[Game Takes] Avalanche 3 Flames 0

[Bingo]

Avalanche 3 Flames 0

- Dan Vladar solid in the loss
- Flames with a huge third period but can't solve Kuemper
- Great showing for an exhausted team

[icarus]

"The Flames were lead individually by Brett Ritchie who had 65% of the five on five shot attempts when he was on the ice."

Interesting... I thought Ritchie had one of his better games for sure (which still doesn't add up to much) but as a fourth liner can't complain with that stat.

[Strange Brew]

Was at this game. A nice number of Flames fans in the arena. Denver fans are pretty cool IMO, I've been to several games in Denver over the years and they are always fun to be around.

Flames handled the puck like a hand grenade for two periods and Vladar with some nice saves and a nice break on the double doink. I actually thought he was rattled after the goal and that double post but then made some big saves.

Really impressed with how they battled and looked good the last 10 minutes. The D in particular fought really hard. No forward really stood out for me though I liked Ritchie's energy, Lucic was in the middle of a lot of plays.

[DeluxeMoustache]

The Flames came out decent but looked gassed the rest of the first 40

Vladar was outstanding tonight

Millen was spot on in observing how he plays a quiet game, which for a young guy his size, is a tremendous asset.

Kuemper had a perfect night

Liked Stone pushing MacKinnon off the puck on the rush - great! - but really didn’t like his attempted push to get the puck to Lewis that MacKinnon turned in to the backbreaking second goal

This will be a much greater playoff matchup than last time, in whichever round it happens

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by icarus

"The Flames were lead individually by Brett Ritchie who had 65% of the five on five shot attempts when he was on the ice."

Interesting... I thought Ritchie had one of his better games for sure (which still doesn't add up to much) but as a fourth liner can't complain with that stat.

It's funny he's been pretty solid all year with his underlying numbers, but just doesn't have any finish, and generally plays with players that don't finish.

After last night's game he's 2nd on the team for xGF% behind Matthew Tkachuk, and first in xGA60.

Fans scream to waive him and dump on the guy, but when you have a nothing bad happens mantra to your game you can see why Sutter walks him out more often than fans would like.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Bingo

It's funny he's been pretty solid all year with his underlying numbers, but just doesn't have any finish, and generally plays with players that don't finish.



After last night's game he's 2nd on the team for xGF% behind Matthew Tkachuk, and first in xGA60.



Fans scream to waive him and dump on the guy, but when you have a nothing bad happens mantra to your game you can see why Sutter walks him out more often than fans would like.

I think Sutter would respond to the criticism of Ritchie by saying that the Flames are a checking team, and he is a good checker.

I thought that whole line was really good on the forecheck last night.

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

[cral12]

Originally Posted by Bingo

It's funny he's been pretty solid all year with his underlying numbers, but just doesn't have any finish, and generally plays with players that don't finish.

After last night's game he's 2nd on the team for xGF% behind Matthew Tkachuk, and first in xGA60.

Fans scream to waive him and dump on the guy, but when you have a nothing bad happens mantra to your game you can see why Sutter walks him out more often than fans would like.

Thanks for this - I'm quick to dismiss Ritchie jokingly as our 17th forward/7th liner.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

It's funny he's been pretty solid all year with his underlying numbers, but just doesn't have any finish, and generally plays with players that don't finish.

After last night's game he's 2nd on the team for xGF% behind Matthew Tkachuk, and first in xGA60.

Fans scream to waive him and dump on the guy, but when you have a nothing bad happens mantra to your game you can see why Sutter walks him out more often than fans would like.

This is why xGF% has to be taken with a huge grain of salt - it is completely devoid of consideration for the player's offensive ability.

xGA% doesn't have the same problem to the same extent, because you have to assume that their opponents average out somewhat, with respect to finish (though still not entirely, as some players are always going to be up against good offensive players, and others are going to get easier assignments)

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

This is why xGF% has to be taken with a huge grain of salt - it is completely devoid of consideration for the player's offensive ability.

xGA% doesn't have the same problem to the same extent, because you have to assume that their opponents average out somewhat, with respect to finish (though still not entirely, as some players are always going to be up against good offensive players, and others are going to get easier assignments)

Not sure I agree.

I think skill explains why a player can have a very different GF% to an xGF% with a lack of finish, or perhaps playing in front of a terrible goaltender driving a wedge between them.

But if a player has a very solid xGA60 number the counts against him when he's on the ice are supportive of not giving up much. As we've all discussed, I think the next layer for these stats is further splitting up the degree of danger into more categories, but for now it has to be a good thing to give up less.

Offensively he's had some odd games where the fourth line has had all kinds of chances but no finish.

[Enoch Root]

so you do agree

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Not sure I agree.

Offensively he's had some odd games where the fourth line has had all kinds of chances but no finish.

Like a clear cut breakaway. TBF, he could also easily have been awarded a PS.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

so you do agree

I still think it's a good stat because it highlights certain players for having a deficiency.

I was predicting a Yamamoto decline after his big year because his expected to actual was huge, and his on ice shooting percentage near the top of the league.

Was wrong on Draisaitl though, as he has sustained it.

Ritchie is doing a lot of things right to have such great expected goals against, so that's a good stat.

And he wouldn't get the high % split if he wasn't part of a group creating some good chances offensively too. But he himself, and pretty much who ever he's played with lack of the offensive talent to finish, so the gap with actual goals is huge.

But none of that takes away the fact that as a fourth liner he'd be popular with Sutter because not a lot bad happens when he's on the ice.