[PGT] Flames fall 3-2 in shootout to Chicago.

[Super Nintendo Chalmers]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

The season just started. Nobody is tired.

The only advantage some teams have over others is a lack of rust.

I'm talking about the strippers.

[bluloc]

Although they may have played well enough to win last night, we found a way to lose the game in the last few seconds. Some people may have reason to be optimistic ,but to me its the same old dissapointing team time and time again. 1 win in 6 games with a 5 games at home pretty much says it all.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by moon

They were definitely outplayed in the Sharks and Anaheim games in my view.

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

They haven't really been outplayed yet this year imo.

They had two terrible minutes against the Avs. And they conceded a period in each game against the Sharks and Ducks.

The problem is that outplaying the other team = a draw or slight advantage.

That is lost within 2-20 minutes easily against other teams in the conference.

This is due to lack of talent and means the Flames have to play perfect hockey every night to even have a chance at a point.

Asking a team of humans to play perfectly every night is pretty hopeless. And therefore so too are the Flames.

I think the brain trust knows what this year and the next will be all about. It's a disguised rebuild (starting close ot the trade deadline).

No one in the Flames head office is delusional enough to think this is anymore than a young guns era caliber team. They will give fans exciting hockey and a lottery pick, with guys like Feaster and Hartley that we are not invested in. At least that is what I think.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Do you get tired if you didn't sleep the night before?

I mean, you slept for thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of hours prior to that. Surely one night of missed sleep wouldn't result in fatigue?

But the Hawks did sleep. If they got to bed at 3 am, they could have stayed in bed until noon since they didn't have a practice.

[Sakari]

Finish finish finish! And we're not talking about the country! You gotta score on that play, and he didn't.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

But the Hawks did sleep. If they got to bed at 3 am, they could have stayed in bed until noon since they didn't have a practice.

Oh, see, I wasn't arguing with you, I was mocking your ideas about athlete fatigue.

Sorry for the confusion.

[$ven27]

Originally Posted by Sakari

Finish finish finish! And we're not talking about the country! You gotta score on that play, and he didn't.

what

[Sakari]

Originally Posted by $ven27

what

NHL 13 reference, lol.


Anyways, just sort of thought of some new complaining for this.

Really, at the end of the night, Emery wasn't the reason we lost this game. Not the reason at all. In fact, Kipper was probably the better goalie. Don't jump on me quite yet, and hear me out.

Our problem was not running into a hot goaltender, our problem was our lack of the ability to finish the plays we started. We absolutely dominated the best team in the NHL the entire night, except in the dying seconds of the game. We can say oh, Emery was absolutely amazing. Sure, he was great, but, in the end, if we could have lifted the puck up, got it inside the post, we would have won this 10-0, hands down.

Glencross alone could have gotten 5 goals. Nevermind Iggy with at least 4 scoring chances just taken away by overthinking. Cammy hit the post and had a few other scoring chances after that. Tanguay could have scored a few as well. Honestly, if we had Sven in the lineup, we would have won. He's a remarkable finisher and we saw that in his emergency recall last year, all of his goals were amazing finishes to plays started by his linemates. He thinks quick, and could have really changed the dynamic of that game.

What does this mean, though? Well, if our problem remains the inability to finish plays, when Sven gets back in the lineup.. we could see him put up some good numbers. Clearly, we had the same issue against Colorado. We actually destroyed the Hawks in the faceoff dot as well, and they are probably the best team in the league going down the center, if not them, then the Bruins. And I don't think fatigue would have effected their play in that regard, not that much anyways.

The fact remains that Sven Baertschi could very well be the start to a new era of the Flames game. If we see him finish the play, it might encourage the older guys to start hitting the twine as well, as it did last year.

Our problem is not Miikka Kiprusoff, our problem is not Jarome Iginla, our problem is not Cammy, not Glencross, not anyone, our problem is as an entire team, we fail to finish what we start, whether that's starting good, and ending bad, starting a good play, but overpassing and overthinking, and ruining it, or anything else. We could see Baertschi end that for one line.. and maybe even for more than that.


And we all know Iggy is great at setting up plays.. as we saw in Vancouver in 2010.


Just some signs of hope..

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by zamler

The Flames did deserve a better fate, you put almost 50 shots on an opposition goalie and you should win the game. Lack of skill lost the game I guess...

Dec 13 2010 I was at the Joe and saw LA beat Detroit 5-0. Quick stood on his head. LA got some lucky bounces. Detroit had something like 26 shots the second period.

I suppose consensus on CP would be that lack of skill lost the Wings that game too.

Sometimes goalies steal games.

I like the way this team has played more often than not. If they continue to play the right way, things will go their way more often

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by Sakari

NHL 13,12,11,10,9,8,7 reference, lol....

fixed your post

[moon]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Dec 13 2010 I was at the Joe and saw LA beat Detroit 5-0. Quick stood on his head. LA got some lucky bounces. Detroit had something like 26 shots the second period.

I suppose consensus on CP would be that lack of skill lost the Wings that game too.

If Detroit had spent the previous 3 years and 5 games showing that they had a lack of talent and trouble beating teams then perhaps that would be the thinking but since the games have absolutely nothing to do with each other hard to say for sure.

[Steve Bozek]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Dec 13 2010 I was at the Joe and saw LA beat Detroit 5-0. Quick stood on his head. LA got some lucky bounces. Detroit had something like 26 shots the second period.

I suppose consensus on CP would be that lack of skill lost the Wings that game too.

Sometimes goalies steal games. ...

WOA Albuquerque

Sometimes goalies do steal games, but they seem to do it amazingly often against the Flames. Some of this has to be on the shooters.

[djsFlames]

Man, when the two proven 30 goal scorers on the team get the monkey off their backs and light it up (like always) you "no talent" folk will eat your words pretty quick.

There is more than enough talent on the team. 3 lines worth. What idiotic blabbing is this, really?

No we don't have a defined 1st line at the moment (we would if Cammy and Iggy got out of the gate faster) but we have basically three 2nd lines. Pretty decent if you ask me. I'm not even concerned with talent. Finishing is part of the rustiness. You know that as soon as the dam breaks on Iggy and Cammy's droughts, it's broken, and it'll be back to normal offense for them. Meanwhile the rest of the team is chipping in pretty damn well.

Quit being jealous of the Hossas and the Getzlafs of the world, and just sit back and enjoy the ridiculously awesome hockey that's being played by this adequately talented team. The finish will come, no need to cry and stomp your feet after 6 games like children.

[moon]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Man, when the two proven 30 goal scorers on the team get the monkey off their backs and light it up (like always) you "no talent" folk will eat your words pretty quick.

LOL

That is your argument? When and if guys start doing x? How about when Hudler and Stempniak return to their usual ways you "Flames are awesome" folk will eat your words? I don't have to use that crap logic because I can just use the poor play on the ice and not resort to fantasy maybe's.

There is more than enough talent on the team. 3 lines worth. What idiotic blabbing is this, really?

Sure has been evident on the ice so far.

Quit being jealous of the Hossas and the Getzlafs of the world, and just sit back and enjoy the ridiculously awesome hockey that's being played by this adequately talented team. The finish will come, no need to cry and stomp your feet after 6 games like children.

Ridiculously awesome? This is a joke post right?

[dino7c]

if you have the lead with a few seconds left in the game you do whatever it takes, no excuses this time. How stupid can you be to leave a guy in the slot. Slash, hack, hold, knock the sticks out of their hands.

anyway 1 win in 6 games...they are almost out of it already

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by moon

If Detroit had spent the previous 3 years and 5 games showing that they had a lack of talent and trouble beating teams then perhaps that would be the thinking but since the games have absolutely nothing to do with each other hard to say for sure.

Some people, myself included, did not like the coach, mentality and style of play the last 3 years. Like Tanguay, I also thought the team had more potential than their results indicated. I consider the book closed on the Brent era and the clock at least partially reset with the personnel changes on the ice and behind the bench.

The results have not been ideal yet this year, but the means have shown considerable difference. There is reason for optimism still in my opinion

[Biff]

I have watched several years of the Flames not knowing the following:

How to break out of the zone with speed
How to enter the offensive zone with control of the puck and make a play to the net
How to play puck pursuit and take pucks away from the opponent in the O-zone
How to play a disciplined game and not take stupid penalties
How to avoid running around in your own zone under sustained pressure and give up either a goal or a PP
How to have credible scoring threats on 3 lines
How to be creative in the offensive zone and generate chances on the rush
and, good Lord above, how to have an effective powerplay

I have watched six games of this year's team and have seen steady progress in these areas culminating in one of the more complete games I've personally witnessed since '04 and with a smothering offense rather than a stifling defense.

Maybe some of you see the same old Flames. I certainly don't.

[moon]

Originally Posted by Biff

Maybe some of you see the same old Flames. I certainly don't.

I see a different team in terms of style but same overall effectiveness and ability.

Now instead of a team that plays steady in their own zone and have trouble creating chances they are a team that takes risks to try and create chances while ignoring the defensive side of the game.

Different styles yes but same not good enough team and not good enough talent.

[Biff]

Fair enough. For me, the net positives considerably outweigh the negatives. I think they are showing signs of being vastly improved.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by moon

I see a different team in terms of style but same overall effectiveness and ability.

Now instead of a team that plays steady in their own zone and have trouble creating chances they are a team that takes risks to try and create chances while ignoring the defensive side of the game.

Different styles yes but same not good enough team and not good enough talent.

The root cause of a lot of deadly GA has not been the forwards flying the zone and the crap that a lot of people say. Again, the 5 hole goal the game before last was inexcusable. The game winner was Bouwmeester whiffing then letting the guy walk out. And two instances of Butler throwing the puck out brutally ... this is not a result of risk taking resulting in ignoring the defensive game. This is awful defensive brain farts. Plays that individuals make which are very bad individual costly decisions. Surely you can see that. And this decision making is something I believe Hartley can respond to more effectively than the last guy. I think he can add O to the mix and not at the expense of D