Poor defensive play of Gaudreau-Monahan line holding Flames back

[Ace Rimmer]

BeNnETt CaN'T plAY CeNTer!

Well at least he couldn't under Gulutzan.

Maybe he can under Peters?

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

It's a Flames issue because we are small and play relatively clean. Teams like that are going to be taken advantage of because of the officiating.

Everyone else just seems content to watch our best player get shoved head first into the boards from behind risking permanent injury, no penalty, no nothing, everyone move on. How are the fans so accepting of the worst officiating in any league? Really, name me another professional sports league where the rules change every minute depending on the emotions of the officials.

Don't see the point in talking about the play of our best players when they are probably already injured less than 10 games into the season. And people are surprised at their level of play.

If you want to stop watching, go ahead. You’ve made your point. I don’t think you’re going to find fellow passengers if that’s your agenda.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

BeNnETt CaN'T plAY CeNTer!

Well at least he couldn't under Gulutzan.

We made the playoffs the only year he played center in his career.
We missed both years where he played wing.

Not to draw false equivalency here, but if the guy couldn't play center, we would have been worse off that year than the other two, but we weren't. He did many things at center that pretty much no other center on the roster was doing other than Backlund, and that allowed others (a defenseman like Engelland, or even our top line) to thrive even if his line had issues, primarily because he's never had a pair of wingers worth noting. Even when playing with Gaudreau, it's usually been fringe NHL talent like Jooris and Chiasson on the other flank. I believe that what you do on your shift carries over to the next shift, and Bennett's play at center usually kickstarted the next shift with some cushy opportunities as he peeled off for a line change.

There's a novel I could write about how Sam Bennett is a great center from the perspective of positional expectations, but I'll leave it at that. Playing him on the wing is to the detriment of the team.

 

[JGaudreau]

If you want to stop watching, go ahead. You’ve made your point. I don’t think you’re going to find fellow passengers if that’s your agenda.

The fact of the matter is you can't criticize members of a team sport, which this thread is about, when the applied rules inherently invalidate said sport. When there's no legitimacy in the foundation of the governing body there's no point talking about Monahan and Gaudreau.

I'm not looking for passengers, just stating facts. You guys want to criticize players in a league without standard rules, why? It doesn't make sense. If I'm playing chess and punch the opponent in the eye will you criticize him for losing because he can't see?

Definition of game: a form of play or sport, especially a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or luck.

If the rules change on a nightly basis, by definition, there is no game that can be delineated.

 

[DFF]

We made the playoffs the only year he played center in his career.
We missed both years where he played wing.

Not to draw false equivalency here, but if the guy couldn't play center, we would have been worse off that year than the other two, but we weren't. He did many things at center that pretty much no other center on the roster was doing other than Backlund, and that allowed others (a defenseman like Engelland, or even our top line) to thrive even if his line had issues, primarily because he's never had a pair of wingers worth noting. Even when playing with Gaudreau, it's usually been fringe NHL talent like Jooris and Chiasson on the other flank. I believe that what you do on your shift carries over to the next shift, and Bennett's play at center usually kickstarted the next shift with some cushy opportunities as he peeled off for a line change.

There's a novel I could write about how Sam Bennett is a great center from the perspective of positional expectations, but I'll leave it at that. Playing him on the wing is to the detriment of the team.

We made the playoff when we had Joe Colborne. We missed the playoff since he left....so Joe Colborne is the reason we missed the playoff. That makes as much sense as we missed the playoff because the almost bust Sam Bennett is not playing center.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

There's a novel I could write about how Sam Bennett is a great center from the perspective of positional expectations, but I'll leave it at that.

He has shown flashes of this in the past, and yes one day he could be. His biggest issue is bringing it night to night, even shift to shift. Because as good as he's looked sometimes, he's looked lost other times - and more often lost than not.

Given how he's shown really good progression this year, maybe his time is now?

 

[SKRusty]

We made the playoffs the only year he played center in his career.
We missed both years where he played wing.

Not to draw false equivalency here, but if the guy couldn't play center, we would have been worse off that year than the other two, but we weren't. He did many things at center that pretty much no other center on the roster was doing other than Backlund, and that allowed others (a defenseman like Engelland, or even our top line) to thrive even if his line had issues, primarily because he's never had a pair of wingers worth noting. Even when playing with Gaudreau, it's usually been fringe NHL talent like Jooris and Chiasson on the other flank. I believe that what you do on your shift carries over to the next shift, and Bennett's play at center usually kickstarted the next shift with some cushy opportunities as he peeled off for a line change.

There's a novel I could write about how Sam Bennett is a great center from the perspective of positional expectations, but I'll leave it at that. Playing him on the wing is to the detriment of the team.

QUIT IT OKG. Bennett got his last-chance opportunity to play center late last season. The Flames have since brought in Dube, Lindholm, Ryan and Czarnik much because MANAGEMENT and COACHING staffs know he will not be able to be a center any time soon. That means Monahan, Backlund, Jankowski, Dube, Lindholm, Ryan and Czarnik are all slotted higher up on the depth chart. Bennett still has not proven that he is anything more than a 3rd line LWer at this point. Bennett has only has 3 points thus far and while he has looked good he still hasn't shown that he is any better than the third line.

BENNETT WILL NOT PLAY CENTER FOR THE FLAMES any time soon. These delusions of grandeur are not based on any tangible fact. Until Bennett has over 50 points and is producing night-in-night-out your suppositions are nothing more than pie-in-the-sky fantasies.

Bennett's hockey IQ and ability to think the game at high speed is not there. On every break-away, drive-to-the-net, or poor ice positioning points out this fact. Unlike when Johnny's feet keep moving as he drives the net Bennett has to stop skating because he can not analyze the situation fast enough. This can be seen on almost every rush. He looks good until the moment the game starts moving faster than him. Until Bennett can play the game in his mind as fast as he can play he is pretty much locked into being a winger.

 

[Anglesmith]

The fact of the matter is you can't criticize members of a team sport, which this thread is about, when the applied rules inherently invalidate said sport. When there's no legitimacy in the foundation of the governing body there's no point talking about Monahan and Gaudreau.

I'm not looking for passengers, just stating facts. You guys want to criticize players in a league without standard rules, why? It doesn't make sense. If I'm playing chess and punch the opponent in the eye will you criticize him for losing because he can't see?

Definition of game: a form of play or sport, especially a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or luck.

If the rules change on a nightly basis, by definition, there is no game that can be delineated.

What you're talking about is one of those many situations in life that show how being correct, in and of itself, is often not useful in any way.

You are right that the theoretical definition of sports doesn't fit sports in practice (it's the same for all sports, of course... except maybe golf). And what does that do for you?

 

[Flameshomer]

Bennett at centers still? Are we in 2016?

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Changed the RW, but the Monahan line continued to struggle today. It's time to break them apart.

 

[FerklundCGY]

Changed the RW, but the Monahan line continued to struggle today. It's time to break them apart.

Agreed. They're getting absolutely dominated 5v5 this season

 

[super6646]

Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk
Bennett-Monahan-Neal
Dube-Backlund-Czarnik/Frolik
Jankowski-Ryan-Czarnik/Frolik

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

I’m not for or against breaking up the topline, but I wouldn’t mind it. Giving other teams different looks and having players play with different combinations will only benefit us down the stretch.

Even if we break them up, they will be reunited at some point.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Maybe it's time to really challenge Gaudreau to be like his idol MSL and play a complete two way game.

Gaudreau-Backlund-Lindholm
Tkachuk-Bennett-Czarnik
Monahan-Dube-Neal
Frolik-Jankowski-Ryan

 

[SKRusty]

Maybe it's time to really challenge Gaudreau to be like his idol MSL and play a complete two way game.

Gaudreau-Backlund-Lindholm
Tkachuk-Bennett-Czarnik
Monahan-Dube-Neal
Frolik-Jankowski-Ryan

Gaudreau has never gelled with Backlund in over 25 games.
BENNETT is not going to play CENTER....
Monahan is not a winger..He is only the best center Calgary has had since Joe Nieuwendyk. Period.

JG is the defensive liability not Sean but what does Tre's and Peters analysis of the situation matter. Since your arguments usually involve stats I thought maybe this could be an issue:

giveaway

• [giv-uh-wey] Sports . any careless loss of possession of a ball, puck, etc., or other offensive lapse that leads to a scoreby the opponent.

By the way how many points did Bennett get being on the first line against Washington??? How many does he have all season???

Lindholm may be the only center that may compete with Monahan but I see stats are disregard when considering who should be playing the center position.

Please put down the rose tinted glasses.

 

[Dack]

Monahan sucks defensively as well

 

[Volica]

Really think we should go:

Gaudreau - Lindholm - Tkachuk
Bennett - Backlund - Neal
Frolik - Monahan - Czarnik
Jankowski - Ryan - Hathaway

Monahan gets two speedy wingers who can play both ends of the ice really well.
Gaudreau gets two really skilled defensive players.
Backlund will elevate Neal and Benny.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Gaudreau has never gelled with Backlund in over 25 games.
BENNETT is not going to play CENTER....
Monahan is not a winger..He is only the best center Calgary has had since Joe Nieuwendyk. Period.

JG is the defensive liability not Sean but what does Tre's and Peters analysis of the situation matter. Since your arguments usually involve stats I thought maybe this could be an issue:

giveaway

• [giv-uh-wey] Sports . any careless loss of possession of a ball, puck, etc., or other offensive lapse that leads to a scoreby the opponent.

By the way how many points did Bennett get being on the first line against Washington??? How many does he have all season???

Lindholm may be the only center that may compete with Monahan but I see stats are disregard when considering who should be playing the center position.

Please put down the rose tinted glasses.

Funny how the forwards with the most giveaways are the best offensive players in the league . . . It's almost like players that have the puck all the time and making a bunch of passes leads to more giveaways.

Most giveaways since 2014-15:

Tavares
Gaudreau
Thornton
Pavelski
Getzlaf
Marchand
Benn
Kucherov
Hall
Draisaitl
Williams
Crosby
Forsberg
Malkin
Kessel

It's almost like giveaways are an indication of a good offensive player....

NHL.com - Stats

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

[Monahan] is only the best center Calgary has had since Joe Nieuwendyk. Period.

Lol.

Monahan is a great "center" in the sense that Jarome Iginla, Rene Bourque, Alex Tanguay, Chris Simon, and Jiri Hudler and were great "centers".

Hint: I didn't make a mistake.

 

[SKRusty]

Lol.

Monahan is a great "center" in the sense that Jarome Iginla, Rene Bourque, Alex Tanguay, Chris Simon, and Jiri Hudler and were great "centers".

Hint: I didn't make a mistake.

How many points does your Poster Boy Bennett have?

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

How many points does your Poster Boy Bennett have?

Sorry he doesn't get cushy PP1 time where he can wait in front of the net for rebounds after being the worst player on the ice for the last 45 minutes.

Which, by the way, have very little to do with

1) the center position
2) defensive play

 

[SKRusty]

Quit making excuses for a player that just does not have the hockey IQ to be a premiere center. Again tonight his situational awareness blows chunks. He gets tunnel vision and can't make a play to save his life.

Sam has been working on his game but he really does not have the hockey IQ to be mentioned with Sean, Johnny, Lindholm or Chucky. Best case scenario for Sam at this point is to become Backlund 2.0.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

I really don't care about your broken opinion on Sam Bennett. He had two more quality setups and one more quality 5 on 5 scoring chance than Monahan today, and wasn't doing it playing with two of the best offensive forwards on the team and #1PP. If you want to call that an excuse, you can call that an excuse. And lacking situational awareness is funny coming from a guy who a game ago was bashing Bennett for not having points, even though his play was instrumental in Hamonic's goal.

This isn't a thread about Sam Bennett though, even if Sam Bennett were Lance Bouma level bad, that wouldn't change the fact that Monahan is not a very good center, but gets by because he has a great shot and coaches are hesitant to play him in a situation he might be more successful in. You can believe in Monahan all you like, I'm not bothered by it the way you seem to be bothered by my assessment. Monahan could have 40 goals and still be a bad center. Monahan could have 50 goals and still be a bad center. Because scoring goals does not make you a good center.

 

[Anglesmith]

Monahan was moving his legs noticeably better tonight. I think playing in front of family and friends put a bit of pep in his step, but I hope he doesn't regress right after.

The backcheck where he spoiled Tavares' only dangerous-looking rush of the night off a turnover was so nice.

 

[SKRusty]

Monahan was moving his legs noticeably better tonight. I think playing in front of family and friends put a bit of pep in his step, but I hope he doesn't regress right after.

The backcheck where he spoiled Tavares' only dangerous-looking rush of the night off a turnover was so nice.

Since taking that shot against St. Louis Monahan has been playing injured. Hopefully things there are sorted out and things get better.