Don Cherry: "Teams were terrified of playing Calgary last year, but not anymore."

[browna]

Fact is, Flames have only one way to generate momentum, and that's if Hudler and JG are clicking.

The rest of the lineup then seems to loosen up, though scoring is pretty sparse this past week or so from most of the other forwards.

There is no energy line, and "intimidating" means more then goons...it means guys who will hit anything that moves, shift after shift, and then when they knock those players off the puck, they can create it...that "scares" other teams. Its guys like Jones tonight who are not easily knocked off the puck (Colborne, here's looking at you), that other defenders dread going against the next shift. It's a cycle game, which involves guys who can posses the puck, and hit, and turn the momentum around in a shift...very rarely this year have you seen a Flames cycle outside of the first line.

The Flames showed a bit more of that last year then this, and when the first line isn't clicking this year, there's no way to get that energy back through a physical game, with the light hitters the Flames have on the roster.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

His style is obsolete. His knowledge isn't. Though he obviously goes overboard at times.

Sorry, when he's saying we need to play people like McGrattan and Westgarth, yes, his knowledge is obsolete. Or at least the way he's applying it.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by nik-

Sorry, when he's saying we need to play people like McGrattan and Westgarth, yes, his knowledge is obsolete. Or at least the way he's applying it.

No sorry, not obsolete. You're free to disagree with him. But calling him obsolete is moronic.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

No sorry, not obsolete. You're free to disagree with him. But calling him obsolete is moronic.

No it's not, it's having awareness that the game has changed and that rolling ogres out there is a good way to get exposed.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by nik-

No it's not, it's having awareness that the game has changed and that rolling ogres out there is a good way to get exposed.

Or... maybe you're just taking his comments too narrowly.

No, my mistake... I am sure you are omniscient in all things hockey.

[nik-]

That's exactly what I'm saying.

I'm not sure why you're getting so pissy. It's ok to like Don Cherry, but lets not get duped into thinking he's at all up to speed with the modern game.

[Enoch Root]

I'm not getting pissy. I'm defending a guy that's getting slandered on here.

It's just like Flames fans whining that TSN hates the Flames. Every time Cherry says anything about physicality, the usual collection of posters are on here calling him irrelevant.

[Finger Cookin]

We need Meeker back on the telestrator to get to the bottom of this. He's got decades of experience, I bet he could parlay his connection to the game to quickly figure out what's not working. If only he could be coaxed out of retirement.

[Finger Cookin]

Flames outhit the Canucks 22-8 tonight, by the way. And we had a fight. I'm glad we used the resulting intimidation to pull out the big win.

[Finger Cookin]

Imagine how much more we would have won by if McGratton dressed! I'm thinking we would have won by 7-15 goals.

[Enoch Root]

Don can lead you guys to water, but he can't make you drink.

[Finger Cookin]

He'd want us to punch it and intimidate it instead.

[Finger Cookin]

"But Don, we'll die if we don't drink!"

"Kid, do you have decades of experience? Now go ROCK AND SOCK that water!"

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

Flames outhit the Canucks 22-8 tonight, by the way. And we had a fight. I'm glad we used the resulting intimidation to pull out the big win.

The Flames' undoing was Van's failure to reciprocate the own goal

[Gilchy]

In this thread I learned that people still take Cherry seriously. I legitimately had no idea. Don't get me wrong, great respect for the man, but his opinions on hockey in 2014 are simply obsolete.

The Flames aren't on a losing streak for any other reason than they are an averagely skilled team in an extremely competitive conference and league.

[Hanna Sniper]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

Flames outhit the Canucks 22-8 tonight, by the way. And we had a fight. I'm glad we used the resulting intimidation to pull out the big win.

Hense why knowledge of the game and being able to watch and asses a game visually is more important then basing you opinion on numbers printed out on paper after the game

I bet you would suggest scouts stay at home and wait for the game summeries to scout prospects rather then watching them play

[Stupid]

Can we not talk about the messenger but about the message permaybe?


I think the flames are playing soft, our confidence is being affected negatively and it's costing us games. We seem to be thinking that moment longer and sometimes we overcompensate and try too hard.

[Huntingwhale]

My Don's better then your Don

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

They're not easy to play against because there's no tough guy in the lineup, they're easy to play against because they're a mentally weak team that folds at the first sign of trouble.

What's weird is that this has not the case for this season including the first few games of this losing streak. "Oh, we're down two goals in the third? We'll just keep working hard and get it back." And often, they did.

Something is different now. We're getting pushed off the puck easily, we're sloppy with our plays, and maybe it's just me, but does anyone else think someone is doing a bad job with the skate sharpener? Just looks like a lot of players are blowing tires out there, and it just so happens to occur at the worst times.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

When people retire they become stupid?

Go ahead - show us you know more about the game than he does.

He knows about as much about the game as the 300+ guys who have coached in the NHL in the last 40 years. His pulpit as an entertainer doesn't make him any more knowledgeable about the game than Terry Crisp or Pierre Page.