[PGT] Flames lose 3-1 to the jolly gang of Bieksa and Kesler and friends

[Enoch Root]

Yes, they lost again, but I liked a lot of what I saw last night.

The Flames were clearly the better team until the Bieska goal - that really deflated them.

And the refs were an insurmountable pile of feces in the third period. Ferland getting the extra two and a misconduct, when the Duck was third man in, was particularly laughable.

But despite the loss, despite the weak goal, and despite the shenanigans, it looked to me like the Flames are on the verge of busting through against these dooshbags.

I am very confident that we will take the series (assuming that's who we get)

[R2theJ]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I'm willing to give Brouwer the benefit of the doubt. Maybe his hand is still an issue. I dunno.

But Bouma has been a shrinking violet for a couple seasons now. The way he's playing, he'll probably be out of the NHL after this contract is up. Either he's too dumb to realize the kind of hockey he needs to play to earn another contract in this league, or he's already resigned himself to the fact that 2017-18 will be his last season and he's just playing out the string. Either way, he's a loser. I honestly don't see what he brings to the table that Hathaway doesn't.

I think you have nailed it on this - Brouwer might still be protecting an injured hand - that is my hope - if he can't protect, play someone who can. Bouma has not been the same since he shattered his hand blocking a shot two years ago - my thought is that his hand is trashed and he can barely shoot and can't fight anymore. Only reason he is playing is because his contract (and Brouwer's too) make the team look bad. Time for Lazar and Hathaway (or god forbid even Bollig) to take their spots and bring backs some protection and respect for their team mates.

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by AC

So as it stands:

C1. Chicago 108 pts
W2. Nashville 92 pts (38 ROW)

and

P1. Anaheim 101 pts
W1. Calgary 92 pts (38 ROW)

Nashville plays Thursday in Dallas, and Saturday in Winnipeg to end the season.
Calgary plays Thursday in LA, and Saturday in San Jose to end the season.

Edmonton is also 4 pts back of Anaheim, with remaining games vs SJ, VAN, and VAN. While Anaheim gets Chicago and LA still.

Still a lot of movement is possible. Hoping for a BOA as it gives the Flames the best chance of winning. Though a loss to Edmonton would ruin my summer.

Calgary actually has 40 ROW.

[gallione11]

Sounds like I made a good choice going to bed after the Ducks third goal. Did anyone catch what Backlund did at the end of the game? Boxscore shows he got a game misconduct at 20:00 of the third period.

[Rollin22x]

I don't know why the players don't realize or the coach doesn't tell them... the dump and chase does not work for them. I don't think they retrieved the puck once on a dump in. Might as well pass it to an opposing player.
It must take some special restraint for Treliving or Burke to not grab the phone and start yelling obscenities over those one sided calls.
I want Kesler punched in the face so bad, I'd like to see Engelland take a face-off and not even look at the puck. As the puck drops so do the gloves.
Stajan showed more grit than Brouwer. Wagner is becoming another disliked player that needs to be hit hard.
Too many Flames were complete non-factors in such an intense game.

[DuffMan]

Looking at the Gio hit, it looks to me that he tried to hold up, and was a split second too late. There's no way it was intentional damage or he would have followed through with his right knee, whereas it looks to me that he tries to stop the force.

[Leeman4Gilmour]

To me that game looked like a game where both teams are expecting to meet each other in the playoffs. It was all about "messages" and just getting ready for a long series.

Calgary has lost 3 of 4, but they worked their bags off for 20+ games to get in. Like Gulutzan said "they exhaled, but may have let too much air out". I honestly don't expect much from them the final two games. Gulutzan only put the top line out for 13 minutes so you know his mindset at this point.

I give a pass to Brouwer and Versteeg as I thought they both had lousy games. But, they're here to show what it takes to go deep into the playoffs. They'd better do that. Bouma, I'm not sure. He's had it turned off for so long, I'm not sure he can turn it on at this point.

Bring on Anaheim though. It'll be a whole lot of fun and, as someone else said, we need to slay that dragon at some point. The only difference between Calgary and the top 3 in the Pacific is loser points. We aren't a tier below.

[Drak]

I turned the game off in the dying seconds. Is it true that Bieksa stayed on the ice and waved to Flames players?

[ResAlien]

Is backing into the playoffs a real thing to be worried about or one of those old timey beliefs that doesn't actually matter?

[CaptainCrunch]

The Ducks are going to be a tough nut to crack for anything, they're a great hybrid team. they have a big physical nasty group of forwards with a lot of experience up front. They have a very good very fast defense that are very good at retrieving pucks because the Ducks forwards do a good job of holding up forecheckers.

At this point shooting it in doesn't tend to give you great results because its tough to get on top of that defense, but at the same time the Ducks are really effective at their forwards staying up at the blueline which makes it tough to carry the puck in.

They're just that good of a team, and they play just beyond that edge of being dirty because the refs won't call it, especially in the playoffs because for all of their dirty tactics, the Ducks have never gone out of their way to embarrass a reffing crew.

The ducks want you to retaliate because the refs will call that 100% of the time, while they won't call the act that causes the retaliation even half the time.

Its bold to say that Ferland should grab someone and pummel him, or we need to do something to push off the Ducks tactics, but frankly that's just a road to hell with the ducks.

Look, I don't care about matchups, earlier in the year we were still talking about the Flames rebuild, and somewhere along the line when the Flames heated up we tossed that narrative.

The playoffs whether its against the Ducks or the Hawks and whether its a win or a loss is part of the learning curve that all young teams go through.

Its going to be tough to outwork the ducks, but the Flames will have to find a way. Its going to have to be a team that plays a counter punch strategy against the Ducks and generates odd man rushes and frustrates the ducks. Think that this series gets won in the neutral zone and with timely goaltending and as Jesus said, turning the other cheek.

Just my 2 cents though.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by ResAlien

Is backing into the playoffs a real thing to be worried about or one of those old timey beliefs that don't actually matter?

pffft get out of the 18 hundreds Grandpa, the Flames didn't back into the playoffs, they built a massive lead over LA and had a unbelievable record over the last half to get a spot.

They didn't back into nuttin.

But chances are that probably backed into somebodies car on the way to work grandpa.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by 868904

I kind of wanted to see Monahan drop his gloves with Kesler. I know Monny is not a fighter, but he's giving me a Henrik Sedin vibe. At some point he needs to stand up for himself and fight. Kesler isn't that great a fighter, he can be beat, I mean he got one punched by Max Domi for crying out loud.

Drop the gloves and take your lumps and stand up for yourself and the team.

I like Monahan, but he's the softest player on the team. Stajan, Brodie, and even Gaudreau all have more jam in their game. Disappointing in a core player with decent size, but it's just his temperament. He's not gonna change.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Leeman4Gilmour

Gulutzan only put the top line out for 13 minutes so you know his mindset at this point.

I'm just looking at the ice-times for the game now. What the what?

Brouwer played 13:09
Bouma played 12:06
Stajan played 13:19

Monahan played 13:26
Gaudreau played 13:11
Ferland played 10:20

...and we expected to win?

[troutman]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I like Monahan, but he's the softest player on the team. Stajan, Brodie, and even Gaudreau all have more jam in their game. Disappointing in a core player with decent size, but it's just his temperament. He's not gonna change.

That could be - I'm trying to think of a player that started off meek, and later became truculent.

[Firebot]

Originally Posted by troutman

That could be - I'm trying to think of a player that started off meek, and later became truculent.

Colborne!

[DSIM420]

Time to call up Hathaway and have him agitate the hell out of the ducks.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by troutman

That could be - I'm trying to think of a player that started off meek, and later became truculent.

Thornton to some degree?

[Flash Walken]

I have absolutely 0 interest in Monahan attempting to add a physical aspect to his game and ending up like Daniel Sedin.

Soft players shouldn't be making targets of themselves by engaging in on-ice activities where they are out of their element.

[Travis Munroe]

I have been a huge Ferland fan and love seeing him on the top line but all the ask of him to fight everyone is crazy. If it isn't a Kesler, Bieksa, Perry or Getzlaf he shouldn't be fighting. There are supposed to be 3rd and 4th line guys for this. If Brouwer or Bouma don't want to or are not​ healthy enough then replace them with someone who is.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I'm just looking at the ice-times for the game now. What the what?

Brouwer played 13:09
Bouma played 12:06
Stajan played 13:19

Monahan played 13:26
Gaudreau played 13:11
Ferland played 10:20

...and we expected to win?

Ferland was kicked out. Monahan also had penalties affecting his TOI and I'm pretty sure Gaudreau was benched at the end when things were getting rough (no need to expose him to a cheap shot).