Canucks 5 Flames 1

[Bingo]

http://www.calgarypuck.com/2013/02/the-return-of-defensive-scrambling-costs-calgary/

[ricardodw]

This is what we can expect against the better teams that are bigger and more physical than the Flames.

The Flames have the talent to compete but talent but the total lack of a physical presence means that the Flames have to be near perfect on moving the puck out of their zone and can expect the other team to be skating hard to make contact.

[Cheese]

It was very apparent from the opening whistle that the Flames didnt have it last night. The Canucks are simply a MUCH better team, bigger, faster and more talented. The Flames need to play a perfect defensive game to have a shot at beating this club, and they were far from it last night.

[Tinordi]

Flames were injured while the canucks were playing with their opening night roster too.

When Kesler gets back they'll be all that much more dangerous.

[edslunch]

I thought Irving looked OK but we need better than ok. Maybe none of the goal were his fault but you need your goalie to save a few he has no business saving

[Goodlad]

I thought Irving looked OK but we need better than ok. Maybe none of the goal were his fault but you need your goalie to save a few he has no business saving

He did save a few he had no business saving. I don't think you can put this one on Irving at all.

[edslunch]

No I'm not putting the blame on Irving, I just think he performed like a backup not a starter which concerns me going forward.

[Stay Golden]

This is what we can expect against the better teams that are bigger and more physical than the Flames.

The Flames have the talent to compete but talent but the total lack of a physical presence means that the Flames have to be near perfect on moving the puck out of their zone and can expect the other team to be skating hard to make contact.

We need a 4th line that plays like a tough 4th line.
There are only a few Flames players that are even willing to play physical forwards and D men.
Feaster seems to have forgot you need a physical element also.
This is after all NHL hockey.

[c.t.ner]

He did save a few he had no business saving. I don't think you can put this one on Irving at all.

Totally agree. Irving pretty much kept them in the game till the break down in the Second and until the first goal in the third. The kick save in the first and another huge save at the beginning of the second, were pretty strong. There really isn't much that can be blamed on Iriving last night, it's not like he caused a penalty 10 seconds after the first Canucks goal and then left Schroieder alone infront on the redirect.

The Flames were technically in this game for 50% of last night and all of that had to do with Iriving's play. Let's see how Iriving does against a strong Minnesota team before everyone starts pointing fingers at him.

Blaming Irving for this loss is like blaming the QB when your receivers and running backs keep fumbling the ball.

[kyuss275]

I would add the entire 1st unit as the goat. Iggy, Tangs, Glencross were just as bad as Bouw and Gio when going against Vancouvers top line.

[Flash Walken]

He did save a few he had no business saving. I don't think you can put this one on Irving at all.

He made some big saves when the game was close, and then more to keep the game close.

Tough night to be a flame goalie.

[Super-Rye]

We need a 4th line that plays like a tough 4th line.
There are only a few Flames players that are even willing to play physical forwards and D men.
Feaster seems to have forgot you need a physical element also.
This is after all NHL hockey.

A physical fourth line won't do much because you can't really put them out there against other teams top 6. Flames lack a physical player or 2 in their top 9.

It was one bad game by the team. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt here because they have played pretty well against some pretty good opponents. If they come out and lay a stinker against the Wild then we may have an issue but I expect them to rebound on Monday.

[ComixZone]

...we can talk in circles all day long about who is to blame that was in the lineup last night - but the reality is we lost because of who wasn't.

The Flames don't have a 1st or 2nd line centre when the entire roster is healthy, and until that is addressed, we won't be a good team. It's nice to see efforts like the ones against Chicago and Detroit (and they should be the norm), but the important wins won't come until we have two legit top end centers.

You can't win anything of importance in the NHL without having (at least) two top end centers.

[Goodlad]

I would add the entire 1st unit as the goat. Iggy, Tangs, Glencross were just as bad as Bouw and Gio when going against Vancouvers top line.
Part of the reason the Flames have such a hard time in that building is AV knows Iginla's line does horribly matched against the Sedins and looks for that matchup every chance he gets. I think that's why Hartley started trying to double shift Iggy to get him away from them.

[hayduke's dad]

Good write up. I thought Irvine played as well as he could given the effort of the team in front of him. Actually thought the 4th line played well. the game i watched doesn't match the 34 - 31 shot count in favour of the Flames. Vancouver was all over the Flames all night.

All said and done before the road trip I think we all would have been happy with 4 out of 6 points on the road. Just not good that the horrible game was against the Casucks.

[Jake]

He did save a few he had no business saving. I don't think you can put this one on Irving at all.

I agree, but I don't think you can give him a game star either!

[sa226]

...we can talk in circles all day long about who is to blame that was in the lineup last night - but the reality is we lost because of who wasn't.

The Flames don't have a 1st or 2nd line centre when the entire roster is healthy, and until that is addressed, we won't be a good team. It's nice to see efforts like the ones against Chicago and Detroit (and they should be the norm), but the important wins won't come until we have two legit top end centers.

You can't win anything of importance in the NHL without having (at least) two top end centers.

I think for this reason Tanguay will be forcefully converted to a center whether he likes it or not.

Their historical success together aside, I would like to see Tanguay and Iginla separated. When Iginla was dominant it made sense, but now it just doesn't. Iginla is still a good player, but he can't do it all on his own like he used to.

Id like to see Tanguay between Hudler and Cervenka and Stajan with Iginla and Cammaleri.

Glencross has been atrocious so put him on an energy line with Street and Stempniak.

[KOgear]

Yeah I'm not sure what's wrong with glencross this year, maybe he's playing too many minutes? Looks a lot slower and less involved than he was last year.

[edslunch]

I agree, but I don't think you can give him a game star either!

That would be my point too. All goalies are called upon to keep their teams in the game at some point. Irving did this and had a decent game, but not a great game. A great game would be saving 2 or 3 of the goals, which good goalies do on occasion. Not disappointed in him, not blaming him, but the Flames will need him to be better than average if Kipper is out any length.

[Vulcan]

He made some big saves when the game was close, and then more to keep the game close.

Tough night to be a flame goalie.

Yeah, I thought he was challenging the shooter much better than in the BJ game. He looked good just didn't have the support.

As for Iginla, this is not news but he's no longer a power forward, he's a perimeter player. It just takes a game like this to remind me of the fact. In fact he's starting to remind me of Huselius. Now I don't blame him, his career will probably last a lot longer this way, but man do we need someone to play a little tough.

[ComixZone]

I find it hard to blame Glencross. He has 6 points (4g, 2a) in 9 games - for a 3rd/2nd line winger who makes 2.55m he's performing to the level he should be.

It's hard to overcome the lack of NHL quality top-6 centers. Players that fill the centre spot on lines 1 and 2 help make their wingers better due to puck distribution and defensive zone coverage - and we very simply don't have the players to fill those positions.

Iginla, Cammalleri and Kiprusoff are the only three players not living up to their expectations in my eyes. Kipper is a goalie, they're always hard to understand - but for two shooters/finishers, Iginla and Cammalleri's struggles are quite easily understood.

Iginla is a year older and can't dominate the other team single handily anymore - so the lack of a playmaking centre crushes the quality of his scoring chances (alongside some bad shooting % of course, but I think the two are quite closely linked).

Cammalleri needs someone to get him the puck in his wheelhouse. He's a finisher, and is paid to be...yes it would be nice if he was a better all around player and could generate his own chances more often, but that's simply not the player he is or ever was.

[killer_carlson]

Anyone think Cammalerri is feeling lingering cobwebs from that puck to the face right before camp?

I think he had a concussion and came back too early.

[AC]

Anyone think Cammalerri is feeling lingering cobwebs from that puck to the face right before camp?

I think he had a concussion and came back too early.
It's entirely possible, he did that exact thing last season.

Took that Jokinen slapshot to the head in Anaheim on March 2nd, but played in Dallas the following game on the 4th. Then sat out 9 straight games.

So he may have tried to simply play through it.

It's too bad he's out at the moment though, he was starting to look really good again. 3 assists in Detroit, that wicked onetimer off the post vs Chicago, and created that Backlund goal vs Edmonton.

I know he's become a whipping boy of sorts here lately, but I really like his game and think his creativity and presence on the powerplay makes a big difference alone. The defending PK has to adjust when he and Iggy are both legitimate scoring threats with their onetimers. It opens up a lot of room for the remaining Flames.

[Trailer Fire]

That was my snagging suspicion too. Maybe this hip pointer is a blessing in disguise? Pointers aren't a chronic issue are they? Like you get one and your next one is easier?

[killer_carlson]

Ive been worried he was going to get drilled again or a more serious injury because of how he looks out there. The time off with a hip pointer is actually a good thing in my mind.

I think the time off will help and i think he will be back to theplayer we expect when he returns