We are ̶A̶r̶e̶ ̶w̶e̶ a playoff bound team ̶?̶

[MAC331]

18 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

One step forward, two back.  We look like world beaters one game and a tired bunch of losers the next.  In every game we win, PP has had no impact, other than to kep the other team in it.  Those games have balanced officiating and usually a good PK execution.  What I find distressing is that after a win, we substitute out the wrong players.

 

No problem with Jokipakka in, but Kulak out was a mistake.  Wiseman/Brodie can look stable one game but one of them gets burnt every game.  

 

But the Pacific will be up and down all year, so we have a chance.  We have to keep winning at 2/3 until JG gets back.  Well ok, we have to get back to 500 hockey first.  If nothing changes between now and January, then the coaches will be gone.  At least one if not all.  The PP is just too horrid right now.  You can only fault the players so much. Even a middling coach should be able to put together a few set plays that will work once per game.  

I kinda of thought we were 3 step forward and 1 back last night. Penalties killed us last night and we were a tired bunch however if we stayed out of the box that was a winnable game. Kulak IMO needed the break so I have no problem with that move. Agree with the Wideman/Brodie assessment other than Brodie has finally come alive in a good way.

I don't think the coaching group is going any where, everyone had to know and expect this transition of style was going to take time. The players missing in camp set things back but they are playing much better as a team now, just need to fine tune the PK and get their PP producing (chances have picked up).

[travel_dude]

43 minutes ago, MAC331 said:

I kinda of thought we were 3 step forward and 1 back last night. Penalties killed us last night and we were a tired bunch however if we stayed out of the box that was a winnable game. Kulak IMO needed the break so I have no problem with that move. Agree with the Wideman/Brodie assessment other than Brodie has finally come alive in a good way.

I don't think the coaching group is going any where, everyone had to know and expect this transition of style was going to take time. The players missing in camp set things back but they are playing much better as a team now, just need to fine tune the PK and get their PP producing (chances have picked up).

 

There is no way you can look at the PP and EN as a positive.  None.  Whether you consider the players to not be executing it right, it has not adapted to the game being played.  You don't run the exact same plays against Anaheim as you do Arizona.  You can fine tune all you want, but without an antenna, it's going to be a terrible picture.  All I see on the PP is the same tired set up.  Get it to Gio.  Get it to Wideman.  Switch sides and pass it to the other D-man.  Get it down low and pass it back to the D-man.  Take it at the blue-line on the boards and freeze it there.  Stajan executed a perfect deflection on a set play against Detroit.  On the PP?  Nope.  Instead we have three guys in the slot and nowhere for the D-man to shoot it because the defenders are collapsing the box.

 

Firing Cameron sets expectations for the team and coaching staff.   Keeping him says that he is not a problem.  How was he in Ottawa with star players and one of the top D-men in the league offensively?  As bad or worse.  BT needs to hold the coach accountable.

 

[MAC331]

7 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

There is no way you can look at the PP and EN as a positive.  None.  Whether you consider the players to not be executing it right, it has not adapted to the game being played.  You don't run the exact same plays against Anaheim as you do Arizona.  You can fine tune all you want, but without an antenna, it's going to be a terrible picture.  All I see on the PP is the same tired set up.  Get it to Gio.  Get it to Wideman.  Switch sides and pass it to the other D-man.  Get it down low and pass it back to the D-man.  Take it at the blue-line on the boards and freeze it there.  Stajan executed a perfect deflection on a set play against Detroit.  On the PP?  Nope.  Instead we have three guys in the slot and nowhere for the D-man to shoot it because the defenders are collapsing the box.

 

Firing Cameron sets expectations for the team and coaching staff.   Keeping him says that he is not a problem.  How was he in Ottawa with star players and one of the top D-men in the league offensively?  As bad or worse.  BT needs to hold the coach accountable.

 

Whatever. I see some positives and you want to fire everyone. I think Cameron had a defenceman in OTT that won the Norris a few times or always mentioned. I don't know how OTT was with their PP do you ? good or bad ? which was it ? Maybe we should bring Bollig up to take up the space in front. LOL

[travel_dude]

3 minutes ago, MAC331 said:

Whatever. I see some positives and you want to fire everyone. I think Cameron had a defenceman in OTT that won the Norris a few times or always mentioned. I don't know how OTT was with their PP do you ? good or bad ? which was it ? Maybe we should bring Bollig up to take up the space in front. LOL

 

I'm not sure what positives you see in the PP.  Lots of shots?  Zone time without high danger chances?  Difficulty gaining the zone?  Players bunched up in on area?  The only positive thing I have seen is that Tkachuk plays well with Backlund on the PP.  And Hamilton/Gio look good most nights.  

 

Here's some narrative about the Sens under Cameron....

* The Senators special teams were amongst the NHL’s worst. The power play, which features top defenceman Erik Karlsson, was ranked No. 26 overall at a pathetic 15.8%. The penalty killing, which somehow had 17 shorthanded goals, was ranked No. 29 at 17.8%.

* The Senators gave up the most shots in the league at 32.8 per game and the club was also outshot 51 times.

* Fifty-one times, the Senators surrendered the first goal in 82 games.

 

BTW, I said fire Cameron in my post.  

[MAC331]

44 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

I'm not sure what positives you see in the PP.  Lots of shots?  Zone time without high danger chances?  Difficulty gaining the zone?  Players bunched up in on area?  The only positive thing I have seen is that Tkachuk plays well with Backlund on the PP.  And Hamilton/Gio look good most nights.  

 

Here's some narrative about the Sens under Cameron....

* The Senators special teams were amongst the NHL’s worst. The power play, which features top defenceman Erik Karlsson, was ranked No. 26 overall at a pathetic 15.8%. The penalty killing, which somehow had 17 shorthanded goals, was ranked No. 29 at 17.8%.

* The Senators gave up the most shots in the league at 32.8 per game and the club was also outshot 51 times.

* Fifty-one times, the Senators surrendered the first goal in 82 games.

 

BTW, I said fire Cameron in my post.  

I concur now, FIRE Cameron. I never liked that hire anyways.

[Carty]

2 hours ago, MAC331 said:

Cameron          I don't know how OTT was with their PP do you ? good or bad ? which was it ?

 

      

[MAC331]

1 hour ago, Carty said:

 

      

I like that UGLY describes him well LOL

[robrob74]

Today we are 3 points out of the last wildcard spot. Min has 3 games in hand on us. LA has 1game but are up by 4 points. Anaheim and San Jose have 2 games in hand and are also 4 points up. 

 

Do we start with the goals in mind to leapfrog the teams fighting for a  wildcard? Or is the aim to make up those 3-4 points to catch the division or the final wildcard spot?

 

everyone has games in hand, other than the Jets. 

 

Or do we keep them a fragile bunch and try and try to reward good play with compliments? 

 

I think it is time to make goals of at least leapfrogging the other teams up the latter to put pressure on them to win those games in hand. 

[cross16]

I think you work on what you can control and let the rest take care of itself. Worry about putting together 60 minute efforts for more than 4 games at a time and get your speical teams to at least a league avreage level. If the Flames had even average special teams right now they are already in a playoff spot. 

 

It's a tall task and i'm still skeptical but I just think you focus on what you can control. If the Flames do that I think the record will take care of itself. I think you get frustrated if set goals to leapfrog certain teams and i'm wearry of them setting a "record" goal as i fear a fall back once they get there. Last year after their slow start all the team seemed ot talk about whas getting to 500. Once they were they, they fell back again. 

[conundrumed]

60 minute efforts 4 at a time?

Has that happened?

I think we'll be talking about how bad we are in the not distant future.

And blaming goaltending gets old, fast.

[robrob74]

I like the idea of one game at a time, or even one period at a time. Win each period and typically you win the game. 

[conundrumed]

1 hour ago, robrob74 said:

I like the idea of one game at a time, or even one period at a time. Win each period and typically you win the game. 

The 1st against the Sabres had me pumped. I thought, "yes, Elliott has the team in front of him".

And then good god holy boarding do we suck.

I agree with you and we are down to a period at a time.

[The_People1]

Did GG hand pick Dave Cameron as assistant or was that BT's choice?  I'm pretty sure Gerrard was hand picked.   Just wondering if Cameron can be fired and no feelings are hurt between BT and GG.

[conundrumed]

Cameron was a GG choice and should be fired immediately, as I think we all think.

Or Cameron supporters should speak out, lol, like there could possibly be any....

Get Him Gone.

[cross16]

In the past, Brian Burk's philosphy on assistant coaches is the head coach gets 1 and then the remaining assistant is picked collectively. I'm pretty sure Gerrard was Gulutzan's pick and the management team hired Cameron. 

 

 

[cross16]

13 hours ago, conundrumed said:

60 minute efforts 4 at a time?

Has that happened?

I think we'll be talking about how bad we are in the not distant future.

And blaming goaltending gets old, fast.

 

After the 6-4 St Louis debacle:

Chicago, St Louis, Ottawa and Washington were all good efforts. 5-1 Chicago was good, not great, SJ was great and then LA was a dud.

After Rangers game, Minny, Arizona, Chicago and Detroit were good efforts and Buffalo was a dud. 

 

They seem to be capped at 4 games where they can string good efforts together and then are do for a dud. 

[MAC331]

2 hours ago, cross16 said:

 

After the 6-4 St Louis debacle:

Chicago, St Louis, Ottawa and Washington were all good efforts. 5-1 Chicago was good, not great, SJ was great and then LA was a dud.

After Rangers game, Minny, Arizona, Chicago and Detroit were good efforts and Buffalo was a dud. 

 

They seem to be capped at 4 games where they can string good efforts together and then are do for a dud. 

Hard to say but until they cut out more of the mistake and take less penalties the losses will be there. I thought they were playing good in Buffalo until the parade to the penalty box started, even then they didn't quit.

[CheersMan]

Four 7 game segments completed, 4.5 pts behind target. 

 

[MAC331]

36 minutes ago, CheersMan said:

Four 7 game segments completed, 4.5 pts behind target. 

 

I think with the NHL you always have a chance, if, if and if. LOL

In all seriousness, the Flames have a good group of veterans surrounding this young core. If the young core starts rising with production a lot could go right. If both Johnson and Elliott provide solid goaltending, we have seen the ability to win games. I wouldn't count this team out from sneaking into the playoffs.

[travel_dude]

1 hour ago, CheersMan said:

Four 7 game segments completed, 4.5 pts behind target. 

 

 

It's an interesting chart.  The target changes with the Pacific division struggles.  As of right now, it's closer to 90.  

 

The positive thing is that we are trending up.

Segment 1     2-4-1

Segment 2     3-4-0

Segment 3     3-4-0

Segment 4     5-1-1

 

Last 10      6-3-1

Last 12      8-3-1

 

[The_People1]

Ever since we discovered Chad Johnson, our goaltending situation stabilized and that's been a big improvement.  I still think we're going to be in that 9 to 12 seed range but i mean, one hot streak and we might get in.

[robrob74]

3 hours ago, The_People1 said:

Ever since we discovered Chad Johnson, our goaltending situation stabilized and that's been a big improvement.  I still think we're going to be in that 9 to 12 seed range but i mean, one hot streak and we might get in.

 

 

We are in a pretty good streak, albeit a few mixed games in there where we won in spite of the overall team play. 

 

But hooefully the offence is waking up and we can continue playing above .500 the rest of the way. 

 

For me, it felt like they got into the road mentality and haven't really went away from that style. Sort of safe, control play when the game comes to them but weather a storm. Although the storms are a lot more managed this year and we are seeing a bit less of them. 

[travel_dude]

8 hours ago, robrob74 said:

 

 

We are in a pretty good streak, albeit a few mixed games in there where we won in spite of the overall team play. 

 

But hooefully the offence is waking up and we can continue playing above .500 the rest of the way. 

 

For me, it felt like they got into the road mentality and haven't really went away from that style. Sort of safe, control play when the game comes to them but weather a storm. Although the storms are a lot more managed this year and we are seeing a bit less of them. 

 

I know what you are saying, but 500 hockey is not a playoff team.  4-3-0 in 7 game segments over the rest of the season will get us about 90 points (possible 8th in the west - wild card).  That includes 3-2-0 for the last 5 game segment.  4-2-1 would get us about 96 points.  The big thing is winning the Pacific games specifically and the West games generally.

 

A few statement games are necessary:

Home and home against Edmonton

Anaheim in Anaheim

Kings

Sharks

 

Winning the series against those foes would go a long way.

[Flyerfan52]

6 hours ago, travel_dude said:

 

I know what you are saying, but 500 hockey is not a playoff team.  4-3-0 in 7 game segments over the rest of the season will get us about 90 points (possible 8th in the west - wild card).  That includes 3-2-0 for the last 5 game segment.  4-2-1 would get us about 96 points.  The big thing is winning the Pacific games specifically and the West games generally.

 

A few statement games are necessary:

Home and home against Edmonton

Anaheim in Anaheim

Kings

Sharks

 

Winning the series against those foes would go a long way.

I'm hoping Cryzy puts up his chart soon.

[travel_dude]

4 minutes ago, Flyerfan52 said:

I'm hoping Cryzy puts up his chart soon.

 

I think he used one available to all, but I haven't seen it listed anywhere yet.  It's good because it uses win% to project over a season for all teams.  

Crzy seems to have his hands full this year, so he may only get the draft updates posted, if we are lucky.