I don't feel the Flames are playing the same as last year. If anything it looks like they're playing a different style than before. Not worried, but hope they fine tune and fix a few things.
- Gio and Hamilton pairing doesn't look like it's yielding chemistry. Not sure if it's Hamilton not knowing the system or just poor styles to pair. Add in fact that Gio seems very off, is it the timing that's off? No synergy, both players seem ineffective. Split ASAP please.
- Russell seems like he's pinching more. Unfortunately, it often ends up with the puck going the wrong way, and Wideman not able to catch the faster forwards. Russel needs to stay back as the stay at home D rather than pretend to be Brodie.
- Bottom forwards keep holding the puck longer and then for some unknown reason, try to skate through 3-4 players or ends up getting trapped while being in the O-Zone on his own. Last year, we dumped the puck and changed. Now, we're tiring ourselves out. can't tell if this is a change to increase possession stats, but it's definitely something I don't remember with last year.
- Positioning of players are horrid. They're either in the wrong places or seems to at time get in each other's way. That's super weird.
- Dangerous shots are plentiful. Positioning to eliminate these are really lacking.
- No issues with Ramo and Hiller so far, but they are overcompensating IMO which increases odds of dangerous shots.
- Kulak isn't bad, but is lacking a split second "aggression" I feel like he sometimes gets ready to skate back even if he has successfully poked the puck back to his teammate. Not worried.
- Flames less physical other than Ferland? They fight, sure, but Bouma for instance isn't mowing people down like I remember. Worried he's trying to change to skill from a grinder role.
- We aren't holding the blue line like we did before. Sometimes it looks like 3 guys on O and 2 dudes playing around in the neutral zone. Is this an issue due to the changes or is there some dumb reason the D aren't in as close on the blue line?
I am actually very curious to know if Hartley has changed the system and the whole team is still learning it. A lot of the way we play in the O-Zone for sure looks very different. The D-Zone looks very impatient rather than patiently keeping teams on the perimeter and blocking shots like last season.
I missed the last two games though. Not sure if my observations accurate.
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