Flames Positivity

[travel_dude]

I'm starting to feel like every game we play well has so much negative stuff, I need a break.

Here is a thread to post positives from games, players, paoring, lines, goalies, coaches...whetever.

Think of this as bandwagon without having to fill up the vehicle.

Add anything positive you have noticed.  If we have a bad game, the thread won;t have any replies.

 

My 2 cents worth:

 

Team scoring is off to a great start.  I don't expect the top line to score 50% of the goals, but having every game at 3 goals or higher (except one) is good to see.  No shutouts against.  Even when we have lost, it's not because of a lack of scoring.  We need to keep that up, because every player hits a dry spell (Sammy just hits posts  ).

 

Youngest players having an impact.  Whether it's Dube, Valimaki or Ras, they are adding a spark.  Having guys that can come in like that gives us better options than having to play a guy like STajan or Brouwer.

 

The backup has played well in every period played.  Way too ertly to get excited, but Rittich's saves were the 4th highest in franchise history.

He shut the door in relief in his first game.  In his first start, he let in two and immediately shut the door.  Nothing was getting past him after that.  He's more confient in handling the puck.  He doesn't usually go very far with the passes, but they are all low risk.  One clearing pass was a bit of a stretch, but the result was fine.

 

 

EDIT - Okay, that's 3 cents.

[Cowtownguy]

5 hours ago, travel_dude said:

I'm starting to feel like every game we play well has so much negative stuff, I need a break.

Here is a thread to post positives from games, players, paoring, lines, goalies, coaches...whetever.

Think of this as bandwagon without having to fill up the vehicle.

Add anything positive you have noticed.  If we have a bad game, the thread won;t have any replies.

 

My 2 cents worth:

 

Team scoring is off to a great start.  I don't expect the top line to score 50% of the goals, but having every game at 3 goals or higher (except one) is good to see.  No shutouts against.  Even when we have lost, it's not because of a lack of scoring.  We need to keep that up, because every player hits a dry spell (Sammy just hits posts  ).

 

Youngest players having an impact.  Whether it's Dube, Valimaki or Ras, they are adding a spark.  Having guys that can come in like that gives us better options than having to play a guy like STajan or Brouwer.

 

The backup has played well in every period played.  Way too ertly to get excited, but Rittich's saves were the 4th highest in franchise history.

He shut the door in relief in his first game.  In his first start, he let in two and immediately shut the door.  Nothing was getting past him after that.  He's more confient in handling the puck.  He doesn't usually go very far with the passes, but they are all low risk.  One clearing pass was a bit of a stretch, but the result was fine.

 

 

EDIT - Okay, that's 3 cents.

I don't mind when people vent frustration with poor play, and last year was frustrating. I feel pretty optimistic this year though. Our game is much faster, and when we score, it often involves more than two players. We appear able to press harder in the offensive zone, and when we are down a goal or two, I am confident that we can score enough goals to win. Andersson looks really good out there with Gio. 

 

I think that we have crossed a threshold in terms of play. While that does not guarantee success, it makes success more likely. Peters does not seem to make very many inexplicable decisions. 

 

There will always be players who struggle for periods of time. Neal needs to score more and Brodie needs to avoid some high-risk plays. Overall, we look pretty good.

[MAC331]

13 minutes ago, Cowtownguy said:

I don't mind when people vent frustration with poor play, and last year was frustrating. I feel pretty optimistic this year though. Our game is much faster, and when we score, it often involves more than two players. We appear able to press harder in the offensive zone, and when we are down a goal or two, I am confident that we can score enough goals to win. Andersson looks really good out there with Gio. 

 

I think that we have crossed a threshold in terms of play. While that does not guarantee success, it makes success more likely. Peters does not seem to make very many  inexplicable decisions. 

 

There will always be players who struggle for periods of time. Neal needs to score more and Brodie needs to avoid some high-risk plays. Overall, we look pretty good.

I think the real positive is we have a group of good players with plenty of options for this new coaching staff. BP is still finding out some things about his players and I like that he is not afraid to upset anyone by making a few changes or having someone sit out. The product on the ice is good and should get better.

[Thebrewcrew]

My thoughts

5-3 start, is awesome. The Pacific is in disarray and is ripe for the taking IMO

 

Peters not afraid to mix up lines when things aren't working

 

Gaudreau proving thus far that the 84 point season last year wasn't an aberration and looks to flirt with 80+ again

 

Lindholm has been much better than I expected. No doubt he will set career highs this year.

 

 

 

 

[LouCifer]

Positives for me:

- Bennett

- the players we brought in, all of them

- our depth and newfound ability to change up our lines and looks

- Peters holds players accountable and isn’t afraid to move them up and down the lineup based on performance

- Peters gives players opportunities to prove / redeem themselves

- Peters knows how to use a coach’s challenge and timeout properly 

- Rittich bailing us out and making timely saves

- New body language on the bench: no more doom and gloom or woe is us, players seem to be more positive and believe in themselves and each other

- Ras getting an opportunity on the top pairing with Gio and holding his own

- Valimaki filling in the gaps on our third D pair

 

 

I’m also positive I missed some! 

 

I’m very excited for this season. Go Flames Go!

[redfire11]

Great thread BTW.

 

I too am very excited about this season.

 

Some positive surprises for me this season.

 

Peter's being as Fluid as he has been.

The positive energy Neal has brought to this team

Back up goaltending

Stone has actually been a good solid D.

[conundrumed]

Keep all of the young guys up.

That injection of youthful enthusiasm is refreshing.

Makes the regulars remember the hard work.

Looks pretty promising to me.

[kehatch]

We have two young D playing at a high level. Our top forwards are producing at our above a PPG pace. The third line is coming together. Bennett is looking like he is in for a great season. Dube is a decent story. We are a point out of first in our division with a strong record. Rittich is looking strong. 

 

Sure you can pick holes (Smith's play, shots against for a couple of games, Neal/Ryan/Frolik slow starts, Brodie not rebounding with Giordano, AHL play) but outside of goal I think this has been a positive season so far. 

[conundrumed]

4 minutes ago, kehatch said:

Sure you can pick holes (Smith's play, shots against for a couple of games, Neal/Ryan/Frolik slow starts, Brodie not rebounding with Giordano, AHL play) but outside of goal I think this has been a positive season so far. 

Actually you can't. I thought the OP described that in great detail.

 

So many options to line up with. Wow.

When Peters bottles this up, he's got a really hard to play WC team. Like the supposed leaders.

It'll be fun having a California trip, this time.

[travel_dude]

Thanks for keeping with the message.

As a fan, I am enjoying the new look Flames.

We are working on breaking the negative records we've had in recent year.

Beat NYR in MSG.

That's one that has always bothered me.

Getting back to winning records at home and against the Western Conference.

[conundrumed]

A team that doesn't keep the young guys down is refreshing.

The Hamonic injury turned into a blessing in disguise getting both Vali and Andy important minutes and showing very well.

Dube earned his spot in camp and finally, finally we make the right decision rather than plodding through excuses.

me likey

[travel_dude]

The Rittich start in MTL gives me some hope.

It's not about the hot hand or planning for the next start, to me it's about showing confidence.

A guy shows you a good game, you bump him up to a top pair.

A guy saves your bacon on 2 on 1's and breakaways, you trust him to start the next one.

Bennett shows up and forces your hand to play more minutes and he gets them.

 

[cccsberg]

On 2018-10-22 at 3:50 PM, travel_dude said:

I'm starting to feel like every game we play well has so much negative stuff, I need a break.

Here is a thread to post positives from games, players, paoring, lines, goalies, coaches...whetever.

Think of this as bandwagon without having to fill up the vehicle.

Add anything positive you have noticed.  If we have a bad game, the thread won;t have any replies.

 

My 2 cents worth:

 

Team scoring is off to a great start.  I don't expect the top line to score 50% of the goals, but having every game at 3 goals or higher (except one) is good to see.  No shutouts against.  Even when we have lost, it's not because of a lack of scoring.  We need to keep that up, because every player hits a dry spell (Sammy just hits posts  ).

 

Youngest players having an impact.  Whether it's Dube, Valimaki or Ras, they are adding a spark.  Having guys that can come in like that gives us better options than having to play a guy like STajan or Brouwer.

 

The backup has played well in every period played.  Way too ertly to get excited, but Rittich's saves were the 4th highest in franchise history.

He shut the door in relief in his first game.  In his first start, he let in two and immediately shut the door.  Nothing was getting past him after that.  He's more confient in handling the puck.  He doesn't usually go very far with the passes, but they are all low risk.  One clearing pass was a bit of a stretch, but the result was fine.

 

 

EDIT - Okay, that's 3 cents.

Excellent idea for a thread.  Much needed and will be enjoyable.  My three cents.....

 

I read the other day that Rittich is leading the entire NHL in GAA as of that(this?) moment.  He certainly is playing well.

 

Lindholm leading the team in goals(6) is a revelation, and he is doing it in multiple ways with multiple line mates.  Very exciting.

 

Bill Peters' ability and willingness to mix things up when they are not working is a huge, refreshing change from our previous coach.  Even with the many new players and coaches he has the team basically at the top of the Pacific early on, with room to grow. 

[conundrumed]

Good to see Tkachuk angry after the Montreal game. Saying Rittich bailed out their poor play in NY and they wanted to return the favour but did the opposite again.

It's refreshing that they're holding themselves accountable and we're not listening to GG tell us all of the positives after a loss.

 

Perhaps they could do warmup without pucks and just get the legs pumping and the adrenalin up for puck drop.

[cccsberg]

Do these qualify as positives?

 

Since I recorded the game I was able to watch the first 5 minutes or so then skipped through the good parts.  Only had to spend about 10 minutes total before turning to the rest of my recordings.  Sure was great to clear out that long list.....

 

It became obvious that travelling in mid-May won't be an issue so now I can go ahead and book that trip to Newfoundland we've been wanting to do for years.....

 

Neal may have finally figured out how to score.... that rainbow change-up really messed with the goalie and might be something to try in future....

[travel_dude]

8 hours ago, cccsberg said:

Do these qualify as positives?

 

Since I recorded the game I was able to watch the first 5 minutes or so then skipped through the good parts.  Only had to spend about 10 minutes total before turning to the rest of my recordings.  Sure was great to clear out that long list.....

 

It became obvious that travelling in mid-May won't be an issue so now I can go ahead and book that trip to Newfoundland we've been wanting to do for years.....

 

Neal may have finally figured out how to score.... that rainbow change-up really messed with the goalie and might be something to try in future....

 

Veiled insults do not qualify as being positive.  Sorry, this is for positives only.  If you have none, please move on.   

[cross16]

Flames played dominate and excellent games against 3 of the top teams in the league right now.

 

Looks bleak today but it's a small sample size in both directions. They've looked elite and they've looked terrible and usually in that case your answer lies somewhere in the middle. Where in the middle is up to them, but this teams shown they have pieces that can make them very good. 

[travel_dude]

So far, we are seeing a backup capable of stealing games.

I don't get worried when I see him in nets.

In fact, I have confidence in him facing over 30 shots and giving this team a chance to win it.

His worst game was 3 goals against.

 

[flames for life]

I am liking the poise and play of Rasmus Anderson.  I think all three rookies are playing better than anticipated.

 

If Ritiich continues to play as solidly as he has shown, he may be the candidate to replace Smith as starter.  Smith is slowing, but Titiich is stepping up.  

 

If the coaches are studying the pp’s compared with other teams, it allows us to see how we are being played.  This has shown us our flaws in the strategy we have adopted, and the opportunity to alter or adapt for success.

 

i like the fact that BP is not stuck in a particular strategy of offence on the pp.  More then once I’ve seen when the bump back hasn’t worked, we switched to a dump and chase, or a slide pass as an option to entering the zone.

[stubblejumper1]

I looked at the stats and Dube was a + player last night.  Mad props.  

[Cowtownguy]

2 minutes ago, stubblejumper1 said:

I looked at the stats and Dube was a + player last night.  Mad props.  

That is amazing given the score. How is that even possible?  

[DirtyDeeds]

.......and retro jerseys are back

[TheFan99]

On 10/22/2018 at 9:11 PM, MAC331 said:

I think the real positive is we have a group of good players with plenty of options for this new coaching staff. BP is still finding out some things about his players and I like that he is not afraid to upset anyone by making a few changes or having someone sit out. The product on the ice is good and should get better.

Their puck play in the offensive zone looks elite. I dont know much about defensive hockey. But, maybe they need to communicate more to each other out on the ice? Such, a good defense on paper but they need to put it together 

[MAC331]

9 hours ago, TheFan99 said:

Their puck play in the offensive zone looks elite. I dont know much about defensive hockey. But, maybe they need to communicate more to each other out on the ice? Such, a good defense on paper but they need to put it together 

I actually think it is the small attention to detail things that need to be addressed by the coach. First he needs to get the right players working together within the lines and pairings.

You get your forward lines right and your puck possession should improve which should lead to less opportunities for the opposition. 

Example: Both Gaudreau and Monahan are bad along the boards, Neal is good along the boards plus he is an added sniper. Lindholm on that line is also not good along the boards but can be a sniper. Gaudreau will make a scorer out of anyone this is a fact but this line also gives up the puck a lot.

Tkachuk is another version of Gaudreau but solid along the boards however he shouldn't be wasted by trying to make Backlund and Frolik 20 goal scorers and being used on a primary shut down line. Bennett has come alive and should be moved back to C, he is now looking like a more rounded player and Lindholm has proven he can contribute in the scoring dept. Tkachuk has learned the importance of defense from Backlnd and Frolik but how about he takes another line and have everyone be between 25 and 30 goals with good defense.

On defense I want to see the young defensemen matched up with the experienced vets, its the only way they will learn and gain the confidence required as the season goes on.

[TheFan99]

Just now, MAC331 said:

I actually think it is the small attention to detail things that need to be addressed by the coach. First he needs to get the right players working together within the lines and pairings.

You get your forward lines right and your puck possession should improve which should lead to less opportunities for the opposition. 

Example: Both Gaudreau and Monahan are bad along the boards, Neal is good along the boards plus he is an added sniper. Lindholm on that line is also not good along the boards but can be a sniper. Gaudreau will make a scorer out of anyone this is a fact but this line also gives up the puck a lot.

Tkachuk is another version of Gaudreau but solid along the boards however he shouldn't be wasted by trying to make Backlund and Frolik 20 goal scorers and being used on a primary shut down line. Bennett has come alive and should be moved back to C, he is now looking like a more rounded player and Lindholm has proven he can contribute in the scoring dept. Tkachuk has learned the importance of defense from Backlnd and Frolik but how about he takes another line and have everyone be between 25 and 30 goals with good defense.

On defense I want to see the young defensemen matched up with the experienced vets, its the only way they will learn and gain the confidence required as the season goes on.

I agree with you. But, what line can Chucky take over? Maybe, Chucky, ,Bennet at center and Lindholm. I think maybe move Sammy to first line with Chucky and Lindholm? The defense needs to get their heads out of their Hash Rate. The, D has been two years of frustration. Coaches need to rassle them in.