Not the worst game to lose. The shot count and flow of the game felt all Flames. Really looked like the reverse of the Hartley playoff season where everything against was in the net and every opportunity the Flames had was walled by the goaltender.
But it's the trend the team takes that is much more concerning. The lack of defence structure or fight in the team certainly is problematic. The former especially since I thought we brought in Gulutzan as a coach with a sense of structure (comparing to Hartley's "collapse and give them the boards").
We knew the Flames were lucky to start off hot because Smith and Monahan/Gaudreau could carry the team. Now that they've returned to earth, they're showing little is backing that. I guess no lessons were learned because the points were there.
Not time to panic and drastically alter the team yet with take drastic measures (fire all coaches, trade important players) but it's veering towards a free fall. Someone with more intimate knowledge of the team needs to diagnose the correct response.
Something needs to give. Line changes, re-designing the defensive structure, call up Mangiapane, hire a hypnotist. Anything. The status quo has a fundamental problem.
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