Johnny Gaudreau carrying the Flames with an impressive point streak
Coming into this season many Calgary Flames fans had concerns about Gaudreau’s “down year.” So far he has silenced all of the worrisome thoughts that were circulating before opening night.
2017/2018 season so far
Johnny Gaudreau has 6 goals and 16 assists in 16 games so far this season for the Calgary Flames as he continues to impress.
He is currently red hot and on another level with 10 points in 6 games as he will look to continue the streak against a skilled St. Louis Blues team on Monday.
He is tied for fourth in the league in points with 22 only behind Blake Wheeler (23), Nikita Kucherov (29), and Steven Stamkos (30).
You can see how dangerous he can be when he picks up speed and has a bit of room. He can make any defensemen look like a pylon at times. With the increased penalties on slashing it seems that Gaudreau is finally getting the protection that he deserves from the NHL officials. It allows him to move more freely in the offensive zone and set up his teammates.
Right now, Gaudreau is tied for ninth in penalties drawn with eight and is tied for first, along with teammate Matthew Tkachuk, for +/- of penalties drawn to penalties taken ratio, with seven.
According to NHL.com in an article written by George Johnson, head coach Glen Gulutzan said:
“I just see the passion and the fire, the love of the game, there again. Passion fuels everything, right? He just looks stronger and quicker, he’s in and out of areas fast. A very confident, high-end player, for sure. When those top players start feeling it, they’re tough to stop.”
2016/2017 season
If 61 points in 72 games is an off year then most NHL players aren’t playing well. The 2016 season was a decent year for Gaudreau but it seems Flames fans weren’t satisfied with his performances. He had 18 goals and 43 assists, that’s almost as many assists as he had in 2015 but his scoring production was not as impressive as his 30 goals he had the season prior. The one stat that really stood out to me was -7 plus/minus rating. That is his worst year with the Flames in his career, every season including this one he has been way better.
Conclusion
If you’re a Gaudreau fan, be patient. The best years are yet to come for Johnny and the Calgary Flames.
Next: Calgary Flames: Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan: Dynamic duo
I believe this year will statistically be his best year because the Flames need him to step up to make sure they make a deeper run in the playoffs.