[PGT] Canes 4 - Flames 2 FML

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

Hearing Monahan talk about how they should be better makes me want to puke.

Honestly he's been garbage every single game and almost every shift. Like I don't understand what happened to these guys over the summer.

Did they just party and drink all summer? Brodie went from looking like one of the fastest players in the league to looking slow and drunk most shifts.

I get they're learning a new system but these players don't look motivated at all and look so slow. Bennett back checking tonight was painful to watch. Can't believe people thought he'd be better than Gaudreau. He's not even in the same stratosphere as Gaudreau. Yes he is young but he has a long way to go and I'm not seeing improvement. He's playing like an Oiler with his toe drags and attempt to go through 4 guys all the time.

This has been the most frustrating season in over 10 years easily. Even the young guns era wasn't this painful to watch.

You really need to take a step back and take a deep breath. Yes the team stinks right now but I see posters taking shots at Hamilton, Monahan, Gaudreau, etc and I question the sanity of this fan base. Winning and losing is a collective effort and right now the players and the coaches aren't doing a good enough job. I can live with posters calling out the team for playing bad but singling out individual players at this point is just silly.

Most frustrating season in over 10 years? Clearly you missed last season. It's certainly not fun watching the team fumble and bumble out of the gates but to me the most painful part of this season to date by far is the overreaction from posters on this board.

[Vinny01]

Things look bleak mostly due to the terrible style this team has played all year. They look lost, lazy, and disinterested in the game.

Johnny and Monahan look like 2 players that are struggling under the weight of their new contracts. They just care about oroscusing and are fighting the game right now. Elliott looks like the goalie we saw in Ottawa and Colorado the career backup. I got on board with this acquisition but was always a little skeptical. Not going to completely write him off but I have little to no confidence in him right now. Bennett has been disappointing after a great preseason he has been indivisible in the first 5 games. I have liked Tkachuk but his usage over the past 2 games lead me to believe he should be sent down.

Gio and Brodie have looked off most of the season so far. Dougie has looked like a solid second pairing guy but not a $5.75M Dman

The players I have liked this year are Brouwer, Backlund, Frolik, Jokipakka, Engellend, and Johnson

[saillias]

Originally Posted by polak

Its good that Johnny bought himself a new Lambo. He totally earned that.

pics?

[taxbuster]

Just watched the highlights on DTMTS (what a great site!) - what I noticed most was how lost Elliott looked. Don't know if that's on the coaching (Sigalet?) or him just being out of touch - he's often, really often, looking behind himself. Doesn't seem to have any confidence that he's made the stop.

And what's with the Flames letting guys behind the D constantly? Yikes - that's a recipe for disaster.

The other thing that struck me, as ppl have observed here, is the pathetic PP. There was several times the new highlight started and Ball was saying 1 shot on the PP or some other low number. Clearly the system is not working.

I'm unexpectedly in town working on a project for a week - may see if I can score a decent single for the St Loo game at a reasonable price.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Most frustrating season in over 10 years? Clearly you missed last season. It's certainly not fun watching the team fumble and bumble out of the gates but to me the most painful part of this season to date by far is the overreaction from posters on this board.

We put ourselves out of playoff contention in October last season due to league-worst goaltending. But with dramatically improved goalies this year, we are all of one point better through five games because the entire team is a mess. And it is clear that everybody is still so focused on figuring out whatever the hell Gulutzan wants them to do that they are messing up even the basic fundamentals.

So we're a hot mess just as our schedule is about to become dramatically more difficult. Great.

Though I do love Gulutzan's PP strategy of having the puck carrier rush up to the attacking blue line, only to drop the puck back to a player on our own blue line. Because gaining the zone when the opponent already has four player stacked and three or four of our own guys are now stuck standing around adding to that traffic jam sure is proving effective.

[Robbob]

Imo it is a new system and the players are taking a half second at times to think about what they have to do. At this level that is all the time the opponent needs. Until they can get by that it will continue to look sluggish. You can tell they are getting frustrated as they aren't playing as a team.

Ferland frustrated me this game. He is an energy player and needs to start hitting. He passed up a number of hits. I think that goes for the entire team. Sad that the hit of the game before going into the third was Gaudreau at the end of the second. When the team started to roll in the third they were playing the body more.

Also the ice seemed more of a disaster then it usually does. Puck looked like flubber at times.

Hated the Bronx cheer for Elliott in the second. Just my opinion as I am in the mindset that you don't do that to your own team.

Just my 2 cent ramblings while on the train.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

The players I have liked this year are Brouwer, Backlund, Frolik, Jokipakka, Engellend, and Johnson

+1

I particularly have liked Johnson's game. He looks solid and composed in net. Don't understand why he didn't get the start against the Canes, coming off the win against the Sabres.

[Resolute 14]

Oh, and I like Engelland as a #6D. But a #6D should never be on the ice during a 5 on 3 PK or paired with Gio as the primary PK duo.

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by Robbob

Imo it is a new system and the players are taking a half second at times to think about what they have to do. At this level that is all the time the opponent needs. Until they can get by that it will continue to look sluggish. You can tell they are getting frustrated as they aren't playing as a team.

100% agree. They should know where they are supposed to be looking for support before they get the puck, that way when they get the puck they can move it quick.

Right now they are getting the puck and then looking to see where their support is, and by the time they figure it out the other team has it covered.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

You really need to take a step back and take a deep breath. Yes the team stinks right now but I see posters taking shots at Hamilton, Monahan, Gaudreau, etc and I question the sanity of this fan base. Winning and losing is a collective effort and right now the players and the coaches aren't doing a good enough job. I can live with posters calling out the team for playing bad but singling out individual players at this point is just silly.

Most frustrating season in over 10 years? Clearly you missed last season. It's certainly not fun watching the team fumble and bumble out of the gates but to me the most painful part of this season to date by far is the overreaction from posters on this board.

Last season had frustrating moments, but I thought it was OK entertainment-wise. This first few games of this season have been brutal though. Even the game that we won was way closer than it should have been.

Having said that, the dark ages were the worst. I remember watching games and just hoping that we would score at least a goal or two and that would feel like a victory.

[AltaGuy]

It is so very hard to trust in the "process" when the team looks this bad. I am resigned to the process for lack of other options: the life of a fan.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

You really need to take a step back and take a deep breath. Yes the team stinks right now but I see posters taking shots at Hamilton, Monahan, Gaudreau, etc and I question the sanity of this fan base. Winning and losing is a collective effort and right now the players and the coaches aren't doing a good enough job. I can live with posters calling out the team for playing bad but singling out individual players at this point is just silly.

Most frustrating season in over 10 years? Clearly you missed last season. It's certainly not fun watching the team fumble and bumble out of the gates but to me the most painful part of this season to date by far is the overreaction from posters on this board.

The last few years of the Iginla era were easily the most frustrating times to be a Flames fan and that's saying something when you're looking at the late 90's. Some fans need to realize that this team is still in a rebuild and not yet a playoff team. Management has done a nice job at speeding this process along, however, just look at the fact we have Versteeg playing a legitimate role in the top 6 most games as evidence for how poor the depth still is.

The Flames are not going to be an elite level team until players like Bennett and Tkachuk are able to raise their games to become legitimate scoring threats on a second line behind monohan/guadreau.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

We put ourselves out of playoff contention in October last season due to league-worst goaltending. But with dramatically improved goalies this year, we are all of one point better through five games because the entire team is a mess.

I'm not sure that goaltending improved more than just on paper. And stats from the Blues don't translate to stats on the Flames. If Ramo played for St. Louis last year, he would have looked better and vice versa with Elliott.

Out of all the goalies available (or rumoured to be available) during the off-season, Elliott was the one that i wanted the least. Heck, I would have taken Montoya over him.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

The last few years of the Iginla era were easily the most frustrating times to be a Flames fan and that's saying something when you're looking at the late 90's. Some fans need to realize that this team is still in a rebuild and not yet a playoff team. Management has done a nice job at speeding this process along, however, just look at the fact we have Versteeg playing a legitimate role in the top 6 most games as evidence for how poor the depth still is.

The Flames are not going to be an elite level team until players like Bennett and Tkachuk are able to raise their games to become legitimate scoring threats on a second line behind monohan/guadreau.

The Flames basically have a 6 year window to win that was set when Gaudreau signed his contract. Some even say 4 years when Brodie's deal is up?

Treliving bringing in Brouwer and Frolik on long term deals and spending to the cap is not the sign of a rebuilding team. This is also year 4 of the rebuild when an organization wants to be taking big steps forward.

To date I have been very supportive of the moves management has made however the goaltending solution and coaching hire were suspect. I supported Elliott because the cost was low and the cap hit allowed the Flames to go out and add Brouwer. Gulutzan was a puzzling hire from the get go but I trust the GM. If this move proves to be an Eakins type hire for the organization then I hope they do something soon or else Treliving is going to lose support from the fanbase.

Dave Cameron was fired from Ottawa due largely to horrible power play and he is in charge of our PP that vowed to be better yet is the worst in the league

[Husky]

With a couple forwards not adding much offense. Why not try wideman as a rw.

[GirlySports]

I hope the tough schedule helps. Flames often play up or down to their opponent.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Husky

With a couple forwards not adding much offense. Why not try wideman as a rw.

Hes slow. Cant forcheck. Cant backcheck. Will take penalties 200 feet ftom goal.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Out of all the goalies available (or rumoured to be available) during the off-season, Elliott was the one that i wanted the least. Heck, I would have taken Montoya over him.

That is absurd.

Would you have been happier trading the 6th pick for Bishop?

At least right now, if Elliott doesn't turn it around, we aren't stuck with him. The Pens will be giving Fleury away here in a couple months, and Bishop will be a UFA. Lots of options going forward... but neither of these goalies had better numbers than Elliott over the last 5 years.

[zukes]

I think the break-out system is the biggest thing holding this team back. Their whole plan is the stretch pass. The D sits back and plays catch with the puck in their own zone while they look for the two line pass. When it works, it's great, but if I can see that is what they are looking for, then so can every NHL team.

The reason why it started working for the Flames a couple years ago is the defensemen were leading the rush a lot. They would take the puck and just start skating...and it worked. Two years ago when the Flames made their run, that was one of the first things that I noticed. There would be times when both d-men were the guys leading the rush. As long as a forward (or two if both go) drop back this is great.

What it led to is teams being made to actually go after the Flames d-men and it opened up the stretch pass. Then the Flames became known as a team that could beat you with that. But now that is all they seem to want to do and it's easy to read and therefore easy to stop. There needs to be a mix.

With Giordano, Brodie, Hamilton and Kulak, 4 of your 6 d-men could easily lead the rush. Start doing that and force the other team's hand. That will open up the stretch passes again.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

That is absurd.

Would you have been happier trading the 6th pick for Bishop?

At least right now, if Elliott doesn't turn it around, we aren't stuck with him. The Pens will be giving Fleury away here in a couple months, and Bishop will be a UFA. Lots of options going forward... but neither of these goalies had better numbers than Elliott over the last 5 years.

Acquisition cost and contract were the 2 things Elliott had going for him, but all things being equal, he is the one I wanted the least. To me, he is like an Osgoode. Good enough for a great team, but not good enough to steal points for a an average team. He sits too far back, handles the puck poorly and gets rattled too easily. The third attribute is nullified when playing for a good team. Something the Flames aren't at the moment.

Don't get me wrong, we could do a lot worse, but we could have done better too.