Gaudreau, Monahan under spotlight as Flames face Maple Leafs - Sportsnet.ca

Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan are about to get a first-hand look at how Darryl Sutter wants them to play.

Two days after the Calgary Flames’ new coach reiterated his belief his team doesn’t have the offensive firepower to run and gun with most teams in the division, the duo will suit up against Toronto to see a white & blueprint of how the game’s top scorers need to round out their games.

“They are high end skill players and they’ve done that in the past,” said Sutter of Monahan and Gaudreau before listing off several things he wants them to improve upon.

“It’s just a little bit more of their shot count, shot quality, pace of the game and 200-foot game. It’s not just pond hockey. (The first-place Leafs) play a complete game and their top players have made that adjustment to play a complete game. You’ve got to try to emulate those top teams to have success.”

Monahan and Gaudreau both said after Friday's pre-game skate in Toronto they haven’t been asked to change much in their structure or style. But it’s clear their directive is to avoid turning over pucks in the neutral zone by dumping the puck in and chasing with the help of linemate Brett Ritchie.

It’s quite a departure for Gaudreau, who thrives on dangling across the blue line and isn’t known for his puck retrieval.

“Whether I’m comfortable with it or not, that’s our team and that’s our system right now,” said Gaudreau, whose goal late in Wednesday’s 7-3 loss to Edmonton snapped a three-game pointless streak that started when Sutter arrived – his longest drought of the season.

“You need to adapt. It doesn’t matter what coach you’re playing for, you need to follow his instructions and play the right way and the way he wants you to play. Obviously the offence hasn’t found the net too much in the past few games but we’re 3-1.”

Gaudreau denied he was frustrated with the new approach.

“No absolutely not,” said the team’s second-leading scorer with 12 goals and 24 points in 30 games.

“We’re 3-1 and we’re trying to make the playoffs. We’re winning games and that’s the most important thing. When we’re at our best, we’re smart with our play and we’re not turning the puck over.”

Monahan said the rationale behind limiting turnovers as they approach the opposing blue line is sound.

“If you get chances off the rush you’re going to take it, but if they’re not there, we’ve got to continue to play the right way,” said Monahan, who scored twice in Sutter’s second game.

“You don’t want to give up much in this league. Look at the talent in this division. We don’t want to win games 6-4, 5-4. We know we have skill on this team but we’ve got to check first.”

LINE DANCE

Sutter said after the morning skate in Toronto he planned on sticking with the same lines as last game, adding, “five-on-five they were pretty good the other night, until we got down.”

Jacob Markstrom will start in net, opening the door for David Rittich to start Saturday’s game, also against the Leafs.

The expected lines:

Tkachuk-Lindholm-Dube

Gaudreau-Monahan-Ritchie

Lucic-Backlund-Mangiapane

Bennett-Ryan-Leivo

Giordano-Andersson

Hanifin-Tanev

Valimaki-Kylington

Markstrom

Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters Wayne Simmonds will return Friday from a broken wrist, and Alex Galchenyuk will make his first start as a Leaf.

Simmonds will play on the fourth line alongside Jason Spezza and Pierre Engvall, while Galchenyuk will skate with big boys John Tavares and William Nylander.

Puck drop is 5 p.m. MT/7 p.m. ET.

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiWGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNwb3J0c25ldC5jYS9uaGwvYXJ0aWNsZS9nYXVkcmVhdS1tb25haGFuLXNwb3RsaWdodC1mbGFtZXMtZmFjZS1tYXBsZS1sZWFmcy_SAVdodHRwczovL3d3dy5zcG9ydHNuZXQuY2EvbmhsL2dhdWRyZWF1LW1vbmFoYW4tc3BvdGxpZ2h0LWZsYW1lcy1mYWNlLW1hcGxlLWxlYWZzL3NuLWFtcC8?oc=5

2021-03-19 18:31:00Z
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