What is there to do about Special Teams

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by canflip_101

just wondering which coach is running the flames special teams?

Marty Gelinas.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

PK Save percentages:
Hiller .735
Ramo .833
Ortio .800

Average from what I can see is .875.

I don't think it's a secret that the Flames sv% is below average.

I wonder why people are afraid to claim Khudobin. His deal is expiring and he can't be worse that Hiller&Ramo. And if he is, whoopdy do, place him on waivers again.

[Buff]

I think the power play will work itself out... as long as they don't ignore it but keep working on it. Scoring is starting to come and that will bleed through to the power play.

I'm more worried about the penalty kill. That is killing the team more than lack of power play success. A big part of any team's penalty kill is goaltending. Something that hasn't been good enough this year. Ramo is doing better, but he still lets in soft goals, thankfully those soft goals aren't sinking the team's confidence as much as they were in the beginning of the year.

[Frank MetaMusil]

I don't like the diamond formation the Flames use on the PK. It's far too easy for the other team to impose their will. Another downside is it leaves way too much open ice in high percentage scoring areas.

Your goalie has to be the best penalty killer though. Those save %'s are hideous.

[mrkajz44]

Originally Posted by D as in David

Ha! This may not be such a bad strategy. Keep a player on the bench but have someone ready to jump on the ice at an opportune time; lull the opposition into thinking it really is a 4 on 4 but then have that player jump on the ice in behind the opposition's D. Stretch pass and Bob's your uncle.

As stupid as this sounds, I have a hard time believing this would be worse than what we see right now.

[Jaydee]

Stop putting Colborne out there for starters. Also, stop switching up the lines and defense pairing, just roll them out like they are 5v5

[NuclearFart]

Our defense firing shots from the point is a complete non-factor on the PP. Our D-man receives a pass, and then they sit there waiting every damn time until the other teams players get into the shooting lane and the goalie can get set for the shot. Then, and only then, will they 1) fire the puck for an easy shot block/save or 2) pass the puck to someone else who then does the exact same thing. Honestly, I just wish they would one time the darn puck to just get it to the net, inaccurate shot be damned. This would at least create some havoc in front of the net and make the overall PP less predictable to defend against.

[1_Flames_Fan]

They need someone with some creativity to run the special teams, especially the power play. Special teams has been their downfall in one way or another many times this year.

[CsInMyBlood]

The things I don't understand about the PP:

1. Mason Raymond ALWAYS getting PP time.

2. The centers position. They always have him in the middle of the ice. He cannot take a pass. He doesn't move. If the puck comes to him he has 4 guys collapsing on top of him instantly. Watch it next game. Our center always there. Its been like this all season. Now if it was somehow working then fine. BUT IT ISN'T WORKING.

3. Mason Raymond ALWAYS getting PP time.

4. Mason Raymond ALWAYS getting PP time.

5. Mason Raymond.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I don't think it's a secret that the Flames sv% is below average.

I wonder why people are afraid to claim Khudobin. His deal is expiring and he can't be worse that Hiller&Ramo. And if he is, whoopdy do, place him on waivers again.

Doesn't Khudobin have another year?

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

The topic is OK, but I suspect this is a passive-aggressive "fire Hartley" thread, based on the originator's history.

To be better on the PP they need better faceoffs and puck retrieval. That's on the players IMO. Once they set up they aren't as bad as all that, but they lose 15 seconds for every lost faceoff and every time the opposition wins the puck in the corner.

Face offs are a red herring here IMO. They're at 53% on the PP which is middle of the road. On the PK their second worst at 39.9%, but average is only 46%. With the extra 12 wins to get to average (assuming your 15% is correct), that only gives the flames about 2:20 extra killed. Hardly impactful

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Doesn't Khudobin have another year?

http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2015/12/14/...ving-khudobin/

According to this article, his deal expires this season.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Face offs are a red herring here IMO. They're at 53% on the PP which is middle of the road. On the PK their second worst at 39.9%, but average is only 46%. With the extra 12 wins to get to average (assuming your 15% is correct), that only gives the flames about 2:20 extra killed. Hardly impactful

Not sure where your math is coming from. Losing a faceoff on the PK in the defensive zone is a terrible way to start it off. If you win it, the puck goes down the ice and they won't be back in the zone for at least 20 seconds after it gets sent down. Not only that but the PP guys have the added task of re-entering the zone with puck control. If you lose that first face-off, the PP unit is already setup and underway.

Do you have any clue how many times we've been scored on less than 10 seconds into the PK? More than a few times this season.

Face-offs are most definitely a contributing factor to our poor PK.

[ScorchyScorch]

I can't even understand the PP woes. Not for this long. Not when you have Gaudreau on it. Dafuq are the coaches doing with them? Is Gelly responsible for the PP strategizing? He's got to switch things up a bit. Whatever they've been trying, it isn't working.

For one, try different combinations for the PP lines. As pointed out above, why the #### is Raymond used on it. What does he bring? You don't need speed to work a PP. You're spending it in one end of the ice if you're doing it well.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by polak

It's not passive aggressive. I hate this coaching staff. Fire Hartley.

The Flames started awful, but appear to be getting back on track. Firing Hartley now could disrupt that, so I think it's a bad idea.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by polak

Surely there is someone that can fix this:

-The worst goal differential
-The worst goaltending
-The most goals allowed
-The 2nd worst away record
-The worst PP
-The worst PK

almost in a home ice playoff spot lol...

PK is goal tending

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

The "special teams coach" is more a figure head than the guy responsible. Hartley had said a few times that the whole staff comes up with the schemes and has input on player selection. Firing Gelinas changes nothing

Then fire the "figure head" whatever that means. Someone needs to answer for the awful special teams showing every single game. Special teams are more important than ever in the NHL as it stands now.

We aren't a dump and chase team anymore, so why the hell are we dumping the puck on the powerplay and watching the goalie swat it back out?

Find out whoever is designing this dumb strategy and making these dumb line combinations. Then fire them. That is the answer.

[mdubz]

Originally Posted by Jaydee

Stop putting Colborne out there for starters. Also, stop switching up the lines and defense pairing, just roll them out like they are 5v5

Colborne is one of the only skaters that can skate the puck into the zone on the PP. But yes, after that he's useless if he's not in front of the net screening.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Jaydee

Stop putting Colborne out there for starters. Also, stop switching up the lines and defense pairing, just roll them out like they are 5v5

Who do you want in front of the net?

[calgary2220]

Don't know why they don't keep Gio and Brodie together? When Gio and Wideman go out there first they often play the better part of the entire PP, this leaves no time for Brodie who is a far better player then Wideman.