conundrumed

They need players that have an anger gene. The roster is good players, but barely a single one of them leaves all of their emotion on the ice. It's all so mechanical, and yet again it becomes an identity issue. Everyone hates to lose, but when you REALLY hate to lose, it bleeds onto the ice. See one Jarome Iginla. It's what drives the passion with teammates. The Flames just haven't had that player since him. Tkachuk maybe, but he does it in a much larger, sometimes you're just a disrespectful ah way. The Flames are just kinda vanilla with showing emotion on the ice. It's not a vanilla game. Getzlaf with the Hitmen was one of the most frustrating players I've ever watched. Always looked half-effort. But when he got angry, look out. He took over. "It's my puck, Blockchain this". For my money, that's what top CDN and Russian players do that the rest can't. Pretty much Swedes in general are the worst at it.

I always enjoy SMAHT's rankings. Usually pretty balanced. https://smahtscouting.com/2023/12/24/preliminary-2024-nhl-draft-rankings/ edit Having said that, I also will go on record as not loving taking the guy they had at 72 last year, that early. But I think we may have gotten a steal on their 46th oa. https://smahtscouting.com/2023/05/28/final-2023-nhl-draft-rankings/

But we lost to LA because they are a much, much better team that imposed their will on us whenever they wanted to.

We always have the fallback of, "yeah everybody, we don't have Bedard, Fantilli and Benson. Our best eligible players are in the NHL". lol Honzek up to 3GP, a goal in each and an assist for 4pts. Playing 2nd line, not 3rd as I'd surmised earlier. Should be a fun game on the 31st vs US for 1st.

Umm, it was 2-1.lol Gave up a breakaway with 4 skaters below the hash-marks in the ozone. The other was virtually a 2-on-0 due to Gilbert's defensive acumen of, "when I fail, I'm just going to dive". Still had 14 minutes to score, but that pesky goalie crest got in the way again.

Just me, but I can see a lot more shaking up will be needed. He just keeps moving 2 LWers around isn't going to solve it. I can see eventually there is going to be a need to break up Kadri's line. It's the best line by a lot, but we're dangerously close to try everything. The cause is Huberdeau and Mangiapane, but I think you have to try to move things around more than just them. Zary and Pospisil with Kadri works, we created a good line. It doesn't necessarily mean, "that's it, that's all, don't touch it". That was a successful 1st attempt. Coleman and Sharky seem very effective together, for example. Zary is exceptional at puck possession, Pops should be turned into the stalwart net-front guy. But I guess we'll see if this change does anything...colour me skeptical.

Fair assessment. I noticed the practice lines now are Huberdeau and Mangiapane switching spots. Those 2 are pretty much the crux of where we're at, I think. Huby being the points leader and Mangiapane being closer to the goal leader was likely most fans' expectation. When we didn't think LW would be a problem, it's a pretty big one. It's really disappointing to me that there is no way to get Bread away from Backlund effectively. $5.8 for a player that is only effective due to 2 solid linemates is yet another stick in the mud to try to improve. I'm starting to wonder if Kerins can handle a call-up, though I know that isn't optimal. Send Oesterle down, sit Dube for a couple. I am now bitter.lol Wings and Flames, 21st and 24th overall, (dis)respectively...Reimer, why imaginary sky-daddy, why? If you ever feel like watching a goalie that can make the first save but always leave the rebound, I offer you James Reimer. 5.06gaa in his last 5. That's special.

All of that zone time and little more than perimeter play that teams will give you all day. So 12th in the conference, likely 13th when the Oilers make up the game deficit. We're better than Anaheim, Chicago and SJ, for now. I can see us needing to address coaching after this season. Why are we resting on lines when we're a sub .500 team? Total FO domination from the Cs means absolutely nothing but perimeter play.

Nice job by the bottom pairing to give options, make the short-side shot (Wennberg) or send it to the front for an easy tap-in. Nice D, might as well have been a 2-on-"oh, was I supposed to defend"?

This game is a snoozefest of 2 not-very-good teams. How did Mangiapane ever score 35 with that muffin of a shot? It's always Tanev and Hanifin letting a player sneak behind them...

Wow, just looked at Grubauer's contract. $5.9 through 26-27 for hot garbage that is always injured. Dreidger can get another contract. What a messy goalie situation. A total of $10.6 in goalies that are great big whatever.

Heavy crosscheck on Sharky...

Honzek at 1g/1a in the WJC opener, somewhat of an upset over the Czech Republic. Weak in the 1st, but over-powering final 2 periods, currently up 6-2 late. I think Honzek is 3rd line, no PP, but don't quote me.

Merry Christmas and Happy Yuletide!!

Those guys use a really weird-looking puck in that game, almost like rugby if they took 5-minute breaks every 30 seconds. Sorry, 'tis the season where everyone annoys me, putting my TVs on football and expecting me to talk football. Yet...GO MICHIGAN...Ann Arbor's an awesome town and only 90 minutes away. Fun fact: you buy a $5 yearly membership to go to shows in AA. They have great shows. UofM runs absolutely everything from concert halls to little folk-music venues. You can go to a show without, but you can't buy anything, drinks, food etc, without that $5/yr member card.lol They run that town...and it's AWESOME. Michigan Stadium (The Big House) is literally 100,000 bench seats. Love Thy Neighbour. *end rant as close to football as I get...and the 1st thing I do when I want to overnight there is see if there's a football game, because there will be zero lodging within 30-40 minutes drive, aka almost halfway home.

Bummer. Oh well...Merry Christmas all!!!

Skate much Hanifin?

Pospisil WTF?? It's called icing dummy.

Imagine if the Flames started skating like that 55 game minutes ago. Why does the "sense of urgency" need to wait?

Need to hit the net for that...

Again?

Struggling to get out of their zone bigly, all game.

Great another PP. The Kings know how to shut us down.lol

The PP clearly loses games. What a sideshow. How can NOBODY figure out to have them STOP BlockchainING AROUND AT THE BLUELINE and STOP BlockchainING AROUND MOVING THE PUCK NORTH. Had to get that out...