flames for life
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Posts posted by flames for life
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Good game overall. Hubie played well! Mangie with a 3 point night! Guess he is enjoying the line change!
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I find that Lind Holm does not look happy. He plays a solid game, but more often than not, he seems to be the only one on that line giving any effort. I am also not happy with Mangepane's play. If he heads to the slot he can be dangerous but he is spending way too much time running along the boards and getting squeezed out or dumped. Dube needs to go.
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4 hours ago, cross16 said:
His story of recovery is one of success for sure and my concern with the organization retiring the jersey doesn't relate to that story, or what he may have done when he had his demons. His story of recovery is mostly a positive one.
As TD outlines, check his Twitter feed and what statements/situations he's said or done lately. I think his current opinions and how outspoken he is, and on what issues, is what makes it very difficult to have him tied to the club. For the record i'm not suggestion he not have those opinions just if he is going to have them it's make a role in an org challenging.
He is already a representative of the club, as an alumnus, so the acknowledgment of his achievements in the club is just that, and little more. I think he needs to be noted for the time with the club, which was mostly before he went downhill.
As one who has worked with survivors of trauma, his story and turnaround are a story of courage and success. That, to me is hall of fame credentials for perseverance under extremely trying times, but that’s another debate.
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3 hours ago, travel_dude said:
Perhaps that has something to do with the way he is talking; knowing that the Flames want to get younger. I support moving out a 34 year old. We aren't the retirement club now. I was surprised that CAR re-signed Staal for as long as they did. Yeah, I get we have a couple like that here, but they are years away from retirement. We can offload later.
I tend to agree with this statement. Backlund has been nothing if not loyal to the team. Knowing his age and the normal strategy of drawing in youth to the game, he may have chosen to “fall on his sword” for the team. He has probably been one of the best players for accepting win-win contracts, debatably leaving money on the table in order to play here.
I think that Backlund is giving Calgary the opportunity to benefit from his past year’s success in order to promote growth and progression within the team.
If it does happen that he is not traded, he will still be a valuable commodity as that good mentor -possibly a player-coach concept.
Backlund has always been a class act and dedicated to this team, so I could totally see this type of scenario.
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19 minutes ago, cross16 said:
It's disappointing how this keeps getting spun into something so negative.
I read that as Backlund and the Flames are not on the same page long term so he's ready to play out his contract. If knowing that the Flames want to trade him then they will and he has no say in the matter.
I see nothing wrong with that.
Totally agree.
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3 hours ago, jjgallow said:
BT said that.
“Well I had talked to him a few times over the years about coming in. At the time that I hired him, he was consulting and working with Anaheim, consulting with the coaches down there. I had gone to him before and it just wasn’t the right time for him. His farm here is about four hours from Calgary. I think he is an Alberta guy and this is where he should be at. When I went to him a year and a half ago, two years ago now, he was really interested and wanted a couple days to think about it and wanted to talk to his wife, Wanda. He made the decision to come. The amount of hours these guys put in, they’re all in. It’s a demanding job and he (Sutter) wanted to make sure he was wanting to do that again, because he is all in and certainly was. And we’re the benefactors for it because I think he’s done an unbelievable job for us, and rightly so was the coach of the year last year.”
I get the rhetoric, but it still doesn’t answer the unanswerable. Was BT instructed to pursue Sutter no matter what, or did he choose to go on his own to get Sutter? Of course the motivation to work in Alberta would be there because of family and farm, so on his part, pretty much a no-brainer. The question remains, were there other options BT was looking at but roadblocks were put in place to narrow or eliminate coaches until no one but Sutter remained.
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1 hour ago, jjgallow said:
BT was the GM. He hired Sutter.
An excuse, by definition, would be saying that this wasn't BT's fault, despite Sutter being the wrong hire.
I've seen a few times on these boards that claim any criticism of BT is just an excuse. I kindly point out that he was in charge.
"he was in charge but....." Is... an excuse. By nature of what excuses mean.
Who said BT hired Sutter. One forgets that BT has people pulling his strings as well. I find it interesting that Sutter was hired both times when the team was showing a level of progress and skill that could push into the playoffs. In both cases, the next year showed significant regression. The only difference was that Sutter was given the GM reins the first time, which gave him the power to design the team to his liking. History showed it as a failure. This time he was not given that power, but imo, had enough influence to cause turmoil up the management chain and down into the player’s psyche and eventually into their play.
I seriously wonder, given Sutter’s reputation and history with the Flames, if BT was directed to hire Sutter in spite of his opinion or concerns.
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15 minutes ago, The_People1 said:
I don't think either of Love or Huska was the best available out there but they were the most affordable and budget friendly. Over time, Love got overhyped in my opinion. I feel Huska is better if I had to choose. Only problem is, Huska was in the room and couldn't get the likes of Huberdeau and Kadri to buy-in under Sutter. Why would his voice matter now?
I think the true judge of this coaching hire lays on the reaction of Lindholm and Backlund. If those two do a 180 and say they want to stay in Calgary long term, then this was a good hire. Somehow, I get the feeling they wanted bigger changes than just firing Sutter and promoting the assistant. We shall see.
If Lindholm gets traded, then we know how the rest of the room feels about this hire.
I think that’s a bit of a shortsighted statement. We can’t continue to proclaim proper asset management, decrying the smart play of trading for younger and higher draft picks; only to turn around and claim the trade is the fault of a bad coaching hire.
Lindholm may want to stay, but with his trade value, is that the best result? Backlund may want to stay, but again the same question arises.
From all accounts, Huska’s area of responsibility in coaching the defensive side of the game was successful. Our defence and penalty kills were very good. Imo, that tells me the players were invested in what he was doing.
But that won’t stop Calgary from making trades or movements to improve the team, and not because the player isn’t happy with the coaching hire. Conroe was also very direct in stating he wants players that want to play with the Flames. If Lindholm wants to stay, great. If he doesn’t, just as great. It still is more related to team management as to whether he stays or not.
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I’m interested to see how Sergeev does at the professional level. While I haven’t seen his play in the University’s, his stats and performance comments I’ve read seem to suggest a positive trend. Play him in the Ahl to get a good assessment of what his transition time, if any, would look like.
Has anyone been following him much?
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2 minutes ago, sak22 said:
What I find funny is fans worry about losing Phillips in the offseason and having him go somewhere and succeed without really ever getting a good shot here. Why don't we worry as much about losing a homegrown coach to another organization, because we worry too much on whether he can do it at the next level. Maybe he isn't ready, maybe he doesn't have what it takes, but every name out there has their flaws as well otherwise they would be employed in the NHL right now. The Wranglers were a better team this year despite losing practically all their C's and most of the D from the year before. Yes Wolf was the MVP, but the team was still top 5 in goal scoring with Pelts playing only half the season there, even Dansk and Werner the last 2 years have had good records despite poor stats. It might not be a slam dunk hire, but the closest thing IMO.
My point exactly! Love was able to take the cards he was dealt, adjust the team and not only succeed, but have players excel!
Given the circumstances that project for the foreseeable future, Mitch Love may very well be the exact type of coach this team will need!
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4 hours ago, travel_dude said:
Not a Muller fan. Not sure who gets the props or blames for a 10th place to 17th place PP efficiency.
We only have him here under Sutter.
In the same time period, the PK has remained top 6.
Even with the drop off in goaltending, we still stayed about the same.
I was more focused on the use of players in the PP as the season went on.
Not using Weegar.
Using Kadri where he was less effective.
Overall, just didn't seem right. The execution suffered perhaps.
There is nothing wrong with Love, but I would hope that he adjusts somewhat to the NHL.
Maybe I am reading too much into his alignment with Sutter hockey.
Muller is what he is. A good Assistant Coach, but not more.
Where I disagree with you is with Love. I think he is exactly what the team needs right now. I think he was much more than “Sutter hockey”, because he spent a good portion of the season having to adapt his team to succeed when the Flames would draw players from the farm club. His team did not miss a beat, and continued to win or play competitively.
If there are changes to the Flames team by player movement, Love may very well be the coach to keep stability in the team and maintain a solid level of competitiveness while the team adjusts and adapts; something that Sutter could not, or would not do. That ability to adapt is a strength that Love has shown both years in the farm team, whether it was adjusting to the move of the farm team, or the transition of players.
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2 hours ago, Heartbreaker said:
I agree with pretty much everything you've said here, except for two points.
- I would be pretty open to exploring the possibility of moving Tyler Toffoli. If he's to be extended, I would be extremely cautious about the term on that contract.
- I see that you said walk Backlund to UFA, but it's not clear if you mean that you would just let him go when it's over, or if you'd explore options with him at that time. I might be overly sentimental, but I don't have a problem with guys playing their entire career with one team. It's pretty rare, and if 11 wants to chase a cup, I would give him that option - but if he's willing to stick around on a series of short term deals, I'd be happy to have him. He's a pillar to the community, and an excellent mentor for younger players. Basically, he's a beauty! Could probably give him a good office job when his playing days are done, too. I know you know all that, but he's one of very few players that I no longer think of as "an asset".
Love.
While I concur with most of your statements, I have to disagree with your last sentence. Everything you described about Backlund is the very definition of an asset! This past year was another step for his stats, but more so, his continual demonstration to mentor and lead the younger players. Many times one describes a great player as “one who makes others better”. Backlund has done this for many years, by stabilizing the rookies play, and by allowing some leeway for creativity.
IMO, if he was willing to remain in Calgary with a reasonable contract, I would keep him in a heartbeat.
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Great second period! Totally credit to Pelletier and Gilbert! First goals totally lifted the team! Dube was a beast! Markstrom played really good after the bad first period. Made some good third period saves, although he’s still fighting his glove hand.
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4 minutes ago, rickross said:
Wow. Just wow. Game already over, only took 6 shots on Marky. Sorry to say Flames fans but this isn’t a very good team right now. This season is looking to be a write off. Need to figure out how to pivot this team in the right direction.
Yup. Markstrom, bad. Forwards, scattered and ineffective. Defence, fairly good but often appears disinterested or complacent! All of these concerns very well displays a disconnect from the coaching staff.
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14 hours ago, conundrumed said:
Are we as bad on TV as we are live?
D looked good for the most part. Forwards sure don't create at all. Weak shot after weak shot. Vladar played well, made some huge saves.
The Wings were as expected. PP is typically fun to watch, but dump and chase up the wazoo followed by chaos all over the ice.
SOG are sure misleading. I could have stopped the bulk of the Flames shots whereas the Wings were mainly scoring chances.
The Flames are really back to having no identity. They try to keep everything quiet. Detroit may not be a contender but they're pretty fast and have some great passing. A lot of the game just looked like the Wings trying to be fast and the Flames wanting to play in the mud.
Dube, yet again, always trying to get it going while everyone else is just floating around. Mangiapane with the really dumb late penalty taking out Seider. How were you expecting to get away with that?
All in all, it seemed like a game that the Wings would win because the Flames weren't much of a threat offensively. Oh, and the 4th line is god awful. There is no skill there.
Buffalo and Ottawa are both fast teams. This isn't going to go well, and the G position is the least of the problem.
Dube and Pelletier are the only 2 fwds trying to push hard. Hard to watch zero intensity or drive from the forwards. Zero creativity. What a cluster****.
They're frustrating to watch because they are clearly playing frustrated.
I did not consider the defence to be playing well at all! Zadorov is getting into the bad habit of being slow or lackadaisical coming out of his own zone. I’m starting to see at least once or twice a game where he is complacent in his movement, and as a result the puck is coughed up at a crucial point, causing a dangerous situation for the goalie.
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So, based on tonight’s game, 1st and 2nd and 4th lines need desperate work. Hubie needs to learn how to SHOOT the puck!! Ok is ok, but missing Andersson; do we even have a PP?!?
Why do we seem to get up for the top ranked teams, and fold against bottom feeders?
This is not a good team right now!
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Great goal by Coleman. Bad call on Dube by referees.
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I watched some of the AHL all star game the other night, and it has to be noted that Dustin Wolf won the MVP award for the night! Phillips was ok, but Wolf put on a great show.
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Glad the Flames won. Frustrated as all getup!! Why do we play well against some of the top teams, and collapse against the bottom feeders?
Pelletier is playing well; love his smarts and instincts! It’s only a matter of time for him to start scoring.
Vladar played a great game! His focus was on point!
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15 hours ago, sak22 said:
There isn't a goalie in the system who would've won that game or even kept it close. Could've just as easy been 10-1, also need more than one on most nights and thats 3 in a row for him when he didn't get more than 1. I get he has had a steep dropoff from last night, but Vladar, Wolf or whoever is losing this game by a similar fashion with how the team in front played. Vladar wouldn't get thrown under the bus with that type of game, Marky doesn't deserve to in that one either he was really the only one that showed up.
Agreed!
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7 hours ago, rickross said:
Everybody dropped some very valid points. The Flames still lack the depth and the internal development required to be a true contender. We don’t have enough players with the talent to consistently play at high levels. We work hard and take a ton of shots but that’s about it. We still struggle to score with consistency, with Marky in net we can’t even hold a lead. The depth and talent amongst our prospects is dwindling again, no true saviours in sight. We’re trending to be another rendition of the middling Flames, not bad but not great.
We don’t have the right mix of players as many of you have stated. I think LouCifer hit the nail on it’s head, overall this team isn’t entertaining. It’s just not as fun to watch them, when they win it’s fine but I’ve yet to feel fully convinced by this team this season. We aren’t even THAT far behind in the standings but my belief just isn’t there this year. The flux of our coaches, players just doesn’t feel right at the moment. It was a tough off season but the team has definitely regressed. It’s not all doom and gloom there have been a few bright spots, such as Vladar stepping up most nights. Who the Flames are still remains to be seen, both now and moving forward. So far though, this team just ain’t it this year.
Wow! Sounds identical to comments from 2005 and 2006! Coincidentally, Sutter coached the team back then as well.
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Don’t think I’ve ever seen the Flames so out of sync with each other! There were a number of plays that should have been quality tic-tac-toe plays that were “just” off. I liked Pelletier’s play, but he needs to play like the full team!! Something to aspire to; right now, that’s not the Flames. If anything, they need to take the all star break and use the time for running plays. The PP needs a serious injection of energy. The biggest problem I see is a PP that doesn’t cycle. Oh, there great at passing the puck, but without cycling the other team sets up successfully for blocks or crowding the rush.It’s easy to play against a pilon that doesn’t move anything but the blade of his stick.
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Columbus should never have had this point!!
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Can someone please shoot the &@$&&@$ puck!!!
GDT - Flames @ Blackhawks; 07 January 2024; 1pm MST; SN All Regions; FAN960
in Flames Game Day Talk 2023
Posted
I'm feeling sorry for Vladar; it's hard to play against t 2 teams at the same time! Seriously though, Calgary appears to have gone home one game too soon. Aside from Mangie, Backlund and Kadri, no one else seems to want to play today!