FLAMES @ Golden Knights Sun 5 Dec 2021

[travel_dude]

So close

[travel_dude]

They didn't deserve a win or a point.

Take the lumps and move on to SJ.

Can;t lose there, would ruin the run we had going.

[LouCifer]

What we just saw was Flames playoff hockey if the playoffs started today.
 

We got what we deserved in this one. Came close to making a game out of a game we were never in. Can’t play 10 minutes out of 60 and expect to win. This will be good for growth. Good for Sutter to see how we naturally respond to playing against Vegas. Wait until they get Eichel in their lineup too. Either way, learn from this one and improve for the next one. Vegas doesn’t have Fleury anymore… 

[travel_dude]

A post by Tkachuk and a missed open net by Ras (a post as well).

Sometimes they come back to haunt you.

[travel_dude]

Just now, LouCifer said:

What we just saw was Flames playoff hockey if the playoffs started today.
 

 

I would hardly call this playoff hockey, unless you count the iffy calls.

The penalties didn;t really impact the score, but it shifted the play to defending for too much.

I suppose Tkachuk should really quit that little pop with the glove on.

Needless play.

They missed the rest of the action which was more questionable.

[The_People1]

Don't want to play VGK when they are fully healthy.  No real holes on their team and they go hard 110% all game non-stop.  We looked good against so many teams this season but we may have just saw our team's limits right here tonight.  VGK is a legit Cup contender once they get Eichel into their lineup.

 

So far, we have no answer to McDavid and VGK is beginning to heat up.  If we are going all in this season then we need to add at least one more difference maker.

[The_People1]

13 minutes ago, LouCifer said:

What we just saw was Flames playoff hockey if the playoffs started today.
 

We got what we deserved in this one. Came close to making a game out of a game we were never in. Can’t play 10 minutes out of 60 and expect to win. This will be good for growth. Good for Sutter to see how we naturally respond to playing against Vegas. Wait until they get Eichel in their lineup too. Either way, learn from this one and improve for the next one. Vegas doesn’t have Fleury anymore… 

 

It felt like a playoff game for me too.  Intensity was high for both teams.  I think we played hard but VGK is just that good.  Their D is smothering and they pressure relentlessly like we do.  Good measuring stick type of game.

 

We could guess with good certainty that the Flames path to the Cup will have to go through either VGK or EDM or both.  Right now, I don't feel so confident we can beat either.

[travel_dude]

8 minutes ago, The_People1 said:

Don't want to play VGK when they are fully healthy.  No real holes on their team and they go hard 110% all game non-stop.  We looked good against so many teams this season but we may have just saw our team's limits right here tonight.  VGK is a legit Cup contender once they get Eichel into their lineup.

 

So far, we have no answer to McDavid and VGK is beginning to heat up.  If we are going all in this season then we need to add at least one more difference maker.

 

Really hard to say what EDM is this year.

We lost in our season opener in their barn.

They are not a dominant team at any stretch.

They win games by hiding the problems behind a couple of players.

 

This game was less about Vegas playing well than it was us playing poorly.

Haven't seen us play such a poor game in quite a long time.

We play like this we aren't even beating the Nucks.

 

We play Vegas two more time, both in CGY.  That's it.

 

[robrob74]

It seemed hard to get space tonight. Is it because they were tired? Did they not play their game? I’ll go with tired due to 3 in 4 nights. But is this a good litmus test?
 

The VGK will lose a player or two for Eichel. So they’re actually giving up even more for him, unless they get ok draft picks for him. 
 

but, they’re going to look even better once they get him, although lose in the process. 

[robrob74]

3 hours ago, travel_dude said:

 

I would hardly call this playoff hockey, unless you count the iffy calls.

The penalties didn;t really impact the score, but it shifted the play to defending for too much.

I suppose Tkachuk should really quit that little pop with the glove on.

Needless play.

They missed the rest of the action which was more questionable.

 

3 hours ago, The_People1 said:

Don't want to play VGK when they are fully healthy.  No real holes on their team and they go hard 110% all game non-stop.  We looked good against so many teams this season but we may have just saw our team's limits right here tonight.  VGK is a legit Cup contender once they get Eichel into their lineup.

 

So far, we have no answer to McDavid and VGK is beginning to heat up.  If we are going all in this season then we need to add at least one more difference maker.

 

I think they meant more how tight they play was a playoff kind of game from the VGK. We didn’t play like it was though. They gave almost nothing and our guys didn’t find a way to make space. That’s going to be playoffs.
 

one thing I wonder is the 3 in 4 nights. But either way, good game to assess and hope they grow from it. 

[rocketdoctor]

Knight suffiocated our offence all night.

 

Got to hand it to them they played us really well.

 

Good teaching moment for Sutter to use.

 

Go Flanes Go!

[conundrumed]

3 hours ago, rocketdoctor said:

Knight suffiocated our offence all night.

 

Got to hand it to them they played us really well.

 

Good teaching moment for Sutter to use.

 

Go Flanes Go!

It looked like DeBoer came in with a good plan. We use our D a lot in the o-zone 5-on-5, but the Knights negated that most of the night.

[travel_dude]

5 hours ago, robrob74 said:

 

 

I think they meant more how tight they play was a playoff kind of game from the VGK. We didn’t play like it was though. They gave almost nothing and our guys didn’t find a way to make space. That’s going to be playoffs.
 

one thing I wonder is the 3 in 4 nights. But either way, good game to assess and hope they grow from it. 

 

It's on of those games where a few mistakes cost us the game.  Not that we played well enough to win, but the goalie gave us the chance.  Two goals were from poor line changes, odd man rushes.  The one goal in the 2nd combined with the penalty calls allowed VGK to get momentum.  

 

I'm not going to give any excuses here.  Tired or not, you need to play the same game as you do against Ottawa.  Very little pressure to them on their zone exits.   

[flames-fan-in-jets-land]

10 hours ago, The_People1 said:

Don't want to play VGK when they are fully healthy.  No real holes on their team and they go hard 110% all game non-stop.  We looked good against so many teams this season but we may have just saw our team's limits right here tonight.  VGK is a legit Cup contender once they get Eichel into their lineup.

 

So far, we have no answer to McDavid and VGK is beginning to heat up.  If we are going all in this season then we need to add at least one more difference maker.

Quite the drastic reaction to one loss.  Vegas played a good game, Flames not so much learn from it and move on.

[travel_dude]

Sutter's comments are telling.  He was not concerned about the effort, except in the individual battles and pace.

 

I will agree on some things I saw.

Pace - not generating speed through the N zone, too long at breaking out.

Battles - lost too many individual ones.  Giving up 2 on 1's is a function of battles.  You lose position, then you are chasing the puck.  Lose a board battle and spend shift defending.

 

 

[jjgallow]

11 hours ago, The_People1 said:

Don't want to play VGK when they are fully healthy.  No real holes on their team and they go hard 110% all game non-stop.  We looked good against so many teams this season but we may have just saw our team's limits right here tonight.  VGK is a legit Cup contender once they get Eichel into their lineup.

 

So far, we have no answer to McDavid and VGK is beginning to heat up.  If we are going all in this season then we need to add at least one more difference maker.

 

[travel_dude]

Some words about faceoff:

 

Ruzicka won 5/7

Backlund won 12 of 18

Monahan won 4 of 14

Richardson won 1 of 1

Lindholm won 14 of 25.

 

Easy to see that Ruzicka can win draws.  He plays primarily on C.

Not sure what Richardson did last night, but overall the line was brutal.

When you are on the road, you lose the matchup battle when your 4th line isn't able to stay above water.

[pikey7883]

I didn’t get to watch the whole game. But how did Ruzicka do? It looked like he was forechecking hard from what I saw? I will stand by my point that I really want to see him with Mang. 

[pikey7883]

1 hour ago, jjgallow said:

 

Is this you saying you’re on board to get Kane? Lol

[travel_dude]

9 minutes ago, pikey7883 said:

I didn’t get to watch the whole game. But how did Ruzicka do? It looked like he was forechecking hard from what I saw? I will stand by my point that I really want to see him with Mang. 

 

I saw a few really good plays by him, but the line as a whole was getting owned.

If he's a better C than LW, then give him a LW and RW that can compete.

 

Lucic-Ruzicka-Dube might be alright, but then we have no LW for Backlund.

About one winger short.

Pitlick is injured.

I think BT is looking at the next F from Stockton.

Would Pelletier-Ruzicka-Dube really be any worse than what we have seen?

Or even Dube (RW) with Backlund and Lucic-Ruzicka-Pelletier?

[conundrumed]

27 minutes ago, pikey7883 said:

I didn’t get to watch the whole game. But how did Ruzicka do? It looked like he was forechecking hard from what I saw? I will stand by my point that I really want to see him with Mang. 

I thought his compete level wasn't looking like taking advantage of getting a shot. Fumbled the puck a lot and fared less than average at winning puck battles. Likely playing nervous, trying not to be a problem rather than making a difference. He's always been good on faceoffs. Got a shift with JG-Chuk after Lindy worked the PK. Woulda been nice to see something happen but he was bumbling the puck still. Ice looked pretty crap, lotsa bouncing pucks.

[travel_dude]

1 hour ago, conundrumed said:

I thought his compete level wasn't looking like taking advantage of getting a shot. Fumbled the puck a lot and fared less than average at winning puck battles. Likely playing nervous, trying not to be a problem rather than making a difference. He's always been good on faceoffs. Got a shift with JG-Chuk after Lindy worked the PK. Woulda been nice to see something happen but he was bumbling the puck still. Ice looked pretty crap, lotsa bouncing pucks.

 

Why is it we tend to suffer with bad ice, yet the home team is able to get stuff going?

This isn't the first case of crap ice.

And it's probably game #2 where we struggled in the N zone.

First one being Dallas.

 

[jjgallow]

2 hours ago, pikey7883 said:

Is this you saying you’re on board to get Kane? Lol

 

[The_People1]

2 hours ago, pikey7883 said:

I didn’t get to watch the whole game. But how did Ruzicka do? It looked like he was forechecking hard from what I saw? I will stand by my point that I really want to see him with Mang. 

 

2 hours ago, conundrumed said:

I thought his compete level wasn't looking like taking advantage of getting a shot. Fumbled the puck a lot and fared less than average at winning puck battles. Likely playing nervous, trying not to be a problem rather than making a difference. He's always been good on faceoffs. Got a shift with JG-Chuk after Lindy worked the PK. Woulda been nice to see something happen but he was bumbling the puck still. Ice looked pretty crap, lotsa bouncing pucks.

 

Yes exactly, Ruzicka fumbled the puck a lot.  Several times failed to receive a clean pass.  Puck just bounced off his stick and away.  Unforced errors/turnovers.  Generally, just a waste of time.  

[travel_dude]

11 minutes ago, The_People1 said:

 

 

Yes exactly, Ruzicka fumbled the puck a lot.  Several times failed to receive a clean pass.  Puck just bounced off his stick and away.  Unforced errors/turnovers.  Generally, just a waste of time.  

The 4th line was a mess.

I can think of at least one pass that went off his skates, while he was streaking up the right side.

He's a C, not a RW or LW.  

 

It's best to use a top 6 type player in at least the middle 6.

4th line with Richardson wasn't a great idea.

It seems Ruzi was used for his faceoffs, so I don't even know if he was C or just took draws.