[Cali Panthers Fan]

My thoughts, without reading 90% of this thread:

The Flames met a team that's constructed similarly to themselves and looks to play a possession and speed game...just like the Flames. What last night came down to was effort. Carolina had it in spades. The Flames looked like they didn't have an extra gear. I've seen the Flames do exactly what the Hurricanes did tonight earlier in the season. They have it in them, they just have to find it again.

Penalties absolutely destroyed any momentum. It's one thing to kill off 1 or 2 penalties in a row, but when you're killing a bunch in a row, the other team gains all the momentum and it's hard to get that back. Discipline has to be MUCH better going forward. Guys need to start getting benched for taking too many penalties. Both Bennett and Tkachuck made boneheaded plays tonight that cost the team, either momentum or an actual goal. Hamilton is taking some lazy penalties at times as well. Those guys need to clean it up ASAP because we can't afford to bench these kinds of players.

The only reason I wouldn't move both Stajan and Brouwer out of the lineup is because of the job they're doing on the PK. Until this team gets more disciplined, we need those guys in the lineup to kill those penalties. Without them, I bet the last few games get really out of hand. Otherwise, those guys are doing very little to help the team. Stajan: 6 games, 0 points, -3. Brouwer: 7 games, 1 point, -4 (team worst), Glass: 6 games, 0 points, -2. Those guys are not doing a good enough job 5 on 5.

I'd be happy if they brought in both Lazar and Familton next game and pulled Glass and Stajan out. Also, time to give Kulak a game. Bartkowski has been ok at times, but also pretty bad at times. Stone needs someone who is a little more reliable as a partner. Let's see if Kulak can get the job done. If Versteeg is out for any length of time, call up Jankowski and give him some time on the 3rd line.

Gaudreau-Monahan-Jagr
Tkachuck(watch those penalties!)-Backlund-Frolik
Jankowski-Bennett(watch those penalties!)-Lazar
Ferland-Familton-Brouwer

IR-Versteeg, Bench-Stajan/Glass

Giordano-Hamilton(watch those penalties!)
Brodie-Hamonic
Kulak-Stone



When you see a team as complacent as the Flames were last night, you have to shake up the lineup. The team needs a different combination of players, if only to get some different energy in the lineup.