travel_dude

I guess what I am saying is that loser points (SOL or OTL) or OTW or SOW are quite meaningless. Doesn't prove we are worse or better than the team that beat us. The RW is much more important. The year we won the West, we were unstoppable in the 3v3. Meant little right?

He committed to UConn for 2022, so I suspect this is a year building to that. Some deets about the kid: https://thewincolumn.ca/2021/08/13/getting-to-know-calgary-flames-seventh-round-pick-arseni-sergeev/ Last week named goalie of the week: https://www.stormhockey.com/news_article/show/1193360

I am okay with TOTAL DOMINATION. Doesn't allow us to puff out our chest too much, since it's Ottawa.

I mean Monahan, Valimaki + 1st might make sense too, but I think that is much worse for us. We would need to deal Hanifin for a C. Hanifin to MTL for Dvorak. This is becoming another extended thread. I'll stick to Dutter talk. COme on Darryl, get Valimaki going. Rotting in the stands isn't doing anything for the player or his trade value.

Not sure what to expect from this game at all. The SENS are a weird team. Matty won't fight one player no matter what he does. Vladar played an awesome game and should get the start, but we don't always roll that way. We have been limited in scoring the last couple of games. Valimaki is the new whipping boy. We have looked at times slow and plodding. Not much explosiveness except for a couple odd man vreaks where we barely get a shot, let alone a one timer. It's a trap game. We should get 6 goals. But SENS surprised a tough team.

With 6 regulation wins, we are tied for 10th. A loser point is exactly the same as a tie in the old world. We are 11th in points %. What is your point? In the playoffs, you play till somebody wins. Can't do that in regular season. Can award zero for a SO loss, that would be dumb. Montreal made the playoffs based on loser points and went to the finals.

It's early, but I think we have to go back to the 2019 Draft. Many were calling on the flames to take Lavoie. We chose Pelletier, an undersized LW. Lavoie was coming off a Memorial Cup performance, which saw him neutered in the final game. Remember Sam Coz doing the color on that game and talked about how he was MIA in the game. We talked to a leader, they chose a passenger that 30 teams passed on. Maybe it seemed like good value for a 2nd. Played last year in the 2nd tier legue in Sweden. Okay numbers when he played in Bakersfield. Oiler fans claimed he was ready and could be a top 6, or at least a #3 C. 12 games in the AHL and they don't even mention his name. 2 assists. This isn't a trash the Oilers for draft picks. Bouchard looks like a Justin Schultz. Doesn't understand defense yet, but he scores goals. Bear was a decent pick, in the vein of Ras Andersson. Shipped for a guy that played well in CAR, but struggling in EDM. Tonight is one of the toughest test the Oilers have had. They face the Blues after the Blues played last night. The Blues are starting Binnington tonight, so that's a plus. Poor lil' Connor. Isn't getting the calls. CBC and SN had to spend 10 minutes talking about it. Torts said this week, grow a pair, the playoffs is like that. I guess getting 4 and 5 PP's per game is not enough.

I love the spirit. When he had a chance to end it in OT, he was furious he didn't get the touch he wanted. He may or may not want to be the hero, but he wants to win the game. A mistake that costs a goal is one thing, but how you buckle down and try to avenge it is something. He appologized to the goalie and was told, dude you just scored a goal for us. Him and Ras are relentless in their coverage of players. Never see either of them leisurely skating back on an EN rush going the other way (Hanifin!!). If Valimaki would take a lesson from Kylington about how to handle being sat, he would be back in the lineup. No pity party, just go 100% in practice and any game you get.

It's a serious offer that solves two problems for a 1st. We aren't structured to give Valimaki minutes properly and we can't send him down. Hanifin has never been better than a #2/3. The 1st is the cost of a value deal and a top player.

Pick your poison. Lindholm at C gives us depth at C, but we lose our best RW. Lindholm at RW gives us a top 6 RW, but we lose that top C. Monahan has not been playing (yet) as a top C. Dube could be a great #2, but no RW for him. I'm beginning to wonder if we need Tarasenko. Big power forwards that can shoot. Not sure how we make the deal, other than Lucic and Valimaki foing the other way. Yje prize for them is Valimaki, who would get the reps there (and we would be sad). Monahan maybe, but then we are down to Dube at C. Would this work, assuming Monahan goes? Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tarasenko Mangiapane-Dube-Tkachuk Coleman-Backlund-Duehr Lucic-Richardson/Lewis-Pitlick TBH, I am not really impressed with the 4th line. Lucic has been good in stretches. Pitlick is a good defensive guy, but can't seem to break the goose egg. Richardson seems to be playing the right way, but he seems at times to kill offense. If we were to move Lucic and Val for Tank, then we have better depth at C. Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tarasenko Mangiapane-Monahan-Tkachuk Dube-Backlund-Coleman Duehr-Richardson/Lewis-Pitlick It makes the cap harder to manage next season, but it gives us time to get back the scoring Moneyhands. The loss of Valimaki is tough, but we cyrrently don't have a spot for him.

Arsenii Sergeev with another 26 saves on 27 shots tonight. He's up to 8–1–0 with a .950 SV% (!!!!!!!!) this season.

Well, guys can regress but the things he is doing well look consistent. The mistakes he makes are not frequent nor end of the world. There were a dozen or so giveaways last night. One made by Kyler and we had 5 guys back. What, we needed one player to do the work? Who was covering Willie?

Well, unless you are not watching the games, the answer is in the games. We are getting 2nd chances in the net area. A couple of times we were jamming away; Kylington almost had the winner. I'm not seeing as much perimeter play this year. Look, I'm not as high on the wins that we have had. I like the play I am seeing; it can be exciting. It may not seem impressive with wins/loss being mostly even. But the games are better to watch, even with the occasional smelly one. Smelly, but they don't stnk.

Cool story about Kylington.... https://calgaryhockeynow.com/calgary-flames-oliver-kylington-maturity-leadership-nhl/

Two games where we take multiple penalties. Not an excuse, just an observation. Blatant missed calls and we get ticky tack ones. I wouldn't say were were grossly outplayed in either game. Some bad bounces in both. The teams that beat us mean nothing. Any team is capable if getting a win. A skid is concerning. What I find more concerning is the one sided calls in games. We were supposedly one of the least penalized teams. And MTL the most penalized. One call? Some stats: Even after their recent stretch of bleh-to-bad hockey, the #Flames rank: - 2nd in Goals For % - 6th in Expected Goals For % - 1st in Scoring Chances For % - 7th in High-Danger Chances For %

Yeah, I figured it was going to be Mange-Monahan-Dube. We bring in Coleman and move players to RW so he can play LW? Weird, he should be the one doing that. Have to agree about Tkachuk. His passes are blind, but Monahan seems to be able to anticipate them. He skates like he's wearing rubber boots. I would be fine with your lines. Or: JG-Lind-Mangia Tkachuk-Mony-Dube Coleman-Backlund-Pitlick Lucic-Richardson-Lewis/Duehr I like Mangiapane in the slot; someone actually able to feed him would help. Dube on RW has worked and I think he could add some speed and mesh with Monahan.

It's hard to say. I wasn't impressed with much of the team's lines last night. Johnny/Lindy - great duo, but Tkachuk's errant passes and slow skating is not top line worthy Coleman at LW and Mangiapane at RW? I would prefer to see Mange on LW and Dube on RW. Dube/Backs/Lewis? Maybe I'm being hard on Backlund but he isn't getting the job done in these three losses. Lewis is a 4th line player. Lucic/Richardson/Pitlick? Not really seeing Richardson as an every day player. We are having trouble generating goals and we have four players in Stockton >= 1 point per game. The lines look slow and plodding. The PP set up is brutal. No imagination in how we start from our zone. Smart teams focus on Johnny, since he will be the one carrying the puck.

Fresh team vs tired team. Nuff said? Naw, we played a good defensive game but the offense has dried up. Not sure if the lines are creating the problem or if they are just snake bit. Mange needs Dube, not Coleman. Maybe an actual RHS on the wing in the top 6?

Such a sad result for such a good game played by Vladar.

Monahan hasn't had a GWG in OT in some time.

Got the single, now get the deuce

Pretty lame zone entry attempt. Better to win the faceoff to get set up

Power Play?

Looch draws a penalty. Finally.

No cross check of course.