[DeluxeMoustache]

Coaching:
There are a lot of things wrong with the on ice product.

The end result is slow, boring hockey which the players seemingly don’t have confidence in and after long enough, seem to have settled at the point where they don’t like to play it. Predictable, passive, puts little pressure on the opposition, fails to create the outnumbered situations that you need to exploit.

Players without the puck are not finding open ice.

I wrote another post about how they are using the drop pass in a manner that renders it useless ( it’s supposed to get the D to bite and cheat towards where they think the puck carrier may go and thereby create room, but not the way they use it.) It is telegraphed and executed with too much space and at low speed.

I will say as well that the blender usage is idiotic. It’s all been tried at this point and people need to develop chemistry.

It’s like that expression that when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Ward is painting a picture, and instead of a paintbrush, he is using a blender

I read an article where all these wingers talk about playing with Crosby. He would go over plays with them, tell them where he wants them to be, work with them after practice on 2 on 1s and tell them where he wants a pass. He will look at the iPad on the bench and ask guys if they were thinking forehand or backhand

He loved every little detail that gives them a fraction of a second advantage

The Flames show up and have no idea who the heck they are even going to be playing with, much less what their tendencies are going to be.

They are not even trying to do the things that give you those little advantages

I don’t think Ward can blend his way to excellence and that seems to be his only idea


GM: In his own words, everything starts at the top. With him. He hired the coach, accepts and tolerates what is going on. There is not a culture of accountability. He established that very early in his career when he fired Hartley, and it has simmered and grown.


Leadership: Definitely leadership issues.

When Darryl was here, he was the boss. There was no question about it. He had Iggy as a leader, Iggy supported him, but he would still hold Iggy accountable at times

Hartley was demanding but he had high standards, had a culture of accountability and set the tone

I could tell you how each of those teams played, with focus on the positive attributes and the things that worked consistently.

As far as players, I’m sure Gio is a great guy and all

Remember that short period where Jagr showed up? This is a guy with credibility. He told Johnny he could be among the scoring leaders. Even Bennett had his better games under Gully with Jagr. Obviously he commanded respect, although his time was short lived

It seems Ward wants the players all to own things and be empowered. There does not seem to be a leader on the Flames with enough of the right kind of credibility that the players can unite behind, and if there is any rift in the locker room, there has to be something behind which they unify

(Edit: a key part of this leadership strategy involves setting a vision, then when people take the ownership of their piece, making them believe it’s their decision / responsibility, etc. It’s really an important part of the motivation and I don’t see it here. Simple supporting evidence is that they can’t even settle on lines. )

People have talked about Tkachuk being a future captain, and how he drags the team in to the fight. I see that as his potential, he could be a captain one day, but he has to walk the walk, day in day out, produce and earn it. He has been invisible too many nights. That 5 points in 15 playoff games doesn’t cut it either. I admittedly don’t see what happens in the room but don’t get the sense that he has earned the respect that people are going to need for him before he can be that guy


The rest of the things I see as lesser issues.