GDT: Snow Bird (4-1-1) at Red Heat (4-1-0), 7:00 PM MT, SNW

[super6646]

Minor nitpick but why the hell did Rooney get a 2 year contract? Can someone explain to me what he adds that Ruzicka is missing? Because I don't find Rooney that much better defensively and he is USELESS offensively, completely useless. At least Ritchie and Lucic are cycling, causing turnovers, drawing penalties, actually contributing to the team out there.

Also, Lewis on the 3rd line is stupid, guy is just as inept as Rooney is offensively. Backlund and Coleman can only do so much as a 2 man unit in the offensive zone.

Other than those two things, this team is a powerhouse, we still haven't even added Kylington to the line-up, not that Stone hasn't been good so far.

I think I just had a stroke. JPeeper isn’t absolutely shitting on Stone? I’ve seen it all.

 

[HighLifeMan]

Minor nitpick but why the hell did Rooney get a 2 year contract? Can someone explain to me what he adds that Ruzicka is missing? Because I don't find Rooney that much better defensively and he is USELESS offensively, completely useless. At least Ritchie and Lucic are cycling, causing turnovers, drawing penalties, actually contributing to the team out there.

Also, Lewis on the 3rd line is stupid, guy is just as inept as Rooney is offensively. Backlund and Coleman can only do so much as a 2 man unit in the offensive zone.

Other than those two things, this team is a powerhouse, we still haven't even added Kylington to the line-up, not that Stone hasn't been good so far.

Rooney/Lewis add EXPERIENCE. The NHL is still in many ways an old boys club. I get why veterans are important, I truly do, but the average age of our bottom six is 32 years old - with the youngest being 29. In today's game, that's honestly kind of ridiculous.

I just don't know why Rooney is even viewed as a centermen. He's well below average in the faceoff dot, has little to no ability to read plays from the middle of the ice, and provides only adequate defensive acumen. Hell - he's not even being relied on to kill penalties for us.

He's big, fast, and hard on the forecheck. That's a prototypical 4th line winger/extra forward if you ask me.

I also don't get the viewpoint that Ruzicka can't benefit or learn from playing 10-12 minutes a night. What's he getting from sitting in the pressbox? If the organization is afraid of losing him on waivers that suggests to me that there is a strong belief that he is capable of being a good NHL player. He's not going to get there eating popcorn. He's kind of being held hostage here as we wait for an injury. He honestly could not have done much more in his 28 game audition last year to earn a job in some capacity.

 

[super6646]

Rooney/Lewis add EXPERIENCE. The NHL is still in many ways an old boys club. I get why veterans are important, I truly do, but the average age of our bottom six is 32 years old - with the youngest being 29. In today's game, that's honestly kind of ridiculous.

I just don't know why Rooney is even viewed as a centermen. He's well below average in the faceoff dot, has little to no ability to read plays from the middle of the ice, and provides only adequate defensive acumen. Hell - he's not even being relied on to kill penalties for us.

He's big, fast, and hard on the forecheck. That's a prototypical 4th line winger/extra forward if you ask me.

I also don't get the viewpoint that Ruzicka can't benefit or learn from playing 10-12 minutes a night. What's he getting from sitting in the pressbox? If the organization is afraid of losing him on waivers that suggests to me that there is a strong belief that he is capable of being a good NHL player. He's not going to get there eating popcorn. He's kind of being held hostage here as we wait for an injury. He honestly could not have done much more in his 28 game audition last year to earn a job in some capacity.

The nhl is not a meritocracy

 

[Yepthatsme]

Minor nitpick but why the hell did Rooney get a 2 year contract? Can someone explain to me what he adds that Ruzicka is missing? Because I don't find Rooney that much better defensively and he is USELESS offensively, completely useless. At least Ritchie and Lucic are cycling, causing turnovers, drawing penalties, actually contributing to the team out there.

Also, Lewis on the 3rd line is stupid, guy is just as inept as Rooney is offensively. Backlund and Coleman can only do so much as a 2 man unit in the offensive zone.

Other than those two things, this team is a powerhouse, we still haven't even added Kylington to the line-up, not that Stone hasn't been good so far.

Am I the only one who sees the irony in everyone pointing out that this is the best our 4th line has looked in years, then turn around and complain about the only player on that line that’s different from previous seasons? They are generating momentum now and drawing penalties at alarming rates, and Rooney has been a big part of it with the pace he plays at. You don’t need offensive wizards on your 4th line. You want mistake free and hard to play against hockey as they matchup with lines above them. They have out-scored their competition 3-1 so far, that’s the mark of an extremely successful 4th line.

 

[Yepthatsme]

Rooney/Lewis add EXPERIENCE. The NHL is still in many ways an old boys club. I get why veterans are important, I truly do, but the average age of our bottom six is 32 years old - with the youngest being 29. In today's game, that's honestly kind of ridiculous.

I just don't know why Rooney is even viewed as a centermen. He's well below average in the faceoff dot, has little to no ability to read plays from the middle of the ice, and provides only adequate defensive acumen. Hell - he's not even being relied on to kill penalties for us.

He's big, fast, and hard on the forecheck. That's a prototypical 4th line winger/extra forward if you ask me.

I also don't get the viewpoint that Ruzicka can't benefit or learn from playing 10-12 minutes a night. What's he getting from sitting in the pressbox? If the organization is afraid of losing him on waivers that suggests to me that there is a strong belief that he is capable of being a good NHL player. He's not going to get there eating popcorn. He's kind of being held hostage here as we wait for an injury. He honestly could not have done much more in his 28 game audition last year to earn a job in some capacity.

You say that like experience just a buzzword thrown around that doesn’t really matter? What Trevor Lewis and Kevin Rooney add is mistake free hockey, they won’t cost your team when they’re on the ice. Our team lives and dies by the mantra that scoring 3 and allowing 1 wins more games than scoring 4 but allowing 3, you won’t ever see us accept more offense at the cost of defense. We have started this year against Carolina, Edmonton, Colorado, Pittsburgh etc. that’s a who’s who of the star forwards in this league. Backlund’s line is still primarily our matchup line and has only allowed 2 goals on the ice together all season, and our 4th line has allowed 1. Reasons like that are why you’ll see experience play over youth on our team.

Ruzicka is getting practices in under Sutter right now instead of the AHL. Kylington spent an entire season in the press box and came out looking better than he ever has. Don’t see why it’s a bad thing to let Sutter work with Ruzicka to get him where he needs to be, because if he wants to be a centre in this organization it’s only bottom 6 spots open for the foreseeable future, and you aren’t cracking our bottom 6 without defensive acumen to go with your offense.

On the other hand, why do people expect tinkering with our lineup? We are 5-1 right now. The combined record of our opponents when you take out our games is 25-8-2. We are literally responsibly for 33% of our opponents losses on the season. Our strength of schedule rating so far is the hardest by far in the league. There isn’t a coach in the league that’s going to make any lineup changes with how we are playing right now.

 

[Mobiandi]

I am fairly confident Rooney would not have been signed if the Tkachuk trade had gone down before free agency allowing us to push for Kadri earlier. His caphit is nearly twice league minimum and Sutter has attributed most of the success of that line to Lucic and Ritchie so far

Wouldn't rule out him being shipped out midseason like we did with Tyler Pitlick last year once Treliving finds the forward that he wants.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

I am fairly confident Rooney would not have been signed if the Tkachuk trade had gone down before free agency allowing us to push for Kadri earlier. His caphit is nearly twice league minimum and Sutter has attributed most of the success of that line to Lucic and Ritchie so far

Wouldn't rule out him being shipped out midseason like we did with Tyler Pitlick last year once Treliving finds the forward that he wants.

Can bury his contract and it only costs about $250k. He'll be the 13th forward once the Flames pick up Toews or Kane or whoever.

 

[Rubi]

Draw your own conclusions.... my conclusion is that Sutter is not a happy camper with the way the Flames seem to be taking periods off and since the Flames don't play their next game until Saturday its probably a good time for a little extra conditioning..



To the Flames players credit however..

 

[JPeeper]

Am I the only one who sees the irony in everyone pointing out that this is the best our 4th line has looked in years, then turn around and complain about the only player on that line that’s different from previous seasons? They are generating momentum now and drawing penalties at alarming rates, and Rooney has been a big part of it with the pace he plays at. You don’t need offensive wizards on your 4th line. You want mistake free and hard to play against hockey as they matchup with lines above them. They have out-scored their competition 3-1 so far, that’s the mark of an extremely successful 4th line.

A line can be successful if 2 of the 3 guys play their ass off. Ritichie to his credit has played hard, drawn penalties, chipped in offensively, Lucic still dominates down low and on the boards and causes a bunch of turn overs. I don't see Rooney do any of that. Like I said, minor nitpick.

I'm content on Lewis because he played his ass off last playoffs for us, but I'd prefer him on the 4th and having someone who can actually contribute offensively to play with Backlund and Coleman.