[Game Takes] Flames 6 Panthers 4

[Bingo]

http://www.calgarypuck.com/2014/11/g...-6-panthers-4/

[Mike F]

Gaps between Flames defensemen and forwards on the breakout are consistently enormous, leading to little speed in the neutral zone. Hartley seems to want to stretch teams out, but I'm tired of long bomb passes skipping off sticks or getting intercepted.

And the Flames have once again plummeted to the bottom of the league in faceoff%. The injuries to Backlund and Staja aren't helping, but even they are just at 50% to lead the team. This has been a glaring problem for years, and it's inexcusable that the team hasn't tried to address it.

[PugnaciousIntern]

Originally Posted by Mike F

And the Flames have once again plummeted to the bottom of the league in faceoff%. The injuries to Backlund and Staja aren't helping, but even they are just at 50% to lead the team. This has been a glaring problem for years, and it's inexcusable that the team hasn't tried to address it.

I agree it's still a concern, but I'm quite positive the Flames have made multiple attempts over the last few years to address this issue. The problem is that the other teams focus on things like this as well, as in the best players in the world. It's one thing to identify issues in this league, it's another to fix them. Furthermore, it's only one metric, and doesn't necessarily trump other markers of success.

Based on the mantra of this rebuild, I assume they plan on improving faceoff % through developing their own players. Unfortunately, relying on rookie centremen to immediately start winning faceoffs against the best centremen in the world is a tall order, and will take time.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Mike F

Gaps between Flames defensemen and forwards on the breakout are consistently enormous, leading to little speed in the neutral zone. Hartley seems to want to stretch teams out, but I'm tired of long bomb passes skipping off sticks or getting intercepted.

And the Flames have once again plummeted to the bottom of the league in faceoff%. The injuries to Backlund and Staja aren't helping, but even they are just at 50% to lead the team. This has been a glaring problem for years, and it's inexcusable that the team hasn't tried to address it.

Monahan, Backlund, Colborne and Stajan are all basically 50% in the dot this season which is a big improvement. They've plummeted recently because the latter three all got hurt and guys like Granlund, Byron and Jooris are getting absolutely crushed.

[Bingo]

In all fairness, Granlund and Byron got pumped while Monahan was 56%

The emergence of Monahan in all of this should suggest better in the circle when Stajan and Backlund come back. I'm guessing Bennett will be good at draws too.

[Mike F]

I've been following this for a couple of seasons. IIRC, even when they were fully healthy, the Flames topped out around 20th in the league in FO%, and no Flame has been more than a point or two over 50%

[Bingo]

Actually they were ranked 12th after that initial road trip, which surprised me.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Hiller faced about 8 shots? The goalie change was a wakeup call to the team

When Cujo got the call a few years back in the playoffs the team responded well and like tonight the win was not due to the actual goaltending

[dying4acup]

Upshall had the hat trick didn't he?

[Yrebmi]

I cannot agree. Ramo looked scrambly and at times panicked IMO.
I think that early goal rattled him.
Everybody can have an off day. Ramo has shown he has better than this.

[UKflames]

Surprised you gave Gaudreau the 2nd star, I thought he was missing passes and not handling the puck as well last night. Yes he got the pass to Monahan for the goal but not his best night. I know that many will say it was an off night for everyone, as it was an afternoon game, but personally i would have given a star to David Jones, he had a lot of jump and created quite a few chances.

[Yrebmi]

NM double post

[Flames89]

Originally Posted by UKflames

Surprised you gave Gaudreau the 2nd star, I thought he was missing passes and not handling the puck as well last night. Yes he got the pass to Monahan for the goal but not his best night. I know that many will say it was an off night for everyone, as it was an afternoon game, but personally i would have given a star to David Jones, he had a lot of jump and created quite a few chances.

3 points is not enough for you?

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Gaudreau was not great for the first half of the game, but he learned from his mistakes and helped take over the game late. That's a star worthy performance.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Cali Flames Fan

Gaudreau was not great for the first half of the game, but he learned from his mistakes and helped take over the game late. That's a star worthy performance.

I was about to say the same. I was saying to myself that he was yet good in the 1st half, but then boy did he turn it on.

I also agree that Ramo was scramble, flopping around a lot. He made all the initial saves, but wasn't ready for rebounds, or a deflection. Not economical in his movements. It looked like rust to me. The Flames should have protected him better for his first game back.

[Bingo]

Gaudreau is a very different player to watch. He does have games where not a lot is happening but then he changes the outcome of the game because of his ability to hang on to the puck and set something up that changes the game.

I didn't find him dominant at all ... I agree.

But if he doesn't hang on to that puck all the way down the wall and set up Jones that game could have gotten away from them. He didn't just wrist the puck on net, he didn't try a low percentage pass. He hung on to the point where something opened up and it created a key bounce.

In the third he puts the puck on Monahan's tape and ties the game.

Same as the Montréal game. He takes two fairly innocent rushes, spins, finds the late guy and changes the out come of the game. What would that game have become if Calgary out shoots Montréal 19-4 and comes up empty?

He's Calgary's first real modern NHL player, a guy that can beat someone one on one and actually take the puck through the system that NHL coaches roll out. Calgary was built for the old league on the 2004 run, ... brute and passion. No one on one skills at all.

Now with Gaudreau, and Brodie especially they have two.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Gaudreau is a very different player to watch. He does have games where not a lot is happening but then he changes the outcome of the game because of his ability to hang on to the puck and set something up that changes the game.

I didn't find him dominant at all ... I agree.

But if he doesn't hang on to that puck all the way down the wall and set up Jones that game could have gotten away from them. He didn't just wrist the puck on net, he didn't try a low percentage pass. He hung on to the point where something opened up and it created a key bounce.

In the third he puts the puck on Monahan's tape and ties the game.

Same as the Montréal game. He takes two fairly innocent rushes, spins, finds the late guy and changes the out come of the game. What would that game have become if Calgary out shoots Montréal 19-4 and comes up empty?

He's Calgary's first real modern NHL player, a guy that can beat someone one on one and actually take the puck through the system that NHL coaches roll out. Calgary was built for the old league on the 2004 run, ... brute and passion. No one on one skills at all.

Now with Gaudreau, and Brodie especially they have two.

All true and I agree but what sets him apart from other younger guys for me, is what he does when he doesn't have the puck.

He is so smart at thinking the game which allows him to negate his size disadvantage...he just knows where to be most of the time to make a play without having to scramble around to do so. The guy is very good defensively and its not because he can skate like hell and lift a stick to steal a puck...its because he knows where to be 2 or 3 seconds ahead of most humans.

Remarkable young player and truly looks to be an elite one in the future.

[Mike F]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Actually they were ranked 12th after that initial road trip, which surprised me.

I just went through the box scores through those first seven games and found that they won the faceoff battle in two games (Vancouver, surprisingly, and Nashville) and lost it in five games (Edmonton, St. Louis, Chicago, Columbus, and Winnipeg). In total they won 233 and lost 258 to end up at 47%.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Mike F

I just went through the box scores through those first seven games and found that they won the faceoff battle in two games (Vancouver, surprisingly, and Nashville) and lost it in five games (Edmonton, St. Louis, Chicago, Columbus, and Winnipeg). In total they won 233 and lost 258 to end up at 47%.

I read somewhere that veterans are, on average, better than young guys on FOs. Give Monahan time, he'll improve even more than he has.

We are also playing some guys who don't play centre on a regular basis, due to injury. Byron, Jooris sometimes.

[UKflames]

Originally Posted by Flames89

3 points is not enough for you?

Not really what i was saying, my comment was made around his whole game not just the points. I don't feel it should always be about the points, similar to how they hand out the firemans helmet, for me it can be about the overall performance and yesterday afternoon i thought there were others that may have deserved it more. I won't get into who because then we will just go back and forth agreeing and disagreeing but i felt there were some.