Fair points by Bingo. Sucks when the results don't come because of mistakes but it seems you're doing the right things to succeed.
They held the Preds to 17 shots, and I think it was just 11 past the midway point of the third. They sheltered Johnson pretty well as good as you could in terms of volume, but the couple chances the Preds got all game they made sure on and instead of a couple quick goals in the first half we got three posts. It happens.
This is the best Flames road team I've seen in some time and the losses that have occurred haven't exactly been convincing ones, or of the embarrassing nature, which shows that even in games where it doesn't go their way, they're still skating with teams.
Can't get too high or low through the ebbs and flows..of which I'm guilty of. I'm sure that before all is said and done the Flames will string another few together while the Oilers and Ducks stumble. Things teeter back and forth like that. The fact that the Flames went from 12 points out to within a game of those teams says a lot about how much they've been able to improve. Even going .500 the rest of the way, they'd still have an excellent overall record since those 15-20 games to start the season. If anything, that initial adjustment period disguises what has been a top end team for much of the year. The important thing will be to not let this slide go beyond 2 or 3 without an answer, because in the playoffs that'll mean you're done.
My biggest concern is the lack of game-breaking skill that the Flames seem to possess sometimes. If they win, they're doing it by committee where a couple different lines will chip in now, which is great. But on nights where much of the team is snake-bit, there doesn't seem to be a guy that can step up and elevate to be a game changer.
Gaudreau has been that at times in his first two seasons, but it seems like when he contributes to goals his pretty plays are working, but he's not doing well at contributing to goals with any boring/simple/effective plays too. Not every goal or set up has to be flashy to work. And it seems that when he can't force a nifty move, he's rendered ineffective this season. In his first couple seasons, he'd cash in on tip ins and simple finishes too. I think we need him and Monahan to just get that puck on net more than make their tic-tac-toe, dipsy doodle plays work all the time. But most importantly, they need to show that finishing ability that they utilized more in their earlier seasons. I think they're still getting outscored by the 3M line and that shows that they can be better.
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