As the Calgary Flames look to turn around their poor 3-8-1 start, every move being made by Bob Hartley is being looked at. At the crux of that is who plays where on the Calgary Flames blue-line?
With the expected pairings for the visit to Colorado reported on Twitter by Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg, there are a few questions to raise:
Guessing maintenance for Wideman. Smid skating in his place as they go through pairings. Giordano-Smid; Brodie-Russell; Engelland-Hamilton.
— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) November 2, 2015
Should Kris Russell’s poor start to the season see him become a #5 or #6 defensemen, rather than continue to hold fort as a top four d-man?
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He finally showed inklings of improvement against Edmonton, but not by much. The expected pairing though has him partnering T.J. Brodie, a player who showed fine form in the Calgary Flames’ 5-4 win. Maybe his line-mate can serve to bring the best out of Russell’s thus far poor game.
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Dougie Hamilton in arriving in the off-season would’ve hoped to be seeing time on a top four line, but the projection has him partnering Deryk Engelland on the third line. He certainly showed a strong enough game with the Boston Bruins to be deserving of that status. This is a player that dished up forty-two points last season.
Does he continue to put in solid performances, bide his time and hope to get shuffled higher up the pack? Or will the frustration start showing? This is a player that has a strong offensive game, isn’t that what the Calgary Flames need right now?
Mark Giordano leads the side from the front alongside Dennis Wideman; is that the pairing to bring the absolute best out of both men. Or does it limit both a little in the style of game they like to play? In light of Wideman’s ‘maintenance’ stint, does he start or does this allow Ladislav Smid a shot in the side?
Given that we’re still relatively early into the season, there are still a lot of unanswered questions, especially defensively. The goaltender situation isn’t helping either, but that’s a whole other topic.
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Fact is, the Calgary Flames arguably have six top four defensemen and yet still leak goals like nobody’s business. They need to find their confidence because form will follow; players lacking confidence don’t win games.
Here’s hoping that the lines can finally be settled and partnerships start showing chemistry against Colorado. Brodie needs to lead this, as his performance last time out was top-notch and reflects exactly how his colleagues should be approaching games.
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What are your thoughts? Should the defensive lines continue to be shuffled? Are there any partnerships that you have spotted and like the look of? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.