Johnny Gaudreau makes progress as Flames take step back
ANAHEIM – In his second year, Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau has figured out a balance at forward.
As players with offensive nature tend to push back at trying to better understand defense, Gaudreau has been able to boost his offensive numbers while becoming a better all-around player.
“We saw the total package. How competitive he was, how good defensively he can be, how responsible he can be in key situations,” Flames coach Bob Hartley said. "That’s why when we lead by a goal, he’s on the ice for the last minute, because I think he’s proven to us he can read the play. He can commit when the other team has the puck and his skill set when he gets it, he can make plays that can allow us to win games.”
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While the Flames (8-13-2) have struggled and underachieved this season, Gaudreau has been one of the few improvements from 2014-15 where the team made the second round of the postseason for the first time since the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has 21 points in 23 games to lead the Flames and his offensive creativity has led to several highlight-reel plays. While other rookies from last season like Filip Forsberg and Aaron Ekblad got off to slower-than-expected starts, Gaudreau hasn’t shown any signs of a sophomore slump.
“I feel a lot more comfortable and confident and it’s a lot different to start this season than last season,” Gaudreau said. “I think it’s a year under my belt and learning a lot last year and trying to make it come natural now rather than keep learning and learning.”
If you ask one of Gaudreau’s teammates about memorable plays from this season, there’s a look of befuddlement. Kind of like, ‘which one?’
There was the stickhandling move against the Ottawa Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki.
There were the 3-on-3 OT heroics against the Chicago Blackhawks.
“He’s so shifty and so quick. You watch him on other defensemen, it’s tough to go at him so they try to contain him and when you contain him it opens up other guys and he makes good passes,” Calgary captain Mark Giordano said. “He’s a very underrated passer so that’s what makes him so good.”
Gaudreau was supposed to be just a part of a deeper group of players this year that would push the Flames to a higher level in the Western Conference. He wasn’t supposed to be the runaway offensive leader of the group. But as the team has slumped, Gaudreau has taken his game to greater heights.
Linemate Sean Monahan is second on team scoring with 15 points, and is on pace for fewer than his 31 goals and 62 points of a year ago. Giordano has just seven points and is a minus-15. Newly-acquired defenseman Dougie Hamilton has five points. Forward Jiri Hudler – last year’s scoring leader – has 14 points in 21 games.
Though Gaudreau doesn’t wear a letter with the Flames, he’s almost turned into a de-facto leader this season – just because nobody has equaled his production so far.
“You look at the way he has been raised, the way he has been coached and he wants to win,” Hartley said. “When you want to win, you can’t be a one-trick pony and Jonny figured this out very quickly. He’s blocking shots he’s on the forecheck, he’s around the net and it doesn’t take anything away from his unbelievable talent. His skill set his speed, his quickness in tight areas most definitely makes him a very, very special player for us.”
If Gaudreau didn’t produce this year, it would be easy to say last year, when he had 64 points and finished third in Calder Trophy voting, was a fluke. But his creative mind is a sponge, and kept him ahead of the rest of the league as it continues to try to figure him out.
Said Giordano, “Johnny’s going to be a guy who gets points all the time.”
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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper
