[PGT] Flames snap Flyers' ten-game losing streak.

[Spinach]

If the coaches' jobs are in danger, it wouldn't be surprising for them to blame puck luck for the loss tonight. Or maybe they've lost the room, or maybe they're just trying to publicly ease off players who are squeezing their sticks too tight. Who knows.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Dion

Rhett Warriner on Darryl Sutter - Points what is wrong with our coaching

http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/...198/story.html

Neat article that should dispel the "coaches aren't motivators" theory.

I didn't watch this game, but if we didn't have puck luck, then it should serve as a lesson that you're not unlucky you need to be better to make up for the bad luck when it happens. Beat Edmonton, maybe beat Toronto, and this game can be shrugged off.

[doctajones428]

Fire the couch!

[djsFlames]

It felt like management but more so the coaching staff had all the parts this year to build a Lamborghini.

But they somehow took those Lambo parts and made a Pontiac Aztec out of them.

GG defines insanity over and over again and whatever they've employed for a 1.3 seasons - it does. not. work.

Change it up already, guys. Or I hope Sir Bradley finds someone that will. These Calgary Flames are a one trick pony as is, and they're falling apart against the same teams for the same reasons, aside from Smitty juggling chainsaws upside down every odd game. The mediocrity is just too predictable so long as things remain status quo.

[Barnet Flame]

Originally Posted by jschick88

Yup. There was booing after the game a few times during the game. IIRC, right after a brutal power play, the boo's rang out.

I thought it was BOOrodie.

[868904]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

I kind of agree, although I think Darryl is a top 5 coach in the world, the fit probably isn't there.

IMO the fit is Lindy Ruff.

I've heard this from a few people and don't understand it:

• Darryl drafted Backlund and loves him;
• Darryl signed Gio and loves him;
• Darryl has gushed about Monahan;
• You don't think Tkachuk, Ferland, Bennett, Hathaway are Sutter types?
• Darryl drafted Brodie, that's HIS guy;
• Hamonic is a physical western canadian prairie boy, I'd be shocked if Darryl didn't like him;
• Jagr would fit like a glove on Darryl's two cup winning teams;
• Gaudreau is small, but remember, Darryl acquired Huselius, Johnny has more heart and competitive fire in his pinky than Huselius has in his 6'3 frame. I'm really not worried at all that Darryl won't like Johnny. In fact, I bet he would relish an opportunity to coach a player that dynamic, he's never coached anyone like that;

The only player I can see Darryl not liking is Dougie and if you ask me, good riddance. They can still probably get some good assets for him.

I think this is an ideal situation for Darryl.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Dion

I miss the days when teams feared playing in the Saddledome.

Totally.
I miss the .750+ winning percentage on our ice where you could always favor the Flames just cause they were at home.

I'm wary of even attending the game on saturday given the absolutely brutal effort/attention to defense against really beatable teams. Felt bad for fans in the last two, and kinda don't want to be a part of more home ice embarrassment against another Canadian team.

[Psytic]

The only games ive been to this year have been 5 or 6 goals against affairs. Its just not fun to watch. For those giving GG a pass do you honestly believe we should be below the Canucks and getting beat by both them and the Oilers with this roster regularly. Do you believe with Smith standing on his head every night we should be where we are in goals against? Coaching has to have something to do with it because I find it hard to believe the Canucks are neck and neck with us in the standings with their roster. We aren't getting nearly enough out of these guys.

[N-E-B]

Our defense takes a lot of heat, and rightfully so, but I just want to say how great Michael Stone has been this year. I see no reason why he can't play with Brodie. They seem to play well together.

When's the last time you said to yourself "boy Stone was awful"? I don't think I have, and if I have I don't remember it. He's been a bit under-appreciated due to the horror show that usually overshadows him. He's not the most talented guy but he's so consistently solid for this team. Time to promote him.

This isn't trying to bash Hamonic, I do like what he brings, but sometimes you just don't mesh with certain guys. I think it's time to split up him and Brodie.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

Our defense takes a lot of heat, and rightfully so, but I just want to say how great Michael Stone has been this year. I see no reason why he can't play with Brodie. They seem to play well together.

When's the last time you said to yourself "boy Stone was awful"? I don't think I have, and if I have I don't remember it. He's been a bit under-appreciated due to the horror show that usually overshadows him. He's not the most talented guy but he's so consistently solid for this team. Time to promote him.

This isn't trying to bash Hamonic, I do like what he brings, but sometimes you just don't mesh with certain guys. I think it's time to split up him and Brodie.

Kulak has been good too. In general the 3rd pairing has earned more icetime and the 2nd pairing would probably benefit from playing less.

[Lanny_McDonald]

The defense has been pretty pathetic so far this season. I would say that from an efficacy perspective that the best performers, top to bottom have been Stone, Kulak, Giordano, Hamilton, Hamonic, Bartkowski, and Brodie. Bartkowski has been bad as advertised, but Brodie has just been in a different class of horrible and playing well below expectations. Gulutzan has done such a horrendous job managing his personnel and making adjustments that I can't fully blame the performance of the players on the individuals. There are so many systemic problems with the team that I would want to try a new coach before pulling a Marc Savard.

[bubbsy]

So i fell asleep for the 3rd, so can't comment there, but here's my take on the game.

I hate the way this team starts. It's always moderate, conservative, 'feeling it out', soft. They say they had a good 1st period, i still thought it was tentative outside of a few shifts here and there. Flames get gifted a goal where elliott in elliott fashion gives up a rebound, and nudges it forward towards brouwer. Lucky bounce goal for the flames (for all that talk of puck luck).

Then it happens, under 2 mins in the period and Dummy Hamilton let's one of the INFINITE d to d passes (the only kind of passes this team can actually complete tape to tape) slowly go off his skate right to the opposition.

Right then the game was over. I had zero confidence that this weak group could put it behind them.

Second was actually ok, but again, in typical flames fashion, 1 thing goes bad and before you know it, 3 things go bad within a 2 minute period, and the team is down by 3.

Anyways, what a terrible home stand. No Show vs the leafs, No Show vs the oilers (still don't understand how that happens), and beat by an equally mentally weak team in the flyers. It's actually funny that the only game they can hang their hat on is the team that has broken the record for worst start to the NHL in the league's history.

anyways. This team is not good. What's laughable is that we are 27 games in, the team at NO point has actually shown that they are a good team over more than 1 game at a time. That's actually not the laughable part, it's the fact that the coaching staff are so sure of themselves and their on paper team, that the only changes they have made ALL season are kulak/bartkowski and the lazar/stajan/f.hamilton musical chairs.

That's despite our top 2 pairings underperforming (ya, i don't care what the advanced stats say about our top pair, they are no where close to what they were last year and are not dominant in any fashion).

I'm going to get slammed here i'm sure, but i'm also not that big a fan of Jagr's at this stage. Yes, there's some flashes of cycle plays that create chances, but i think there's more chemistry between jankowksi/bennett at this point. I also am getting frustrated that he's not able to score on his chances. Don't get me wrong, the other 2 (janko/bennett) muck up a lot of chances themselves, but their young and that is to be expected.

The last week's worth of games show us what this team looks like when the top line comes back down to earth in my opinion. A team that can't score, a defense that can't defend, and special teams that are terrible.

I think the team has yet to hit rock bottom.. I'm guessing the team gets 1 point somewhere in the next 3 games (@tor, @mtl, vs van).

I'm not even mad anymore. I have been all season, but at this stage acceptance has started to creep in that this team is not very good. Our coach sucks, our gm does his thing like it's an EA be a GM mode. One or both better be feeling the heat and not be here if the lottery draft is upon us and the Islanders are eagerly awaiting where that flames ball lands.

[-TC-]

I spent a ton of cash on tickets for the games in Cali later this month (SJ & ANA) and I'd love to see Darryl behind the bench when I'm there.

[Erick Estrada]

Really the outcome was so obvious coming off the Oilers loss and the fact the Flyers were on a 10 game losing streak. I said as much in the pre-game thread. Once the poor outcomes start becoming predictable that's when you know the team is heading in the wrong direction fast.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by drewtastic

I cannot agree with your assessment here. Tonight was my first game at the Dome in over a month and what stood out glaringly was our horrific defensive zone play.

On the first goal against, three players focused on the man at the point, leaving at least a two-on-one down low in the crease (looked like three flyers in that area). This was the result of blown coverage by Gio who left his man down low to go chasing to the point. All of this occurred less than a minute after we scored and with less than a minute left in the period. Unacceptable in any facet.

The second goal was a result of two lazy plays by Hamilton after Gio passed to him behind the net. Hamilton allowed the puck to carom off his skate to the onrushing forward who sent it back to the point. Hamilton then lazily skated to the crease and waved his stick lazily at the point shot that eventually hit the post. It’s Hamilton’s man (once again in the crease) who pots the rebound.

The third goal was the result of another odd-man rush against, something that has been occurring all too frequently lately as either Dmen jump into the play and don’t get back, or the centre doesn’t cover for the jumping-up defender. (In the first period, only another amazing Smith save on a breakaway prevented a goal on such a play—and it was Jagr back as the last man on that one).

It was over at 3-1.

Yes, the Flames had many chances to go ahead before the 3-1 goal, and yes Elliott made some saves, but a 1-1 game does not get blown open like that if the team is playing well defensively. They weren’t—again—and haven’t been for a while.

Perhaps most concerning (as many others have already mentioned) was the coaching staff’s description of these goals being results of bad puck-luck. Both Cameron and Gulutzan alluded to this on the postgame show.

If this is what they honestly think, then this team is in deep trouble. Our defensive game is non-existent. Four of the five goals were slam-dunks from the crease. None of the defensemen plays physically in front of their own net, and the team in general gets caught watching the puck and losing their man in the Dzone.

Scoring chances are fine, goals will come. However, if they don’t fix the Dzone problems immediately, this week could end with 5 straight losses.

Read my mind. Thanks. Now I don't have to write all that.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by -TC-

I spent a ton of cash on tickets for the games in Cali later this month (SJ & ANA) and I'd love to see Darryl behind the bench when I'm there.

I feel for you man. I have canceled my road trip that follows the Flames around. Im going to Universal studios and a beach resort instead.

Just Glad I always buy tickets on game day so Im not stuck seeing this tire fire team. Would have ruined my vacation

[Huntingwhale]

Fan 960 this morning just ripping into the coach. Going off about his lack of emotion and how probably takes pride in that, but needs to start getting his pulse on the game. Talked about the lack of emotion from all the players because they emulate the coach.

Pretty funny to hear them laughing about T-Bro on the 1st PP unit. Asked the question how many other goal-less players (now on pace for 3) in the entire league are gifted 1st PP unit time.

Looking at his entire body of work, I've been a supporter of GG. But I'm so sick of these D pairings that are losing us games. Put Brodie with goddamn Stone. The bloody answer is in front of everyone. But nope, because Mike Babcock demanded LD/RD pairing on TEAM CANADA, our coach feels the need to do the same. Big difference being, Babcock had a steady stream of elite LD/RD pairing to select from. We don't.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

Fan 960 this morning just ripping into the coach. Going off about his lack of emotion and how probably takes pride in that, but needs to start getting his pulse on the game. Talked about the lack of emotion from all the players because they emulate the coach.

Pretty funny to hear them laughing about T-Bro on the 1st PP unit. Asked the question how many other goal-less players (now on pace for 3) in the entire league are gifted 1st PP unit time.

Looking at his entire body of work, I've been a supporter of GG. But I'm so sick of these D pairings that are losing us games. Put Brodie with goddamn Stone. The bloody answer is in front of everyone. But nope, because Mike Babcock demanded LD/RD pairing on TEAM CANADA, our coach feels the need to do the same. Big difference being, Babcock had a steady stream of elite LD/RD pairing to select from. We don't.

Funny as the Leafs have to leftys on their top pairing. You have to work with what you have GG!

[Toonage]

Glad to hear the coach was finally mentioned. Need more of that.

[cannon7]

Was hoping I'd wake up this morning to news that Gulutzan has been relieved of his duties.