[Game Takes] Blues 4 Flames 0

[Bingo]

http://www.calgarypuck.com/2015/03/g...es-4-flames-0/

[Property Manager DB]

Thought Elliot deserved first star..

Agree with The Goat

Great Recap, thanks

[hockey.modern]

Please make Raymond a healthy scratch next game

[Hemi-Cuda]

I really doubt 95 points will be the cutoff this year for a playoff spot with the way every other bubble team is playing. If the Flames can't go at least 8-4 over the final games I don't think it'll be enough

[killer_carlson]

Top line looked tired last night. Brodie and Russel looked mentally fatigued as well.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

I really doubt 95 points will be the cutoff this year for a playoff spot with the way every other bubble team is playing. If the Flames can't go at least 8-4 over the final games I don't think it'll be enough

Some of the competing teams have key head to heads but I wouldn't be surprised if the 8th place team needs 97 points as all the teams in the race keep winning even against the best teams in the league as even the Jets handled the Blues last week. The Flames schedule all of a sudden doesn't look so easy with the Avs playing lights out. I would think the Flames will have to win both the games against the Kings and Jets in regulation at the very least to have any shot at making the playoffs.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

Top line looked tired last night. Brodie and Russel looked mentally fatigued as well.

Warrener on the radio is saying that he thinks the extra ice time is catching up with these guys. One wonders if they will have enough in the tank to finish up the season.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Warrener on the radio is saying that he thinks the extra ice time is catching up with these guys. One wonders if they will have enough in the tank to finish up the season.

Exactly.
If there is a non playoff post season epitaph, it likely reads like this.
Wins energize. Philly game is critical.

[442scotty]

We need better goalies or we will never go anywhere far

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Excellent write-up again, Bingo.
I thought the Monahan line really struggled this game. Hardly noticable, although the lack of minutes in the first period was strange. Backlund's line was much better.
The Blues just looked bigger, all night. Tougher forcheck down low on our D, a little more clutch-and-grab which went unpenalized, but I think that is what we will see here on in. It is only one game against an excellent opponent, but this is why the Flames need to be a bit bigger, especially on the back end.

[jaikorven]

^^ sadly I feel the same. Neither seems to be consistent enough and Hartley has been lucky with his starters more often than not. I don't know if that will continue.

[calgarygringo]

Guys maybe starting to get tired. Injured players and having to move people in and out. Not shoot the lights out goal tending. The so called easy schedule we were talking about may not be so easy when you take a closer look at it today. Kings are playing better, jets are hot, Minn is hot, Colorado is starting to play well, and we have St. louis again and a Nashville both top teams. Easy schedule I think is a dream. Hopefully they pull off a bunch of wins but it is not going to be as easy as many were talking a few weeks ago.

[dammage79]

I really think the roster needs more Drew Shore. He could've easily replaced a couple of forwards last night. And if the gas tank is running low for a few players on the back end. Call up Wotherspoon for a shot in the arm to the energy level.

I think adding Poirier into the roster too will help. Subtle changes.

Also, Hiller needs to get the next few starts. He played well last night as I feel he was unintentionally hung out to dry.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Goat = Brodie for the second game in a row in my opinion. Not that I actually feel a goat label is necessary, it's a team game and they win and lose as such, especially this year.

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

I really doubt 95 points will be the cutoff this year for a playoff spot with the way every other bubble team is playing. If the Flames can't go at least 8-4 over the final games I don't think it'll be enough

People seem to say this each year.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by hockey.modern

Please make Raymond a healthy scratch next game

a. Who are you asking? Bingo has power but not that much.

b. I don't necessarily think he shouldn't be the one scratched in favour of Poirier or Shore but what was Raymond's flaw that wasn't the same as the rest of the team?

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

a. Who are you asking? Bingo has power but not that much.

b. I don't necessarily think he shouldn't be the one scratched in favour of Poirier or Shore but what was Raymond's flaw that wasn't the same as the rest of the team?

Yeah I don't get the Raymond hate from last night either. Considering the tight checking play of the Blues I thought he was one of the driving forces in taking the puck into their zone.

Raymond's play causes turn overs. Thats not the issue. It's when his turn overs are so costly that they end up in the Flames net which none of his did last night.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Yeah I don't get the Raymond hate from last night either. Considering the tight checking play of the Blues I thought he was one of the driving forces in taking the puck into their zone.

Raymond's play causes turn overs. Thats not the issue. It's when his turn overs are so costly that they end up in the Flames net which none of his did last night.

Usually his turnovers aer those blind passes in the o-zone everyone hates, which, I agree, don't usually cause a goal. They of course do end the possession.

I responded mainly because these "please do X" posts are a little peeve of mine. Hartley probably doesn't read the thread and if he does he's not going to do anything because someone asked. So why not say "Mason Raymond should be scratched, because..."

It ranks just above "his stick is where plays go to die" as a cliche and saying "we" like the poster is on the team on my peeve list. The latter I've learned to live with because so many people do it. I can even get sucked into doing it.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

People just scour the line up looking for which vet is currently not lighting it up and pick them as the target to suggest "insert young guy I'd like to see" instead.

It's very annoying. If you aren't a first line player and are over the age of 25, you are likely constantly getting questioned by this fan base as to why you are in the line up vs. some guy in the AHL who is "guaranteed" to be an upgrade you, even though the rookie to be hasn't done anything to suggest they could put up the NHL results that the veteran in question has.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

People just scour the line up looking for which vet is currently not lighting it up and pick them as the target to suggest "insert young guy I'd like to see" instead.

It's very annoying. If you aren't a first line player and are over the age of 25, you are likely constantly getting questioned by this fan base as to why you are in the line up vs. some guy in the AHL who is "guaranteed" to be an upgrade you, even though the rookie to be hasn't done anything to suggest they could put up the NHL results that the veteran in question has.

Yup. I expect big things from Poirier. In two years. Right now he's not gonna outscore anyone on the top 3 lines and he's shown that already.

Wotherspoon is not going to be some huge upgrade over Diaz or Engelland or Schlemko when he arrives. And I don't even like those guys much (poor ol' Schlemmy has had some bad luck after his SO winner).

Bennett has been ceded the 2nd line centre spot by many without a single NHL or AHL game. I think he's a second line winger or third line centre next year, to start.