The following summer, Sutter addressed the Flames scoring concerns by dealing Jordon Leopold for Alex Tanguay.
I think it's no coincidence that the club hasn't had any major issues scoring goals since those two acquisitions (besides a curious off PP last season). In 06/07, the Flames ranked 7th in the league in total GF (255) and were in the top 10 in terms of ES scoring (153 - tied with the Detroit Red Wings). Last season, with Tanguay playing a checkers role, Calgary's scoring dipped a bit to 14th in the league (226 GF total). Even with that, the Flames ES prowess was still far superior as compared to the 05/06 benchmark (145 vs 108).
Tanguay and Huselius brought a unique sub-set of skills which had a direct and obvious effect on the clubs potency: excellent on-ice vision and an ability to make pin-point passes in traffic. In short, puck distribution. Tanguay did it better at ES, while Huselius excelled on the PP. Check out the assist rate/type for each player at behindthenet:
First ES production -
(click to enlarge)
Tanguay was the best on the team in terms of 1st assists at 5on5. Huselius was down around 5th (although 2nd behind Iginla in terms of goals/hour, incidentally).
PP production -
(click to enlarge)
There's Juice and Tangs (ha!) right near the top of the assist pile. Keep in mind that both guys had their worst years as Flames in terms of PP efficacy. Tanguay was number one the club last year in both ES and PP first assists, while Huselius ruled the roost in terms of total (first and second helpers) PP assist rates.
I guess my point in all this is that puck distribution is a very vital skill in offensive production. Several of the best offensive players in the game historically (Gretzky) and currently (Thornton, Crosby) were and are primarily assist-men. Their ability to consistently control and move the puck to high percentage scoring areas is key to manufacturing scoring chances (and, thereby, GF). And the Flames have jettisoned the two best players on the team at puck distribution and - with all apologies to Cammalleri and Bertuzzi - haven't replaced them.
During the off-season it's fairly common for fans to set-up hypothetical depth charts and line combinations with the objective of forecasting goal-production for each player based on a couple of factors (line mates, previous performance, wishful thinking, etc.). Example for the coming year:
Bertuzzi (20) - Langow (30) - Iginla (45)
Cammalleri (30) - Lombardi (20) - Boyd (15)
It's a facile exercise but the results seem reasonable, right? That's 160 goals total - more than the entire team scored at ES in 05/06. If the top two lines can manage those numbers, no need to worry, right?
These plug 'n play number forecasts are problematic because the assumptions are overly simplistic. Each player could probably be expected to get those totals in the right environment. The Flames offensive environment has changed drastically this summer due to the expulsion of the clubs best two passing forwards (and best PP player and 2nd best ES player etc). Keep in mind that Jarome Iginla managed just 67 points (33 as ES) in 05/06. His totals rocketed up to 94 (60 ES) and 98 (65 ES) once he started consistently playing with Tanguay and/or Huselius. In short, there's more Hull than Gretzky about this line-up now.
This is all my round-about way of expressing a new, nagging concern: who gets Iginla (or Cammalleri, or...) the puck next year?
14 comments:
i have been watching flames' highlights the past few days. it was amazing to see that most of the plays were lead by moves made by either juice or tangs.
I thought Cammalleri was primarily a play-maker?
As far as I know, he's thought of as a goal-scorer/shooter. He often played the point on the Kings PP, for instance (set-up for a one-timer).
Man, our second forward line is still disgusting. Boyd and Lombardi? This is going to be a long f***ing year.
With all due respect to Huselius and Tanguay I don't think Iginla personally needs anyone to get him the puck.
The rest of the team is in trouble though.
That said, Lombardi, for instance, was the top assist man in the WHC 2007 when put with Rick Nash. I think he can distribute the puck alright when he's given someone to distribute it to. Not Tanguay/Juice levels maybe, but more than he's done now.
wtf, williams signs with the sens for 1.9M ?!
sigh....
With all due respect to Huselius and Tanguay I don't think Iginla personally needs anyone to get him the puck.
it depends on how you define "need".
On the one hand Jarome is always going to be an impact player, regardless of who he plays with. That's why he's elite.
On the other hand, no one plays in a vacuum. For years the common refrain around these parts was "Jarome needs help", particularly after that 67 point season I referenced in the post.
Playing with skilled linemates - especially skilled puck distributing linemates - increases Iginla's potency. It only makes sense. What is Iginla's probable point outcome playing with say, Crosby or Thornton? Conversely, what's his ceiling playing with Primeau or Godard?
Iginla will always be effective. The question remains - to what degree?
wtf, williams signs with the sens for 1.9M ?!
sigh....
Seconded.
What? I don't see that reported anywhere, but I do see several sites denying the rumors. I'm standing by original analysis of the Bertuzzi signing... thumbs up, unless Williams signs for less than $3M. So if this is true, ugh.
Apparently, Williams decided to go to Atlanta to center Kovalchuk.
TSN says 2.2M, 1 year deal.
Now that I've taken a slightly deeper look at him, I'm not all that upset we didn't sign him. At 27, he's got less than 300 NHL games, and averages less than 50 points a season with "less than superb skating ability". I'm sure he'll rack up a lot of points playing the opposite wing for Kovalchuk, but I don't know if he would have done that well playing without good line-mates on the 2nd line behind Jerome.
Poor Atlanta... only way they can sign a guy is offering the free agent left-overs a 1 year deal so they can pad their stats with Kovalchuk and try the market again next year. They are in for a world of hurt when his contract runs out.
who gets Iginla (or Cammalleri, or...) the puck next year?
Aren't we missing the obvious answer? Daymond Langkow has very good ES rates and v. good Ist Assist rates. I think that first line is fine. Without Alex Tanguay, we're not as good on the second line, absolutely. The Flames are really going to have to find some chemistry on the that second line, which why its important that Bertuzzi give us something because if we have to gut the second line to keep the first line productive, we'll slip backwards.
Daymond is an existing and known commodity. His rates are good but he certainly can't fill the sudden void left by both Tanguay (ES) and Huselius (PP).
It would be interesting to see if Iggy himself becomes a bit more of a playmaker. It seems like alot of Bertuzzis goals last year came from Getzlaf setting him up. And if they can get Big Bert lined up in front of the net like the Canucks used to....who knows. Iggy did seem to become a bit more of an adept passer last year playing with Huselius, now the puck would usually come back to him but with someone like Cammelleri, it could be Jerome setting him up, which may not be a bad thing....
Lombardi, for instance, was the top assist man in the WHC 2007 when put with Rick Nash. I think he can distribute the puck alright when he's given someone to distribute it to.
this has been my theory for ages, and why i think cammalleri's speed and abilities as a "goal-scorer/shooter" make this pickup so potentially exciting... the addition of bertuzzi [along with all the 'iggy had a hand in bringing him here' buzz] leads me to believe lombo might actually get a shot with cammalleri....
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