cross16

I mean the puck banked off a leg. Not sure how you get upset by that. Seems to happen for them so much. All the momentum and that an unlucky break gets the other team back into.

There are no signs of that to me. They are playing to the system on pretty much a nightly basis. The defensive struggles really come to down to a combination of goaltending (probably the biggest honestly) and individual breakdowns. The key different for me so far in terms of the 5 on 5 play this year versus last year is they are generating less in terms of scoring chances and high danger chances. The volume is there but the quality isn't but that has a lot to do with the talent drain they experienced and a few guys, namely Mang, off to really slow starts. the only thing I would wonder about in terms of coaching is how the messaging is being delivered. I am seeing a team that is a bit too afraid to make mistakes, especially in key points of a game. On Tkachuks' tying goal the d was almost at the faceoff dot on the zone entry and that kind of stuff didn't happen last year, at least not very often. This year's team didn't has not yet captured the swagger that last year's team had. Not necessarily the fault of the coaching staff, but just given how negative Sutter seems in the media this year vs last it makes me wonder how the message is being delivered. Think one thing to remember is last year's team wasn't supposed to be very good, this year's is.

We’ll you take the win but boy there is a lot of work to do for this group.

Not sure I get the logic of not using a dman as good at transition as Weegar in OT.

3 game tying goals giving up today by the Flames. Brutal

Really bad 3rd here from the flames. There is no urgency or details in their game this period.

You play bad hockey this happens. A lot of bad hockey from the flames this afternoon.

Really dumb hockey here from Calgary. You start a fight on a 4-2 rush and then you send them on the PP with a stupid penalty Bad hockey.

Flames are going to have a tough time getting on a role with the level of goaltending they had so far this season.

A new team, new city, new system, new teammates and I see a player working hard to get it figured out and I just don't think all of that warrants negativity. I would understand it if Huberdeau wasn't working out there but I think he was (too hard quite frankly). I don't really like jabs at players in the media anyway but I just really don't like the consistent negativity towards a player in that situation. It also feels selective. Lindholm was playing worse to start the season but he was praised and Huberdeau blamed. LIkes to rip on the depth D but in fact it's really Hanifin and Anderson who are letting you down. It's been a much more negative Sutter than it was last year and that worries me. I hope i'm overreacting but Sutter has a shelf life and I just really hope he isn't resorting to this because he played all his chips last year.

Not surprised as Sutter clearly didn't feel comfortable playing him but I liked some of what I saw from DeSimone. Wish he would have been given more of a shot. Probably some preference to Gilbert and the Left shot to restore the balance at play here too.

Looks to me like the Weegar goal went off his leg and changed direct so just a bad break there. The 4th goal looks like it was Hanifin. He's man to man on Kopitar down low and then for whatever reason pivots to the front of ice and let's Kopitar go untouched to the side. Possible that he tried to communicate with Ras but Ras had his guy so I'm not really sure what the end game was for Hanifin. Hanifin struggled all game so i'm inclined to say he was the one out of position on that goal. I mean Markstrom needs to make that save but ya can't have Hanifin making a basic read error like that in that situation either.

In reviewing it, the game really swung on the 4 on 4 in the 3rd. To that point the Flames had basically shutdown the Kings and were giving them nothing (Can see this on the heatmap below). Shots were 4-2 and this point and then LA outshot Calgary 8-2 the rest of the way. Despite how the game turned out at the end the 5 on 5 numbers were dominate for Calgary: 57% CF 64%FF 60% Shots F 72% Scoring chances for 82% High danger chances for. (only gave up 4 all game and didn't give up a 5 on 5 high danger chance in the 3rd period) 68% Expected goals for% So a really dominate 5 on 5 game for Calgary at the end of the day even though I would have liked to, and i'm sure Sutter would agree, play with a bit more jump in the 3rd. Markstrom and that 4 on 4 are really what made this game close.

A win is a win but that should sting for Flames. I really like their first 40 and then they got on their heels and played with the same panic the did during the losing streak. Breakouts were so clean through 40 and then they couldn’t get the puck out. Just can’t find that complete 60 min effort yet, and the injuries on d are not helping. The game was only close because of Markstrom but you need a much better 3rd period than that. Good on them for being opportunistic in the first. Was nice to see them get some bounces.

And just to be fair the only really problem I have with the lineup is Lucic. He's just not worthy of a top 6 role or a spot beside Kadri at this point. I don't have a problem with Huberdeau with Backlund and in fact that probably helps alleviate Huberdeau's focus in transition.

I agree that too much gets made out of this "American Thanksgiving" date/trend. The stats show that 77% of the teams in the playoffs at American thanksgiving go on to make the playoffs but the problem I have with that is the conclusion it draws. As of right now these teams would be going to the playoffs: NJ NYI Carolina Boston TOR TB Rangers Florida West WPG Dallas Colorado Vegas LA Seattle EDM Min How many of those teams are a surprise? I'd say conservatively 12 of those teams (NJ, CAR,TO, TB, NYR,FLR, Dallas, Colorado, Vegas, LA, Edm and Min) were all teams that would have been high probability to be playoff teams before the season started. That works out to be 75% so what exactly are we proving by showing that 77% of teams in the playoffs next week will stay there? On the flip side those out of the playoffs right now: Detroit Montreal Philly WSH Pitts BUF Ott CLB CHI CGY ARI NSH SJ VAN STL How many of those teams are a surprise? Last year Dallas was 3 points out (and were down a game in hand too) and LA was 2 points out and down 3 games in hand. We draw that wrong conclusions from the stats IMO. Teams on the door step can easily make it IMO and really the 2nd Q of the season is when teams start to separate.

Not a fan of that lineup nor am I a fan of how Sutter continues to throw these less than subtle jabs at Huberdeau. Sutter has had a varying leash on different players this year that could come back to bite him.

Good sign with Huberdeau back at practice today. some shuffling which isn’t surprising.

Caught the 3rd and it was probably the most sound period I’ve seen all year. Really took space away from the Jets and didn’t play with some of the panic they’ve had earlier. that’s what I hope they can build on.

Another tough one. This is one of the hardest slumps I’ve seen this out of the club in a while.

That is just bad coaching. Brett Ritchie should not be on the ice right now at all and there he is taking a penalty they will likely secure the loss. Like the team, Sutter needs to be a lot better here.

They are really missing Huberdeau. Are not getting pucks into quality scoring areas. All of their offense is generated from point shots and that’s not an effective way to score consistently

Again would have liked to see more urgency and shots on that PP.

Would like to see a little more urgency from the flames.

Would like to see a little more urgency from the flames.