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Calgary4LIfe · 03-02-2021, 09:52 PM

This is a confused looking team.

I still pin this on Ward, and I really do feel he has to go. The players aren't absolved from this, however, but the first step is Ward (unless you happen to feel that the first step is Treliving - I won't argue).

What's going right on this team?
Goalies - for the most part - have been outstanding, Rittich included.
Tanev - Hanifin have been good for the most part, though they seem unable to generate a lick of offence, they are far from the problem.

However, everyone else at least at one point or another has looked like hot garbage. This is causing the Flames to be:

Weak on offence - they can't generate squat right now
Weak on defence - they look lost in their own zone
Poor transitioning team - simple passes are not working, not getting open, not playing with enough speed, not playing 'heavy' enough, not out-working anyone
Back-checking terribly - lack of effort, and often picking up the wrong assignments
PK was great for a short while - where has it gone?
PP seems to be cooling off too
Aren't even playing very physical
Don't even stick-up for each other like they should

This team looked confused/uncomfortable to start the season. They had games where they looked better for a while, but then have started looking more and more disjointed as the season wore on. They went from looking like they were confused, to shell-shocked, and now they actually look apathetic.

It isn't one player. Pick a game and there have been at most less than a handful of players that I thought had strong games.

Flames are not good at anything consistently enough except their goalies are coming through. That's it. I may be wrong - I hope I am wrong - but I don't see them do anything good out there with any consistency whatsoever.

They really look overwhelmed out there, and it doesn't appear that anyone has any answers. They have games when I think they gave a solid effort, but they end up just chasing the puck. Sustained zone pressure and looking very dangerous, only to make an errant pass, giving the opposing team the better chance. Great zone time, moving the puck well, and then getting off a low-quality shot. Even cross-ice passes that connect are being bobbled, and the player sometimes takes too long to shoot.

It just seems like most things are going wrong right now, and nobody seems to have any real answers.

I think some people sound rather alarmist because I think they see the same things that I have been seeing - nothing really working in any area.

During those long losing streaks under Hartley, Gulutzan and Peters, the Flames showed 'something' through them. They weren't terrible at everything in consecutive games. Sometimes it looked like they were terrible defensively and were cheating too much. Sometimes too careful on defence, and played it too safe. You could see them working on parts of the game and improving, even if results didn't work out. Sometimes in those losing streaks, they would run up against a hot-red goaltender and just lose because of it, while looking like they were dominating in all zones and actually looking like a dangerous team creating dangerous chances.

But this? What is this?

I don't know what I am watching. I have no idea what is wrong. However, it really, really seems to me like Ward doesn't know either, and that's why I want to see a coaching change. You listen to him have zero answers in the post-game briefings. You see this team play so disjointed in every zone.

On top of this, they are so boring to watch. I mean, it isn't usually fun to watch your favourite team lose, and it especially sucks watching them during a losing skid, but this is something different. It just seems like this team has become - overnight I may add - the most boring team in the NHL to watch.

I remember a few weeks ago, the talk was about this team's identity, and trying to figure out what it is. Well, so far:

Easy team to play against. Less and less physical as the games pass. Even when they got blown out, they seemed to just accept it.
Easy to neutralize and defend against.
Easy to maintain zone time and break-down defensively.

That's the team identity right now - the "Boring and easy to play against team". It doesn't seem like they have any answers at all right now.

03-02-2021, 09:52 PM	#1014
Calgary4LIfe Franchise Player Join Date: Jun 2010 Exp:	This is a confused looking team. I still pin this on Ward, and I really do feel he has to go. The players aren't absolved from this, however, but the first step is Ward (unless you happen to feel that the first step is Treliving - I won't argue). What's going right on this team? Goalies - for the most part - have been outstanding, Rittich included. Tanev - Hanifin have been good for the most part, though they seem unable to generate a lick of offence, they are far from the problem. However, everyone else at least at one point or another has looked like hot garbage. This is causing the Flames to be: Weak on offence - they can't generate squat right now Weak on defence - they look lost in their own zone Poor transitioning team - simple passes are not working, not getting open, not playing with enough speed, not playing 'heavy' enough, not out-working anyone Back-checking terribly - lack of effort, and often picking up the wrong assignments PK was great for a short while - where has it gone? PP seems to be cooling off too Aren't even playing very physical Don't even stick-up for each other like they should This team looked confused/uncomfortable to start the season. They had games where they looked better for a while, but then have started looking more and more disjointed as the season wore on. They went from looking like they were confused, to shell-shocked, and now they actually look apathetic. It isn't one player. Pick a game and there have been at most less than a handful of players that I thought had strong games. Flames are not good at anything consistently enough except their goalies are coming through. That's it. I may be wrong - I hope I am wrong - but I don't see them do anything good out there with any consistency whatsoever. They really look overwhelmed out there, and it doesn't appear that anyone has any answers. They have games when I think they gave a solid effort, but they end up just chasing the puck. Sustained zone pressure and looking very dangerous, only to make an errant pass, giving the opposing team the better chance. Great zone time, moving the puck well, and then getting off a low-quality shot. Even cross-ice passes that connect are being bobbled, and the player sometimes takes too long to shoot. It just seems like most things are going wrong right now, and nobody seems to have any real answers. I think some people sound rather alarmist because I think they see the same things that I have been seeing - nothing really working in any area. During those long losing streaks under Hartley, Gulutzan and Peters, the Flames showed 'something' through them. They weren't terrible at everything in consecutive games. Sometimes it looked like they were terrible defensively and were cheating too much. Sometimes too careful on defence, and played it too safe. You could see them working on parts of the game and improving, even if results didn't work out. Sometimes in those losing streaks, they would run up against a hot-red goaltender and just lose because of it, while looking like they were dominating in all zones and actually looking like a dangerous team creating dangerous chances. But this? What is this? I don't know what I am watching. I have no idea what is wrong. However, it really, really seems to me like Ward doesn't know either, and that's why I want to see a coaching change. You listen to him have zero answers in the post-game briefings. You see this team play so disjointed in every zone. On top of this, they are so boring to watch. I mean, it isn't usually fun to watch your favourite team lose, and it especially sucks watching them during a losing skid, but this is something different. It just seems like this team has become - overnight I may add - the most boring team in the NHL to watch. I remember a few weeks ago, the talk was about this team's identity, and trying to figure out what it is. Well, so far: Easy team to play against. Less and less physical as the games pass. Even when they got blown out, they seemed to just accept it. Easy to neutralize and defend against. Easy to maintain zone time and break-down defensively. That's the team identity right now - the "Boring and easy to play against team". It doesn't seem like they have any answers at all right now.