At Classic Sniper (still can't quote):
Q: Why doesn't the opponent get any credit in all of this?
A: Flames played a lousy Vancouver team that was reeling with a terrible start to the year, rumours about a GM getting fired, etc. Vancouver were not good, yet seemed to neutralize the team fairly effectively. Oilers - a terrible defensive team both on paper and on the ice (just look at their shots against and underlying metrics), and yet they were still able to basically neuter Calgary's offence. You are seeing different teams doing this to Calgary now. I would agree to give the opposing teams more credit than I am, but at the end of the day, this is a pattern that the Flames are going through, and this pattern stretches back for a while now. It is just getting worse.
As for Ward not wanting to break out slowly? No, I disagree here too. You can see it when the Flames take control of the puck in their own zone. SOMETIMES you will see a stretch pass attempt, but rarely do you see a fast break-out. Flames corral the puck, pass D to D, then to F, then to D again... It isn't the other team doing a great job hustling back, it is the Flames not attacking with speed the instant they get control of the puck.
Every team has bad games and bad stretches. Maybe you are right and this isn't the way Ward wants to play. I guess we will see this play out for a while longer and get a larger sample size. I, however, am convinced that what we see in terms of the breakout IS what Ward wants to happen. I hope I am proven wrong, or that Ward changes things up considerably - I will be happy with either as long as the Flames start attacking with more speed again and actually look interesting to watch again.
They enter too slowly to break the trap. Flames need to just mix it up more. Yes, not every time they take control of the puck can they just go out and attack - they could be tired and in need of a line change, or most of the opposing team is already playing it safe and are getting into position by then. There are different ways to break the trap - heck, lots of set plays, like firing the puck unexpectedly behind the red line and having a forward already racing to beat the icing. Try short passes, try stretch passes, dump and chase - but the problem is that the Flames are too often allowing the other team to get into position. That's not exactly my point.
My point is if the Flames are intent on coming out as a 5 man unit every time they take possession of the puck, then the opposing team has the relative luxury of getting set on defence, including trap hockey. The most effective way to beat the trap, is to attack before they are set. Confusion is what causes defensive breakdowns the most regularly, which leads to better scoring chances. Don't want to confuse your opponent? Then you better out-skill them - and that's whey you see players trying to dangle through too many players. Outwork them is fine too - but it is a tough deal to work that hard all season, especially when you are playing every other night with some back-to-backs interspersed throughout.
They don't always need to beat the trap. They just need to turn around and head the other way before the other team sets up the trap. That's most of my point.
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