so far.
The success of the Jackets can be contributed to smallish players in Cam Atkinson and Panarin.
What about Eberle and Zuccarello?
I wouldnt say Duchene is all that big either. And Jonathan Marchessault is playing well.

 

[Fugazy]

Maybe a couple of changes, but I think the core will stay in tact.

 

[Bounces R Way]

MacKinnon has Landeskog and Rantanen, which makes him much more difficult to double / triple team.

Gaudreau has undoubtedly struggled, but you have to give credit to Colorado and Bednar. They are obviously acutely aware that the Flames top line is completely dependent on Gaudreau to make plays, and as a result they have game planned to swarm him every time he's near the puck. This game plan is exceedingly obvious, yet Peters has refused to adjust - ideally you move Gaudreau to bottom 6 line and have him play with guys like Ryan and Bennett to get Monahan and Lindholm some space.

He was pretty decent in game 1 and got a few looks last night, but it's tough trying to make plays when your swarmed all over the ice.

His lack of production is not for lack of trying or skill, Bednar has just completely outcoached Peters.

Definitely Bednar deserves a lot of credit, as do in particular the Johnson-Cole pairing, but I just don't buy that Gaudreau can't thrive in tight checking games. He can and he does all the time. With the occasional exception almost every game in the NHL is tight checking, these are the best hockey players in the world. You don't put up 99 points in a season just because the other teams weren't playing hard enough, that's a ridiculous notion.

I haven't seen the usual willingness to make plays from Johnny this series. Too many button hooks at the blueline, drop passes that go no where, forced passes through three sticks, turnovers along the boards. Not enough net drive and next to no presence in the center of the ice. His linemates have been just as bad or worse, but Johnny is an emotional leader and catalyst for the Flames, he needs to be better. Hope they split him and Monahan up Friday, been overdue for a while. Constantly deferring to each other to make a play is simply not working, and makes you really easy to defend against.

 

[deckercky]

Gaudreau for Kucherov!

 

[JPeeper]

The Monahan haters and Gaudreau love affair posters will come in flocks, but Gaudreau has been 10x worse this and the last 2 playoff series than Monahan has.

Come playoff time Gaudreau is one of the least effective players in the league. He doesn't have the 'it' factor that Patrick Kane has or the no fear attitude of a guy like Paul Byron.

I think Tre gives this core 1 more year, if we get similar results next year then Gaudreau is done as a Flame.