I'm glad to see at least one Flames fan gets it. He wasn't bad by any stretch, but he certainly wasn't how many supporters were hyping him to be during those first 5 games.
Has definitely looked better since being scratched though.
LW Johnny Gaudreau (2011, 104th overall, Calgary) IV
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I'm glad to see at least one Flames fan gets it. He wasn't bad by any stretch, but he certainly wasn't how many supporters were hyping him to be during those first 5 games.
Has definitely looked better since being scratched though.
To be fair, where he looks best now is on the PP. He wasn't on a PP unit until the Chicago game.
At regular strength he's not usually playing with the most talented of linemates.
I think the Flames are worried about burning him out. The first year transition from college to the NHL can be brutal because of the difference in schedules. The U.S. college guys don't play nearly as many games as the Canadian junior leagues and NHL do.
Happy to see Hartley finally gave him PP time.
Hopefully we'll see Gaudreau play in overtime from now on too. The more room he has on the ice to be creative, the more having him out there will pay off.
Hopefully we'll see Gaudreau play in overtime from now on too. The more room he has on the ice to be creative, the more having him out there will pay off.
Tkachuk Norris
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- Jun 22, 2012
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It's just funny how much flack JG has been taking. For example, Sean Monahan just hasn't been very good to this point (but he's shown flashes in the last few games), and you don't hear anything about him. Monahan's played most of a season and no-one seems to say anything. But Gaudreau has just been torn to pieces because he didn't adjust well his first five games. He wasn't a liability defensively but he just had no confidence. He was playing scared. But it was his first 5 games!! Like what did people expect?
The last two games he has shown his confidence and has been pretty much excellent.
JG enters the zone on the powerplay in exaclty the same way Datsyuk does. The defencemen skate the puck up. JG drops behing them. The defensive team is forced to take TJ Brodie, or Mark Giordano, who then does a drop pass to JG who picks the puck up at full speed while the defence is a little flat footed. I've seen Datsyuk and Lidstrom do it a 1000 times and I guarantee that Bob Harley copied it from them, now that they have a guy who can dangle when he gets time and space. It's so hard to defend. How can you stop all of the options, a) the outlet passes to the two high forwards b)the puck rushing ability of TJ Brodie and Mark Giordano and c) the drop pass to Johnny G? I don't think there is an answer to that question and that's why the flames are going to have a very good PP going forward.
The last two games he has shown his confidence and has been pretty much excellent.
JG enters the zone on the powerplay in exaclty the same way Datsyuk does. The defencemen skate the puck up. JG drops behing them. The defensive team is forced to take TJ Brodie, or Mark Giordano, who then does a drop pass to JG who picks the puck up at full speed while the defence is a little flat footed. I've seen Datsyuk and Lidstrom do it a 1000 times and I guarantee that Bob Harley copied it from them, now that they have a guy who can dangle when he gets time and space. It's so hard to defend. How can you stop all of the options, a) the outlet passes to the two high forwards b)the puck rushing ability of TJ Brodie and Mark Giordano and c) the drop pass to Johnny G? I don't think there is an answer to that question and that's why the flames are going to have a very good PP going forward.
NEWFowler
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- Jul 22, 2012
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Just imagine if he was Russian. The crap some of these kids take is so ridiculous. Let 'em play.
UvBnDatsyuked
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- Apr 30, 2005
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Gaudreau has taken a little while to figure out each new level of hockey he has moved to. His first season in Dubuque and his first season at BC did not start off quickly but as his coaches learned more about his abilities and trusted his play, they gave more responsibility and his confidence took off. Anyone who has followed him over the years knows what he is capable of doing and knows that it doesn't take long for him to figure things out.
Lots of young players are off to slow starts. And lots of stars have had crappy early seasons in NHL history. It all comes down to hype, MacKinnon/Gaudreau are talked about a lot so their starts were under the microscope, whereas Monahan people are more conservative on.
- Apr 27, 2005
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Sean Monahan
JIMMIES ARE RUSTLED
Hartley is starting to realize Johnny is figuring out the NHL game shift by shift. You gotta let him do his thing.
The Macho King
Back* to Back** World Champion
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Walkingthroughforest
I got the worst ******* attorneys
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Consistently dangerous, but still learning how to play in this league. Once he figures it out it's going to be a great time for Flames fans.
FLYLine27*
BUCH
Maybe he should learn his game in the AHL...Why are they rushing him so much, Flames arent going to make the playoffs either way.
The Macho King
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The AHL isn't for everybody. For some players, the best way to get used to playing against NHLers is to play against NHLers. Gaudreau seems like the exact type of prospect who is too good for lower leagues, but will have some growing pains against NHL competition.
Moreover, he doesn't even look bad. He's shown skill and creativity, he just needs some seasoning for it all to click. I'm not a Flames fan and not in the Gaudreau for 10 straight Hart trophies brigade, for the record.
CraigsList
RIP #13
Pip
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He was taking so much crap for his rough start because everyone had to ensure Flames fans ridiculously hyping him all summer.
Walkingthroughforest
I got the worst ******* attorneys
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He's not being rushed. He's in the NHL because he can play in the NHL. His confidence is growing each game and he's looking more and more dangerous on both ends of the ice.
So message board hype and unrealistic online expectations should dictate what NHL teams do with their prospects? Alright.
A re-assessment after 20 games seems rational. Right now he is passing the eyeball test and trending in the right direction, which is more than you can say for the AHL club.
He looked like he belonged there in last night's game. He played a lot of minutes and was effective. His scoring will come. He's NHL ready. Bet the Hurricanes wished they had him last night as they looked awful.
- Apr 27, 2005
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I caught the 2nd and 3rd last night. Man was he making some great defensive plays. Once the flames got up by 3 you could see how conservative and unselfish he was with his ice time and the puck, getting it deep and getting off the ice.
A couple of his back checks broke up a few very dangerous scoring chances. While the game was already out of reach, he kept up his defensive intensity, going out of his way to ensure the shutout. Pretty impressive to see from a rookie winger, especially one with the (unearned) reputation of being one dimensional.
A couple of his back checks broke up a few very dangerous scoring chances. While the game was already out of reach, he kept up his defensive intensity, going out of his way to ensure the shutout. Pretty impressive to see from a rookie winger, especially one with the (unearned) reputation of being one dimensional.
CraigsList
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Pip
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Never said anything like that, was just responding to why fans were so quick to jump on JG's slow start
FLYLine27*
BUCH
He's played 8 games and has yet to register a hit. Kinda surprising, usually you see the new rookies look to throw their body around (not that I would expect him to have 10 hits a game but at least 1 a game..)
FLYguy3911
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