GDT - Flames @ Jets - January 3 2023 - 6:00PM MT Start

[robrob74]

13 hours ago, travel_dude said:

 

Sutter went on a rant about getting to the net and not always getting shots from the point.

So, now we stopped shooting from the point and have people in front.

Not much point if there is nothing to screen, nothing to deflect.

2 goals scored on Mrkey were screened/tipped.

Most teams score like that.

We won't take the shot.

and when we do it's like a breath of fresh air.

[travel_dude]

1 hour ago, conundrumed said:

While I agree and he's good on the PK, what's the plan to replace him?

I've always liked Lewis but not when it looks like we'll just re-sign him every year when we need to get younger and faster like everyone else is doing.

I guess my point is, where tf are we going with this right now?

Looks stagnant to me, why not inject some youth and try other looks?

We're playing okay, lose 3-2, 2-1, 3-2, 4-3. Is this the way? Or change things up?

Feels like we're fitting a square into a circle. When that doesn't work, fit a circle into a square...never changing the ingredients.

Again, we're a table full of chilli ingredients, but no one wants to experiment that maybe the A has some chocolate, cilantro, spinach, lime to make it a stellar bowl of chilli.

Why try when you've got beef, onions, green peppers, kidney beans and Old El Paso?

Just like the package says.

 

It's not even following the package directions.

It's using your mother's recipe and nobody really likes the taste now.

Most recipes use ingredients not available to your your mom.

 

I'm really frustrated with the team direction.

Hubey, Weegar and Kadri should have turned us into a more consistent team.

I get the mixing of lines to find the right one.

But the things that worked are ignored.

Have a line that works, mess up 4 lines to get a different line working.

Ras is scoring, don't push him to shoot more.

Simple - don't shoot, don't get the PP time, if that's how it has to work.

The PP is a mess.

Nobody wants to shoot, so they just pass it around waiting for someone to shoot.

Nobody encroaches on the net, it just gets passed sideways.

 

Back to Lewis, I was really just softening the stance on him.

Earlier I was ready to demote him.

But, considering he is better than Lucic and can shoot the puck on occasion, he's not the worst.

 

We could ice a line of Pelletier-Zary-Phillips as a 4th line playing 10 minutes.

They would easily get at least a goal per game.

We have top 6 lines that some nights don't even get a sniff.

We have Rosie playing 9 minutes and getting the bench when his line is scored on.

4 other players out there, plus a goalie.

[sak22]

17 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

It's not even following the package directions.

It's using your mother's recipe and nobody really likes the taste now.

Most recipes use ingredients not available to your your mom.

 

I'm really frustrated with the team direction.

Hubey, Weegar and Kadri should have turned us into a more consistent team.

I get the mixing of lines to find the right one.

But the things that worked are ignored.

Have a line that works, mess up 4 lines to get a different line working.

Ras is scoring, don't push him to shoot more.

Simple - don't shoot, don't get the PP time, if that's how it has to work.

The PP is a mess.

Nobody wants to shoot, so they just pass it around waiting for someone to shoot.

Nobody encroaches on the net, it just gets passed sideways.

 

Back to Lewis, I was really just softening the stance on him.

Earlier I was ready to demote him.

But, considering he is better than Lucic and can shoot the puck on occasion, he's not the worst.

 

We could ice a line of Pelletier-Zary-Phillips as a 4th line playing 10 minutes.

They would easily get at least a goal per game.

We have top 6 lines that some nights don't even get a sniff.

We have Rosie playing 9 minutes and getting the bench when his line is scored on.

4 other players out there, plus a goalie.

No they wouldn't and its these types of expectations that would need to be curbed, there isn't a line in the league that gets a goal per game, yet that as a 4th line.  That line looked quite average on Monday night against Abbotsford, there is no way they are going to be consistent producers in a 4th line role in the NHL.  We laughed at Oiler fans who proclaimed Holloway as a Calder frontrunner only to see him fail to succeed in a 4th line role, the Flames do a better job of not worrying about individual trophies so our 4th line actually plays but production in the 4th line will still be limited, whether they will be better can be debated, whether they will produce nightly shouldn't be expected as it is unreasonable.

[travel_dude]

34 minutes ago, sak22 said:

No they wouldn't and its these types of expectations that would need to be curbed, there isn't a line in the league that gets a goal per game, yet that as a 4th line.  That line looked quite average on Monday night against Abbotsford, there is no way they are going to be consistent producers in a 4th line role in the NHL.  We laughed at Oiler fans who proclaimed Holloway as a Calder frontrunner only to see him fail to succeed in a 4th line role, the Flames do a better job of not worrying about individual trophies so our 4th line actually plays but production in the 4th line will still be limited, whether they will be better can be debated, whether they will produce nightly shouldn't be expected as it is unreasonable.

 

Don't confuse Holloway with players that have developed in the AHL.

I am talking about a line that scores a lot.

If you consider that your 4th line as is scores about once every 4 games, then a better faster line scores more.

I am giving them too much by suggesting goal per game, but it's not insane.

Very few teams have a 4th line that is a top AHL line coming in.

Our solution though is to lean towards a beef line.

Ruzicka was over a p/gp until he got buried.

 

ANyway, we all have our biases.

[sak22]

8 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

Don't confuse Holloway with players that have developed in the AHL.

I am talking about a line that scores a lot.

If you consider that your 4th line as is scores about once every 4 games, then a better faster line scores more.

I am giving them too much by suggesting goal per game, but it's not insane.

Very few teams have a 4th line that is a top AHL line coming in.

Our solution though is to lean towards a beef line.

Ruzicka was over a p/gp until he got buried.

 

ANyway, we all have our biases.

They really haven't been together for much of the season.  Games I saw that they were together were the home opener and the last one and both were underwhelming IMO, the games I saw where Phillips centered Zohorna and Pelletier and Zary with Schwindt and Pettersen were much better.  Jankowski and Hathaway were 2/3rds of a great AHL line that got called up and put with Bennett and they had an underwhelming season as a 3rd line so you always gotta take AHL production with a grain of salt, the kids could be better, but will also have a learning curve.  

[cross16]

4 hours ago, conundrumed said:

While I agree and he's good on the PK, what's the plan to replace him?

I've always liked Lewis but not when it looks like we'll just re-sign him every year when we need to get younger and faster like everyone else is doing.

I guess my point is, where tf are we going with this right now?

Looks stagnant to me, why not inject some youth and try other looks?

We're playing okay, lose 3-2, 2-1, 3-2, 4-3. Is this the way? Or change things up?

Feels like we're fitting a square into a circle. When that doesn't work, fit a circle into a square...never changing the ingredients.

Again, we're a table full of chilli ingredients, but no one wants to experiment that maybe the A has some chocolate, cilantro, spinach, lime to make it a stellar bowl of chilli.

Why try when you've got beef, onions, green peppers, kidney beans and Old El Paso?

Just like the package says.

 

I'm actually pretty happy with how the Flames are playing at 5 on 5 and on the PK right now honestly. They've found more pace to them game, D are activating more and I think it's not the passive appraoch we saw earlier in the year. I think the biggest area for improvement is continuing to cut down the goals against. Due to breakdowns and small details they are still giving up a bit too much for my liking but I do like the trend. 

 

The scoring for me comes down to 3 things:

1. Fix your PP. I'm still not sure what the Flames want to accomplish on the PP. Puzzling how they were so good to start the year, made your feel like they were going to be real good and now they look lost. 

2. Need your scorers to start scoring. I think the chances are there and the volume of quality is generally pretty decent. These guys got to start putting the puck in the net. I don't think there is an issue with the system or style of play here. 

3. Non optimal lineup. I agree, Flames need more skill in their lineup and they need more speed/skill in the top 9. I can appreciate that Lucic is consistently in the right spot and I can also appreciate how that is important to players like Huberedeau and Kadri. But it's awfully hard to expect those guys to put up consistently good offensive numbers, or expect them to be a good offensive line if you are putting a player with him who hands are gone and wasn't a great distributer to begin with.