travel_dude

The only one that seems to be playing close to their abilities is Markstrom. Waited till the end of the seasson to do it. SHUTOUT

Too early for this game to say for sure, but we sit at 22nd in the league before tonight. A win moves us to 17th.

Sutter you tool, do not put the 4th line out when Minny comes off the PP. It makes no sense. Kaprisov coming out of the box.

At least the 2nd unit gets shots.

Oh, a penalty. Maybe we do something with it.

Minny goalie has a SHUTOUT

Dum da dum dum

This game is so typical. Hiberdeau has a lane in the slot, and passes it to Kadri on the wing. Kadri was shocked it came to him and miffed it, but it was in his feet. The hockey IQ seems to have waned. Shoot when you have nothing on a 2 on 1. Pass when your best option is a shoot.

A win and we should load up on trades. Oh wait, too late for that. A win gets the players on the ice a chance again to play on the same line. A loss should be a 180 degree overhaul. We have given these lines way too long to deliver. I'm not even sure a win should keep them together. Home ice advantage. That means looking at matchups, not just counting one to four. Do we not have analytics for the purpose of seeing where the issues are beyond the eye test? I mean, we have a dominant team at times, so how is that being skewered?

Klingon was exactly the type of deal we should have signed last summer. Just a one year thing where we have a tradeable asset. If we are in the top, we don't need to trade or we use to address another need. If we are like we are today, he gets a good haul.

The BOS game was one that we outshot by almost 3 to 1, and outchanced them by a wide margin. I mean let's face it, 50 shots is going to get you 2 or more goals. Doesn't matter how poor the quality is. We have lost of chances where it's HD and the shot trickles wide, hits a post, hit own player, gets sat on.... On the other side of the equation, we knock the puck in, we delfect the pusk away from the goalie's glove, we turnover in the slot. This is luck. A turnover happens all the time, but isn't often in a perect circumstance to score. The HD simply is location. The goalie could be down and out, and we can't raise it. Or we have a slot shot and hit the post or chest.

Okay, so you have one line plus Mangiapane having career seasons. 3 of the 4 was their contract years. Play enough to the coach's ways, but more to the abilities of the line? We were top heavy and the D scored more or assisted more in general. Backlund is having a better year, but the team isn't. I can't make sense out of it. But I have my theory that the good stuff that Sutter brought was only efficient with two superstars. For an less skilled team or maybe just a different set of players that doesn't work.

I would agree with the latter. I have questioned is on a number of times. Almost like they read boxscores and make decisions like that. A lot of times the player is only good in a situation. Unless you recreate that, don't expect the same. Brouwer and Neal. Hamonic was broken and had a significant loss in his family. Lucic? Really? What was it other than contract $$ remaining? Smith? Yah he was good before the lightbulb was invented. Elliott 1B on a team, but played more like a 1A.

I know you are joking in a way, but it lines up. The coach comes in and demands, demands. We have a great season and a lousy playoffs. The following year some changes and the demand, demand wears thin. That happens when the results dont justify it. Blame it on the team I get. In some ways yes. The coach sometimes needs to change to meet the team. Especially when you get older vets in that have played very well elsewhere.

So, bioth Pelletier and Duehr papered down to the AHL. Believe that this is to allow them to be eligible for the AHL playoffs. Staying in CGY during the season is fiine. When the season ends, at least they can have a Calder Cup run.

Yeah, I saw that draft change from Johnson position to Cossa choice. Strange that CGY would not have offered anything, as I suspect they would have outbid STL. Maybe a problem child, but whatever. Risks are risks. Going all in with a pair of 2's gets you 9th in the West at best.

It was painful to watch Marner just skate by Lucic like he was standing still, because he was. I believe it was after an icing, but still a critical goal. We neither were able to beat the backup nor were able to stop the tying goal. Pretty much sums up the season. And in fact we were shut out at 5v5 and on the PP.

Wow, originally part of the Mantha trade. So, either the player is almost untouchable and the Wings got just enough or that is the value of a lesser player.

We are pretty close to being a tank team as it is. 1-3-2 in the last 6 games. 500 points %. The next 3 games are MIN, DAL and MIN. We sit 17th in the league. But two points out of 23rd. That's fighting for 10th overall. It's tough for me to be a fan of losing to get a better pick. Making trades of UFA players doesn't make us worse. It probably gives a couple of kids a chance. And they won't play like dogSatoshi Nakamoto. In reality, the only trade we can make to ensure we don't win much is a top 9 player. Waited to the last possible minute to do it. The best returns are gone, so it's crumbs. Make ourselves worse this year and next. Or stick it out with the dogSatoshi Nakamoto and play it to the end. Tough call.

Honestly, there is zero sense to continue to play any of the UFA's. They aren't getting anything done. Big deal, Lucic had a fight. Lost the game. We could waive Lewis and Ritchie, then sit Lucic. Couldn't be any worse. If we somehow manged to make the playoffs, then we have AHL players with NHL experience. What are we 10 out or very close to it? Sutter suggested that is when you use the kids.

Start with the coach. If there was any value whatsoever, then the UFA's should be packing too. After that, there is little to make TDL deals with. Value in the summer only or next TDL.

So Markstrom waits until the final 20 games to show he is a NHL goalie? My positivity meter says that the Flames will be a good team next year, with no new players added from other teams. Just don't re-sign any UFA's. There, 4 spots up for grabs. Have to trade out one player to make the cap work.

Maybe Coronato? Nah, need to slow him down and give him 4th line minutes. Or make him stay in school.

The team and the goalie are just so well matched. Markstrom has a low GAA in a game and we don't score. We score goals and Markstrom can't stop a beach ball.

Soon to be passed by a lesser team NAS.