[PGT] Growing pains continue! Flames still get a point!

[TurnedTheCorner]

Or...?

[Mightyfire89]

No lack of effort, just some dumb plays. That's ok with me. They'll learn from mistakes like that. OBrien and Butler though...blech. Hopefully someone better brought in to bump them down the depth chart. That's an awful pairing. Goaltending is about as sketchy as I expected. Other than those things, I'm really happy with how the team is playing. Oh yeah, Monahan looks like a keeper for sure.

[Keeko_ca]

Very, very impressed with tonight's show of emotion and effort. Almost had this one, deserved it even. Go Flames Go! It's been a while since I truly had a foundation to say those words!

[Clever_Iggy]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

Any of them offer an intangible Butler doesn't have. Cundari is a better puck mover, Smith & Wotherspoon are smarter and calmer, Breen offers punishment to the puck carrier and so does Sieloff.

Butler just doesn't need to be on this team, they benefit nothing from him being in the lineup. SOB was a wasteful signing as well.

Furthermore, Butler has had his chance to show upside and has shown what that "upside" is. Those other guys need to have a shot. For the good of the team now and down the road.

Adios.

I don't mind SOB. He's the only guy on the team that's an a****** to play against. I think that's needed.

[LickTheEnvelope]

Good game Flames fans. I knew this would be a strange game and it was certainly that. Flames owned the game for most of the first two periods through hard-work, then collapsed a little on turnovers in the 3rd. Flames defensive play is light-years ahead of the Oilers i'm really interested to see the battle of Alberta as the year goes.

[dino7c]

The fact that without a couple bonehead plays this team could be 3-0 is pretty exciting honestly. They are basically 2-1 after three games, when was the last time that happened

[BruceCody]

3 - 0; 4 - 1 leading = lose
3 - 1 leading = lose
???????
maybe need stopped leading two or more

[Francis's Hairpiece]

At least the young guys can learn from the vets. "Don't do what Donny Don't does" with a picture of Glenncross and Butler on the board.

[AC]

I thought that was a very entertaining and exciting game.

I'm happy with the effort and don't mind the result.

[djsFlames]

I so wanted to win in OT just to piss Torts off and hear the glorious post-game presser.

But I guess we can't always get what we want..

[calgARI]

I'll tell ya what - I can't remember the last time the Calgary Flames played three games in a row where I left thinking they worked extremely hard in each. I think it must have been the 04 playoffs. This isn't a great team and nobody will dispute that, but they try really hard and play the game the way it's meant to be played. How often do they tie games up in the last 30 seconds? How often do they even score goals in the manner that they did to tie it? I can't remember the last time a Flames player forced his way and the puck into the net the way Jones did.

My thoughts on Vancouver are similar to Washington. They are losers who don't compete hard until they have to. Good luck doing that in the playoffs. No question that is a team on the decline and that will not gel with their new coach. I think those guys leave the game thinking they deserved the two points. They were outplayed for 45-50 minutes of that game. Jones and Galiardi are identity players who swarm the net.

The Flames look like the Avs from a couple years ago - that team that was supposed to suck but ended up squeezing into the playoffs because they just swarmed the net all the time and drove teams crazy. Actually thought the Flames were great around their own net the first two periods but it was an all out disaster in the third period.

All started with Glencross's completely unacceptable, lazy turnover that led to the second goal. Someone has to tell that guy he needs to be a role model now and can't just pout when he isn't scoring. I have not been at all pleased with his game through three games.

The McGrattan turnover is a ludicrous coaching mistake. Why in the world is that guy and that line on the ice at that stage of a one-goal game? Inexcusable mistake, rebuild or not.

Other than those things, mostly all positives for me. Thought the third goal was very weak by MacDonald but he obviously came back and made some huge saves. Bottom line is the team is probably going to get some really bad goaltending this year.

Top 4 D have been really good I think in all three zones. And O'Brien has even been fine, has a little Hannan economical smarts to him. I'm not a big Butler basher, but wow did he suck tonight.

Monahan plays as advertised. Super solid and smart. IQ off the charts. Will be interesting to see what happens but given the Flames' depth at center, I don't really understand why he would be sent back. He and Backlund appear to be the only real healthy NHL centers on the team right now. Not sure what Colbourne brings.

Jones has been the best forward through three games. Giordano and Wideman have been the other two best players.

Was really impressed with the second powerplay.

The team got tired late in this one and that was very clear. Mentally tiring to start the season with three home openers. They need a couple of days of practice and video. Will go a long way I think. O it's a rebuild, but as long as they work hard like they have the first three games, I think most will be plenty pleased. Obviously no one is happy about the last few years but seeing the first three games makes me even angrier at how paltry the effort was more often than not from those circus teams. This sport is about hard work and playing the right way and the NHL is no different.

[flames_fan13]

Just looking at the ice time and found it interesting that Hudler(22:17) and Backlund(21:36) led all forwards in ice time. Wideman(26:26) and Brodie(25:44) led the defensemen and team.

[timbit]

Butler? O'brien?

How about Wideman, McGrattan and Glencross?

All in all good effort.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Can we have some gifs for effort?

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by Clever_Iggy

Furthermore, Butler has had his chance to show upside and has shown what that "upside" is. Those other guys need to have a shot. For the good of the team now and down the road.

Adios.

[B]I don't mind SOB. He's the only guy on the team that's an a****** to play against. I think that's needed.

That's what SOB has been brought in to be, but i have not seen that at all. All i see is a guy that can't skate or play D. Butler is really bad but SOB is worse.

I don't think bringing in Smith is much better. I also don't think the flames should be bringing up Sieloff or Wotherspoon because they were dumb enough to go with Butler and SOB as a bottom pairing.

Those youngsters need most of this year down with the heat. If i had my way those 2 youngsters would play for the heat for a couple of seasons.

I guess there is Cundari but that's making the flames D very small.

[kehatch]

Bottom line for me is that if McGrattan and Butler weren't on the ice tonight we would have been a hard working team that took out our top division rival in our home opener. Instead we were a hard working young team that was lucky to get into OT.

Neither of those guys do anything that you can't get from our system. Except for fight heavyweights. Which is useless.

I appreciate that McGrattan has played better than expected. But that doesn't excuse a fourth line grinder costing us the game. He shouldn't have even been on the ice.

[EM11]

Loved seeing Hartley's arms up when they tied the game in the 3rd. This team has passion from top to bottom.

[agulati]

I have always thought that Butler got more hate than he deserved during the last two years, but the SOB/Butler pairing tonight was horrible.
SOB had a lot of panicked passes that led to turnovers and Butler did not have a solid night either. That pinch was badly timed as well.

Hudler was not at his best either with some bad turnovers in the offensive zone.

Monahan had a good game, as did Jones.

[neo45]

Can't understand why Butler got put back out there after his terrible pinch. His next shift he follows his man behind the net (which is something you learn not to do on day one) and they score.

Giordano has been a beast in the first three games.

[flames_fan13]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

That's what SOB has been brought in to be, but i have not seen that at all. All i see is a guy that can't skate or play D. Butler is really bad but SOB is worse.

I don't think bringing in Smith is much better. I also don't think the flames should be bringing up Sieloff or Wotherspoon because they were dumb enough to go with Butler and SOB as a bottom pairing.

Those youngsters need most of this year down with the heat. If i had my way those 2 youngsters would play for the heat for a couple of seasons.

I guess there is Cundari but that's making the flames D very small.

I think as soon as Breen is healthy he'll be coming in for O'brien. As for Butler I think at this moment he's the only option we have. I think Seiloff and Wotherspoon would be better off playing in the AHL for the full season. I guess they could play Smith over Butler but Smith won't play better than Butler.