Practice notes Mar 12: Tkachuk, Monahan, & Backlund absent "maintenance days" for all

[sureLoss]

Pat Steinberg @Fan960Steinberg
Practice is underway this morning at the Saddledome. Matthew Tkachuk is not out there after leaving last night’s game in the third period.

Monahan and Backlund also absent.

Kris Versteeg is out there in a regular jersey. #Flames


Kristen Anderson @KdotAnderson
A Versteeg-Jankowski-Hathaway trio at this morning's skate would suggest that No. 10 is ready to come back into the lineup.

[sureLoss]

Pat Steinberg @Fan960Steinberg
#Flames today:

Gaudreau-Shore-Ferland
Stewart-Bennett-Frolik
Versteeg-Jankowski-Hathaway
Brouwer-Stajan-Lazar

Giordano-Hamilton
Brodie-Hamonic
Kulak-Stone

Keep in mind no Monahan, Backlund, or Tkachuk.

[Gaskal]

If Versteeg replaces Bennett then I'm assuming Bennett subs in for Chucky.

[sureLoss]

Kristen Anderson @KdotAnderson
Gulutzan is emphasizing teaching this morning. Stopping every drill: "How are we starting the game tomorrow?"

Roger Millions @RogMillions
Coach Glen Gulutzan is more than a little crusty this am. Not stick throwing crusty..but some colourful language and lots of it. “How are we going to start the game tomorrow” he asks...

Jermain Franklin @TSNJFranklin
Gulutzan calmly gives his players the business about playing the right way... filled with expletives. Stopped the drill to do it. Tense times in #Flames land.

[Toonage]

The cynic in me wonders if GG is asking a legit question.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Toonage

The cynic in me wonders if GG is asking a legit question.

Patronizing your charges/soldiers/students has surprisingly effective impact on them solving their own problems.

[Looch City]

####ing yes. Yell the #### out of them. Throw pucks and sticks.


Maybe this team will finally break Gulutzan and mold him into an better coach (or rather, a coach this team needs).

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Toonage

The cynic in me wonders if GG is asking a legit question.

You beat me to it.

All of last season and 70 games of this season and not being prepared to start games is still a problem.

If I'm an opposing Coach my game plan is going to be written in capital letters: "Jump on them off the starting whistle."

This is a team thats become notorious for allowing early goals and then just being dead and buried.

[BigFlameDog]

I can't remember a time when we had a consistently hard starting Calgary Flames team. Spring of '04? Maybe it's the altitude?

This is not a new problem here.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by Iggy City

####ing yes. Yell the #### out of them. Throw pucks and sticks.


Maybe this team will finally break Gulutzan and mold him into an better coach (or rather, a coach this team needs).

I’d be more impressed if he threw Stewart.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by BigFlameDog

I can't remember a time when we had a consistently hard starting Calgary Flames team. Spring of '04? Maybe it's the altitude?

This is not a new problem here.

It must be something in the water in the city. I know it's popular to rag on GG's team for the slow starts. But it's been that way for a decade +. I'm reluctant to put that all on the coaching staff, since:

-It's been a staple of Hartley's teams. All those crazy comebacks? It was because the team didn't play for the full 60 minutes and decided to turn in on in the 3rd period only.

-Keenan's teams were the polar opposite. Although they often came out strong, they would taper off as the game/season went along. Kind of the opposite issue of these Flames. Still, mega-inconsistent.

-B. Sutter teams would try to bore the other team to death and wait for chances to capitalise. They more then had their fair share of slow starts, but had a great goalie to mask it.

It's not unique to GG, the slow starts. It's still annoying as ####. But not unique to him. Again, something in the water here...or maybe we lack players with killer instinct. We have a handful of them that do (Gio, Gaudreau, Smith, Tkachuk). But we have plenty of players who don't hate to lose enough. It's not enough to have a handful of guys who hate to lose. It needs to be everyone.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Locke

You beat me to it.

All of last season and 70 games of this season and not being prepared to start games is still a problem.

If I'm an opposing Coach my game plan is going to be written in capital letters: "Jump on them off the starting whistle."

This is a team thats become notorious for allowing early goals and then just being dead and buried.

Its telling that an opposing coaches gameplan need only include "aggressive forecheck" and he's won half the battle.

[Erick Estrada]

Gulutzan is probably feeling a lot of pressure to beat the Oilers. Missing the playoffs is a nail in his coffin for sure but going winless in two seasons against the Oilers is probably an even larger sin.

[sureLoss]

Pat Steinberg @Fan960Steinberg
Gulutzan says the team will have updates on Tkachuk, Backlund, and Monahan tomorrow.

“If all three guys are out tomorrow, a lot of guys are going to have to step up.” #Flames

Derek Wills @Fan960Wills
Glen Gulutzan said Mikael Backlund, Sean Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk all had maintenance days and the #Flames will update their status tomorrow.

[Rickbo]

Need another 7 game win streak better throw something or some one. Haha

[Toonage]

Thats actually promising for Tkachuk's status. I also sincerely doubt all 3 would be out tomorrow.

[sureLoss]

Kristen Anderson @KdotAnderson
Reading between the lines, it sounds like Tkachuk could miss Tuesday's game. But Monahan and Backlund are more likely. "Maintenance" days for all three players according to #Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan.

[Ashasx]

wow

Stockton Heat‏ @AHLHeat
INJURY UPDATE: Andrew Mangiapane will undergoshoulder surgery later this week and will miss the remainder of the season. Get well soon Andrew!

[northcrunk]

If we lose to the Oilers tommorow GG better be looking for a new job and fired promptly after. If you can't beat the Oilers you can't coach this team.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Its telling that an opposing coaches gameplan need only include "aggressive forecheck" and he's won half the battle.

It's quite the opposite. The Flames system is designed to counter an aggressive forecheck by exiting the zone as a unit and having multiple outlets.

The problem is most teams play passively against the Flames because of the slow breakouts, and then wait for a chance to counter them. The Flames slow starts are because they don't force the issue enough because they play 50/50 hockey. That's great for limiting chances (most of the time) but it's bad for forcing the issue and making the other team make mistakes.

At any rate, with the best 3 forwards on the team after Gaudreau being banged up, our ability to score and win some games in the near future is seriously in doubt.