[Game Takes] Sharks 4 Flames 3

[Bingo]

Sharks 4 Flames 3

- Flames leak chances
- Markstrom gives up two weak goals
- Top line gets filled in
- Tkachuk and Gaudreau with two points
- Dube noticeable again

[Cheese]

This is one of those games where we can actually point at the goalie and reserve fault....maybe one of the only games so far this year. 2 very weak goals and a slash. DS will be all over that today.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Cheese

This is one of those games where we can actually point at the goalie and reserve fault....maybe one of the only games so far this year. 2 very weak goals and a slash. DS will be all over that today.

Team was brutal too though.

Markstrom's xGA for last night's game was 4.14 and he gave up 4.00, he actually beat the average for the night.

He let in two terrible goals, but stopped 16 of the 18 high danger chances that he faced.

I'm hoping Sutter is harder on the team than the goaltender for that sloppy game.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Cheese

This is one of those games where we can actually point at the goalie and reserve fault....maybe one of the only games so far this year. 2 very weak goals and a slash. DS will be all over that today.

If the last two goals were the weak ones, sure. He should get the goat horns. But they were still winning and there was no excuse to sit back and play lazy defense like they did. And they should have knew better after the last time they played them and blew it.

[Strange Brew]

Thanks Bingo. The Lindholm/Gaudreau line sure seemed to give up some big chances in this game, so not surprised by those numbers.

The third period was very disappointing. Flames have been great at protecting leads although this is the second time in a few games where they coughed up a two goal lead. Time to put that to bed.

[Bingo]

Bit of a bump in the road for the Flames for sure.

You're almost glad though, as it gives Sutter the chance to dial things in now and not in a playoff series.

Also interesting to see many big teams sputtering right now.

Carolina 5-4-1
Tampa 4-6-0
Toronto 5-4-1

Calgary and Colorado a more human 6-3-1

Rangers and Igor taking on water ...

[ComixZone]

Gaudreau - Lindholm - Tkachuk
Dube - Backlund - Coleman
Mangiapane - Jarnkrok - Toffoli

That’s how I hope we see the top 9 next game. I do appreciate the tinkering though, as Sutter likely needs to find at least one additional way to deploy his forwards in a playoff series if things start going sideways.

The pain of having to sort out what to do with Lucic-Monahan-Lewis is certainly going to be a task. Ruzicka should displace one of them, and I know it’s unlikely we’d see it this year but I have a hard time believing an all-kids line of Pelletier-Ruzicka-Phillips would struggle the same way Lucic-Monahan-Lewis does. Would Pelletier - Monahan - Ruzicka improve things?

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Team was brutal too though.

Markstrom's xGA for last night's game was 4.14 and he gave up 4.00, he actually beat the average for the night.

He let in two terrible goals, but stopped 16 of the 18 high danger chances that he faced.

I'm hoping Sutter is harder on the team than the goaltender for that sloppy game.

Agreed.

2 terrible goals against...but that should have been the extent of it.

Team defense gets a big fat F last night as they just couldn't keep above the puck and found themselves chasing all over the ice.

Really poor game overall.

Oh...and what to do with Monny....becoming a real problem.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Agreed.

2 terrible goals against...but that should have been the extent of it.

Team defense gets a big fat F last night as they just couldn't keep above the puck and found themselves chasing all over the ice.

Really poor game overall.

Oh...and what to do with Monny....becoming a real problem.

Some fans are thinking about the kind of linemates he needs to be successful, which IMO is not the right way to look at it.

Seems to me the top 9 forwards on this team have been identified assuming Dube can keep earning his spot.

Best to build the best 4th line you can with what is left. Monahan needs to fit into that construct IMO, not the other way around.

Once injuries happen, then things change.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Some fans are thinking about the kind of linemates he needs to be successful, which IMO is not the right way to look at it.

Seems to me the top 9 forwards on this team have been identified assuming Dube can keep earning his spot.

Best to build the best 4th line you can with what is left. Monahan needs to fit into that construct IMO, not the other way around.

Once injuries happen, then things change.

Correct.

Why try and salvage Monny by moving him up to better line mates when the result seems to be to kill that line.

Better to bite the bullet and limit the damage he can do by limiting his minutes to the 4th line.

[Bingo]

I'm just not 100% sure Monahan is the guy that has to come out.

All three of Monahan, Lucic and Lewis have struggled of late. May make more sense to try Lewis on the sidelines for Carpenter giving that line two centers (one left, one right), and see if they can avoid getting into trouble.

The line gave up two last night, but both were soft goals on Markstrom. Monahan turned the first one over but there was never any scoring chance.

Monahan specifically was on the ice for one high danger chance for and none against. Sometimes you don't get the bounces, and that's more true for a line that doesn't score because bad luck is a minus if you're not going to score at all.

[CSharp]

Aside from another stupid loss (I really think Flames could've won the games against the Sabres and the Sharks), my take is that the defensive pairing with Kylington doesn't always work. As good as Kylington is this season, I think he can't go man-on-man coverage on a consistent basis, especially when the other team forwards are bigger. This is where Stone might a better fit. The only consistent D pairing that can get the puck out of the defensive zone seems to be with G and Z. They can't be manhandled and they get the job done.

I'm pretty impressed with Dube for the past 3 or 4 games. I think he finally realized he was playing himself out of the lineups and started using his biggest assets and playing to what Sutter wants. This is the Dube we saw a couple of years ago and he's been great!

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Inferno

If the last two goals were the weak ones, sure. He should get the goat horns. But they were still winning and there was no excuse to sit back and play lazy defense like they did. And they should have knew better after the last time they played them and blew it.

Except it doesn't work like that. If he stops the first two, and it's 3-0 at the start of the third, it is a completely different hockey game.

Momentum matters. The Sharks were on their toes in the 3rd because they were in the game even though they shouldn't have been. If it's 3-0, they don't have the same jump.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I'm just not 100% sure Monahan is the guy that has to come out.

All three of Monahan, Lucic and Lewis have struggled of late. May make more sense to try Lewis on the sidelines for Carpenter giving that line two centers (one left, one right), and see if they can avoid getting into trouble.

The line gave up two last night, but both were soft goals on Markstrom. Monahan turned the first one over but there was never any scoring chance.

Monahan specifically was on the ice for one high danger chance for and none against. Sometimes you don't get the bounces, and that's more true for a line that doesn't score because bad luck is a minus if you're not going to score at all.

I have been critical of Lucic for the past few weeks. And certainly there have been people critical of Monahan and Lewis - all three deserve some of the attention.

But I think the real problem is that they don't work together. Lucic and Monahan together, in particular, is just too slow and plodding. Lucic can be effective, but he needs someone driving the line forward and giving Lucic the opportunity to get on the forecheck. Neither Monahan nor Lewis do that. I do think Lewis can be effective with the right line-mates though.

I don't really want any of them in the top 9, but the 3 of them together is a disaster.

I know it isn't going to happen, but I would sure like to see Pelletier on the LW there. I think his energy and speed could transform that line.

Pelletier - Carpenter - Lewis

maybe in June

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Except it doesn't work like that. If he stops the first two, and it's 3-0 at the start of the third, it is a completely different hockey game.

Momentum matters. The Sharks were on their toes in the 3rd because they were in the game even though they shouldn't have been. If it's 3-0, they don't have the same jump.

It does work like that. Bad goals happen. You can rebound from bad goals if you still have the lead. Good teams should be able to do that especially to teams they're much better than. What happened in the third was self inflicted. San Jose could have even scored more on some really stupid giveaways.

[Flamesfan05]

When is Sutter going to sit Lucic or Monahan? Preferably both, terrible hockey players

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by Inferno

It does work like that. Bad goals happen. You can rebound from bad goals if you still have the lead. Good teams should be able to do that especially to teams they're much better than. What happened in the third was self inflicted. San Jose could have even scored more on some really stupid giveaways.

Markstrom had a bad game. It happened

The real problem is Monahan and Lucic is a major liability every time they are on the ice….Kylington is heading that way as well….except he can make some plays occasionally

[Bingo]

They're working on it.

When you look at play driving stats the worst forward used to be Brad Richardson, he was ranked last in xGF and 5th worst in xGA.

Tyler Pitlick was worst in XGA, and 5th worst in xGF ... also gone.

That leaves the following in terms of problem areas ...

xGA
Lewis
Dube
Toffoli
Jarnkrok (sample size)
Lucic
Monahan

And for XGF
Jarnkrok (sample size)
Lewis
Lucic
Monahan

As I said earlier ... not sure Monahan would be my first target.

[CSharp]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I know it isn't going to happen, but I would sure like to see Pelletier on the LW there. I think his energy and speed could transform that line.

Pelletier - Carpenter - Lewis

maybe in June

Yeah, probably in training camp for next season. You'd probably see Ruzicka coming in if any of the bottom 5 players have injuries. Pelletier is pretty small, isn't he? The only chance he'll get in the lineup is if the Flames clinched the playoffs and they're not wrestling for any positioning and they're resting pretty much the top 2 lines for the remainder of the season. Otherwise, there's no chance for any of the smaller farm team guys to come in and take away depth in the bottom core.

[activeStick]

Every coach has their blind spots and I wonder if Lewis is one of Sutter's? I'm not saying in any way that Lewis needs to come out as I'm actually a big fan of his and I think he does a lot of the simple things very well and is fairly consistent, but his fancy stats would seem to indicate he ranks low compared to many others. I just don't see Sutter scratching Lewis for Monahan, Ritchie or Carpenter at this point. I also think Lucic brings an element that nobody else in the forward group brings, and as a result, he too, is highly unlikely to get healthy scratched.