travel_dude

Backlund on a 2 on 1 and he passes off when he has a clear view of the net. Nothing happens because Sharky was not close to being open.

If we end up 8th, we get passed by the 9th place team with a unlikely lotto win. There are teams that never win lotto picks. The year Lafrenier went 1st, NY was 16th and ended up 1st. If the odds were that unlikely for a team out of the top 5 to win, how did they? Not really serious. I hope we geta good player at 8.

We are well below 500 in that 10. Ottawa and MTL both at exactly 500 Zona is 6-4-0 last 10. It's too hard to say how they play the remaining games. All of those teams of capable of beating any NHL team.

I mean it's quite possible that the coach knows a lot more about what the players are doing than us casual observers. For instance, Huberdeau could suck in a game but he is still giving 100%. When Weegar is talking about floaters, I honestly have no idea who he means. Guys that won't block a shot (Backlund)? Guys that avoid hits? No idea.

Honzek was a player picked in range of when we picked, so it was a safe pick if you like. I think there were better choices than a LW, though I think Connie suggested he was a C. If all that is available at our turn is a LHS LW, then I would look elsewhere. Trade down a spot or two, and still get the best avaiable RW/C/D. Honzek can play because in the AHL of the November birthday. I think we get a very good pick wherever we finish. SEA and BUFF pulling away from us. I don't think it matters if OTT or MTL passes us, because one of them will win the lotto.

What Huska said about Zary is appropriate. He said young guys don't deserve to play if they aren't playing at their best. He quoted Weegar's comments about showing up. The only issue I have with that is that some of the vets are in that boat but never get sat. Zary maybe deserved to sit, though I thought he was no worse than his linemates that last game.

I don't know the stories of the other players nominated, but at quick glance it was players that were injured, or had a long road to the NHL. Hrumph. There are guys deserving no doubt. Maybe Kylington doesn't match all the qualities necessary, but he is certainly a shining example of what tolls the sport can take on a person and what it might take to make it back. I personally think it's the kind of story that the NHL needs to show at this point. Fighting, scandals, rapists (suspected), CTE, player gambling, player douchebaggness; nice to have positive stuff for a change.

I didn't pay attention to the post draft available players. At the time, I had a couple of players I really didn't want and had at least one on IR. You have to round out your lineup early on for sure. But adding a player as they start to break out is a good thing too. Sometimes I held on to a player too long, other times I gave up too early. The biggest mistakes I made was adding and dropping players based on schedule. There were a few weeks that I had all players on the same night, then nothing the next day. That's okay for a short time, but you have to look farther ahead. A short term fix sometimes made it worse. It's fun to add and drop, but usually I added and dropped at the wrong time.

I know it was a late game, but you would think there would already be discussion about suspensions. Have seen none.

This season for me will go down as close but no cigar. My pre-draft ranking were big mistakes. Went high on D, so I drafted a lot of D. I have very few other players that met their draft rankings. My best pickups were Weegar and Sharky. Some of my higher draft picks were dropped. I had Couture for what seemed ages. Closest I got to Rocket was about 200 points in the middle of the season. Then the bottom fell out. No better than 4th this season.

I think there are just certain people who's gate and skate don't lend themselves to speed. Choppy skaters. Or they may be slower looking because they can't handle the puck at speed. Monahan was NHL size, so I think the only thing is whether he would have been better off in Junior and then AHL. I don't see what that does to the natural skills the guy had. He was never going to be Matthews. He could have been injured before a playoff game in Detroit riding a scooter. The advantage of youth is the less brittle bones. But if they don't take care of the pieces that need fixing, he's 30 and they just seem to have found it all.

So, he stays in junior for another year (or 2), then either goes to the AHL or NHL. Not sure how any of that makes his career the same duration. Also I would suggest that his injuries could have been worse elsewhere. If anything, the decisions to play him injured was the big mistake made. If he was playing with Johnny today, the guy would have 40 goals, he looks better. I think the play don't play right out of junior is more appropriate to a player that may be out of his realm. Too light. Too soft. Only excels against kids. You probably can make a fair judgement in 9 or less.

So, the two slowest skares on CGY were both played in the NHL too early? Monahan and Tkachuk. Sorry, I don't think so. Skating wasn't going to somehow get better playing in a slower league. And when you are a certain type of player and you are assigned that role by the coach, whatevs. I may lean that way with Bennett, but I think they failed to develop him in the NHL. He was coming off an injury and they opted to play him in the playoffs. Of course they keep him in the NHL after the way he played there. It was the years following that the problems developed.

I don't know about the suspension now, on a different view. It looked like an attempted shoulder check that hit on the head. It could go either way, but I think they may just suspend him.

Season officially done.

I can't tell by the replay how intentional it was. They would have reviewed it, so I think it's the right call. Figures that we will lose him prior to the EDM game.

I am surprised we are losing to WPG. Outplayed them in the 1st and just didn't bury it. Anyway, the only game I want to win is EDM, but I would settle for the loss.

The PP has been much better with Kuzmenko and Weegar. Fast passing, less stupid passes.

Flames always seem to play WPG well. We could actually win the series. For every game like this, there is games like CHI and ANA.

In some ways this is a typical Flames game. Mistakes killing us. We survive the 5-3 only to get scored on the 5-4. 2nd goal a bad giveaway. Wolf has been very good, but he isn't quiet enough. Both goals he slid too far out. The 5 hole was the result in sliding across. I get that he's small but he stands his ground pretty darn NHL-ish. Stay quiet, cover the angles, and don't lose the net. I hope Wolfie gets the EDM game. Markie hasn't been back to Roger's since the playoffs there. That would just mess up the Oilers so much to lose to a rookie goalie. Losing to this version of the Flames. Only game I care about them winning.

Helly is a goalie that can win a game. Unfortunately, this is a team that plays better F than D. Defense wins cups, not F like Kyle Connor or C. McD. Garbage goals are what you need. Dallas to me is built for the cup final. Quick strike and a D that can kill you. They draft so well. They owned EDM last night.

Zary sits tonight. Not sure if injury or hold the kids to account. Nothing to suggest an injury, though. Uggg. Repeat of part of what last game looked like for lineup.

^^^^^^^ Interesting version of Johnny Cash's song. I'll admit I prefer the audio version of the original. But, visually, you can't beat the eye candy. Not official, but it looks like Wolfie starts. Mange and Hanley out, so Okhitiuk likely back in. I heard an odd stat about Markstrom. He hasn't played in EDM since the playoff loss. Somehow, I think the tradition continues, but odd that Wolfie would start 2 in a row. Good idea, just odd.

Seldom are we this far out of it, so I would say in other years there was an incentive for players to play. And coaches to trust the player's jusgement, assuming the trainers and docs said it was 50/50 or better. I think if in question, shut them down unless they are a pending UFA you have no interest in. But then why are you playing a guy like that? Where does that leave us? We had Markstrom out, and now he is playing? We are still penalizing young players but not holding the vets to the same standard. Zary was not goog on a shift where ANA scored, but was he any worse than the other two? Only Zary saw the 4th line of that bunch. It actually made it worse for us.

Gotta love Weegar's comments: #Flames MacKenzie Weegar: “I know that I personally have more care for the next guy beside me to play better. I know there’s a lot of guys in this room that can play better for that next guy beside you. Tonight, it was one of those games where you take a look in the mirror.” 1/2 x.com/WesGilbertson/…