[PGT] Yep, we’re as soft as toilet paper. Flames lose to bottom feeding Sharks 3-1.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by indes

It's amazing how stark the difference is between watching a highlight package and watching the flames play. They seem to play sooo slow, it is truly reminiscent of the GG days. Tons of D to D passes, players standing still, dump and kind of chase. The flames of last year had a killer transition game with stretch plays and one touch passes, what the hell happened to these guys? Their attack is extremely telegraphed and most of their goals seem to be come off of unforced errors of the other team or lucky bounces.

This team is just no fun to watch. Lack of creativity, speed and intensity has waned my interest substantially.

In the whole first period this game the Flames were transitioning fast, or at least trying to. The D to D passes that people have complained about weren't there, unless they were accommodating a line change. That tells me it's not a thing that Ward is coaching, unless he made a conscious decision to switch attacks in the second period. It tells me he told them to move the puck quickly, and they did for a while until they backslid. Now, I suppose it's also his job to keep them on task, but I think they aren't giving him respect because he's an interim coach.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

Yeah, makes one's coaching job a lot easier if one whole friggin side of the ice is basically a non-threat all game because of the ####ty forward balancing. You either have to be skating almost backwards or be on the backhand. These days in the NHL with how much tighter the gap control is, you can't split the D unless you are superstar caliber or even get one to open up the inside shooting lane.

Send Dube back down as I don't think he needs to go through waivers for another year, he's been ice cold and largely ineffective. And waive Reider. Bring up Czarnik and Phillips. Hell, bring up ####ing Zavgorodniy at this point.

I've been noticing for quite a while now that - often - Flames forwards have their back to the play so that receiving a pass they need to turn around first to move forward. That creates more than enough time for defenders to respond. It stuns me how often a Flames player receives a pass at his own, or the offensive, blueline but has his back to the o-zone, so is crippled and can't move. The pass often goes back to someone in the d-zone or neutral zone following that play and the defenders all happily regroup to stymie an offensive threat.

It's a slow momentum-draining style of play.

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

His decline started after the all star break last year, well before Tkachuk's new deal.

While I agree with you production-wise, at least last season he showed heart. This season he is just a passenger who doesn't seem to care win or lose. Heck even when he scored last night he didn't look happy.

[Huntingwhale]

Pitiful game. Glad I tuned out after the 2nd goal against, sounds like l didn't miss much.

Team is a seller at the deadline. I don't care if they by some miracle manage to claw back to 1st. They will lose it as soon as they get it, like they have done multiple times this season. BT can't be fooled thinking they have turned the corner. This isn't a 1st place team. It's an inconsistent bunch that need a shake up.

While I think there are better coaches out there then Ward, I don't see coaching as the problem. This is 100% on the players. They got rid of hardass Peters and finally got the nice guy they wanted. But the players managed to screw that up. IMO hard ass coaches are almost always the way to go, hurt feelings be damned.

I thought Lucic had a good bounce back game. Was physical all night and beat the false Goodrow down (even held back like a gentleman). Didn't see the last period of the game so can't comment on how it went afterwards.

Team is no good to do anything good. I'm a huge BT fan and think he's the guy to right the ship. But I will be off that bandwagon should he fail to sell at the deadline, even if they are in a playoff spot. Even if they somehow make it, they are going to get their ass beat. Sell what needs to be sold and start re-tuning for the future.

Great chance to make up ground when all the other pacific teams lost, and they put up a stinker to a bottom feeder. Typical Flames game. Sucks about Gio and his injury.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

Team is no good to do anything good. I'm a huge BT fan and think he's the guy to right the ship.

Tre built the team you say is no good why exactly are you a huge fan?

[CalgaryFan1988]

Having Buddy on RW with Monahan and JG reminds me so much of the days David Moss was 1st line C. Pathetic RW depth.

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

I was at the game tonight.

It felt like they really started the first period strong. But when they didn't get anything to 'show' for it, came out for a weak 2nd and a brutal 3rd. It kinda felt like you could just see the will to play draining away from the team.

It felt like I saw a lot of uncalled hooks and trips by the Sharks in the first 30 minutes, too.

Despite the loss, it was also one of the more amusing games I was at. There was a lady close by who was really into cheering, and she brought everyone up with her. It was pretty fantastic, and about as noisy as I've ever seen that section of the 'Dome.

Also, sitting beside me, was a Brit, who was just in town from London, attending his first ever NHL game. He even "knew enough to wear red!" It was neat seeing the game through the eyes of someone who's never seen a live NHL hockey game before.

I agree with your assessment. They had good pressure, but didn't capitalize. I said to my buddy about halfway through the first that this is the type of game that if we don't score a few, we allow the Sharks to care a bit more than they should and to get their feet going. Lo and behold, a poor second and third period followed a strong first where they could have been up by 2 or 3.

Not sure if you could hear it from where you were, but there was a guy in the second bowl, basically behind the benches, that would yell "GET OFF THE ICE BRODIE" whenever Brodie so much as got off the bench. It was hysterical and had everyone in our section in stitches.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

In the whole first period this game the Flames were transitioning fast, or at least trying to. The D to D passes that people have complained about weren't there, unless they were accommodating a line change. That tells me it's not a thing that Ward is coaching, unless he made a conscious decision to switch attacks in the second period. It tells me he told them to move the puck quickly, and they did for a while until they backslid. Now, I suppose it's also his job to keep them on task, but I think they aren't giving him respect because he's an interim coach.

I would agree, there was a noticeable difference in the transition in the first, where they took the play to the Sharks, and that was not sustained

I have noted it is one particularly frustrating example of how they play, and I think he does need to keep them on task and coach the slow transitions out of them

I liked that Hartley had the rule that the D were not to reverse the puck, preference to move quickly to a forward rather than the the D. It’s a simple rule that removes many instances of the problem

[Wiggum_PI]

Originally Posted by zamler

Tre built the team you say is no good why exactly are you a huge fan?

Yeah, this is something that is really perplexing to me. The GM who is responsible for assembling this very inconsistent mediocre hockey team is somehow going to fix it?

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

I think last night's game gave me closure on the season and this roster.

I watched Bennett for most of the game and it encapsulated everything for me. When he smirked and laughed at Kane during a scrum, I was thinking 'this is exactly the player we need and the player I want to watch... But then I watched the rest of the game and he can't play with smarts or consistency to save his hockey life.

I'm done with 75% of this roster and ready to move on.

[Karl]

Waive Rieder, bring up Gawdin.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Wiggum_PI

Yeah, this is something that is really perplexing to me. The GM who is responsible for assembling this very inconsistent mediocre hockey team is somehow going to fix it?

I think both positions are fair.

If you see this as a build issue then you probably want a different guy doing the building. I get that.

If you see this as an execution issue, and think the team that was built makes sense to some degree then it's a different take, and also an acceptable view.

I don't see managing hockey teams as a 100% profession. They all make mistakes. They all draft a guy not as good as they could have drafted. Make bad UFA signings, and have deals not work out.

With Treliving I personally see a guy that has improved the drafting, the development, has been great on RFA signings and has a decent trade record.

Would love to go back and strike Brouwer and Neal from the record like everyone, and hope he's taken steps to rectify this area going forward.

So I keep him.

But just my opinion, I see the other side too.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

Not sure if you could hear it from where you were, but there was a guy in the second bowl, basically behind the benches, that would yell "GET OFF THE ICE BRODIE" whenever Brodie so much as got off the bench. It was hysterical and had everyone in our section in stitches.

Hah! Yes! We must be in the same section (204) or close by. I think that guy was 5-6 rows up from me. Or, if it wasn't there, there was another Brodie-hater behind me who as chirping Brodie pretty hard.

[shadowlord]

Originally Posted by Lil Pedro

Can we all agree that Sam Bennett is a bust now? Guy was an absolute train wreck on the ice last night

Bennett may not have helped much last night, but put anyone else in else in his place and we still lose that game.

The problems go far deeper, at least up to the top-6 and head coach, and possibly higher.

[Looch City]

I wish it was possible to enable Playoff Bennett during the regular season.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I think both positions are fair.

If you see this as a build issue then you probably want a different guy doing the building. I get that.

If you see this as an execution issue, and think the team that was built makes sense to some degree then it's a different take, and also an acceptable view.

I don't see managing hockey teams as a 100% profession. They all make mistakes. They all draft a guy not as good as they could have drafted. Make bad UFA signings, and have deals not work out.

With Treliving I personally see a guy that has improved the drafting, the development, has been great on RFA signings and has a decent trade record.

Would love to go back and strike Brouwer and Neal from the record like everyone, and hope he's taken steps to rectify this area going forward.

So I keep him.

But just my opinion, I see the other side too.

Agreed on all points, but his ability to get the right head coach in place since firing Hartley has been his biggest failing IMO. He needs to fix that, I don't think he can afford another slip up in that regard. If he insists on hiring another no track record coach I don't think it will bode well for him.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Agreed on all points, but his ability to get the right head coach in place since firing Hartley has been his biggest failing IMO. He needs to fix that, I don't think he can afford another slip up in that regard. If he insists on hiring another no track record coach I don't think it will bode well for him.

I don't disagree that the team needs a name coach (I don't lump having Ward in the spot as a Treliving HC hire though). Though it's funny - when Hartley was let go, there was a lot of "don't hire a retread" talk when names like Boudreau came up. Also, all coaches are "no track record" until they aren't (see Cooper, Gallant, Vigneault, Berube...)

But in this case, I think you need a name who is bigger than the players as far as credibility goes. The Isles lost Tavares and gained Trotz and look at them now. I'd go hard after Laviolette.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

While I agree with you production-wise, at least last season he showed heart. This season he is just a passenger who doesn't seem to care win or lose. Heck even when he scored last night he didn't look happy.

If it was me, I'd put Johnny-Lindholm-Tkachuk together and hope the best players playing together makes a difference. At this point what else is there to lose?

Monahan is providing Johnny with zero help as he's not asserting himself in anyway on the game. An undersized winger needs help physically and my best guess is that he's just tired of going it alone. Sorry, but your supposed number 1 centre should be making an impact in many ways and Monahan is nothing more than a wet, flaccid noodle for this franchise. The Flames are never winning in the post season with a player like him in anything beyond a secondary role.

[Mayo]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

I agree with your assessment. They had good pressure, but didn't capitalize. I said to my buddy about halfway through the first that this is the type of game that if we don't score a few, we allow the Sharks to care a bit more than they should and to get their feet going. Lo and behold, a poor second and third period followed a strong first where they could have been up by 2 or 3.

Not sure if you could hear it from where you were, but there was a guy in the second bowl, basically behind the benches, that would yell "GET OFF THE ICE BRODIE" whenever Brodie so much as got off the bench. It was hysterical and had everyone in our section in stitches.

Ya I've noticed this trend as well. Like the game vs Ottawa before the all star break.. we absolutely pumped them for the first half of the game but couldn't bury it. Seemed like we gave up in the 2nd half.

Praying we can just make the dance. When this team clicks they can roll, just need to find that motivation.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by zamler

Tre built the team you say is no good why exactly are you a huge fan?

As Bingo said, I think it's more of an execution issue then the wrong personel. They've shown they can play with the best and outwork teams in the past. They've even done it a couple times this season. I don't think it's a lack of talent overall.

I don't think BT went to guys like Gaudreau and told them to start sucking and sulking, or to Gio or any of the underachievers to decline. That is 100% on the players. If Gaudreau, Monahan and even Tkachuk had managed to maintain their play from last season, I actually think it changes the entire dynamic of the team this year and a lot of the issues the team faces now disappear.

So that's why I think this GM can still right this ship with a couple fine-tunes. There's obviously some core pieces that need to change, but it's not like he has to start from scratch. If the team needed a full scorched rebuild then sure I wouldn't want BT to be the guy to do it all over again. However there SHOULD be a decent foundation to build up from which is already in place.

He needs to get the coaching hire RIGHT this time. He needs to ship out the dead weight. He needs to do something about the upcoming UFAs who can garner assets.

Overall I like the body of work BT has done during his time here. He's done more good then bad.