Chris Butler: Credit Where Credit is Due

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Who ended up scoring the goal?

If he didn't hesitate he would have blocked Thornton's shot to the net or made thornton throw it into the corner. He would have had 9 blocked shots! and increased his trade value even further.

oh yeah and brad stuart didn't score a goal in like 70 games... hahaha

[Travis Munroe]

I said it last night on the PGT but Butler has been better than average.
Anyone who disagrees can read game talk and notice 1 major difference... there are not pages dedicated to Butler mistakes.
There is no question that due to his past performance, we try to pick up on every possible mistake which has not been easy lately.
The goat horns go to Backlund after last nights game. He played pretty solid throughout but made a bonehead pinch leaving his other 3 players in a touch position defending a 4 on 3.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Giordano - Smid
Russell - Wideman
Brodie - Butler

Just posted these exact pairing in another thread, with basicly the same logic, so obviously you're a genius.

Didn't think Brodie had it in him yet to be the kind of defenseman that makes his pair look way better than he is, but here we are.

Also; some people on CP have recently criticized Brodies gaffes. Funnily enough, anyone who plays with Butler seems to rapidbly become hated by at least some here on the board. Somehow I don't think it's a coincidence.

Once Giordano is healthy, I also think we should check if Brodie can make someone else look as good as he can make Butler look. Smith or Breen for example.

[Kool Keef]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Get him off the Flames as i'm sure some team needs a shotblocking dman thats younger and cheap.

Seems like something the Flames could use.

He's playing OK. Try not to have an aneurysm over it.

[JobHopper]

I guess I just don't get all the hate for this guy. I've been watching him the last few games and he almost always clears the zone when he gets the puck. You can't really ask for more of a Dman of his ranking.

Chris has actually been one of the Flames better players in the last few games here.

He's a -3 through 18 games with 4 points. Had a point again last night which led to a Flames goal.

It doesn't take a genius to see that goaltending and defense aren't the problem for the Flames right now.

[Travis Munroe]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

If he didn't hesitate he would have blocked Thornton's shot to the net or made thornton throw it into the corner. He would have had 9 blocked shots! and increased his trade value even further.

oh yeah and brad stuart didn't score a goal in like 70 games... hahaha

That sound's exactly like a play Joe would make on a 4-3...dump it in the corner.

[Travis Munroe]

Originally Posted by JobHopper

I guess I just don't get all the hate for this guy. I've been watching him the last few games and he almost always clears the zone when he gets the puck. You can't really ask for more of a Dman of his ranking.

Chris has actually been one of the Flames better players in the last few games here.

He's a -3 through 18 games with 4 points. Had a point again last night which led to a Flames goal.

It doesn't take a genius to see that goaltending and defense aren't the problem for the Flames right now.

AS true as this is...tough to read knowing it was the only problem early on. If only they could all get on the same page!

[strombad]

Thread title should be:
Chris Butler: Thanks for playing like you belong in the NHL

He hasn't been all that good by any means. He's been decent, good enough really. I think the only difference has nothing to do with him magically improving his game, but rather with being given top minutes he doesn't feel he needs to force plays to show something in his more limited ice time.

I've got no problem with him lately, he's been fine, but some of the praise from OP.... reign it in.

This thread is like the new A&W commercials:
"Oh hey we're made with higher quality beef now!
Yeah, great, you're still A&W.

[Goodlad]

Originally Posted by JobHopper

I guess I just don't get all the hate for this guy. I've been watching him the last few games and he almost always clears the zone when he gets the puck. You can't really ask for more of a Dman of his ranking.

Chris has actually been one of the Flames better players in the last few games here.

He's a -3 through 18 games with 4 points. Had a point again last night which led to a Flames goal.

It doesn't take a genius to see that goaltending and defense aren't the problem for the Flames right now.

Our 64 goals against say different. Only Florida and Edmonton have allowed more. On the other hand our 49 goals for puts us in the middle of the league.

[heep223]

Originally Posted by kirant

I think the Brodie-Butler synergy is a huge part of Butler's improved play. Butler has had a myriad of partners and hasn't looked comfortable with any of them before.

Brodie and Butler makes sense as a bottom pairing at the moment. Brodie seems to suffer the same problem Giordano did a few years ago and really struggles with anything over 20-22 minutes.

Don't agree. The "synergy" comes from the fact that Butler is playing with a partner that is better than him. Butler ends up dragging Brodie down and Brodie pulls Butler up.

I agree generally with the fact that Butler has been playing the best hockey we have seen as a Flame.

[JobHopper]

Originally Posted by Goodlad

Our 64 goals against say different. Only Florida and Edmonton have allowed more. On the other hand our 49 goals for puts us in the middle of the league.

The Flames have only lost 4 games by 3 goals or more.

Nine losses by 2 goals or less.

That could be improved by having better forwards that help out better defensively.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Butler has been fine I would say, and I also echo the OP's stance of not liking him at all since I got to see him play in his first 2 months in Calgary. He never seemed to take any steps forward.

Though his passing is still suspect, he has acquitted himself well defensively since Gio went down. Still can't say I am a 'fan', but I can't say he is a problem out there any longer at all, which is great to see.

As for Brodie - he had a couple of stinker games, and has made the occasional mistake out there - but he is a young defender who excels at skating the puck out of trouble and generating some offensive changes, while being pretty stable on the backend. He is only going to get better. I don't mind him at all on the top pairing with Giordano, and feel this is probably where he should stay. Perhaps part of the reason why Giordano has reemerged as such a fantastic 2-way defender is having a partner like Brodie?

Will be interesting to see how the pairings shake down a few games after Giordano returns, and if Butler stays consistently decent back down on the third pairing.

[CsInMyBlood]

Originally Posted by strombad

Thread title should be:
Chris Butler: Thanks for playing like you belong in the NHL

He hasn't been all that good by any means. He's been decent, good enough really. I think the only difference has nothing to do with him magically improving his game, but rather with being given top minutes he doesn't feel he needs to force plays to show something in his more limited ice time.

I've got no problem with him lately, he's been fine, but some of the praise from OP.... reign it in.

This thread is like the new A&W commercials:
"Oh hey we're made with higher quality beef now!
Yeah, great, you're still A&W.

In his first year he was Jay Bouwmeesters D partner, he was third on the entire Flames team in average ice a game and was horribad so I'm not buying your theory.

Butler has been so bad as a Flame that his play over these last five games does deserve some recognition. I am probably the biggest Butler hater on this board but even I can look past my hate and give him some props. If you don't want to acknowledge that and continue your hate so be it, I understand he has been crap in a Flames uniform and your hate towards him is not lost on me.

[Itse]

Oh, forgot:

Quick, trade him at peak value!

[gvitaly]

I think its a great time to sell high. I think the Wings could be interested considering their cap situation and terrible defense as of late. Chris Butler played much better than usual, at least now every shift he is on the ice doesn't look like a fire drill. Butler however, doesn't fit the image of what the Flames are trying to build in my opinion. He just always seems too passive, especially during board battles and clearing the front of the net.

IMO the only reason Butler really deserves credit is because of how low our expectations of him are. I still see many holes in his game that are currently covered by better goaltending and a better D partner.

[Fan in Exile]

Originally Posted by JobHopper

The Flames have only lost 4 games by 3 goals or more.

Nine losses by 2 goals or less.

That could be improved by having better forwards that help out better defensively.

What are you talking about? Your first sentence is accurate. Where you go from there is beyond anything I can comprehend.

[Enoch Root]

I found the timing of this thread interesting because, while he has been playing much better since Gio went down, I thought he really struggled last night.

His first pass, over and over, was simply atrocious.

I think he single-handedly iced the puck with the 4th line out there 4 different times.

The blocked shots were a result of the fact that he couldn't get out of his own end. The Sharks did a good job of keeping the pressure on him (as opposed to Brodie skating it out of the zone himself)

I was pulling my hair out last night because of him.

But yeah, he has been playing better for the last while.

[Poe969]

he's playing like a bottom pairing defensman on a bottom 5 team in the league. When's the parade?

[Huntingwhale]

I honestly think it's a case of Butler not screwing up as much, moreso then it is him playing really well. IMO if you can find a better replacement and another team is willing to take him, take it and run. This might be as high his value ever gets.

[Flashpoint]

I despise the fact Buttlerfingers still plays for the Flames.

But he's looked good for the past few games. So I agree with OP.