What's wrong with the Flames?

[nik-]

I voted effort, chemistry and coaching. Team just isn't ready to play at all and they look uncomfortable together. Goaltending hasn't been great, obviously, but I think it's more of a symptom than cause.

[FlamesAddiction]

A few things...

They are not playing very physical. I know we are still a relatively small team, but they can do better with their physical game. We are not drawing penalties, and we have been getting bad penalties. Enough with the lazy holding and sloppy highsticking penalties. If we are going to get penalties, they should at least be from playing physical.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

I picked effort, goaltending, injuries and it's early no worries!

I think the goaltender has been subpar in every game this season.
I think the effort has been subpar in every game this season.
I think TJ Brodie is far more valuable to this team than any of us realize.
I think they'll turn it around.

I'll go you one further.

I think he's Calgary's best player, and they really really miss him.

[Mike F]

Lots of problems, and coaching is amongst them IMO.

In a broadcast this season the color guy related a comment from Frolik, saying that he was having to really adjust his game, as Maurice had wanted the forwards coming back deep to support the breakout while Hartley wanted the forwards high to extend things.

Last season the team succeeded with Hartley's system in spite of the fact that it had them routinely out-chanced and lacking possession, thus the "unsustainable" label. This season Hartley's system again has them routinely out chanced and lacking possession, but they're now losing.

Bad breaks, sub-par goaltending, and injuries have contributed, but a system that has a team chasing and defending more than driving play is going to be more susceptible to being undermined by those things.

[polak]

Terrible decision making is what it is and it doesn't really fall under any category...

I voted Chemistry, Bad Breaks and Coaching as that seems to all contribute to bone head mistakes. Goaltending is another one I should have ticked off.

[vicarious]

No Schlemko

[Zarley]

Missing Paul Byron.

[Ruttiger]

Hangover from the Iginla trade.

[Cflames_12.5]

It is early I'm not worried.

[GreenLantern]

I think it is a combination of 1 2 and 3. The chemistry and effort has been weak, but it is also early enough to right this ship's course. There is a lot more pressure this year than there was last year and we know that will impact their play. Clock is ticking though as these early points are going to be very valuable at the end of the season.

[automaton 3]

Brodie's injury is the key. Although Gio got the accolades last year, imo it was Brodie doing the heavy lifting.

He can't get back in the lineup soon enough.

Colbone's injury also hasn't helped.

[skudr248]

[Bandwagon In Flames]

I chose everything but 'bad breaks' (unless you count injuries as bad breaks). On the ice nothing has really clicked so far.

The biggest reason is probably TJ Brodie. The Flames system lives and dies on the mobility of our defensemen and conditioning of our players. Brodie skates more miles than any other Flame and is probably the best conditioned Flame. He allows Gio to think less on defense and focus more on offense.

[CaptainCrunch]

You missed ego as an option.

To me everything goes back to this team thinking that its more talented and because of that a playoff spot will just be there for them and they won't have to work as hard for it.

too many passengers
The work ethic is poor
The chemistry isn't there


the good news is that we are only 5 games in, the good news is that all of these problems are fixable with the right application of boots to a$$es. The Bad news is, are they quick studies.

Losing to that atrocious team to the North on your home ice, by a lop sided score should inflame some passions, if it doesn't that's really bad news.

[btimbit]

Not the hot start we all hoped for, but I'm not overly concerned yet. The Ducks only have 1 more point the the Flames, and the Coyotes are in a playoff spot atm.

That said, I picked effort, chemistry and goaltending.

Effort, I think maybe there si a bit of a hangover after last years success.

Chemistry, I mean out top d pairing mostly. Gio still needs to settle in after his injury, and Hamilton will likely be a few weeks before he starts to click with anew team and new systems.

Goaltending is obvious, there's already been a few soft goals being let in. It's hard to blame goaltending alone because of how the team has played in front of them, but it's still a factor.

But alas, It is early I'm not worried. Hopefully last game gave people the wake up call they needed

[Sainters7]

I'm more in the "it's early, I'm not too worried yet" camp, though Saturday was the first sign of alarm bells for myself. I actually think in most of the games we've played, I thought we looked decent but just haven't gotten the result (Oilers aside).

The main issue I'm seeing is we haven't pulled those tight ones out of the fire late so far like we did last year, combined with clearly much higher expectations in Flamesland. I'm getting the impression my expectations this year are lower than the average Flames fan, I still very much see this as a rebuilding team. That's basically what they've looked like to this point.

PS- and we need Brodie back, post haste


Posted from Calgarypuck.com App for Android

[ricardodw]

Brodie is very very underrated.

Gio is overrated by as much as as Brodie is underrated.

Brodie-Engelland >>>>> Gio-Hamilton and was better than Gio-Bouwmeester (before Gio's carreer took off, ie when he got the privilege of playing with Brodie.


Really worried about the team long-term as Wideman had a really poor season 2 years ago when he came back from his broken hand.

Need Brodie, and need him to be able to hold a stick.


What a mistake of signing Gio in the off season rather than waiting to see how he did this year. Very little chance of his value going up as he ages. This was dodged the Glencross decline..... lesson not learned.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I'll go you one further.

I think he's Calgary's best player, and they really really miss him.

That is a bold statement and you might be right about how good he is. Personally, I'm not quite there yet.

But even so, a team missing its best player should not go from good to awful. if so, that team is not constructed very well.

[Travis Munroe]

The Gio/Hamilton pairing should be an option.
It makes no sense to me, Gio and Brodie MUST be put together when Brodie is healthy. Its tried tested and proven.
Why not start playing around with Hamilton. Perhaps a Hamilton Kulak pairing could be impressive. Some great size, both young, both new (ish) and both should be in the long term plans.
D to D passes are hitting skates where as last year they were right on the tape allowing a much quicker transition out. Hell, Brodie could be looking up ice while Gio was dishing him the puck ready to send it to his outlet guy the moment it hit his tape. As small as it seems, that extra 2 second delay on the breakout allows the other team to get set on defense and eliminate those great rushes we had last year.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

That so many people think that this is effort related is alarming to me. These are NHL players, do you honestly think they're not trying hard enough?

Sometimes the other team is just better.