Senators @ FLAMES - Thursday 13 January 2022

[pikey7883]

I think we were better than them in the first (or most of it), and Murray made some clutch saves. If one of those goes in, I think a lot more go in, because we play like a tidal wave, one goes in momentum builds and the flames can come in waves. If they’re stopped early, they can’t seem to get the momentum going. And then the two give aways we’re a dagger early. 
When things are going well for a team, the good can usually hide the bad, when things are going badly for a team, the weak links get exploited, and last night IMO we saw Zad and Ritchie get exposed a couple times. They weren’t the only ones with bad games, they just show they’re true colours when the others aren’t playing up to snuff. 

[robrob74]

5 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

Think you may be reading too much into this game.

We completly outplayed them the last time.

This was a pisspoor effort with mistakes made like this was game 1 of the season.

Lucic summed it up for this game.

Can't be letting in the first shot, not blaming anyone in particular.

The turnovers can't happen.

 

The why is much harder to digest.

But I think the COVID impact is unique to our team in the way it happened.

Every player but 2 got it or tested positive, so there was no remaining team to carry on.

Most teams had 5 or 6 and counted on the rest of the team to carry on.

We cancelled, then the NHL cancelled 50% fan games for some stupid reason.

So, while most teams were able to carry on with less regular players and less cancelled games, we had zero players.

 

We come out of the block slow after stopages.

Oilers game was bad.

SEA and CHI were lucky to play such a bad team.

We have had no flow to games being played.

 

Regardless, the goalies need to be better if the team is struggling.

The D was bad, but blame the breakout on two goals.

A stupid pass by Tkachuk caued a bad decision by Ras.

But Markstrom needs to stop that.

Essentially it was a weak 5 hole.

so when do we end the whole can’t be reading into the one game thing? We played 3 of the best teams in the league and lost  3 in a row and made the same mistakes. When we make mistakes, for some reason, this team gets scored on when they do. They played (less) mistake-free hockey when they were winning. But they’re making mistakes and losing a lot. When is it just one game or a regular thing. Before the teams’ Covid break they were already showing this play. We can keep making excuses for them or we can call a spade a spade.

 

Ottawa just had more than a week off too, and they came to play.

[jjgallow]

11 minutes ago, robrob74 said:

so when do we end the whole can’t be reading into the one game thing? We played 3 of the best teams in the league and lost  3 in a row and made the same mistakes. When we make mistakes, for some reason, this team gets scored on when they do. They played (less) mistake-free hockey when they were winning. But they’re making mistakes and losing a lot. When is it just one game or a regular thing. Before the teams’ Covid break they were already showing this play. We can keep making excuses for them or we can call a spade a spade.

 

Ottawa just had more than a week off too, and they came to play.

 

I am personally waiting until a couple weeks before the trade deadline to shoot my mouth off to any extent.

 

They have admittedly been surprisingly good this year and for that reason it's just not right to criticise them at this time imho,   I'm not reading too much into their first successful 30 games, so I'm in no position to read into their last 3.

 

We are starting to enter the serious half of the year.  Less whistles, more physical play, higher tempos, less open ice.   It has, historically, not been kind to the Flames, and when they do make the playoffs, this is most notably demonstrated.

 

But talk is talk and play is play.   They have had a great 30 games.   So yeah...  

 

For me, it's all about the trade deadline, and the off-season (in terms of actionable assessments).     We can hope they keep surprising us and look like a contender at the trade deadline.   IF they do surprise us, then, they need to surprise us in the playoffs.   Should those two surprises happen then I'll need to feverishly delete my last 5 years of posts before anyone sees them 

[travel_dude]

1 hour ago, robrob74 said:

so when do we end the whole can’t be reading into the one game thing? We played 3 of the best teams in the league and lost  3 in a row and made the same mistakes. When we make mistakes, for some reason, this team gets scored on when they do. They played (less) mistake-free hockey when they were winning. But they’re making mistakes and losing a lot. When is it just one game or a regular thing. Before the teams’ Covid break they were already showing this play. We can keep making excuses for them or we can call a spade a spade.

 

Ottawa just had more than a week off too, and they came to play.

 

I'm really talking about a team that has a history of not coming out of break well.  We played well when we had 5 games in 7 nights or B2B.  Start of the season we came out bad.  Took some time to get the flow.  Maybe teams like Ottawa take it better because they are young whippersnappers.  Or maybe we get too used to home life and can't get the kid's schooling issues out of our heads.

 

I can't for the life of me figure out why our mistakes end up in the net every freakin' time.  Hanifin trips, it's in the net.  Backlund blows the exit, it's in the net.  Ritchie tips it to a SEN and it's in the net.  Matty passes to nobody, it's in the net.  I thought we were past that where our goalies could make a save when we needed one.  Vladar was gold, until the chances mounted up and he couldn't hold the fort.    

[jjgallow]

3 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

I'm really talking about a team that has a history of not coming out of break well.  We played well when we had 5 games in 7 nights or B2B.  Start of the season we came out bad.  Took some time to get the flow.  Maybe teams like Ottawa take it better because they are young whippersnappers.  Or maybe we get too used to home life and can't get the kid's schooling issues out of our heads.

 

I can't for the life of me figure out why our mistakes end up in the net every freakin' time.  Hanifin trips, it's in the net.  Backlund blows the exit, it's in the net.  Ritchie tips it to a SEN and it's in the net.  Matty passes to nobody, it's in the net.  I thought we were past that where our goalies could make a save when we needed one.  Vladar was gold, until the chances mounted up and he couldn't hold the fort.    

 

the 2nd half of the season is historically a big learning curve for new goalies.  The whole game changes in ways that take adjusting to.  The shot types they face change.   Vladar has shown what he can do when he is on top of his game, and at his age this should mean a lot.  I will be absolutely PO'd if he gets blackballed as so many times has happened here in the past.   Let him work through it, build up that experience, work on consistency and one day he's going to make a huge difference in this organization.  I don't know if that's as a starter or backup but the potential is all there.

[sak22]

1 hour ago, robrob74 said:

so when do we end the whole can’t be reading into the one game thing? We played 3 of the best teams in the league and lost  3 in a row and made the same mistakes. When we make mistakes, for some reason, this team gets scored on when they do. They played (less) mistake-free hockey when they were winning. But they’re making mistakes and losing a lot. When is it just one game or a regular thing. Before the teams’ Covid break they were already showing this play. We can keep making excuses for them or we can call a spade a spade.

 

Ottawa just had more than a week off too, and they came to play.

No team has played less home games, I don't know if any other team will make their 4th trip to play the opposing conference and play all road games in that conference before the midway point of the season.  How many teams have had over 20 cases at once, or a had a 19 day break.  I don't know the comparable teams that have endured all of that, maybe we wait until we are actually at the midway point and see if there is actually some normalcy to their schedule before calling spades.

[redfire11]

You call a spade a spade early and often. You hold back you will be held back

[robrob74]

5 minutes ago, redfire11 said:

You call a spade a spade early and often. You hold back you will be held back

What do you mean? 
 

Although, I said what i said. I’m sure Sutter is calling a spade a spade and trying to rectify it as best he can with what he has. 
 

it is hard that Mangiapane’s scoring has slowed a bit. Those are the times we need others to step it up. 
 

I also agree that if you take a foot off the gas peddle, chances are you’re going to slow down. 
 

@sak22, I get what you’re saying. And it is a weird schedule for sure. But at the same time, at least we didn’t have a lot of guys off from Covid and this having to play with mixed rosters. We’ve been able to keep the majority of the team together. Albeit, away from home is hard too. There’s also no chance of getting a rhythm on home ice. Old habits are kicking in. I hope to see it change back… 

 

something that also could have happened earlier is that teams could’ve been caught sleeping at the wheel thinking this was the flames team of the past few years. Now teams are onto the whole, you need to work hard to beat the Flames.. I’m ok with that. But it means we have to continue to work hard too.

[cross16]

1 hour ago, sak22 said:

No team has played less home games, I don't know if any other team will make their 4th trip to play the opposing conference and play all road games in that conference before the midway point of the season.  How many teams have had over 20 cases at once, or a had a 19 day break.  I don't know the comparable teams that have endured all of that, maybe we wait until we are actually at the midway point and see if there is actually some normalcy to their schedule before calling spades.

 

The COVID thing is what i'm wondering about. speaking from personal experience I am still experience odd things when i'm working out/playing sports and it's been over a year since I had it. It can be rough on the lungs (in particular your lung capacity) so I'm just wondering if any of that is at play. Sutter seemed to allude to it last night in his comments around Lindholm. 

 

I get some of the comments and themes but i'm not personally seeing it. From my perspective this is not the team that came out of that COVID stuff that went into it. The drop off has been drastic for me. 

[redfire11]

38 minutes ago, robrob74 said:

What do you mean? 
 

Although, I said what i said. I’m sure Sutter is calling a spade a spade and trying to rectify it as best he can with what he has. 

We need to get back to you make mistakes you sit. Backland, Tkachuk, Hanifin, Ritchie, Zadarov should watch a game from the press box (not all at once). Start off with Zad Ritch, Back. Won't help next few games but might turn their season around.

[tmac70]

What we are seeing is a protypical Flames team. Could there be longer effects from Covid, Maybe but we are not the only club that had it, others seem to be fine. This comes down to cheap talk, we have seen what this club could be if and when they are engaged. Sutter made mention of that  emotional engagment has plauqued this organization for years, hell most of us on here could see the same. I question the moxie or drive in the room. Let's look at who has improved the most since Sutter has arrived, JG, Lucic, Kylington and in spurts Lindholm, Mags. Players who have regressed, Anderson, Monahan, Backlund, Hanifin. The facts are Sutter speaks the truth about what it takes to win. His insight to the game is awesome, really what he says is not wrong. This club as we have indicated has had a country club, atmosphere, inapproperiate drafting and developmental and the inabilty to put forth a mind set of what it takes to be a champion, is what is being implied in his pressers. We have an average team that has to play at a pace and structure that is not something these guys are accustom to.