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DeluxeMoustache · 02-16-2016, 10:03 PM

Flames special teams are among the very worst in the league. Just wondering what the armchair coaches at CP are seeing as flaws and ways for improvement

PK

Stopping cross seam passes seems like a challenge.

The overall commitment does not seem to be where it was last year. Bouma used to block everything but seems to do a lot less of that now. Maybe there is some other strategy but it clearly isn't effective

They say your goaltender has to be your best penalty killer. This can be true, but there is only so much a goalie can do for cross seam passes that are tap ins. This improved when Ramo found his groove, I thought, if only for a few game stretches at a time. With Hiller, outside of the relief effort in San Jose, I have trouble recalling him being a wall, and have seen deflating goals go in. His blocking style and lack of rebound control require perfect positioning and sharp D who can box out the other team, and the Flames D are not good at this with large skilled opponents

That is the last point. Regehr and Sarich made it miserable to be in the crease. It seems a lot nicer of a place to be this year.

PP
It has improved. Net front presence is always a concern. I think Ferland has tried at times to get in front. If someone blessed him with this mindset and Dave Andreychuk hands we may have something

Here is my one suggestion. Johnny is not as effective on the PP as he could be because of how he is used. Johnny spends a lot of time with the puck on the half boards. I think that Johnny is good in smaller situations - 1 on 1, 2 vs 1, etc., particularly on the rush where the defense is not stationary in a set configuration. But when the other team is set up, and he is on the outside, he is looking to find a good pass, not creating an opportunistic situation by exposing somebody on the other team, because they don't over commit to one individual due to their structure. Most of his goals are scored in tight, and he often is a perimeter PP QB which doesn't leverage his unique ability to maneuver in tight spaces due to his lateral mobility. Sure, he is skilled but he is often not making a difference.

02-16-2016, 10:03 PM	#1
DeluxeMoustache Moustache Join Date: Mar 2010 Exp:	Special Teams - why so bad and how to fix them? Flames special teams are among the very worst in the league. Just wondering what the armchair coaches at CP are seeing as flaws and ways for improvement PK Stopping cross seam passes seems like a challenge. The overall commitment does not seem to be where it was last year. Bouma used to block everything but seems to do a lot less of that now. Maybe there is some other strategy but it clearly isn't effective They say your goaltender has to be your best penalty killer. This can be true, but there is only so much a goalie can do for cross seam passes that are tap ins. This improved when Ramo found his groove, I thought, if only for a few game stretches at a time. With Hiller, outside of the relief effort in San Jose, I have trouble recalling him being a wall, and have seen deflating goals go in. His blocking style and lack of rebound control require perfect positioning and sharp D who can box out the other team, and the Flames D are not good at this with large skilled opponents That is the last point. Regehr and Sarich made it miserable to be in the crease. It seems a lot nicer of a place to be this year. PP It has improved. Net front presence is always a concern. I think Ferland has tried at times to get in front. If someone blessed him with this mindset and Dave Andreychuk hands we may have something Here is my one suggestion. Johnny is not as effective on the PP as he could be because of how he is used. Johnny spends a lot of time with the puck on the half boards. I think that Johnny is good in smaller situations - 1 on 1, 2 vs 1, etc., particularly on the rush where the defense is not stationary in a set configuration. But when the other team is set up, and he is on the outside, he is looking to find a good pass, not creating an opportunistic situation by exposing somebody on the other team, because they don't over commit to one individual due to their structure. Most of his goals are scored in tight, and he often is a perimeter PP QB which doesn't leverage his unique ability to maneuver in tight spaces due to his lateral mobility. Sure, he is skilled but he is often not making a difference.