robrob74
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Posts posted by robrob74
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Byram plays a lot but is a bit of a puck hog.
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15 minutes ago, sak22 said:
That year they still had the fewest goals allowed, and were 6th in 5 on 5 goals. They had a PP that contributed great, but I wouldn't call them a team that rode a PP to almost winning the cup, pretty good team overall. Massive difference between the 2011 Canucks and the 2020 Oilers.
Definitely, They were a fairly complete team. I was so worried that they'd win it that year. I don't know how close to complete that the Flames are. And getting the lines right is definitely the work in progress this week. I just think there needs to be some shake-up. We hear a lot of the same things over and over. "They're not happy with how the playoffs ended." "There needs to be a shake-up/changes." There were some changes, but does Tanev change enough? Markstrom could be the biggest difference maker, if they can withstand pressure. How much better or worse is Tanev than Brodie? And, how does Valamaki help change the quality of the 3rd pair? He will either be 2nd or 3rd pair, thus playing or pushing someone in the 2nd pair to the 3rd pair. Or should we be comparing Valamaki and Brodie? I don't count Hamonic in the comparisons as he was not really a factor in the end last year. Plus, Gustuffson and Forbort were going to be just place holders for the end of the year... Valimaki takes one of their spots, and Nestorov/Kylington fight for #6. So the Flames could be slightly better on D over last year, or slightly worse. It depends on whether Valimaki and Tanev can stay healthy.
The forward pairs are interesting, but does it make the team better to play:
Tkachuk, Lindholm, XXX
Gaudreau, Monahan, XXX
Mangiapane, Backlund, XXX
Lucic, Ryan, XXX
It seems like that's the way they want to play it. How different will it be, and have the depth additions been good enough to push us forward? I wonder what they look like today... As pairs it seems like a fairly deep team and could be better balanced. I just hope Monahan and Gaudreau can get better at 5v5... Then we will have something!
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59 minutes ago, travel_dude said:
The Johnny-Mony pair deserves criticism, but it's not like they were trash last season.
One down season from them.
Neither will drag the team into the fight, but they have been the scoring leaders for years.
Use them less in power vs power and try to exploit the matchups.
One thing I think they lack is the dog on the bone player.
I don't know if it would work, but Mangiapane is exactly that player.
Enough speed to get to the puck.
Shifty enough to come out with the puck.
Tkachuk does that too, but he also draws the top D matchups.
That's not what Gaudreau needs.
I'm interested to see if Simon or Leivo can play with them.
Neither us really top 6, but they might have the jam to retrieve pucks.
I saw where Ras was practicing on the PP with Tkachuk, Lindy, Monahan, Gaudreau.
If he can get back to his junior confidence in QB'ing the PP, then we may have something.
Please try out Mangiapane on the PP.
He's been so efficient a scorer 5v5 that he may be a good choice.
well, it was more than one down season for them. It has been since the All-Star Break of the good year that they've not up to their usual selves. I'd say it wasn't trash, but it wasn't good either, not for their standards, or if they want them this team to take a step. They need to be at their best or at the very least, good, in order for the Flames to win a round or three. I think they have gotten by on their good skill, and they will put up points just by being that skillful. But to me it doesn't mean they've played well. It just means that they capitalized on a chance, which with their skill that will happen.
I agree, it could be the dog on the bone player. The problem has been that players who play that style stop playing that way when they're put on that line. Perhaps Mangiapane is a guy that would benefit playing with them as he hasn't changed his style of play. Only problem is putting Johnny on the RW. I don't think it really matters what D matchups Johnny will have as long as he has guys he can get the puck to and do something with it. He'll always have the tougher matchups as he's the most skilled. I think the biggest problem has been doing the exact same thing with it, over and over. It's easy to stop in the NHL. But having a guy like Tkachuk who's good with the puck, good vision, is in the right spots, is what he could need? But I also like Tkachuk with Lindholm and spreading things out.
It's a short camp so there isn't a lot of time.
Mang definitely deserves 2nd PP unit time.
I think they got Nordstrom to eleviate the PKers like Lindholm.
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1 hour ago, cross16 said:
umm what? since when is making the 2nd round "almost" winning the cup?
And your critique is a bit bizarre considering the Flames actually had the more effective PP in the playoffs (they were 3rd best).
I would also agree that getting upset by line combos on day 1 of training camp is very over the top.
Oh, I should have mentioned that it was the 2011 playoff year. LOL But then again, 3rd best PP also got them knocked out in the first round. I was just saying the PP can only get a team so far, it helps to have a good one, but it doesn't always mean they'd win by only having a good PP. And I was referring to the season prior to the break.
It seems like the coaching isn't putting much stock into the play-in or playoffs as it was an aboration and not the norm. So a 3rd in the league PP could be just due to the circumstances of the year and the break. In the end, it still amounted to a loss in game 6 of the first round, and so did Bennett centering the 3rd line.
I am just saying I am still disappointed that they're still not using him where he showed the most promise. I get it, it's early. The lines will change. They say they're going to change, but they've said that before, many times, and have gone back to what worked, or didn't work for that matter, as the team hasn't taken a next step with those combos.
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3 hours ago, travel_dude said:
I don't like the idea of Bennett on RW at all. Has he ever had any success there? Maybe he's not ready for C 100% of the time, but at least put him in a spot he is comforatble in. I also think they really need to look at a ton of combos for lines. They should also be trying out pairs other than the typical ones. Valimaki on RD, paired with Ras, paired with Gio. Try things out so you are ready when the need arises.
I agree!
Plus, the moment that Sam Bennett actually has success they decide to change things for him. When have they ever done that to any other player on the Flames who has had success with another player?
Monahan with Gaudreau. Despite their misgivings they keep them together.
Tkachuk and Backlund. Despite Bennett having success with the Backlund they moved Tkachuk onto the line. Why not have both with Backs back then? Backlund could have continued to mentor Sammy until he matured into the 3rd line C.
Lucic and Ryan. Despite Lucic having some success with Sammy they switch it up back to the tried and true. To move the team forward, they need some changes, but I don't think moving Bennett to RW or back to wing at all is the answer.
You can even add Mangiapane to that group. Some will claim that he has done more with less than Bennett, but Mangiapane has had consistent mentorship from Ryan and Backlund. They stuck with him in those positions and didn't really jump him up and down the line up. Dube has been up and down, but at the same time, he has pretty much stuck with good players. I think it's more the fact that Bennett hasn't been placed with quality players on a consistent basis since he played with Backlund, which he proved he could have success in that situation as an 18/19/20 year old. I would ask, who's better to play with on a consistent basis, Ryan or Jankowski/Brouwer, etc? I think I'd rather our player have the mentorship of Ryan over Brouwer, or playing with Jankowski.
The Flames have ruined their 4th overall pick. I get it, Bennett hasn't done anything to prove he deserves more, but he also wasn't given the chances other players were given. I know we've talked about it to death, but I just feel that if they have given him extended minutes and real opportunities to succeed, he would have. Lindholm said something along these lines last year, "if you're going to put me at C, leave me there for awhile to give me a chance to get used to it." And I think that that is what killed Bennett's development, not sticking to something for a long extended period, and not given a true role. I think they should just trade the kid at the TDL as he will probably be worth a 1st rounder or more at that time of the season. Maybe a 1st and a later rounder pick? He is Mr. Playoffs afterall. Plus I think another team will actually get more out of him and use him properly and Flames fans will cry St.Louis on him. Not to say he's going to be a 100 point guy... But I just think he can be a 2nd line C and someone you can win with when it matters most.
This team is madness!
While I do agree there needs to be change. But I think at least a few are happening in the wrong places in the lineup.
I don't believe Monahan and Gaudreau are a pair that will lead to success. We need all lines to succeed at 5v5. The Canucks almost won a cup by being nearly only a PP team, but the Flames PP is still only 10-15th best in the league. That's not a cup winner. I say split them up so they can have more success on 5v5, then put them together on the PP. Plus I think they need to start spreading the talent by placing some on the 2nd unit to give a better threat when the other team's 2nd teir pk's are killing. Just my few cents.
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2 hours ago, Sobieit said:
Apparently Neal is "Unfit to play".... This makes me smile for some reason.
I hope he’s ok. I don’t with too much ill will on him. He sucks as a guy in the locker room but, hope he’s healthy. Plus so that he doesn’t have to go in LTIR and then his cap is saved.
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58 minutes ago, lou44291 said:
While most will love a Canadian Division, I wonder what impact - if any - time zones will be for that “division”. Are there any advantages or disadvantages for any of the Canadian teams? I’d guess Toronto and Montreal and Ottawa will be a little more comfortable as they’re all in the same timezone. We’re in the same timezone as Edm. Do Vancouver and Winnipeg get the butt-end of the stick in this setup? Is it really any different than any other season? What say you?
i think the difference for Edm, Cgy and Van aren’t too bad. It’s only an hour. It’s a difference for sure. Is it the same for Wpg, Mtl, Ott and Tor? Wpg might be in a more favourable position aside from playing in Van. I think the 2-3 hour difference is where the challenge is. Getting used to playing at certain times makes it tough for pregame rituals.
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3 hours ago, Horsman1 said:
ward has mentioned in many interviews since the end of the season how the Flames were adjusting to his new system and he felt they played pretty well to close out the season.. As fans.. we look directly to the bottom win or lose line and make our concerns known about those results.. As Management.. They look at longer term goals and make their adjustments.. We have seen many changes since the season ended and I'm quite pleased with the caliber of player we have brought onboard.. Wards 1.1.1. 2 defensive system as deployed by Tampa Bay will take some getting used to but hopefully a lot more productive than the current system which in crunch time seems to be.. every man for himself
ya, but for me, I am not looking at wins losses, but as how the team played as a whole. I don’t think they improved as greatly as some believe, even management. Them putting faith in their play is what concerns me. I see some improvements in their play but the fact they played so horrible with Peters to start the year, there was only one or two ways to go from there. Either stay the same and be lotto or go up, for me the play got up to the point that it was mediocre. The win streak that Ward had to start the season saved the season. I think after that start they were just over .500.
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https://www.tsn.ca/yost-defencemen-have-changed-the-nhl-s-offensive-landscape-1.1559412
Travis Yost talks about how the defensemen have changed in the NHL and are more offensive-minded. Something that seems to have stunted the offence last year was that the D weren't as active as they were in the first half of the 2018-2019 season. I think it shows how the D really compliments the forwards we have when they support the offence a bit more than they did last year. For whatever reason, Giordano did a little less last season as he did the season before. It hurt his offence. Was that him, or was that coach asking to play a different game? He still tried, but he just wasn't effective.
There needs to be flow from the D to enhance what the forwards are doing. I wonder how handcuffed a few of our guys are due to being required to play within the system? Could Hanifin use his speed more by getting deeper in the zone, or Kylington? To me they look like similar players. I am unsure if it's them trying to be safe and reliable defensively and holding back on what they could be good at, or if they're just lower in hockey IQ? To me, they just look tentative.
I want to see D pinch to keep the offence going. As a player I am hyperaware of who's pinching and when to fall back to help the D, so I don't see why an NHL forward can't be just as aware. I don't know if the forwards support the D enough in those situations. We have the guns to create, why not be creative, and that can come from the D playing deeper in the zone and more fluidity in how the coaches implement the system.
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The thing about the Rogers app that I can’t stand is not getting the post game content. They’d have to create a virtual experience.
imagine if they put it in the fans corner, allow them to cheer from home... the boos would be in a huge delay though! Haha.
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59 minutes ago, Horsman1 said:
just a marketing ploy to get some dollars into the owners pockets.. My play would be to open up arenas all across the country and The Excited states to closed circuit games played to regional audiences.. If you can get 5000 fans at bigge rinks and 2-3 thousand at smaller rinks.. you'd have a fan based game again untill this pandemic is over
i think they should go to a pay per view system. It would be more expensive than what we are used to but hockey fans would have hockey. What would fans be willing to pay?
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23 hours ago, travel_dude said:
Sorry to hear that. We should probably restrict the discussion to Canadian division and use the suggested forum in General Discussions for COVID.
This discussion can get heated quickly, so I would prefer we don't respond to inflammatory posts.
thank you! And yes, it’s probably a good idea...
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17 hours ago, travel_dude said:
At this point, the start date for the AHL is February 5th. That creates a big issue for any club with current roster limits.
If you can only have 23 players on your roster, the other guys that could be injury replacement sit idle.
What makes this worse is that we have a farm team in the US.
Any player on that team in the US would need 14 days isolation before being allowed to even practice.
It only hurts Canadian teams.
I know what you are suggesting, but I don't see it working.
There's quite a few Canadian teams that have Canadian AHL teams, but not out west.
CGY, EDM and VAN all are US based.
Manitoba and Toronto are fine.
Ottawa has Belleville, MTL has Laval.
The three teams from the west would need to fold up in those US arenas.
yeah, it’s why I think they should just have the farm teams follow the big club. Just while there’s a pandemic as the two week isolation isn’t required if they stay with the Flames.
The Flames farm team plays all of the otherCanadian farm teams.
Gives them a better longer look at the players too.
Arent the Raptors going to play in Tampa? It’s not unheard of for AHL teams to get up and go. I think it’s a reasonable solution for the Canadian teams with AHL teams in the US. I just don’t think it is smart to have taxi squad players who sit forever waiting to play.
there aren’t fans in arenas yet so it makes no difference if they play in Canada. Maybe they’ll be allowed to play to fans in the States.
Another solution is to choose different Canadian cities for each of the Western clubs that don’t have in Canada. Or just have the other ones get their AHL teams to follow. what about Hamilton, Markham, or other municipalities out there for now? There are arenas that can house the NHL teams that don’t have an AHL Canadian city base.
Maybe their jets aren’t big enough...
but there are enough cities in Canada to have their AHL squads play in just until the covid restrictions are over. They can’t go on if Canadian teams have to wait 14 days to isolate their call-ups. Taxi guys are going to be made up of Kylington-type players.
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If they do a Canadian division, the AHL team should follow along and travel with the big clubs. They can have a similar schedule and play them in an early game on an NHL game day. Or play them the day before on off days. It might cost too much to televise them, but it might be cool to see the prospects play if they can do a simple televised game.
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4 hours ago, cross16 said:
What is also becoming concerning is I think too much credit is being given to the Flames for the Winnipeg series. Yes they won and yes they played pretty well but beating a not very good team that was short handed is not a great feat. If you put that aside and focus just on the Dallas series, while there were still positives, I don't think the needle moved as far as you'd like it to.
for me, I think this says it. I don’t point to the Jets series at all as a measuring stick for this team as I feel like it will definitely shine them in a greater light. And I felt that Francis did a little of that in the article. There were positives in the Stars series but just not close enough to getting them over the hump and I think it is way too easy to point to the Stars making it to the Finals and say the Flames were beating the stars away from doing the same.
in a typical year will the Stars have that easy of a ride to the Finals? A lot of things fell into place for them, much like they did for the Flames in the Jets series where key injuries made it easier. Albeit, injuries Happen in the playoffs.
Sure, the Stars could’ve been beaten, but the Flames failed to play up to that level in order to beat them. They relied on good goaltending for the better part of the series and then like last year, the game that they look good in, the goaltending Satoshi Nakamoto the bed.
I point to possibly one period of hockey where the Flames played like a team. I mean every line was going in that one period, which I believe a team needs to put together full games in order to win their way to the Cup Finals and give themselves a chance at a championship. I don’t think it’s often that a team can make it with only one line going throughout the whole playoffs. You can only get away with it so often, but eventually it bites you in the butt.
they have the players, but for whatever reason, it’s either the wrong mix, or they just can’t put together a full effort for most of a game. Until they can play with effort consistently, I can’t see them as a contender. I think the talent is close to being there, but they’ve shown they’re not willing.
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10 hours ago, travel_dude said:
I don't remember the frequency, but I thought there were examples of breakaways by Johnny in the playoffs.
The stretch pass wasn't used as much, but then again we didn't have the best D this past year for that.
You can probably think back to the AVS series of trying to do that way too much; they were expecting it.
What may also have lessened it this year was that the top line faced either better D (better awareness) or defensively responsible F's.
I think there is a tendency for our memories to align to what our opinion was.
You get a WTF moment in a game and it shades all the play for that game.
Bottom line is the top line had some very good games and some games where they couldn't get out of their own way.
I would write off anything prior to January.
Having Backlund as a winger didn't make any sense overall.
Like Cross, I suspect this is a big season for the direction of the Flames.
Is Gaudreau the right person to base a top line on?
Not just whether he intends on re-signing.
If so, what are they going to do to utilize his special talent (no, not like the movie The Jerk).
Can they build on it to have a line like Kane has in CHI?
How do you minimize the negatives that come with any player?
6 hours ago, cross16 said:That is the narrative but i don't personally agree with it and the numbers don't support it. I thought he was very much himself and was back to his dominant self in the 2nd half of last season. I actually thought he carried it into the Winnipeg series but as that series went on and then onto Dallas, is where his game just wasn't there.
But in terms of his engagement I actually thought he was really engaged in the game, he was just really ineffective.
I still think my eye test of most of the season says he wasn't himself. Sure, he's the type that can go through motions and still look ok-good. To me I believe he is himself when he is dominant, and that's just not what I saw aside from a handful of games. I saw a sheepish player who couldn't get out of his head. For so long it was, can Johnny get it going, and I just don't think he actually did. He had a game here and there yes, but that isn't getting going for me. He looked like a glimpse of himself.
It's like I said before, I get that the numbers don't support what I say, they just wouldn't with this kid. He can look like garbage but still get points. especially on the PP, which a lot of his points came from. Doing not a lot at 5vs5 tells me that he's not all there. But give him some extra room and he can look ok-good even when he's off.
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1 hour ago, travel_dude said:
It's hard to tell what Gaudreau can be in the playoffs because the sample size is usually so small.
He was effective on the PP this year, but spent the rest of the time with one line.
That line wasn't effective 5v5.
Instead of providing prime zone starts, he spent a lot of the time starting in the D-zone.
No excuses; he needs to dig in. We lost the series because they didn't do enough 5v5. Do I think he can adapt? Sure, as long as the coach does too.
It's not like the top line was killing it and cooled off; they were basically inept from game 1.
No change to the deployment much through 10 games.
i think ward did that with line 1 because they were either just ok in the regular season or hot Satoshi Nakamoto. They didn’t look good all year. Sure they started getting points but either didn’t look good doing it or almost approaching looking normal. I was always hoping that a goal might get them going or light a fire under them.
Gaudreau had some shifts where he looked like the best he could be, but there weren’t many shifts like that. When he’s like that though, he can be deadly. How many games did he play like that? I would say 5 all season and maybe a few periods in the regular season.
I think it’s why most of us have expected a trade to happen.
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3 hours ago, cross16 said:
I wouldn't really argue against that point nor it is my central argument. i don't disagree at all that the Flames need more out of Monahan in the playoffs too and while I point to Gaudraeu more it really is a matter of opinion and I see both sides.
What I am saying is the things that made Gaudreau great are much, much harder to do in the playoffs and I don't think it relates to Monahan. Even if it did, it still prompt the question is Gaudreau is only as good as his center then is he worth a contract that is going to make him a franchise caliber winger and is that a smart decision for the Flames?
The answer to that is no for me and I don't think it will change because I don't see his game being able to adapt to be successful in the playoffs because it's not about line mates so much as it is about his strengths and weaknesses.
I could see it being somewhat not being the C or being his game. I just feel that:
1. the coach creates plays/style and players play to it and react. The coaches should be able to find different things he can do or a different style of play for the line to utilize him better. It isn’t beer league. Find ways for him to use his line mates more often and it opens things up for him. Other teams can’t concentrate on just him. It was what they did with Lindholm at the start of the year but somehow went away from using all three players effectively.
2. if he had a C that was more mobile or could go in deep to chase a puck he’d have extra options.
I think there is a communication issue somewhere. Maybe the coaches have too much respect for his ability and give him a green light to do what he wants. I personally think it is hurting his game and all he needs to do is change things up a lot more so it has other teams guessing.
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8 hours ago, travel_dude said:
So true. Whether it was him thinking one move (one move only) or just not being confident, it impacted his finishing ability.
I wouldn't mind him going 5 hole, if it was once in a blue moon. He's selling it as 5 hole, so he's going to get burned.
It would also be nice if someone could keep up to go to the net fterwards or even skate with him for a 2-1 or 2-0.
7 hours ago, cross16 said:For me the debate is not and never has been about Gaudreau needing to go because of the regular season. The concept that Gaudreau took a step back last year is false. The reality is they as a line, and he as a player, had a terrible first third of the season. He was fine and very productive once he got more comfortable with Ward so the argument he is on the downslope is just lazy analysis.
The key question and debate should be centered around can Gaudreau be a productive player in the playoffs and IMO those video are evidence that I just don't think he can be. Those types of plays are so much harder to execute in the playoffs. That leads to the discussion around with 2 years left on the deal is Gaudreau the type of player you go all in with an extension.
Those are still questions I have and I think the organization really needs a plan here.
ya, but he also didn’t look good in most of Ward’s games. He barely looked himself most of the season. He is able to get points and look terrible at the same time, so to me it just looks like he was closer to himself in the second half of the year. But I still don’t think so. I think he looked better than the first third, but it took the Buddy as his line mate to get going, then he went back to looking like he didn’t care again, but still got points. For me, it’s his engagement. He can get points without looking like he’s trying. I get what you’re saying, that it is easy to point to a start of a decline or downslope, but I think he only looked close to himself in a small handful of games this year. Which to me points to getting back to 80-90 points if he can re-engages. How much of that is systems? Hard to tell. It could be that he just didn’t buy in. But to me it was deeper than that, his mind was elsewhere. Even in the 2nd half and playoffs he didn’t look all there. Was it lack of confidence?
for me, you can point to stats and I know you watch the games, but for me, he just didn’t look all there. He will get points, even in bad games.
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It seems like it defeats the purpose. It’s not really a reverse jersey because it was already this colour scheme, so it seems more retro.
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19 minutes ago, The_People1 said:
Well we didn't get elite shut down defending when we needed it most. We had several leads vaporized throughout the DAL series seemingly as they turned it on, we had no answer.
And plus, if Talbot/Rittich didn't crap the bed that one game, maybe we would've went to the Finals.
the thing is, I don’t think just because we beat Dallas that we go to the finals. You can’t say that that’s how it works. The flames would still need to do the work to beat the other teams. It’s like saying if we didn’t trade a draft pick that we’d for sure draft the same player.
I don’t know if beating Dallas means they’d have figured it out. Johnny looked better but still not fully himself. Plus they’d still have to win the 4th game. They’d still have to win game 7.
maybe they get their legs to keep moving but Dallas would too.
would the Flames have the same opponents on the way to the cup? I don’t remember if they changed it so the highest seeds play the lowest in each round or if they made a locked brackets, road to the Cup.
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3 hours ago, travel_dude said:
Tampa had one more player than CGY score more than 20 goals.
The big difference in scoring was from the D.
Gio was the highest scoring one with 31 points.
They had Sergachev, Hedman and Shattenkirk all score more than 30.
Were they deeper?
Sure, they added Maroon for less than $1m.
Traded a pick for Coleman.
Added Shattenkirk for less than $2m.
They will be lucky to keep the team together (hint - they can't).
Next year they have $11m left with only 12 players signed.
Tampa was lucky to have the playoffs they had.
Everything working at the right time and the payroll under the cap at the right time.
i think that we agree but my biggest issue is that most of the team just doesn’t compete with consistency, and it’s even worse in the playoffs. They become easy to shut down when it gets tougher to play. I love that they have the ability to play as well as they can, but can’t stand the fact that they don’t have the effort when it seems to matter the most. To me that doesn’t breed playoff success.
So I see your points and do agree with the fact they have the skills and ability to put up points and enough wins to get to the playoffs. To me it is just the inconsistency or constant inability to get up for important regular season and playoff games.
For whatever reasons they just haven’t been able to put it all together as a whole group, or can they become a team that pushes the envelope instead of waiting for it to happen? It’s like they wait until they see what teams are going to do. They seem to start 10 minutes late or get going in the third, etc. But I agree, they have as many players as any team that can score points. But for whatever reasons they just don’t do all go together.
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11 minutes ago, travel_dude said:
Tampa had one more player than CGY score more than 20 goals.
The big difference in scoring was from the D.
Gio was the highest scoring one with 31 points.
They had Sergachev, Hedman and Shattenkirk all score more than 30.
Were they deeper?
Sure, they added Maroon for less than $1m.
Traded a pick for Coleman.
Added Shattenkirk for less than $2m.
They will be lucky to keep the team together (hint - they can't).
Next year they have $11m left with only 12 players signed.
Tampa was lucky to have the playoffs they had.
Everything working at the right time and the payroll under the cap at the right time.
I don’t really care about how many goals more or how many players do what. I think it’s more how they play under pressure, how they play as a team. A lot of points can come in meaningless games too. We can win 6-1 then lose 4-2. You can pad stats and then look bad in other games. For me it’s not just that, it’s total team and team chemistry and total team effort:
they also won a cup. You’d take that hint in the long run if the trade off is a cup. Easy to critique them now after they won it.
they still have a deep team that will make the playoffs next year.
I don’t think the flames are as close. Sure Dallas went to the Finals. The Flames weren’t going to beat them and I would say they probably still don’t with Tkachuk.
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42 minutes ago, The_People1 said:
So there is a formula after all. It's so hard to win in this league because everyone is competing to implement this formula.
For me, there isn’t enough compete on D. In the playoffs it was just Andersson. He can only do so much by himself. If he can continue to drag Hanifin’s game then that’s great. Hanifin is the type to just play by going through the motions. He does one thing terrible which is transition to defending, for a fast smooth skater he loses a step in his first instinct to step forward. He does nearly everything else good-ish but doesn’t seem to try to push limits. Makes it seem like he isn’t trying. He has the skill to push but the fact he doesn’t will always keep him as a #4.
Gio tries to do too much in the playoffs. Brodie was good, so it’s tough to say if Tanev does enough to make up for him. The rest didn’t push the needle.
other teams have slightly deeper D. Can Tanev and Valamaki push the Flames ahead?
The Flames have been horrible at defending. Others will quote stats that prove that we were good at at it. But I would counter that once teams decide to push the Flames the team tends to crumble under pressure. I think it’s the pressure where the Flames are very subpar.
to me, it’s also brain farts.
the rest of the time they’re decent to good at moving the play up ice. So it’s the games within the game that they need to manage.
I will get criticism for this, but it’s just what I’ve watched. I think having the puck is great but if you’re not doing anything with it then it’s a moot point. It makes stats look good. It looks like the Flames are doing better than they might be.
I will admit when they look like they’re trying they look good. But complacency gets into their game too. So I can see why some have higher expectations or view the team in a better light.
Calgary Flames 20/21 Roster and Lines
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It was awesome. The video of him responding to Eric Francis is on the Flames official site. It’s so funny as Francis was trying to stir it up and he just flat out responded asking “why would I be upset that we signed Markstrom?” He then went on to say that about the two all-star goalies. He is saying that they’re going to get their minutes and gotta do their best to get wins for the team. I think Rittich has always been this kind of guy and I think does better on less minutes, yet playing regularly... has shown he’s a good solid team guy as a backup.
although the flames have a bit of a more expensive duo now.