Quote:
Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper
This isn’t true at all. In fact, after the miserable 5-10-1 start last season where the team was adapting to the new system, the team went 40-23-3. They were a top 10 team after October and were a top 5 defensive team in terms of goals allowed.
If this team was so easy to play against as other teams adapt, then how would you explain the 50+ game point streak when the Flames had a lead after 2. If anything, this team showed that they understand the system and actually played it well.
Everyone just needs to face the facts here. This is an incredibly top heavy team that has relied on their 1 or 2 players to carry this organization for 25+ years now. Back in the Fleury days, then the Iggy and Kipper era and now this season with Gaudreau and Smith.
Anyone who doesn’t believe me, just look at the best streches this team had this season and look at what it coincided with. 7 game win streak in January, 13 points in 7 games from Gaudreau. How about that 7-2 stretch in November, 18 points in 9 games from Gaudreau...that 3 game winning streak in October, 7 points in 3 games from Gaudreau and finally that 3 game winning streak in February, 6 points in 3 games from Gaudreau. We win when Smith gives us great goaltending or when Gaudreau carries this team on his back, just like Iggy and Kipper did a decade ago.
The ultimate demise lf this team this year was that the bottom 6 looked like two 4th lines for most of this season and the Backlund line regressed offensively and big time defensively. Thus sadly, the career years of a few players and some key additions just weren’t enough to make up for the deficits and regression.
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It is not at all uncommon, for pretty much every team ever, that, when on winning streaks, it's because their best players are on a roll. That's how it works.
The 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines all struggled this year (other than Tkachuk). You can argue that is a lack of talent, but many of those players underperformed expectations. So it is pretty easy to argue systems/coaching as well.
The defense, as a group, was considered to be top 5 by almost everyone, and top 3 by many, heading into the season. They are sitting bottom third for production. Maybe they collectively lost their skill. Or maybe the systems sucked.