travel_dude
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Everything posted by travel_dude
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The lines aren't really working right now. Frolik is a great 2-way player, but he is being "wasted" on a line with Backlund. Backlund belongs with other good 2-way players to snuff out offense. Guys like Jooris or Jones and Colborne work best. Frolik has offensive flair, and really should see time with the top line (on power plays) and Bennett's line (with Grant). Jones or Jooris playing with Stajan and Raymond gives you some speed and scoring potential. Ortio just need to make timely saves. We can score, as long as we aren't looking at mounting a comeback all the time.
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I'm not sure it could be any worse. Even in our two victories, the goals against us have been less than spectacular. With a new tender, I think the Flames will band together to limit shots a bit better, knowing they have a guy fresh off the bench.
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I am hoping that Ortio steals the show. I have had enough of team-deflating goals, just-ok goaltending, one-and-done wins, etc. If Ortio is what a lot of people think he is, he will take the #1 job and never give it back. It's about time we had better than league average tending.
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Backlund/Gio/Brodie was a possession monster last year. Maybe Brodie was the glue holding that together too. I would rather see Hartley double shift Johnny with Bennett and Hudler than use it as the 1st line. For one thing, that is asking too much to have Bennett be the top line. For another, Johnny is the best offensive player on the team and doesn't need to be sheltered like Bennett does. I think we saw some signs of Frolik working with Johnny and Mony. Maybe use that as the line for the PP, and use Frolik with Bennett (at center) and Backlund on the wing.
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An interesting scenario for Ramo (assuming he clears), is that he actually becomes more tradeable sitting in the AHL. A team can keep him there without having to waive any other players, and can keep him in their system while they evaluate their own guys. If Buffalo picked him up now, they wouldn't be able to evaluate their current guys. Once Lehner comes back, they would have to offer Ramo back to us before waiving him. Maybe BT can swing a deal with him in the AHL. Or keep him there until Hiller (possibly) folds.
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Somewhat agree. Goaltending is a problem, so it has to be fixed. Get Ortio involved in the solution. Defense is also a problem. Fix that by switching up the pairs. Insert (possibly) 2 new guys. Some forwards have been looking bad. Send Raymond down and sit Bollig. Call up somebody and sit somebody. The root cause is unknown. It looks to be chemistry, lack of skill, lack of compete, or returning to normal. You can't just pick one thing and wait for it to right the ship. You have to fix a few things at once and look for immediate returns. Some things will show not to be working, but at least you haven't waited 5 more games to try something else.
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If Hiller does no better in the next moth, you will see him on waivers. Queue up Ramo, fresh off an AHL stint, assuming he has improved. The fact it was Hiller smacks of BT making the decision. But, flip a coin if you want. It had to be one of those two.
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We potentially have 21 bodies, unless Smid is off IR. When Smid is back, we have 22, but still only one extra forward. Lot's of hungry players in the AHL right now that might give you 100% effort. Saying that, the call up has to match the place he would slot in. Top 6 options, think Poirier, Granlund and Grant. Bottom 6, think Hathaway, Klimchuk, Arnold....
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That is true. What about Bollig? Has he produced enough offence or defense or grit to justify being kept playing? What about scratching Backlund, who has not been any kind of 2-way player this season? What about scratching or waiving Russell? What about sitting Dougie for a game (not right away, but soon)?
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Not the one I expected. But I would prefer him going to Stockton, as he has no ego issues and needs to play. He has to get his game and confidence back. One mistake and you sit is not the right way to juggle goaltenders. You sometimes need to go back to them when they have a chip on their shoulders.
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BT will probably step in now. The coach is forcing his hand. I used to have confidence in Hiller, but that is gone. He is playing like he knows he is being traded. At least when Ramo gets scored on, he looks like he just got shot. Overplays at times, but that is why you have defense. I am ok right now with waiving a goalie to give the other goalie and Ortio a chance to take the reins. Said waived goalie can get his game back in the AHL, or ECHL or whatever. Two starters that play like crap isn;t working to allow proper rotation. Niether goalie gets a win, so they likely sit next game. Ramo had a good game (58 minutes) and sits the next night. We get sub-par Hiller play and he sits next game. Ramo has a loss and we likely go back to Hiller, even though Hiller lets on the goal that deflates our comeback. Rinse and repeat.
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Regarding your edit part. Ramo signed within minutes of the beginning of FA. He had been negotiating with the Flames prior to that. He may not have got the feelers sent from other teams in the week prior, but he could easily have waited until the end of the 1st day to re-sign. Maybe I am mistaken, but you can't hammer out a deal with another team while you are still a player under contract. You can probably discuss some general concepts, though. Signing before the actual offers or true UFA period in under way almost implies that BT paid a little more just to ensure his signing.
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I am inclined to think Hartley will give multiple starts to a goalie, unless he craps the bed.
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If you think about it, Hartley is looking for the goalie he wants to keep. Ortio is not the issue. He needs to know who is going to take the bulk of the starts. Yes, Ortio might win some games, but that doesn't answer his question of who is going to step up.
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Randy SportakVerified account @SUNRandySportak 6h6 hours ago Hartley says Ramo will start but he's "sick and tired of the musical chairs" and "one guy has to step up." #Flames. 4 retweets9 favorites Reply Retweet Favori Right now, there are only two chairs.
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The problem is that the goalies haven't been showcasing anything. It doesn;t make sense to play the guy you are trying to get rid of unless he us going to win a game or two.
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I'm sure he was wanting the spot against the Oilers. But the goalie carousel continues. Hartley should have either gone with Ramo or started Ortio. I can understand not wanting to go B2B with Ramo, but Ortio wasn't chosen. Hartley is all about starting the same players and expecting a different result. But, BT may decide to force his hand. He could decide to waive a goalie and a roster player to wake up the team. The way some of them are playing, there is a minor chance of being picked up. I doubt that BT would do this, since he gives a lot of credit to Hartley. But the GT situation is rapidly getting out of control. Hiller would easily pass through waivers right now. Ramo would probably too. Either way, it gives him options to call up a player or two. Hathaway is a 100% complete player. Nakladal gives them some options for defense. Having 22 players on the active roster of which 3 are defense seems like a bad idea to me, especially if we aren't winning.
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The maddening thing about carrying 3 goalies is that we waived a good possession forward (and lost him). Waive a goalie already and call up two players until we have IR players return. Smid and Colborne can do conditioning stints to get up to speed once they return. We have 22 players on the active roster right now. If goaltending is not the "problem", it also isn't helping. Ramo came close to stealing a game, but gave up a stinker at the worst possible time. Hiller made one or two really good saves last night, but made McDavid look like a star.
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It's downright scary what the goalie stats look like this year. Ramo IMHO has played the best behind the worst Flames efforts. Hiller looked ordinary tonight. One good save. That is it. He didn't keep us in the game. 2-1 and we have a chance to come back. 3-1 and it's just about over.
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Our goalies have played average at time, stellar at others, but overall, just average. I think BT lost confidence with Hiller, so he signed Ramo. BT does not decide who plays, though. Hartley is going to go with the guys he feels are the top 2, whether that is based on last year or pre-season/camp/initial games.
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Unless Ramo becomes more consistent for 60 minutes, he becomes a liability. 58 minutes he was comfortable and well positioned. He scrambled a bit, but some bad coverage was mostly to blame for that. He is improving, while Hiller seems to be the same. Typical starting goalie; doesn't wow you and doesn't steal many games. Meh. The problem I have right now is that when we have a solid looking prospect looking like he is ready to take the net, we don't run with it. How many times have goalies come out of nowhere to steal the job. Anaheim, Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton (just kidding), San Jose, Buffalo... Point is we have a possible starter quality player watching the games on a monitor. I don't know what goes on during the practices, so there may be a valid reason for this. I'm not going to get bent about this, since this is a frequent occurance in Calgary. Always earned has many ways to earn it.
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Toronto has Reimer, who basically keeps losing his starting spot. I doubt that their GM wants to keep paying $2.3m for a backup. They are rebuilding and have invested too many seasons in Reimer. They want to make a chance. Buffalo has a young goalie with little NHL experience. They are using a backup to carry the mail for now. Edmonton has a rookie goalie that has played one game this season. They could easily demote him to try out a more established goalie prospect. It offers them cap relief and would be a thorn in the sides of the Flames. Those are just 4 teams that are in rebuilds that could easily take a flier on a waiver pickup. How many other teams are struggling out of the gate? Ducks? Columbus? Devils?
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The risk is too high to waive a goalie prospect with NHL experience. Any team that has waiver exempt player would snatch him up in a second, and demote one of their exempt players. Think Toronto, or Arizona, or Edmonton, or Buffalo. Any of those rebuilding teams could afford to so it. The worse thing that could happen to those teams is that they have to offer him back if they try to waive him themselves. $600k salary is a low hit. Any one of those teams could demote an existing goalie and still save money.
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Waiving Hiller or Ramo is the likely conclusion to this matter. Once they pass through, they will get assigned to Stockton. There they will play as much as the situation will allow. Simpson will get assigned to the ECHL. I am not saying a trade can't or won't be made. Unless it happens soon, waiving a goalie will likely be the result. Alternating goalies means that someone get really cold, while the other sit as a backup or play. Only the starter for the next game will get the full practice time, while the other two alternate. I can't see any situation where they waive Ortio. A trade is possible, but not a waive.
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They can't send him down for any conditioning stint; he is on the active roster unlike Smid and the others.
