[Game Takes] Sharks 3 Flames 2

[Bingo]

http://www.calgarypuck.com/2014/12/g...-3-flames-2-2/

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Agreed with McGrattan. Seems like an awesome guy, teammates love him, but he doesn't really serve a purpose anymore, at least very rarely. His ice time tonight was basically a waste. If he is going to play he needs to bust to the net and make life tough for the d-men and goalie, not just skate around and chew up minutes.

Agreed about Ferland as well, he's moved up the depth chart for sure. If they do need to send players down in the near future it will be Sven and Granlund before Ferland.

[Bingo]

Granlund isn't using his speed as much as he was. He started slipping with Gaudreau and Hudler, and is still slipping now that he lines up with Byron.

Hit a wall?

Happens I guess ... while the opposite is happening in Ferland's game.

Assume Hiller again in Toronto as well?

[Da_Chief]

The third D pair is a big blackhole. Need to get guys who can skate and play some D otherwise the top 4 will burn out.

Ferly is getting confident out there, I see him as a Glencross replacement. I like Granlund but if you can't win faceoffs you're a liability, call in Yanic Perreault and hold a faceoff school for all guys.

[Finger Cookin]

You mentioned McGrattan in the lineup, but he was on the fourth line, not the third. The lines at the end of the article also show Bollig as being dressed.

Thanks for the write up as always.

I'm not convinced that Ferland has passed Granlund yet, but it's closer than it was.

[sa226]

Good point on the "getting points" change in persona.

Last year I would have been slightly put out by the loss, but tickled pink with the effort and a damned exciting hockey game.

To add, it will be interesting to see how the young team handles increased expectations. Aside from the advanced stats aficionados, I think the league is starting to take the Flames seriously. With that comes expectations. Can they handle it? Time will tell.

Is it wrong to kind of hope for a non serious injury to Smid or Engelland? That third pairing has a ton of trouble. I'd like to see a call up with a little more mobility and puck skills to help out.

Granlund hasn't really played poorly, but it seems he has plateaued a bit. He would be my nomination to be sent back after Sven. We need Backlund back badly.

Johnny is awesome and Jooris continues to defy logic and the odds.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by sa226

...Is it wrong to kind of hope for a non serious injury to Smid or Engelland? That third pairing has a ton of trouble. I'd like to see a call up with a little more mobility and puck skills to help out.

I say yes, it is wrong. Smid and Engelland are bottom-pairing guys, who are playing like bottom-pairing defensemen. I would suggest that easily more than half the teams in the NHL are plagued by precisely the same problem. Besides, Engelland din't play in this game, and I thought that Smid acquitted himself okay on a few occasions by making some solid plays—it's just kind of what happens with bottom-pairing defensemen. And in the present market, there is just no real way to upgrade. I suppose the Flames could call up Wotherspoon or Culkin, but I'm not convinced this is what is best for them at the moment.

I think that in light of the low probability that the team could upgrade their defense, it probably makes the best sense to attempt to improve by making changes up front. McGrattan is simply done. He can't play the game at this level any more, and it is becoming increasingly more and more obvious. Bollig is probably also not good enough to stick with this team, but I would argue that he is a marginally better fill-in option than McGrattan. Ferland needs to stay in the NHL, and while Granlund is still okay despite having fallen off a bit, he should probably go back down. I was not an advocate of this at the beginning of the season, but it might be time to get Arnold and/or Poirier into the lineup.

[Textcritic]

BTW, is anyone else a little put out that nhl.com's second and third stars from last night's game were Rämo ahead of Niemi? I actually thought Niemi could have been the first star, and it feels a little bit like a confirmation bias at work to support the running narrative this season: that the Flames are surviving on exceptional goaltending. Rämo was good last night, but Niemi won that game for SJ.

[Da_Chief]

CBC also had Ramo as the 2nd star. Both goalies played well. Could've gone either way.

[PeteMoss]

For the roster after Sven goes down, I would waive McGrattan. Love the guy... but he doesn't need to be up here.

If you really want him for games against the Oilers or something like that.. just call him up for those games.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I say yes, it is wrong. Smid and Engelland are bottom-pairing guys, who are playing like bottom-pairing defensemen. I would suggest that easily more than half the teams in the NHL are plagued by precisely the same problem. Besides, Engelland din't play in this game, and I thought that Smid acquitted himself okay on a few occasions by making some solid plays—it's just kind of what happens with bottom-pairing defensemen. And in the present market, there is just no real way to upgrade. I suppose the Flames could call up Wotherspoon or Culkin, but I'm not convinced this is what is best for them at the moment.

I think that in light of the low probability that the team could upgrade their defense, it probably makes the best sense to attempt to improve by making changes up front. McGrattan is simply done. He can't play the game at this level any more, and it is becoming increasingly more and more obvious. Bollig is probably also not good enough to stick with this team, but I would argue that he is a marginally better fill-in option than McGrattan. Ferland needs to stay in the NHL, and while Granlund is still okay despite having fallen off a bit, he should probably go back down. I was not an advocate of this at the beginning of the season, but it might be time to get Arnold and/or Poirier into the lineup.

As I said in the story, I just don't get the fourth line and the third defense pairing starting on face offs together three times in the game. Makes little sense to me.

You have four D that play 23 minutes each, and a fourth line only playing 6 minutes as a unit. He didn't have to.

I get that you get more offense out of top three lines and top two pairings but why open the flood gates?

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by Bingo

As I said in the story, I just don't get the fourth line and the third defense pairing starting on face offs together three times in the game. Makes little sense to me.

You have four D that play 23 minutes each, and a fourth line only playing 6 minutes as a unit. He didn't have to.

I get that you get more offense out of top three lines and top two pairings but why open the flood gates?

Every time I see Smid/Engelland out there with Bollig, 4th line C and Bouma my sphincter tightens like mad until they all get off the ice, it's just asking for trouble as our team becomes a possession black hole that gets hemmed in their zone. Better to let one of the top 4 D carry the 4th line for a bit, while having Monahan's line bail Smid/Engelland out. At least we can clear the zone more reliably and get the next few guys out on the ice instead of chasing around the d zone, getting increasingly tired and not being able to get off the ice due to icings or failed clearing attempts.

[lanny9]

Originally Posted by Bingo

As I said in the story, I just don't get the fourth line and the third defense pairing starting on face offs together three times in the game. Makes little sense to me.

You have four D that play 23 minutes each, and a fourth line only playing 6 minutes as a unit. He didn't have to.

I get that you get more offense out of top three lines and top two pairings but why open the flood gates?

Fully agree,I was screaming at the TV, I mean we had last change why on earth would you trust our 2nd and 3rd line dmen out against their top line. May work with many teams but you could see their to two lines were paying really well and we should have stuck with our top 4 Dmen. We got out coached in this game imo, does not happen often under Hartley but last night was just one of those nights. The 4th line shouldn't have seen the ice in the last period, Stajan played well but the other two, wow, Bouma looked horrible imo, just not his night I think, McGrattan is too slow for this team, love the guy but I think he is taking up a spot to the detriment of the team. Ask him if he wants to retire, give him a package with a job within the organization for as long as he wants! Have to think he notices the game has changed and it is just passing him by.

It seemed that whenever there was a scrambling pay from the end of the first on that SJ cane away with the puck, it just seemed to be bouncing their way all the time. This was certainly a game we could have won, like I say couple bounces here and there and it would have been a different outcome. Put it behind you and carry on boys, lots of season to go.

Have to mention the reffing, I can't remember who it was, I think Ferland made a good, solid clean hit with a couple minutes left in the game and their defenceman then slashed him right in front of the ref who watched the whole thing, how can that #### not be called???

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

The third D pair is a big blackhole.

This. So much this.

[belsarius]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I say yes, it is wrong. Smid and Engelland are bottom-pairing guys, who are playing like bottom-pairing defensemen. I would suggest that easily more than half the teams in the NHL are plagued by precisely the same problem. Besides, Engelland din't play in this game, and I thought that Smid acquitted himself okay on a few occasions by making some solid plays—it's just kind of what happens with bottom-pairing defensemen. And in the present market, there is just no real way to upgrade. I suppose the Flames could call up Wotherspoon or Culkin, but I'm not convinced this is what is best for them at the moment.

I agree with the bolded part but I think the Flames problem with the third pairing is a little more than just a bottom pairing problem. I think they are out of their element on this team.

The Flames are built on speed and mobility and tenaciousness over big lumbering hitters. It's the same reason I think McGratton looks so out of place, just not fitting the makeup of this team. Teams have to respond to quickness and speed, but suddenly the bottom pairing come out and it's like playing in slow motion and I think it makes them easier to play against then if they were on a bigger slower cycle team.

I don't know what kind of skaters Wotherspoon or Culkin are but if they are just big bodies that hit I totally agree they won't fair any better. I have liked Smid and Engelland (I know it was Diaz last night) but I don't think they fit into the makeup of this team, even as a 3rd pairing. But I agree they will do the job until suitable replacements can be found.

[Da_Chief]

Call up Acolatse. He will be good.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by belsarius

I don't know what kind of skaters Wotherspoon or Culkin are but if they are just big bodies that hit I totally agree they won't fair any better. I have liked Smid and Engelland (I know it was Diaz last night) but I don't think they fit into the makeup of this team, even as a 3rd pairing. But I agree they will do the job until suitable replacements can be found.

Good post. I agree with most of what you have said here.

Wotherspoon and Culkin are good skaters and both more clearly fit the mould of this team which is based on speed. Some clarification to my point: I think that both would likely be fine in the NHL, but I am not convinced the team is better served in the long run by this. Part of me also thinks that the best thing is still for them to keep playing big mins. and gradually improving in the AHL.

[stone hands]

They might get claimed, but id rather waive bollig and mcgrattan than send down Ferland and granlund. Rolling 4 lines > rolling 3 lines + 5 mins of ern skating circles in the neutral zone

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by stone hands

They might get claimed, but id rather waive bollig and mcgrattan than send down Ferland and granlund. Rolling 4 lines > rolling 3 lines + 5 mins of ern skating circles in the neutral zone

Getting rid of Mcgrattan does nothing for young players like Ferland or Granlund. Mcgrattan is going to be spending 90% of the rest of the season in the pressbox. That's not a place for the youngsters.

[PeteMoss]

You can rotate through guys like Bouma/Ferland/Bollig/Byron etc. They don't have to sit in the press box permanently like McGrattan.