QOTD: Why the disparity between periods 1/2 and 3?

[Bingo]

Funny it took me this long, its likely the biggest question of the season.

I said it in the game story that last night reminded me of the Coyotes game on the last road trip. The team looks like the Flames we expected this season through 2 periods, no flow to offence, everything off the glass and dumped in, never handling the puck ... brutal.

Then boom! They get rolling and they are juggernauts. The Flames are all world in the third period.

Why the difference?

[killer_carlson]

I put Other.

In games we are behind, I think it's a "nothing to lose" scenario where the blueliners can try to make plays they wouldn't normally make because we're probably going to lose anyways. Higher risk plays that you don't try in a tie game or when up by a goal.

Fortunately they work out on occasion.

In games we are ahead I think it's about increasing the physicality in the 3rd to beat down on an opponent in the third.

[Roof-Daddy]

Combination of many things. Confidence, luck, effort, conditioning, other team sitting back, Flames pushing more all contribute IMO.

[OzSome]

I think it was coaching. Flames were flat in the first period trying to play the Oilers' game. Hartley adjusted in the 2nd period moving players around like Colborne replacing Byron on Monahan-Gaudreau line, even putting Wolf with Jooris line. They also adjusted defensively and they also started focusing in attacking more. In one power play in the 2nd I believed, they did not want the Oilers to set up their PK so they shoot the puck right away. They didn't score but on the back on the Oilers' mind they had to scrambled better.

[transplant99]

I put many because its really inexplicable how different they are in the 3rd compared to the rest of the game. It makes no sense and is a dangerous way to play the game obviously. They have to find a way to start better or they will begin to see these early deficits grow or stay the same much deeper into the 3rd. The Minnesota game was pretty good example.

Not complaining about the wins as they are all worth the same points, but this club is playing with fire if they are serious about making the playoffs.

[#-3]

Went Coaching & High Risk reward game. Sums up most of the successes I have seen perfectly.

[FlamesAddiction]

I took "other", but attribute a lot of it to coaching. I think the coaching staff is really adaptable when it comes to strategy and they are good at figuring out by the 3rd, what exactly wasn't working in the 1st and 2nd periods and the players listen.

My hope is that as the team grows, they will get better at adapting on the fly.

[Coach]

It's conditioning IMO. You heard all the stories of the guys that came in and the intensity of the practices. The reporters that watch the practices and say they've never seen NHL practices at that pace. It's not an accident that these guys have more at the end of the game. Credit Hartley and his demand for effort in everything for third period comebacks.

[Enoch Root]

Certainly conditioning doesn't hurt, but it isn't the reason. Can't blame posturing because they are solid in the third regardless of the score. To suggest luck is just silly - it isn't 'lucky' to play well. Effort, sure. And coaching, sure.

But I think the biggest thing is confidence. Hockey is a game of confidence and the Flames believe in themselves. Once they start rolling in the third, they just believe. And it keeps them going.

[heep223]

When they are trying to come back it matches their style of play and strengths better. Pinching, d-men rushing, skating, stretch passes, up-tempo.

When we're trying to clog up the neutral zone or play stifling D, it doesn't match our strengths.

Plus we have a bunch of guys who are just straight up clutch.

[hummdeedoo]

I don't think it's any one thing - physically it's the conditioning, mentally it's the never give up attitude. I like the coaching as well - Last night Hartley mixed up the lines until he got 3 good combos:
Johnny-Monahan-Colborne
Raymond-Jooris-Byron
Bouma-Backland-Jones

[foshizzle11]

Originally Posted by hummdeedoo

I don't think it's any one thing - physically it's the conditioning, mentally it's the never give up attitude. I like the coaching as well - Last night Hartley mixed up the lines until he got 3 good combos:
Johnny-Monahan-Colborne
Raymond-Jooris-Byron
Bouma-Backland-Jones

I was coming in to say these exact things. I agree that Hartley made some good changes heading into the 3rd. I was happy to see what he did and I hoped in the 2nd period he would have made more changes.

Anyway, I think it's a combo of making changes by the coaching staff and like you said, having to push the play and have our D jump into play, they should do this from the start. Don't worry about clogging the neutral zone up until we get a 3 goal cushion.

[SebC]

Voted for many because the magnitude of the difference is too large fot it to likely be just a single thing.

[GranteedEV]

The team that used to (er... Still does) do this all the time was/is Detroit around when they won the cup. Better team overall yes but when they'd get down they'd find another gear in in the last stretches of a game. Jiri Hudler is a common theme, maybe he's just bringing that experience into the locker room as tangible game adjustments.

The biggest difference between this year's team and last year's though is goaltending before all else. No Retto Berra having meltdowns with the game on the line. Karri Ramo is an NHLer though inconsistent. Jonas Hiller has backstopped some excellent Anaheim teams for a reason. The effect of confidence in netminders makes you wonder if Edmonton finally turns it around with the addition of Broissoit. Broissoit because Button/Feaster drafted him not Edmonton.

[Journey17]

Voted many. I think that conditioning matters (plus higher altitude/travel for most visitors), easier to take risks when you are down in the 3rd, coaching changes (like mixing up lines) and generally confidence that team now feels like every 3rd is theirs.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Certainly conditioning doesn't hurt, but it isn't the reason. Can't blame posturing because they are solid in the third regardless of the score. To suggest luck is just silly - it isn't 'lucky' to play well. Effort, sure. And coaching, sure.

But I think the biggest thing is confidence. Hockey is a game of confidence and the Flames believe in themselves. Once they start rolling in the third, they just believe. And it keeps them going.

I agree, confidence is huge. But if you look at that list, all the options which are in the Flames control (ie minus luck and other team factors), conditioning is an end result of the other options. Conditioning is a coach pushing players beyond what they are currently capable of so they can be capable of more, and then pushing them beyond that. This leads to a high level of conditioning. The players have to put in effort to meet the coach's demands and their own personal goals. The end result of putting effort in on the ice and off the ice everyday is superior conditioning.

So, the myriad of factors is a good answer, but IMO, all those different factors have lead to a team that is superbly conditioned and likely the best in the league in that regard. While other teams are gassed they keep pushing. That ability has lead to confidence in themselves. But I guarantee Hartley points to hard work leading to confidence and not the other way around.

[heep223]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

The biggest difference between this year's team and last year's though is goaltending before all else.

I feel like I'm missing something.

I've watched every single flames game this year. Our goaltending was out of this world for the first month of the season, no denying that. Since then, IMO it has been average or slightly above average (with the exception of Ortio's stretch which was fantastic). Hiller has made some big saves at key times in games - but he's also let in soft goals at key times.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by heep223

I feel like I'm missing something.

I've watched every single flames game this year. Our goaltending was out of this world for the first month of the season, no denying that. Since then, IMO it has been average or slightly above average (with the exception of Ortio's stretch which was fantastic). Hiller has made some big saves at key times in games - but he's also let in soft goals at key times.

The average goaltending now is so far ahead of the Berra show. Hiller has mostly been solid in third periods other than the florida game.

With Ortio, Flames look like a contender. With Hiller they look like a playoff team. With Ramo they look like a bubble team. With Berra they look like they just want the season to end ASAP.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by heep223

I feel like I'm missing something.

I've watched every single flames game this year. Our goaltending was out of this world for the first month of the season, no denying that. Since then, IMO it has been average or slightly above average (with the exception of Ortio's stretch which was fantastic). Hiller has made some big saves at key times in games - but he's also let in soft goals at key times.

No softies in the last few games since Ortio went down. Hiller has been very good.

[N-E-B]

I said conditioning. It seems like they just wear down the opposition and beat up on them when they're tired.