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Calgary4LIfe · 02-26-2021, 02:27 PM

At this point, I am 100% ok with firing Ward and letting Ray Edwards finish off the year if the Flames aren't willing to hire a new coach (or if they don't see any strong candidate).

This team is dying. They have gone from beyond 'looking confused' and are entering 'listless' mode.

This is going to be too deep of a hole to climb out of in the next 2 weeks, and I don't think for an instant that a new coach being hired will instantly turn this team around. There is more than likely going to be an adjustment period if a new coach comes in and adjusts the system, adjusts the lines, and figures out who on his team is capable of what and where and how they should be playing.

I am 100% confident that Ward is NOT the guy. Coaches have the biggest footprint on the team - that's why a lot of players blossom with a change of scenery, and others fall on their face with a change of scenery. I want to get rid of a coach who is not the guy so that this team can better evaluate their own roster and start making intelligent moves, instead of grasping at straws in the dark.

Ideally you get a coach like Sutter who is usually fantastic at managing the bench (I honestly can't think of a better bench manager of the top of my head). He is also fairly good at smelling out the rot in a lineup himself, and seeing which guys are not giving it a full effort (just ask Conroy and Iginla).

I think Lebrun said it best after the Julien firing - he saw that Montreal team not as lazy, but just confused. I don't see the Flames' players being lazy here - though tough to judge that last 3rd period. I noticed the players playing hard right through the end in the Edmonton blowout. I saw them playing hard in both Toronto games. I think this Ottawa game broke them.

I think this team is confused. Confusion leads to panic and leads to more misplays. They don't seem to either understand what Ward is demanding from them, or they aren't able to execute it. I don't think Ward is so dumb that he is going to try and implement that terrible of a system that ends up looking like this when it is working properly - so I am assuming the disconnect is at the understanding level, or the execution level. Either way, I think this team looks confused, and that's on the coaching staff. You can't have a confused team on the ice - it is your job to make sure that when the team hits the ice, they know the gameplan and structure, and what to do out there. This team doesn't seem to know that.

But hey, I also think that if you have a lazy team, it is also the coach's fault too. At some point, whomever has it in their head to be lazy and has put a number of low-effort shifts without consequence, is no longer to blame. Coach didn't deal with it appropriately.

Get a new coach - someone with experience please - and start identifying BETTER with what this roster needs, and which (if any) players are the problem. I don't think this is happening under Ward, and any significant changes in the off-season could end up being educated guesses, or change for the sake of change. At that point, you are just hoping for luck, rather than actually trying to be good.

Maybe everything above is wrong. That's ok. What I am about to write isn't:

Flames seem like the most boring team to watch, and there is no silver lining here - they are losing while providing much less entertainment than any other team I have watched so far this season, including Ottawa.

Flames have a point percentage of .471 - good for 5th in the division. The next directly ahead of them is at .579, and just fired their coach. They are 3-5-2 in their last 10, and Flames are 4-5-1. The expectations on their team was to be better than what they have been. The Flames have scored the least amount of goals in the division (Ottawa has 6 more goals scored than Calgary) - offensively they have been challenged, and it seems to be getting worse. Defensively, their GA isn't great - Markstrom and Rittich have been exceptional, but they can't stop it all, and the Flames are not helping them in the least. Every team above them is positive on the goal differential - Montreal being the worst at -6, even with Price going sub .900 this season. Flames? -10.

Flames are now 20th in the league in points, and 23rd in P% (lots of teams have games on hand over the Flames). Good news is, the Flames are tracking for a high pick this year!

Things are looking like they are getting worse. Anybody have any silver linings that they want to share?

I feel sorry for two players here - Markstrom and Rittich. They have had very little support. If you continue asking both of these goalies to make these 10 bell saves stretching out side to side all the time, they are going to both get worn out and injured.

I am not just blaming Ward. This team lost its' swagger. When I see 3 or 4 Vancouver players during that series standing there (Horvat,Pearson, forgot who the others were) and chirping Markstrom between whistles, and I see ZERO Flames players getting in their face, or at least stepping in between them and your star goalie who is the only reason that Ottawa has a worse record than you - you have a team problem.

I may not know who the right guy is to coach this team, but based on the answers he gives post-game, plus with the 'answers' with his roster decisions, line-decisions, who he throws on the ice at what times, and how this team is actually looking worse and worse as the games continue, it really seems to me that Ward doesn't have any answers. Based on what I have seen so far, and how he has managed this roster, I think he should be let-go. If the Flames don't have a candidate, I am perfectly fine with letting one of Gelinas, Edwards or Huska coach this team for however long it takes to find a replacement. Why? I can't imagine it would get much worse, and hopefully then it would at least be slightly less painfully boring to watch.

Preferably, Treliving likes someone out there that is actually, you know... capable? Then you can start the process of working back up the standings, and figuring out which players you should keep, which players are expendable, and which players you HAVE to get rid of. Don't do this blind. If you try to fix both at the same time in the off-season, you are doing it at least half-blind.

02-26-2021, 02:27 PM	#831
Calgary4LIfe Franchise Player Join Date: Jun 2010 Exp:	At this point, I am 100% ok with firing Ward and letting Ray Edwards finish off the year if the Flames aren't willing to hire a new coach (or if they don't see any strong candidate). This team is dying. They have gone from beyond 'looking confused' and are entering 'listless' mode. This is going to be too deep of a hole to climb out of in the next 2 weeks, and I don't think for an instant that a new coach being hired will instantly turn this team around. There is more than likely going to be an adjustment period if a new coach comes in and adjusts the system, adjusts the lines, and figures out who on his team is capable of what and where and how they should be playing. I am 100% confident that Ward is NOT the guy. Coaches have the biggest footprint on the team - that's why a lot of players blossom with a change of scenery, and others fall on their face with a change of scenery. I want to get rid of a coach who is not the guy so that this team can better evaluate their own roster and start making intelligent moves, instead of grasping at straws in the dark. Ideally you get a coach like Sutter who is usually fantastic at managing the bench (I honestly can't think of a better bench manager of the top of my head). He is also fairly good at smelling out the rot in a lineup himself, and seeing which guys are not giving it a full effort (just ask Conroy and Iginla). I think Lebrun said it best after the Julien firing - he saw that Montreal team not as lazy, but just confused. I don't see the Flames' players being lazy here - though tough to judge that last 3rd period. I noticed the players playing hard right through the end in the Edmonton blowout. I saw them playing hard in both Toronto games. I think this Ottawa game broke them. I think this team is confused. Confusion leads to panic and leads to more misplays. They don't seem to either understand what Ward is demanding from them, or they aren't able to execute it. I don't think Ward is so dumb that he is going to try and implement that terrible of a system that ends up looking like this when it is working properly - so I am assuming the disconnect is at the understanding level, or the execution level. Either way, I think this team looks confused, and that's on the coaching staff. You can't have a confused team on the ice - it is your job to make sure that when the team hits the ice, they know the gameplan and structure, and what to do out there. This team doesn't seem to know that. But hey, I also think that if you have a lazy team, it is also the coach's fault too. At some point, whomever has it in their head to be lazy and has put a number of low-effort shifts without consequence, is no longer to blame. Coach didn't deal with it appropriately. Get a new coach - someone with experience please - and start identifying BETTER with what this roster needs, and which (if any) players are the problem. I don't think this is happening under Ward, and any significant changes in the off-season could end up being educated guesses, or change for the sake of change. At that point, you are just hoping for luck, rather than actually trying to be good. Maybe everything above is wrong. That's ok. What I am about to write isn't: Flames seem like the most boring team to watch, and there is no silver lining here - they are losing while providing much less entertainment than any other team I have watched so far this season, including Ottawa. Flames have a point percentage of .471 - good for 5th in the division. The next directly ahead of them is at .579, and just fired their coach. They are 3-5-2 in their last 10, and Flames are 4-5-1. The expectations on their team was to be better than what they have been. The Flames have scored the least amount of goals in the division (Ottawa has 6 more goals scored than Calgary) - offensively they have been challenged, and it seems to be getting worse. Defensively, their GA isn't great - Markstrom and Rittich have been exceptional, but they can't stop it all, and the Flames are not helping them in the least. Every team above them is positive on the goal differential - Montreal being the worst at -6, even with Price going sub .900 this season. Flames? -10. Flames are now 20th in the league in points, and 23rd in P% (lots of teams have games on hand over the Flames). Good news is, the Flames are tracking for a high pick this year! Things are looking like they are getting worse. Anybody have any silver linings that they want to share? I feel sorry for two players here - Markstrom and Rittich. They have had very little support. If you continue asking both of these goalies to make these 10 bell saves stretching out side to side all the time, they are going to both get worn out and injured. I am not just blaming Ward. This team lost its' swagger. When I see 3 or 4 Vancouver players during that series standing there (Horvat,Pearson, forgot who the others were) and chirping Markstrom between whistles, and I see ZERO Flames players getting in their face, or at least stepping in between them and your star goalie who is the only reason that Ottawa has a worse record than you - you have a team problem. I may not know who the right guy is to coach this team, but based on the answers he gives post-game, plus with the 'answers' with his roster decisions, line-decisions, who he throws on the ice at what times, and how this team is actually looking worse and worse as the games continue, it really seems to me that Ward doesn't have any answers. Based on what I have seen so far, and how he has managed this roster, I think he should be let-go. If the Flames don't have a candidate, I am perfectly fine with letting one of Gelinas, Edwards or Huska coach this team for however long it takes to find a replacement. Why? I can't imagine it would get much worse, and hopefully then it would at least be slightly less painfully boring to watch. Preferably, Treliving likes someone out there that is actually, you know... capable? Then you can start the process of working back up the standings, and figuring out which players you should keep, which players are expendable, and which players you HAVE to get rid of. Don't do this blind. If you try to fix both at the same time in the off-season, you are doing it at least half-blind.