[PGT] Flames lose 3-2 to Blackhawks

[heep223]

If this team could score on the powerplay they'd be winning games. That's the real travesty here.

[Rick M.]

I think Bennett's grit has really picked up Monahan's game. The first line looked like a first line and they were enjoying themselves. Sean skated the best in a long time.

[thefoss1957]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

I've long been a proponent of having all players serve the full 2 minutes. OT or not. Never understood why players have to serve a full 5, but not a full 2. But I digress.

Kootenay...it has to do with the Habs of the 50s...they'd pour in goals on the PP

This, from the Hockey News: There was a time when a minor penalty meant two minutes of shame no matter how many times the opposition scored. That all changed in ’56 thanks to the overwhelming power play of the Montreal Canadiens. With names like Beliveau, Richard(s), Geoffrion and Harvey, the Habs ran a clinical attack that at times was just plain unfair.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/ar...anged-the-game

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Well my dreams included flashbacks of that crap goal, but I want to let it go as a very unfortunate circumstance. Normally it would be so easy to move past, but the fact is we need these points right now and that makes the goal hard to swallow.

The most important thing to focus on is the teams play. The past 3 games we've seen consistent goal-tending, very few defensive lapses and lots of offensive chances. We must have doubled the oppositions scoring chance count yet again and that's not easy to do against the Hawks. They are a team that also wants to have the puck and play in the offensive zone all game.

[belsarius]

Game 19, almost to the 20 mark where I told myself I would have a long hard look at the system and the play of the Flames. I think it is safe to say the adjustment period is over and what we have seen the last few games have been the team game GG wants.

It was easy to blame the last couple on easier opponents but the Flames had the same tenacity and 5 man unit type work last night against a very good Hawks team. Special teams is still a very big cause for concern and needs to be addressed. I thought the PPs looked very good and just didn't score, seemed the entire game the Flames had little puckluck on offense but a couple good breaks on defense.

I want to see more Hamilton and less Brodie in the first unit and why they didn't just keep the first line together and replace Brouwer with Vey is beyond me.

Tough loss, but this was actually a good loss ij the fact that the team played well and lost to a fluke of a goal to a better team. Keep this play up and I think they can take 4/6 on this road trip.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by Bandwagon In Flames

Well my dreams included flashbacks of that crap goal, but I want to let it go as a very unfortunate circumstance. Normally it would be so easy to move past, but the fact is we need these points right now and that makes the goal hard to swallow.

The most important thing to focus on is the teams play. The past 3 games we've seen consistent goal-tending, very few defensive lapses and lots of offensive chances. We must have doubled the oppositions scoring chance count yet again and that's not easy to do against the Hawks. They are a team that also wants to have the puck and play in the offensive zone all game.

The biggest change I'm seeing is that we continue to battle even when we get behind, rather than collapsing.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by heep223

If this team could score on the powerplay they'd be winning games. That's the real travesty here.

If the Flames PP/PK were average, we'd be with Anaheim at the top of the division.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by Rick M.

The biggest change I'm seeing is that we continue to battle even when we get behind, rather than collapsing.

Very good point, I think a lot of it has to do with confidence. When the puck is loose we're finally seeing aggressive puck fore-checking from players like Monahan, Bennett, the 4th line.

Honestly I think Gaudreau being injured will have this team thinking differently and playing differently. Our roster can dump, chase, crash, bang and come up with the puck on a regular basis. Once we see some continued success from that style, Johnny can come back in and we won't have to change a thing (other than Johnny's Warrior gloves).

[skian]

Originally Posted by mikeecho

Too much Chiasson and Vey on the PP

Why put your leading scorer on the PP, when you have talented players like Chiasson and Vey?

[skian]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

Nobody wants him. But the least we can do is confine him back to the pressbox.

Why does everyone hate Wideman? He's playing well.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by skian

Why put your leading scorer on the PP, when you have talented players like Chiasson and Vey?

I think the argument is that Vey is a right shot. I'd still rather see Ferland.

[skian]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

And Wideman should've prevented the original shot and Brodie should've gloved the puck away. But Wideman has poor gap control, Johnson loses the rebound, and Brodie tried to be too fancy.

#### ups all around there

Wideman played him perfectly and forced him to take a bad angle shot.

[Toonage]

Versteeg will be replacing Vey on the PP as soon as tomorrow.

[skian]

Originally Posted by Rick M.

I think the argument is that Vey is a right shot. I'd still rather see Ferland.

Frolik has been their most consistent forward and leads the team in goals and points. He wins battles along the boards and can handle the puck as well as anyone in the current lineup. Why not let him play on the PP?

Good play should be rewarded.

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by skian

Wideman played him perfectly and forced him to take a bad angle shot.

Originally Posted by skian

Why does everyone hate Wideman? He's playing well.

I beg to differ. He's played himself back into the pressbox on the merits of last night alone.

First goal, he was slow as #### (on BOTH reading the play, AND reacting to take his man) and what should have been a 1 on 1 turns into a partial break.

Third goal, again, slow as #### to react and allows a proper wrister with full whip behind it to go off.

[868904]

Originally Posted by skian

Why does everyone hate Wideman? He's playing well.

Wideman moves the puck very well on the power play and can make a good first pass out of the zone, unfortunately, in the defensive zone he is a liability and it's like the team plays short handed with him on the ice. He simply cannot get to pucks due to his immobility and short stick. Go and iSO every one of his shifts last night and you will see that every time the team got hemmed in, it was likely a result of Wideman not being able to get to or move the puck out efficiently.

He needs to be used exclusively as a PP with only limited 5 on 5 minutes.

[IgiTang]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

I beg to differ. He's played himself back into the pressbox on the merits of last night alone.

First goal, he was slow as #### (on BOTH reading the play, AND reacting to take his man) and what should have been a 1 on 1 turns into a partial break.

Third goal, again, slow as #### to react and allows a proper wrister with full whip behind it to go off.

Fully agree. There is one player who is constantly responsible for poor play, not just at times, but the majority of his icetime is spent watching or making a lazy or low percentage play. That is Wideman's game.. sure he scored a couple of PP goals early in the season, but it's time for him to be sent to pasture.

Is it Cameron who is pining for him to be in the lineup to "help" the PP?

I would suggest no as he's being used in all situations..

On Monahans goal, Wideman was going off the ice after watching the play from 3 feet away in his own end, he looked really disengaged and lazy... he floats back to the bench as the play is going up the ice, and you can see his reluctance to get off the ice as the puck went in knowing he could have had a plus..

Get the eff off the eff Denis, your replacement has already joined the play...

/rant

[skian]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

First goal, he was slow as #### (on BOTH reading the play, AND reacting to take his man) and what should have been a 1 on 1 turns into a partial break.

He got beat by a good player and unfortunately it ended up in the back of the net. Wouldn't bench him over 1 bad play.

Originally Posted by Gaskal

allows a proper wrister with full whip behind it to go off.

HAHAHAHAHAHAAH

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by skian

He got beat by a good player and unfortunately it ended up in the back of the net. Wouldn't bench him over 1 bad play.

HAHAHAHAHAHAAH

Ryan Hartman?


4 pts in 13 games played Ryan Hartman? Are we talking about the same player here?

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by thefoss1957

Kootenay...it has to do with the Habs of the 50s...they'd pour in goals on the PP

This, from the Hockey News: There was a time when a minor penalty meant two minutes of shame no matter how many times the opposition scored. That all changed in ’56 thanks to the overwhelming power play of the Montreal Canadiens. With names like Beliveau, Richard(s), Geoffrion and Harvey, the Habs ran a clinical attack that at times was just plain unfair.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/ar...anged-the-game

Thanks, did not know that, and I believe the reason coincidental penalties don't result in 4 vs 4 is due to 80s Oilers. Maybe someone can confirm.

It's pretty silly that we're stifling offense in today's NHL, where goals are hard to come by and the talent gap between players no longer exists (relative to what it was in the 50s or 80s).

Avg g/g (pulled from Hockey-Reference):
1945 - 6.69
1955 - 5.38
1965 - 6.08
1975 - 6.82
1985 - 7.94
1995 - 6.29
2005 - 6.17
2015 - 5.42

^Do these numbers shock anyone else? I thought they'd be much higher in the 40s - 70s. The only outlier seems to be the 80s, in that scoring was too high.