Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
How much does the first three games of this season remind other posters of last year?
2017:
· Game 1 debacle in Edmonton in which not one player other than Smith showed up.
· Game 2 home-opener shaky defensive start against Winnipeg, but culminates in a big win with lots of scoring.
· Game 3 shutout in Anaheim in which Smith was stellar.
2018:
· Game 1 disappointing loss to probably the worst team in the NHL.
· Game 2 home-opener shaky defensive start that culminates in a dominant win.
· Game 3 shutout against a top-five team; Smith was great, but they won also on the strength of a terrific forecheck and balanced attack.
It's a bit eerie, but there are some encouraging differences:
· Most notably, the Flames are playing ALOT faster. and I would add to this that their forecheck has been dynamite most nights.
· I think that while Games 1 and 2 featured a handful of colossal zone-breakdowns, the Flames as a whole have looked generally better and much more poised defensively.
· Perhaps the most encouraging thing to me is the way this team is pushing back: In game 1 after trailing any a couple goals, the Flames mounted a pretty notable pushback. But last night is where I saw this most obviously: in the Game #3 win in Anaheim the Flames crumbled in the third period, and it honestly felt like a bit of a miracle that they escaped the final 10 mins of that game without surrendering a goal. Last night was a completely different story. Nashville made a big push in the second period on the strength of a full 2 min. 5-on-3, but in the third period the Flames came out and carried the play in the first 5–7 mins. I know the numbers show that the Predators had a distinct zone-advantage in the third, but it never felt last night that the Flames were white-knuckling their way to victory with a narrow lead. I think they played pretty smart that whole game.
|
Man I thought GG had the team's pulse with that Jobu business.
I think for me the difference is that results notwithstanding, you have Dube, Valimaki, Andersson and Hanifin making solid contributions at their respective ages. You can lose Hamonic, have a healthy scratch Jankowski and not miss a beat. This team is well built now. If one of the young goalies can push through, it's a long term success waiting to happen.