[Game Takes] Hawks 5 Flames 1

[Bingo]

http://www.calgarypuck.com/2016/11/g...-5-flames-1-2/

That was odd ...

[Huntingwhale]

LOL @ Mark Crawford in net

[Travis Munroe]

great write up as always.... I really don't think they were as great as many feel. I don't think you lose 5-1 with a solid performance from your goaltender if the team plays better than the score suggest.

Agree on Brodie though... I do wonder if Gio and Brodie are trying to compensate for their lesser skilled partners.

[nieuwy-89]

Originally Posted by Realtor 1

great write up as always.... I really don't think they were as great as many feel. I don't think you lose 5-1 with a solid performance from your goaltender if the team plays better than the score suggest.

Agree on Brodie though... I do wonder if Gio and Brodie are trying to compensate for their lesser skilled partners.

I agree - a 5-1 loss is a blowout, no matter how "well" you played. The last 12 minutes of the third were a clinic in how to play dumb hockey.

[Draug]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Is there an issue with the Flame’s penalty kill leaving that guy in the middle in front of the net to tip picks in?

Yeah, there is an issue. It's Engellend and Wideman being used far too often on the PK because they are partnered with Brodie and Giordano!

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by nieuwy-89

I agree - a 5-1 loss is a blowout, no matter how "well" you played. The last 12 minutes of the third were a clinic in how to play dumb hockey.

And that's 12 out of 60 minutes. You can't "play a good game" when you string together 12 terrible minutes. 12 bad minutes of hockey will lose you the game on a pretty consistent basis.

It really has been a bummer of a start to the season. Through 11 games, we've played two good games. Frustrating times as a fan.

[Strange Brew]

I didn't really see a Flames dominating effort at all. As CZ said, this is two good games out of eleven. Blame whoever you want but it's troubling.

[Texas Blueliner]

I hate Chicago. All of it.

[St. Pats]

I don't see the dominating part at all. What did they dominate? Special teams are a huge part of the game and they didn't dominate there nor have they all season. Did their big first line dominate? Not at all. I saw a decent road effort till the home team upped the pressure and then they folded the tents.

There is very little to build on. The coaching staff is doing zilch with the special teams. Their top players are their worst players. That isn't a springboard to success!

[ricardodw]

road woes..

after 5 road games Gaudreau 2 pts -6 19:24 Monahan 1 pt -6 19:52... both of these guys are high reward high risk players that are not getting it done on the road,

The Flames might do better if they gave their best road players... Bennett, Backlund, Frolik, Chaisson, Stajan ... even Ferland more ice time.


Keeping on asking Monahan/Gaudreau to carry the team on the road is not working. maybe they could do better or at least find their road games with less ice-time

The road strategy could be adjusted to plan to win 2-1 on the road.

PS. I don't want Hartley back but liked "Nothing given everything earned" ... from 2 seasons ago.

[robertsfanatic]

thank you for these game takes, it really helps for those of us who don't get to see every game.

[cofias]

Originally Posted by St. Pats

I don't see the dominating part at all. What did they dominate? Special teams are a huge part of the game and they didn't dominate there nor have they all season. Did their big first line dominate? Not at all. I saw a decent road effort till the home team upped the pressure and then they folded the tents.

There is very little to build on. The coaching staff is doing zilch with the special teams. Their top players are their worst players. That isn't a springboard to success!

Outside of the top line, which has been a black hole all season long, the Flames had huge amounts of offensive zone time, pressure, and shots directed towards the net. Crawford had a good night and got lucky with redirected shots, otherwise the Flames would have been up after two periods. Individual mistakes and bad luck sunk the ship, but efforts like this will result in wins more often than not. Even still, the first line remains a huge problem as Monahan in particular looks listless game in and game out. He's a huge drag for whoever's playing with him right now. Another big problem is Brodie looking AHL material defensively. He might adjust eventually, but I'd just move him back to the right side to stop the bleeding.

Special teams obviously remains an issue but 5v5, the team looked good. That is most certainly something to build on.

[Bingo]

agree to disagree with most then

I think a relatively young team that doesn't handle adversity well is another conversation. Ideally you don't alter how you're playing when something goes poorly in a game that you should be winning, and that was the issue.

With a questionable call on Bennett and quick powerplay goal by the Hawks they shouldn't have cheated offensively to the extent that they gave up that 3rd goal to Motte, but then that may have been an individual mistake by Brodie and not a team issue.

But the final 12 minutes of not playing smart doesn't change the fact that the Flames were full marks for their play through 48 minutes which I took as a very good sign.

I think they had a CF of 57% last night for example.

[Toonage]

Bottle the play from the first 2 periods (which was as good if not better than their play last time vs. Chicago and against St. Louis) and they will win more than they lose. Especially when Gaudreau & Monahan find their game. A weak Pacific has meant these losses aren't as bad as they could have been but it also means some great opportunities have been lost. I'm also somewhat relieved that the coaching staff is willing to make adjustments when things aren't working and so I expect line juggling for the next game and a correction to the D pairings.

[zuluking]

the 4th goal was EN, for the record.

[timbit]

Originally Posted by Bingo

agree to disagree with most then

I think a relatively young team that doesn't handle adversity well is another conversation. Ideally you don't alter how you're playing when something goes poorly in a game that you should be winning, and that was the issue.

With a questionable call on Bennett and quick powerplay goal by the Hawks they shouldn't have cheated offensively to the extent that they gave up that 3rd goal to Motte, but then that may have been an individual mistake by Brodie and not a team issue.

But the final 12 minutes of not playing smart doesn't change the fact that the Flames were full marks for their play through 48 minutes which I took as a very good sign.

I think they had a CF of 57% last night for example.

The third goal was a back breaker and was the most fundamentally simple one vs one a defender could face.

Brodie was facing a rookie in an rudimentary and common situation that any competent defender would deal with easily. Brodie failed miserably and it really hurt his team. He was completely turned backwards to Motte when the puck went in.

Inexcusable mistake for a top or any other category of D.

The teams style of play had absolutely zero effect on that goal.