Wild Card Race (Western Conference) - Page 62 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

PeteMoss · 03-23-2015, 11:33 AM

I know everyone fears LA... but is there really anything in their game that shows a team that's about to go on a big run besides the fact they are LA?

PeteMoss · 03-23-2015, 11:36 AM

Just noticed Carolina is 9th in CF% this year. Shocked I haven't heard anything about that and their bad luck.

CorsiHockeyLeague · 03-23-2015, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

is there really anything in their game that shows a team that's about to go on a big run besides the fact they are LA?

What else do you need? They're a well built hockey team with a solid blue line, a couple lines' depth of 200-foot forwards with finishing ability... on any given night if they beat someone it's not an upset, regardless of their opponent.

They still might fall short, particularly if everyone else finishes strong (it's hard to make up points in this system) but "they're the Kings" is really the only explanation needed.

heep223 · 03-23-2015, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

I know everyone fears LA... but is there really anything in their game that shows a team that's about to go on a big run besides the fact they are LA?

No. If anything they are showing that they are struggling to tread water. Most people's rationale is "well they're the LA Kings so", including posters in this thread. I understand that argument and respect people's opinions, but I don't agree with that anecdotal line of thinking. Point in case:

Quote:

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

"they're the Kings" is really the only explanation needed.

lol

It sucks that the Flames are 6-2-2 in their last 10 and still have 0 cushion. Just a ridiculous race!

codynw · 03-23-2015, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

I know everyone fears LA... but is there really anything in their game that shows a team that's about to go on a big run besides the fact they are LA?

Do they need anything else at this point? They're not a good regular season team, but they have the goaltending, the team defence and the clutch scoring that's needed for the playoffs. If they make the playoffs, they'll probably be the cup favourites again this year.

CorsiHockeyLeague · 03-23-2015, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Just noticed Carolina is 9th in CF% this year. Shocked I haven't heard anything about that and their bad luck.

Actually 12th in corsi close - a bit of that is probably from how often they're behind, but even leaving that aside...

They're 29th in the NHL in even strength goaltending - only the Oilers are worse. They're 29th in the league in finishing at even strength - only the Coyotes are worse. When you have two teams actively trying to lose as the only two worse than you at finishing and allowing other teams to finish, yeah, it's not going to work out well for you, even if you're an above average possession team.

They've also lost an excessive number of one goal games and have had injury problems, so yeah, there's some bad luck involved too.

dino7c · 03-23-2015, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heep223

No. If anything they are showing that they are struggling to tread water. Most people's rationale is "well they're the LA Kings so", including posters in this thread. I understand that argument and respect people's opinions, but I don't agree with that anecdotal line of thinking. Point in case:

lol

It sucks that the Flames are 6-2-2 in their last 10 and still have 0 cushion. Just a ridiculous race!

well if they do that again they will be in so lets hope they do

Roof-Daddy · 03-23-2015, 11:43 AM

Everybody thought the Kings were toast two months ago and then they won 9 straight.

They might not make it, but they are capable of going on a tear.

polak · 03-23-2015, 11:44 AM

When you say 6-2-2 it looks a lot better then saying we have won one more game than we have lost. I.E. we're basically playing .500 hockey.

That's why we have a no cushion. We have slumped a bit.

J epworth · 03-23-2015, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

I know everyone fears LA... but is there really anything in their game that shows a team that's about to go on a big run besides the fact they are LA?

What makes me worried most about LA is completely Jonathan Quick. I'm totally worried that he turns into Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Quick, and combine that with the suffocating defensive style LA can bring any night and you can easily see them going on a big run. As long as Quick stays human LA is totally beatable right now, but with 10 huge games left I am totally in fear that Quick will drag the Kings to the playoffs.

JJ1532 · 03-23-2015, 11:46 AM

The Kings road record since the start of February is 7-4-1.

However, of those games, only 2 of those 7 wins have been against teams currently in the play offs(Tampa and Vancouver). They lost to Washington, Anaheim and Winnipeg. Also lost to Anaheim in OT and Florida. Of their final 8 road games, they face 6 teams currently in a play off spot. If you look at their road record over the season, most of their wins have come against teams either out of the play offs at the time, or out of the play offs when they faced them.

If their record mirrors what it has so far, they won't amass enough points. However, I fully expect them to turn on the heat as they become more desperate. We just have to hope the 2 New Yorks, Minnesota, Chicago and Vancouver can beat them.

Street Pharmacist · 03-23-2015, 11:48 AM

The Kings are what we thought they were. Th-they're what we thought they were! That’s why we take the damn ice! Now, *hits microphone* if you want to crown them, then crown their ass! But, they are who we thought they were, and we won't let them off the hook!

troutman · 03-23-2015, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Lol. "This estimate is based on a methodology derived from my hopes and dreams of playoff hockey."

Lol yourself. What does Corsi say about them scoring 5 goals in 5 games? They are not playing very well.

8 road games, 3 home games people.

heep223 · 03-23-2015, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by polak

When you say 6-2-2 it looks a lot better then saying we have won one more game than we have lost. I.E. we're basically playing .500 hockey.

That's why we have a no cushion. We have slumped a bit.

You mean we've won two games more than we've lost? If you count the OT/SO losses as reg losses (which they aren't), they'd have gone 6-4 over the last 10.

The bottom line is that the Flames have earned 14 of a possible 20 points in their last ten games for a pts % of 70%. That's a 115 point pace over 82 games, you call that slumping?

It's not really that surprising given the teams around us but it still does suck.

EDIT: Just saw this on twitter, seems appropriate. Anze Sutter:

Spoiler!

troutman · 03-23-2015, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J epworth

What makes me worried most about LA is completely Jonathan Quick. I'm totally worried that he turns into Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Quick, and combine that with the suffocating defensive style LA can bring any night and you can easily see them going on a big run. As long as Quick stays human LA is totally beatable right now, but with 10 huge games left I am totally in fear that Quick will drag the Kings to the playoffs.

They can't win every game 1-0.

Enoch Root · 03-23-2015, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

I know everyone fears LA... but is there really anything in their game that shows a team that's about to go on a big run besides the fact they are LA?

Even if you want to ignore their experience in big games, all you have to do is look at their goaltender.

Quick was very pedestrian throughout most of the season. But he is on top of his game now.

And when you're talking about a short stretch, like 10 games, I will never bet against a hot goalie.

The Kings will keep winning.

But so will the Flames.

dino7c · 03-23-2015, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by polak

When you say 6-2-2 it looks a lot better then saying we have won one more game than we have lost. I.E. we're basically playing .500 hockey.

That's why we have a no cushion. We have slumped a bit.

6-2-2 is not .500 hockey in this point system

115 point pace is slumping now

Bandwagon In Flames · 03-23-2015, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by polak

When you say 6-2-2 it looks a lot better then saying we have won one more game than we have lost. I.E. we're basically playing .500 hockey.

That's why we have a no cushion. We have slumped a bit.

Come on now, math isn't that hard. I know you love to bring nothing but negativity into every single thread, but there's no need to lie about stats to prove a point.

6-2-2 would be the same as 7-3-0 points wise. How is this 'basically' .500 hockey?

polak · 03-23-2015, 11:58 AM

I have made a math error.

My point is if you look on wins and losses we're floating around .500 so it's not really that crazy that we're not doing great in the standings. The loser point masks the fact that we still lost those games.

PeteMoss · 03-23-2015, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Even if you want to ignore their experience in big games, all you have to do is look at their goaltender.

Quick was very pedestrian throughout most of the season. But he is on top of his game now.

And when you're talking about a short stretch, like 10 games, I will never bet against a hot goalie.

The Kings will keep winning.

But so will the Flames.

He's got a .919 save percentage this month. Pretty much his season average. Even recently.. he's been about the same as he's been all year long.