[Game Takes] Flames 5 Hawks 2

[Bingo]

Flames 5 Hawks 2

- Gaudreau two goals to get to 38 and 107
- Tkachuk two assists to 98 points
- Great two periods, terrible third
- Depth scoring a boost again
- Markstrom with terrible 2nd goal, but solid in third.

[Samonadreau]

I wonder if Looch is injured. Fallen off a cliff after a good first half of the season.

[Savvy27]

Good write up. This has been an incredible season.

Lucic is really struggling out there. I know Sutter is against resting guys, but Lucic's effectiveness has plummeted and I wonder if he's out of gas.

[Strange Brew]

I noticed Mangiapane and his troubles tonight too. Really interested to see how he does in the playoffs when the intensity and physicality ramps up. Will he be on the ice constantly or does the heightened intensity fix some of these problems?

It has been a great season but comparing team point totals to the era before the prevalence of the point game is a little tough.

To me, this team feels alot like 2006. The city had huge hopes for that team in the playoffs too. They were a Huselius crossbar away from likely advancing and who knows what would have happened from there.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Savvy27

Good write up. This has been an incredible season.

Lucic is really struggling out there. I know Sutter is against resting guys, but Lucic's effectiveness has plummeted and I wonder if he's out of gas.

Sutter will bag skate this team the day after they win the Stanley Cup.

[Savvy27]

Works for me!

[Enoch Root]

If the Oilers win out, the Flames only need to go 1-4-1 as they now own the tiebreaker with the regulation win tonight

[thefoss1957]

There seemed to be only one well played period in the game, by the Flames, in the 1st. The rest of the game was sloppy and, except for Regula, who got his 1st NHL goal, forgettable. Playing out the string for my guys, and road games with little at stake, for your guys, can lead to forgettable games like this.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

I wonder if Looch is injured. Fallen off a cliff after a good first half of the season.

I think he's just running out of gas. I know sitting him in the pressbox would make for a touchy situation but I really feel it would have been for the best if the goal is to have him at his best in the playoffs. I don't understand why Darryl isn't resting him as he's been the worst Flames player this season that's had a regular shift. Darryl has done nearly everything right this season so you have to dig to critique but what stands out to me is overplaying Lucic and his at times very strange goaltending management.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I noticed Mangiapane and his troubles tonight too. Really interested to see how he does in the playoffs when the intensity and physicality ramps up. Will he be on the ice constantly or does the heightened intensity fix some of these problems?

It has been a great season but comparing team point totals to the era before the prevalence of the point game is a little tough.

To me, this team feels alot like 2006. The city had huge hopes for that team in the playoffs too. They were a Huselius crossbar away from likely advancing and who knows what would have happened from there.

Agreed.

You can be well built, well prepared, rested, on your toes, healthy, great room, ... everything going for you. But you're going to need some bounces too.

The Flames had a lot of them in that 2004 run. Got by Vancouver with a skate goal in 1989. Need some luck too.

Chicago is a perfect example of a team built for an era of what 8 years ... ended up with three cups and a lot of heart ache. Some years it works, some it doesn't.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I think he's just running out of gas. I know sitting him in the pressbox would make for a touchy situation but I really feel it would have been for the best if the goal is to have him at his best in the playoffs. I don't understand why Darryl isn't resting him as he's been the worst Flames player this season that's had a regular shift. Darryl has done nearly everything right this season so you have to dig to critique but what stands out to me is overplaying Lucic and his at times very strange goaltending management.

Sutter is certainly capable of making a mistake so I won't defend everything people disagree with.

I do wonder though with Lewis and Lucic if there's an intangibles thing that he believes trumps actual play on the ice. That if he took them out the team itself wouldn't be as responsive and collective in their game plan.

Thought it was interesting on after hours where Lucic was saying Sutter was on him for turning the puck over. Glad that's happening at least!

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Sutter is certainly capable of making a mistake so I won't defend everything people disagree with.

I do wonder though with Lewis and Lucic if there's an intangibles thing that he believes trumps actual play on the ice. That if he took them out the team itself wouldn't be as responsive and collective in their game plan.

Thought it was interesting on after hours where Lucic was saying Sutter was on him for turning the puck over. Glad that's happening at least!

If that were true, then there is no hope for the team. If the concern is how mentally tough are they without these two, the obvious thing to do is test it. Test it now, not in the playoffs.

I am Sutter's biggest fan. But no one is perfect, and it is perfectly reasonable to question even the best. And I agree 100% with EE: Lucic looks to have slowed down and seems like a rest would do him good. He has 124 playoff games under his belt, he knows his role. What he needs is to be fresh and healthy.

[sa226]

I honestly think with Lucic, he just knows himself well enough that he has to manage his own minutes. At this stage in his career he isn't effective unless he is crashing around. That game against Edmonton was one of the best games I've seen him play in a long time. He can't play that way for 82. He isn't talented enough to coast and hes not a zero event guy like Lewis. Hes got to crash and bang. I fully expect he'll be ready to go for the playoffs.

[sss1]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I think he's just running out of gas. I know sitting him in the pressbox would make for a touchy situation but I really feel it would have been for the best if the goal is to have him at his best in the playoffs. I don't understand why Darryl isn't resting him as he's been the worst Flames player this season that's had a regular shift. Darryl has done nearly everything right this season so you have to dig to critique but what stands out to me is overplaying Lucic and his at times very strange goaltending management.

Lucic's play had a stark drop-off in January and it hasn't gotten better. I feel like there's multiple minor injuries which sum up to the 'running out of gas' metaphor, but clearly the coach likes something that the fans don't see everyday.

From the pressers this season, I've heard Sutter talk a lot about the 'young' kids not being prepared mentally everyday, and how the good veteran player's in the league distinguish themselves with this preparation. My guess is that Lucic actually 'prepares' every game. That's the only thing I could attribute his spot in the roster to.

This isn't surprising to me though. I believe Sutter was also critiqued with regards to Dustin Brown's playing time and lack of production in LA. Brown had tendency to kill it in the playoff's though.

I think this is all part of the Sutter package, and why he has a relatively short shelf life when behind the bench of any particular team.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

If that were true, then there is no hope for the team. If the concern is how mentally tough are they without these two, the obvious thing to do is test it. Test it now, not in the playoffs.

I am Sutter's biggest fan. But no one is perfect, and it is perfectly reasonable to question even the best. And I agree 100% with EE: Lucic looks to have slowed down and seems like a rest would do him good. He has 124 playoff games under his belt, he knows his role. What he needs is to be fresh and healthy.

I'm not suggesting otherwise, ... just trying to provide a possible answer for why the guy is never scratched.

But isn't that likely true? Remember what we thought of this core a year ago?

It's like when Sutter stepped away from the bench in 2007 or whatever it was, and just like that the team lost it's mojo. He may see certain players as important to keep the team pushing at all times.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I'm not suggesting otherwise, ... just trying to provide a possible answer for why the guy is never scratched.

But isn't that likely true? Remember what we thought of this core a year ago?

It's like when Sutter stepped away from the bench in 2007 or whatever it was, and just like that the team lost it's mojo. He may see certain players as important to keep the team pushing at all times.

I fully agree with you. And with sss1.

I am just saying that I think 1) a couple games off would probably benefit Lucic, and 2) sometimes you need to test the other guys and see how they react.

If the team is so fragile that they can't go a game or two without the leadership of Lucic and Lewis, well let's find that out now. Let's push it now. (and give these guys a break at the same time)

[Enoch Root]

Also, let's give the guys a chance to see who else wants to step up as a leader. If you don't ever give them a chance, you learn nothing about them.

[rogermexico]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Also, let's give the guys a chance to see who else wants to step up as a leader. If you don't ever give them a chance, you learn nothing about them.

It would be interesting to see a game with none of Lucic, Lewis, Ritchie, or Stone. Take out all of Sutter's bench lieutenants as well as his 'You've got to work at least as hard as this guy' effort benchmark guys. And see who rises to the occasion to fill that void.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by sa226

I honestly think with Lucic, he just knows himself well enough that he has to manage his own minutes. At this stage in his career he isn't effective unless he is crashing around. That game against Edmonton was one of the best games I've seen him play in a long time. He can't play that way for 82. He isn't talented enough to coast and hes not a zero event guy like Lewis. Hes got to crash and bang. I fully expect he'll be ready to go for the playoffs.

I like Lucic a lot, but he is the king of the overlong shift.

[Strange Brew]

Pretty hard to tell from a distance that a player is tired or running out of gas. How does he look in practice? What is he saying? Does he have any injuries? How is he adjusting his off ice workouts? What's his fitness level?

I personally don't believe that skipping a handful of regular season games is any kind of elixir for players.

The playoffs are truly a new season in every way. I can't wait to see how they handle it. Who starts fast, who builds as the playoffs progress.