Can Johnny Gaudreau get on track vs. Kings? (Free NHL Live Stream of the Day)
Is it a prototypical rough start for Johnny Gaudreau, or is it just a bad start for Johnny Gaudreau?
That’s what the Calgary Flames and their fans are trying to figure out, as the team heads to Los Angeles to take on the Kings in the Yahoo Sports Free NHL Stream Game on Saturday night (10 EDT).
[ Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey contest now]
With two goals and five assists in his first 12 games, skating to a minus-9, everyone can agree it’s not the ideal start for the Flames’ star. But through 12 games last season, he scored only one goal – albeit bolstered by 11 assists.
There are differences, of course. There was no World Cup of Hockey last season, taking Gaudreau away from camp. There was no new coach last season. There was no six-year, $40.5-million contract extension signed two days before the season.
For whatever reason, it’s not working for him so far. To the point where one of the most energetic players in the NHL’s performances have been deemed “pedestrian” by some, like Eric Francis of Sportsnet:
Upon arrival the day before the season opener, Gaudreau insisted he didn’t think missing training camp would negatively affect his timing given how successful his stint was with Team North America weeks earlier.
Looks like he was wrong. What’s also missing is the chemistry he’s had with centre Sean Monahan the last two seasons. Monahan has four goals, no assists and is also minus-8 after missing all but one pre-season game with a back injury. The even-keeled Monahan has taken it much more in stride, but clearly can’t be happy with his, or his team’s, early fate.
Make that a minus-9 now for Monahan.
The somewhat better news is that, for various reasons, the Flames are 5-6-1 for 11 points in the early going of the season, which puts them in the second wild card spot as of now. (Thanks Dallas goaltending, LA Kings’ goaltending, Vancouver plummet and Nashville’s middling start!)
That’s without Gaudreau playing well, even through he’s first among Flames’ forwards in shot attempts (136 Corsi-For). That’s the kind of number the Flames have put in front of him, to let him know that things can turn around.
“Frustration is the enemy,” Glen Gulutzan told Post Media. “We went through some of the numbers and some things and a little bit of video. We looked at some things to try and get him re-focused and take away some of that frustration. There are a lot of variables here with him. He’s come in late. He’s got a new coach. He wants to make a difference, you can tell he’s a guy that wants to make a difference every night.
“We just wanted to alleviate some of that frustration for him so we had a little chat.”
We’ll see if it pays dividends against the Kings on Saturday night. Watch the game live here on Yahoo Sports.
—
Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
MORE FROM YAHOO SPORTS
