travel_dude
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Everything posted by travel_dude
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5 more wins this year and we would have been in the final WC spot. At least 5 games where the goaltending completely let us down. Bailing us out in the 1st period and managing to stop more than 2/5 shots is a big difference. To a certain extent, we had neither this year. Yes, we had some bad goaltending last year that required us to make a 3rd period comeback. Yes, we also lost Gio for a big stretch. The defense was sufficient as well as the goaltending. Last year 97 points was 8th in the West (actually 3rd in Pacific). This year 87 was enough to get in. There were enough losing stretches this season that could simply had been avoided with good goaltending; winless at home to start season, multiple losing streaks, post-Ramo injury results.... If you compare results against the Kings, Oilers and Coyotes alone, you can easily see games where goalies made a huge difference last year.
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I will use two years and compare the two. 2014/15 - goaltending gave us a chance to win mostly every night. The team was not usually deflated in the first 5 minutes of a game by a weak goal. If there was a weak goal in a game, it was made up for by the goalie stopping everything else. The 3rd period's had many more goals for than against. 2015/15 - goals against came in bunches. It was fairly common that we would take an early lead and then allow 3 goals against. Or a goal would be allowed on the 1st or 2nd shot of a game. Third periods were our worst, since we were behind a lot. We would make a push, score a goal, but allow 2. Goaltending was not the only reason for losses this year. It was the biggest cause. You can only ask your forwards and defense to try to score 3-4 goals for, just to have a chance at winning the game.
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The Official Calgary Flames "New Arena" thread
travel_dude replied to DirtyDeeds's topic in Flames Talk
The idea of combining venues has problems. Combine events in the same timeframe and you have a logistical nightmare. A concert or hockey game the same night as a CFL game. 20,000 + 35,000 fans arriving the same day. That's just a scheduling and attendance problem. Having available transit and/or parking for 35,000 fans in a city center is problematic. My bigger problem is that using a remediated site would add years onto the construction. Even if things went as planned, you are talking about waiting about 5 years from breaking ground. What if there is a huge environmental impact that doesn't show up right now? Calgary has let the area fester for too many years to use this kind of project to fix. -
No, I said above average to elite. If you think we have average defense, then I have no idea how to respond to that. If you think we have no depth, ditto. The best goaltending we had in Stockton was Gillies and that lasted for all of 7 games. The rest was a mixed bag of cast-offs, rookies, and Ortio. None of their performances were overwhelming. Ortio was as bad in the AHL as he was in the NHL. He started off horribly and improved somewhat. Poulin was as bad at the AHL level (but overall better). The NHL club had league worst GA for a big reason; goaltending. The goals against dropped off when the goalie had a good game. Every team has to overcome shortcomings. Here is the top three for the Flames: Goaltending - without good goaltending, you are at best an average team PK - starts with a good goalie Coaching - making the right goalie choice at the right time; knowing how a goalie plays against other teams, sensing a streak (cold or hot)
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Let me start by saying "better" goaltending is not what I am after. We had better goaltending in 2014/15 and it only took us so far. If we had better than league average or elite goaltending coming in, then yes I would be happy. Does it fix all the problems with the Flames? Possession? - No, but it should lead to giving up less quality rebounds. PK - Yes. Hard to have a good PK if you have unacceptable goaltending. PP - No, except it helps to eliminate shorthanded goals. Defensive zone coverage? No, but we have taken steps to solve that and removing Wideman, Smid and Russell seem to have made some differences. Only some of these are improved by bringing in competent goaltending. But every one of them is influenced negatively by bad goaltending. Zone coverage is a product of having sub-standard goaltending. Teams that have little faith in a goalie tend to block shots more. Our defense is good to very good right now. If a simple mistake always ends up resulting in a goal, then we will never go anywhere. Every team makes those mistakes, but better ones have goalies that stop the puck.
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Engelland for Andersen. Done.
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We get it. You are right and everyone else is wrong. I for one got annoyed watching the Flames play a brilliant game, only to see big Buff score with less than 2 minutes on a gimme. Or seeing Hiller let in 3 goals on 5 shots. Or watch Weise get a hatty against us as well as Byron score a shorty. Blame the forwards if you like. They can't always score 4 goals a game to make up for 3 GA. 11th on league scoring should result in a better league standing. Blame the defense if you like. It seems after the defense tightened things up, the wins still weren't coming. The Oilers are nowhere near what the Flames are. Goaltending would not help them alone. They need too much. I don't see any reason to use them as an example of why good goaltending doesn't fix things.
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Read the post again. "find it" as in salary cap room. Trading a guy making $2.9m to make room. Maybe you are just being obtuse.
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Peppy LaPue was in nets for most of the year. In 2015/16 Ortio was marginal in the AHL (9-9-0, .893 and 3.36 GAA) and a little better in the NHL (7-9-3 .903 amd 2.76 GAA). If the number of shots against was insanely high, the SV% would be better. Hiller was extremely bad in wins/SV%/GAA and Ramo was marginally better in wins/SV%/GAA. Contrast to 2014/15, where the starters were both > .0910 and <= 2.60. No Gio for the home stretch leading to playoffs, but still accounting for 20 more points. By no means am I saying Ortio can't be an option for the Flames for 2016/17. He had a miserable start to the season and a decent, but not great, finish. Since March 1st, he won 3 games out of 14 against playoff bound teams. He won 4 games against non-playoff teams. He lost 3 games to non-playoff teams.
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The Official Calgary Flames "New Arena" thread
travel_dude replied to DirtyDeeds's topic in Flames Talk
What would be the cost of building a new version in the same location? Logistics aside, I'm curious about the cost. -
The Official Calgary Flames "New Arena" thread
travel_dude replied to DirtyDeeds's topic in Flames Talk
I like the concept of the entertainment district. Look at Staples Center. Or even the Gilla River Arena. Those areas have more than just a rink. The spinoff benefit is big. Maybe it's just me but I think the idea of combining the venue is nuts. A rehab to McMann Stadium would cost around $65-80m. Stick to replacing the Saddledome as a separate venue. Design something that wows. Build it where it is accessable. Get is away from a polluted site the city has dragged its heels on for years. The concept may have been a "high priced option" to allow a lower priced option to get quick approval. Environmental cleanups are something hockey needs to stay away from. -
Goaltending in both locations. Really. What was the GAA for the fram team? NHL? Neither Ortio or Poulin were able to get the job done well in the AHL. Poulin and Gillies were the best of the bunch there. I don't think you can pin goals against on either NHL defense or AHL defense. At even strength, goaltending at both levels was not great. I don't think that's on defense. Even if you argue that defense played a part in goals against, the farm is fine. Defense prospects just starting pro careers are going to take time to become all around great players. Look at Kylington. The guy is 18 and already an awesome skater with good offense. He didn't look horrible in NHL action. With his skills, he could easily become another Brodie or better. Andersson already is a good shut down guy at the junior level, The NHL club has the worst goal against for a reason. Goaltending. PK was bad, but again goaltending.
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If it were somehow possible, I would like one of Andersen and one of Murray, please. Available for trade would be.... Klimchuk, Poirier, Hickey, Agostino, Arnold, Kulak, Ortio, 2016 Dallas Pick, 2017 1st rounder..... Roster players available..... Colborne, Jooris, Engelland, Stajan, Wideman, Bouma.
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An actual goalie coach.... Just because the guy had game doesn't mean he can evaluate and teach. I wouldn't want Kipper as a goalie coach either, unless he was a great teacher.
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We owe Backstrom nothing. We honored his trade terms and actually surpassed that by letting him finish his career at his long term home. If we are looking for a goalie coach, I would look for the best in the world.
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Ramo could be a fine backup, assuming full recovery. But, he was a starter and paid starter dollars. I am not in favor of paying over $3m for a backup.
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The NTC/NMC thing gets even more blurry for a player at the end of those contracts. Are you supposed to protect a player that you have no interest in re-signing before they go UFA? If anything, it's worse for the player that could be picked in the expansion draft but has a NTC/NMC, so they instead end up not be signed as a UFA. There are two types of meaningless games. One would have been against the Nucks or Oilers or... after they were eliminated. The other type is one where the Flames have no pressure, can play wide open, are playing guys that are playing over their heads... I know you weren't responding to me directly with the meaningless games retort, but performances by players in these types of games have to be viewed differently than must-win games.
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Meaningless to the standings, but also no pressure to the team. The earlier games were of more consequence and had more pressure. Do you want a goalie to fold when the playoff push is on? Speaking of his final games, how important to anybody were the Oilers, Arizona, Jets and Nucks games at the end? Cervenka came to the Flames in time for January, no training camp, expected to play center, and came off a blood clot. He didn't win any trust during his adjustment to NA hockey. And the Flames were in win-now mode. I don't give him a pass, but you can't really say he had no talent or desire. Don't need to get into it because it's a non issue right now.
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You have to look at more than just "meaningless" games. Ortio was good at the end of the season, mostly. A backup has to look good at all times. Hathaway was very good in his first 5 games, but lost a step after the initial adrenaline wore off. Cervenka could play in the NHL, but isn't a NHL player. Big difference. Agreed that how they progress is key.
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Yes he has showed a NHL skill set. I'm not saying he will never be, just that there are plenty that have showed similar promise that never become NHL regulars. He has probably earned a longer look, not just 3rd out of 3.
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The comment is fair. You can look at Hathaway's performance over 13 games and say "This guy is ready for the NHL" or look at when those games were played and what was on the line and say "The jury is still out". BT talked about evaluating based on more than the end of season numbers. Overall Ortio played 22 games and had a record of 7-9-5 with 2.76 GAA and 0.902 SA%. His end of season was a lot better, but you have to look at the body of work.
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I don't back down from the idea that we need a top goalie now. There are lots of options over going with a current backup and Ortio or another backup. I expect BT will explore every top flight option. The actual trade is an unknown, but it doesn't mean it won't happen. You have to pay to get better. Settling for the cheapest option is not a great idea. It just means we will be back here next year. When I said the cost may be the reason for not getting Andersen, it was because of the in-division trade possibly drivin the cost or Anaheim may not be willing to deal with us.
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I have seen Andersen literally steal games from the Flames. He played well on a team known for offense, and only recently have become a better defensive team. I think he is a good fit for the Flames. The cost is the real issue and why this may never happen. The difficult situation for Anaheim is his contract. He's a RFA and due a hefty raise. If the Ducks are ousted early in the playoffs, they may choose to restructure their payroll, but they are in for some pain. They have Vatanen and Lindholm up for big raises. They have to re-sign Rakell. They have to replace or re-sign Stewart, Perron, Pirri, McGinn and Horcoff. A trade for futures would help them out.
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At that point TO had a goalie that was without many wins. Hiller would have been a way to rid themselves of a goalie contract a year sooner. Nobody HERE wanted Bernier. I like Elliottt, but seeing how well he has played this year and in the playoffs, STL is not likely to want to trade him.
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I suggested Hiller for Bernier straight up, back when we still had a chance to make the playoffs. Nobody here seemed interested then. He's expensive for a so-so starter, but only one year left. I doubt he could be had for a cap dump. And I doubt they want (or Stajan would agree) him now.
