Flames trying to re-discover identity

[Steve Macfarlane]

What got the Flames the Pacific Division title during the regular season? An internal focus and structure that was implemented against every team, whether it had Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby Artemi Panarin, Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon or Connor McDavid.

So far, they've been watching the Oilers stars do their thing instead of doing their own.

That's where their focus is now ahead of Game 4.

https://calgaryhockeynow.com/calgary...nternal-focus/

[Dion]

The aggressive forecheck has been missing this series. Instead of attacking, the team has been on their heels for much of the series.

Markstrom is showing signs that Sutter played him too much.

Our defence seems rattled by the play of the Oilers and is having a tough time defending against the top 4 Oiler forwards.

[djsFlames]

Aside from lacking team speed which was prevalent in nearly every game they won, they're backing off puck carriers instead of checking them all over the ice.

Get back to being checkers.

Oilers are the ones checking, and skating in relatively unchallenged.

There's nervously shadowing players, and then there's actually challenging them with everything you've got. Flames have been doing the former on the defensive side of the game the last two nights.

Scrap everything you've been doing and get back to exactly how you were playing for 6 of 7 in round 1.

[dino7c]

Game one with better goaltending please

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Game one with better goaltending please

Exactly, I really don't know why they stopped being so physical like they were in game 1. The powerplays were only 4-3 Oilers. That shouldn't have scared them away from being physical and trying to soften McAvi.

[nickk382]

I really wanted to start a thread on this but hopefully I can catch some responses from you fine gentlemen here on my thoughts.

I'm really sick of seeing players attacking someone who deliver a massive and clean hockey hit on someone - especially if it's their all-star.

This is hockey - it's a physical game at its most general understanding. Now we are talking playoff hockey and calling hockey a physical game is an understatement.

If someone gets leveled by a clean hockey hit and they get attacked by a player, that player and/or players who attacked him instantly gets a 5 minute major and tossed out of the game. Not only that, but the player who got attacked has complete immunity from any penalties for defending himself. You shouldn't be attacked for doing something that isn't illegal, not frowned upon, and is and always will be a part of the game.

If all-star players like McDavid get caught keeping their head down by big boys such as Lucic for example, that's part of the game. There is this notion that no one verbally says that allows for this crap to happen, "I'm really really good at hockey so you can't hit me like that. Hold hits like that when my 4th line out on the ice."

I also have noticed that players on the same team as someone who clearly embellished/dove to get a powerplay doesn't get a tongue lashing by his own teammates anymore. Bouchard got fist bumps from his entire team when he went back to the bench, and you literally saw the entire Oilers bench look up at the jumbotron to see that it was clearly a dive. I remember Doan ripping Prucha apart for doing that once way back in the day and also Jamie Benn on Klingberg (I think - I could be be making this up.)

End of rant - I've had a few drinks of the naughty water.

PS. Imagine if we still had Ferland (hope he is doing well) and was just as healthy and a beast as he was in that 1st round we had against the Canucks (thanks again AC for that compilation video of that - I watch it religiously). Lucic is much older now and I get that but we have no one like Ferland to get the boys buzzing and worse of all, I see Gaudreau terrified of touching the puck.

Boys will be boys and when your team is down, the only way to get the boys buzzing again and tickle their pickle is physicality via obliterating.

Good article, Steve - thank you, sir!

[AT77]

Let’s be real here, McDavid’s too fast and too skilled. He’s the best in the world. Can’t really shut him down, or even Draisaitl, but can shut the rest of their team down.

And stop making Smith look like a Vezina finalist Markstrom and Markstrom needs to stop looking like a regular season Smith.

And lastly, their defense is atrocious, our top line needs to produce like one against their pathetic defense, especially on the PP which has been horrendous. Just like their stars are producing against our much better, albeit less effective without Tanev, defensive group.

[djsFlames]

Injured Nurse, 8th Habs d-man Kulak, 38 year old Keith headline their defense....

You can torch these guys.

[Mathgod]

That's just it. Win or lose, I want to see this team return to the type of hockey that made them so successful all year. Go big or go home. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

[nickk382]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

That's just it. Win or lose, I want to see this team return to the type of hockey that made them so successful all year. Go big or go home. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

What curve does your sword have?

[nickk382]

Dear Mr. Steve Macfarlane,

Here is a video clip of what I mean about players ilegally going after someone who delivered a legal hit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u1zaZe_qP4

Fun fact: Craig Weller is a Calgary native and I really hope he or a good friend of his is a member on this forum - if you are and happen to read this, I'm going to tell my great, great, great grandchildren about you.

Clean hockey hit on a legend, Rick Nash which was followed up by his teammates fully executing 'Operation Retaliation" on him and ended up being a complete failure. Weller defended himself twice after a clean hockey hit on Nash (he literally murders him - watch the whole video, there is a second angle that shows the speed and strength of the hit against the boards, it's insane and let's not forget that this is a regular season game).

Weller's hit on Nash was so clean that Weller was able to effortlessly pick up the puck instantly after he delivered it. I think we can all agree that a dirty hit in hockey is never followed up with the player picking up the puck because dirty hits in the end are not about getting the puck, it's just a way to present to the rest of the world that you're a scumbag who is expendable and replaceable. (I'd have no problem being that person if I made over a million dollars a year though, where is my dignity?)

Weller gets (I wouldn't say attacked since he does have possession of the puck after the first hit he delivered on Nash) but he was stationery at this point so when he defended himself by delivering his second hit, he was in a much more vulnerable position just by the laws of physics. However, Weller defied the laws of physics that day.

Now Weller doesn't have the puck, he has literally done nothing wrong (religiously, ethically, morally, spiritually, emotionally) which are not important and has nothing to do with what's most important of all in the game of hockey - he has literally done nothing wrong legally. If it's legal in hockey, it's religiously, spiritually moral and ethical - it's simple mathematics.

So now, our Calgary native, Mr. Weller is looking up to see Tollefson coming straight at him in which (I'm sure at this point is just a natural human behavioral reflex and if you're not naturally human, you simply did it because you are not a moron) and he punches him directly in the face - top shelf, bar down at his dome and drops him instantly to the ice.

Now, what's next about doing things legally - Weller wasn't out there to physically injure and hurt people because if he was, he would've just started his meal using his punch to Tollefsen's face as his own appetizer.

The Blue Jackets commentator's are so biased in the audio of this video that it sounds cute.

Our coach at the time (for the Coyotes) was this guy that actually was the original McDavid of the Oilers, you might know him as Wayne Gretzky - top 3 best NHL head coaches of all time.

I tried to look for the press conference clip but no luck but mark my words, when they asked Gretzky about Weller punching Tollefson in the face, the Great One literally replied (I'm confident to say verbatim - "Tollefson didn't approach Weller to ask for an autograph or if he wanted play cards.")

Softness is the cancer that no one sees coming before it's too late to battle it away.

Softness is detrimental to the game we love, boys. It's detrimental for you ladies out there as well. I can't imagine being a woman who has to bottle up all of their emotions without legally letting it all out on a good ole hockey hit. I'd need a new punching bag after every game.

I've been around on this forum since I was drafted in January 2009 as the scouts of this forum believed me to be the one to deliver good laughs every time I posted a reply. I'm hoping to end my career here doing just that but this hits home hard for me and I hope that I saved some individuals (especially the young, new generation) and their questionable perspectives on this because it's not only about having this mentality on the ice, it's also having the same off the ice. You always have the right to defend yourself if you're legally doing nothing wrong - doesn't matter if it hurts their feelings or it's against their new religion they found doing acid in Sri Lanka.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by nickk382

Dear Mr. Steve Macfarlane,

Here is a video clip of what the Flames didn't do in game 3 - in simple terms, they didn't send a message.

Clean hockey hit on a legend, Rick Nash and Weller defending himself twice.

The Blue Jackets commentator's are so biased in the audio of this video that it sounds cute.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u1zaZe_qP4

Our coach at the time (for the Coyotes) was this guy that actually was the original McDavid of the Oilers, I believe his first name was Wayne.

I tried to look for the press conference clip but no luck but mark my words, when they asked Gretzky about Weller punching Tollefson in the face, the Great One literally replied (I'm confident to say verbatim - Tollefson didn't approach Weller to play cards).

Softness is the cancer that no one sees coming before it's too late to battle it away.

I think I might start a Softness is Cancer movement, thoughts?

my thoughts are not to take Stanley cup playoff advice for the freaking Yotes

[nickk382]

Way to elaborate on that and not make any sense in the single sentence you wrote. Give me more effort than that, mate.

[flamesgod]

Originally Posted by Dion

The aggressive forecheck has been missing this series. Instead of attacking, the team has been on their heels for much of the series.

Markstrom is showing signs that Sutter played him too much.

Our defence seems rattled by the play of the Oilers and is having a tough time defending against the top 4 Oiler forwards.

Pretty silly to try make Sutter the scapegoat for Markstrom’s shortcomings. He just needs to get himself straight between the ears and he’ll be fine.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by nickk382

Way to elaborate on that and not make any sense in the single sentence you wrote. Give me more effort than that, mate.

honestly its a pretty bizarre take...the Yotes hit Nash or something 15 years ago in a regular season game and its the key to the Flames shutting down McDavid in the playoffs or something? wat?

[nickk382]

Originally Posted by dino7c

honestly its a pretty bizarre take...the Yotes hit Nash or something 15 years ago in a regular season game and its the key to the Flames shutting down McDavid in the playoffs or something? wat?

Yes, this specific incident is the key to winning this series against McDavid and the Oilers.

Did you not watch game 3? Did you see the Flames finishing any hits to gain momentum back, especially in the 3rd? No you didn't and it looked like I was watching 2 hand touch hockey with players wearing no hit orange practice vests.

It's funny, even when Lucic "hit" Mike Smith, he actually wasn't even trying to hit him, you can see his knees and blades are in full breaking position. It's great to see that Mike Smith was prepared to embellish his fall there - I remember him doing this acting performance when he was on the Coyotes in our playoff run to the Western Conference Finals.

Do I have to remind you again about Gaudreau being terrified of walking the puck through the neutral zone? We obviously don't have to discuss him being at the ends of the ice in the corners, especially after a puck is dumped in.

By the way, Dino - you're right, the video of Weller destroying 3 players on the Blue Jackets isn't really there to show what the Flames should've done in game 3 but to further elaborate on what I was telling Steve on players attacking a player who delivered a good clean and legal hit. However, the video does show what I wish the Flames did in game 3, which was finishing hits to get the momentum to swing back in their favor and silence the Oilers crowd.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by nickk382

Yes, this specific incident is the key to winning this series against McDavid and the Oilers.

Did you not watch game 3? Did you see the Flames finishing any hits to gain momentum back, especially in the 3rd? No you didn't and it looked like I was watching 2 hand touch hockey with players wearing no hit orange practice vests.

It's funny, even when Lucic "hit" Mike Smith, he actually wasn't even trying to hit him, you can see his knees and blades are in full breaking position. It's great to see that Mike Smith was prepared to embellish his fall there - I remember him doing this acting performance when he was on the Coyotes in our playoff run to the Western Conference Finals.

Do I have to remind you again about Gaudreau being terrified of walking the puck through the neutral zone? We obviously don't have to discuss him being at the ends of the ice in the corners, especially after a puck is dumped in.

By the way, Dino - you're right, the video of Weller destroying 3 players on the Blue Jackets isn't really there to show what the Flames should've done in game 3 but to further elaborate on what I was telling Steve on players attacking a player who delivered a good clean and legal hit. However, the video does show what I wish the Flames did in game 3, which was finishing hits to get the momentum to swing back in their favor and silence the Oilers crowd.

I haven't seen the Yotes winning anything, ever...despite this amazing hit from 15 years ago in a regular season game.

its just a ridiculously odd reference...Flames should play like they did in game one with better goaltending. Not emulate a Yotes regular season game from 15 years ago lol.