[Fighting Banana Slug]

I think the black and blue quip is really just shorthand for more aggression, to be hard to play against, and dare I say it, truculence. It doesn't mean they need to swap the skill guys for the Charlestown Chiefs.

For me, that means a more effective forecheck when they dump it in. You need speed and size, in my opinion. Once a turnover is created, the Flames need to be much better on the cycle. Bigger, aggressive players will help.

More importantly, on the backend, the team needs to be much more aggressive. They can't play a passive game relying on blocked shots. They get hemmed in for too long, get tired chasing and give up too many quality scoring chances (or any scoring chances given how the goalies played). The D need to engage more. The forwards can't be sent loose on stretch passes. They need to play a more coherent game in their zone.

I used to think the low penalty totals were a good thing, as it showed strong discipline. Now I am not so sure. I think it just means we were way too passive. I used to tell my kid, "action penalties are fine, reaction penalties are no good". I think the same could be said to the Flames.

All of which is to say, the direction from management is important. The message from the coach is important. Even with the exact same team, they can be harder to play against. They can change their style of play.