[PGT] Calgary Flames 2 - Pittsburgh Penguins 5

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by Zamboniman

Easy everyone, let's not panic. No judgements quite yet. Let's give them ten games or so to settle in. Then another fifteen games to learn the new system. The next fifteen games, of course, are needed to gain chemistry with new linemates. The fifteen after that are to gain chemistry with the now changed new linemates. .

The team was basically unchanged

At least the core were untouched. They already had a year to find chemistry. It’s laughable that they need more time

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

The team was basically unchanged

At least the core were untouched. They already had a year to find chemistry. It’s laughable that they need more time

Hmmmm ... he might have been talking about two games with a new coach and new system?

[rogermexico]

Apologies if someone has already covered this, but here's your Wu-Tang Clan Flames Jersey Report:

• Inspectah Deck had what looked like the the 2023 Heritage Classic on — although it might have been all red? It was early and he changed out of it. I'm a little fuzzy on some details.
• Method Man had the white retro for the encore. Looked good, although it would have been nice to see him rocking the home red.
• Raekwon put on a Blasty for the last set and looked awesome. Definitely the best Wu jersey choice.
• Honorable mention: RZA didn't wear a jersey but he had this powder blue denim Canadian Tuxedo on that was pretty awesome.

How was the game?

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bonded

It will have to be by committee is my main point. Do you think they have a 40 goal score or multiple 30 goal guys? I don’t.
They are lacking an elite goal scorer

I don't care about individual stats, it's a team game. The Flames will be top half of the league in goals for, IMO. Who cares who scores them?

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

Markstrom is 31st in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60.
Not exactly elite. And this accounts for the bad defensive breakdowns.

However, it's good to see that he has been stronger in first periods. It gives the team a better chance to win.

This is exactly why I take hockey stats with a grain of salt - Markstrom has been fantastic. If the GSAE/60 says he hasn't been, then they're wrong.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Markstrom has been the best Flame so far. Both games could've been ugly without his performances.

The thing is, even if Markstrom is on this season, which so far he appears to be -- it doesn't fix everything. The jury is still out on the quality of this team overall.

The quality of the team isn’t a mystery.

They’re a reasonably experienced team that’s solid enough top to bottom and lacks high end skill.

That is never going to be more obvious than last night - Crosby, Malkin, Karlsson, and Letang won’t all be healthy at the same time for long, but when they are, maybe two or three teams can stand up to them. An utter embarrassment of riches when it comes to elite skill.

Then you get to the next wave - Carter, Guentzel, Rust, Smith, that Petterson kid on D…

That game should’ve been 9-2, and Markstrom kept it close.

[skcli]

This game will be the theme all season. Play good enough to have a small lead or tie but a few mistakes cause the team falling behind. Because of the lack of high end skills they will lose these games.



Blame it on Sutter or Tre., no more no less. But both of them are laughing their back-end off right now.

[Paulie Walnuts]

If Florida offered us Huberdeau 1 for 1 for Tkachuk or Gaudreau in the 21 offseason I think it would be almost unanimous that everyone would jump on it.

People want to just remember their career years and not how frustrating of players they had been at times for us. That's what happens with high skill players.

Iggy is the best but he wasn't scoring in every game. He was the premier forward in the world.

[Steve Bozek]

Originally Posted by MrMike

Yeah but he’s being paid like a guy to take control of a game or make a difference.

I get it. Flames freaked out lost their top line and have the bag to this guy. I understand why it happened.

But he’s not the “guy”

I hope they can find a guy or two to make him work, but I’ve seen nothing to really give me hope that he isn’t anything more than a 80 pt flashy offensive winger who is overpaid.

If he’s overpaid, that’s on Treliving. This is roughly what he was like in Florida from what I’ve heard and seen.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Steve Bozek

If he’s overpaid, that’s on Treliving. This is roughly what he was like in Florida from what I’ve heard and seen.

I mean he was their leading scorer by almost 30 points when the won the presidents trophy

They went on a crazy playoff run but were a bubble team with Tkachuk on fire all year. Bubble team this season IMO.

Huberdeau certainly has more in him than what he showed last year

[kukkudo]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

If Florida offered us Huberdeau 1 for 1 for Tkachuk or Gaudreau in the 21 offseason I think it would be almost unanimous that everyone would jump on it.

People want to just remember their career years and not how frustrating of players they had been at times for us. That's what happens with high skill players.

Iggy is the best but he wasn't scoring in every game. He was the premier forward in the world.

Did you watch Iggy in his prime? Dude was on another level, Huberdeau isn’t even in the same league as him.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by kukkudo

Did you watch Iggy in his prime? Dude was on another level, Huberdeau isn’t even in the same league as him.

I'm not going to compare the two but Iggy certainly had stretches where people called him invisible and wondered what happened to Iggy? ect.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

If Florida offered us Huberdeau 1 for 1 for Tkachuk or Gaudreau in the 21 offseason I think it would be almost unanimous that everyone would jump on it.

Huh? Revisionist, imaginary history.

There might have been a few grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side size-queen dummies who make the Gaudreau trade (even though Gaudreau's 2018-19 season was by far the best of either of their careers to that point) but very few CPers make those trades let alone "jump on them".

[dino7c]

I think many would make the Gaudreau trade in 21...probably most
Tkachuk no because of the age

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

My vote is we pump the brakes on pronouncements on anything until we get a few more games in.

Humbug, I say! I already bought the torches and pitchforks, and my peasant mob is being paid by the hour whether I use them or not. Burn it all down NOW!

[Tsawwassen]

Postgame links
https://www.espn.com/nhl/recap/_/gameId/401559261
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/games/2568231/
https://www.foxsports.com/nhl/calgar...boxscore-40038

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

This is exactly why I take hockey stats with a grain of salt - Markstrom has been fantastic. If the GSAE/60 says he hasn't been, then they're wrong.

Yeah I would agree. The only reason the Flames have been in both games this year is because of Markstrom. He's clearly over whatever caused him to flail last year - maybe it was just Sutter and the baby that were enough to throw him.

It seems like the media is strangely all hung up on this team narrative where they have been right there in both games, but in reality the eye test shows a team completely out of whack team devoid of top end talent that can score enough to win (shocker!).

Numbers may say Huberdeau is turning it around points wise, but he's doing the same garbage last year where he's invisible for huge stretches and giving up prime shooting opportunities to dump the puck away.

I just don't see how this team is going to be any better than middle of the pack again and that's assuming Markstrom continues to make several game saving saves every game like his did in Pittsburgh. If he reverts to last seasons form, it could get really ugly.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

Huh? Revisionist, imaginary history.

There might have been a few grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side size-queen dummies who make the Gaudreau trade (even though Gaudreau's 2018-19 season was by far the best of either of their careers to that point) but very few CPers make those trades let alone "jump on them".

Tkachuk probably not due to age...but I think many would have jumped on Huberdeau for Gaudreau in 2021.

The three prior seasons it was:

Huberdeau: GP: 206 G: 73 P: 231 (144 EVP) - Huberdeau 13 points in 10 playoff games.

Gaudreau: GP: 208 G:73 P: 206 (142 EVP) - Gaudreau 8 points in 15 playoff games.

So yeah when looking at the three seasons prior, and with Gaudreau coming off 49 points in 56 games, and Huberdeau coming off 61 points in 55 games that season that lots of people would have taken the Huberdeau trade in the 21 offseason.

Esepecially with Gaudreau having 1 x $6.75M left and Huberdeau having 2 x $5.9M left on their contracts at that time.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by dino7c

I think many would make the Gaudreau trade in 21...probably most
Tkachuk no because of the age

A lot of people remained down on Tkachuk after his covid season. Lots of talk about scary it was picking up the 9 million option and extending it with that price tag.

I guess people are forgetting the button hooks and turnovers, just remember 1 season.

Again Iggy dominated the game but he didn't dominate every game many times he was called invisible or get called for not being a star player or taking over games. He was also a notorious slow starter.

Just trying to say its been 2 games lets just relax, not saying you just overall.