Why are the Flames so boring?

[JohnnyB]

When Hartley was coaching, I loved watching the team. Whatever anyone wants to say about systems etc., the team was fun to watch, which made a big difference to me as a fan and a spectator who follows the team for entertainment. When GG took over, things got boring. I don't find myself putting in much effort to watch a game anymore or caring much when I miss most of the season.

I was always excited watching Johnny under Hartley too, and he really should be thriving in exciting play this year with the rule changes, but it's just not as fun as it used to be.

Edit: You know, thinking of this more, I hope the Flames just do fire GG soon. Honestly, I'm a fan that watches for fun. I also know it's not reasonable to expect a cup run very often. I just want a fun, entertaining team to watch. If the Flames jus squeak into the playoffs but provide a fun, exciting season of hockey I'm much, much happier than I am now, even if the Flames do squeak in with GG this year.

[MisterJoji]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

When Hartley was coaching, I loved watching the team. Whatever anyone wants to say about systems etc., the team was fun to watch, which made a big difference to me as a fan and a spectator who follows the team for entertainment. When GG took over, things got boring. I don't find myself putting in much effort to watch a game anymore or caring much when I miss most of the season.

I was always excited watching Johnny under Hartley too, and he really should be thriving in exciting play this year with the rule changes, but it's just not as fun as it used to be.

Edit: You know, thinking of this more, I hope the Flames just do fire GG soon. Honestly, I'm a fan that watches for fun. I also know it's not reasonable to expect a cup run very often. I just want a fun, entertaining team to watch. If the Flames jus squeak into the playoffs but provide a fun, exciting season of hockey I'm much, much happier than I am now, even if the Flames do squeak in with GG this year.

Ditto. Say what you want about Corsi and unsustainability but man, Hartley’s teams were fun to watch. Even the year he got piss poor goaltending, which was infuriating in its own right, the rest of the team was entertaining. It’s foolish to think that Hartley would be coming back when GG is fired, but Treliving jumped the gun on firing him just so he could bring in his own guy. Hartley deserved more leeway given the great 2014/15 season. Gulutzan ran out of rope weeks ago. .500 5 on 5 hockey over 1.5 seasons, below .500 when discounting OT, severe regression in a number of players, baffling lineup decisions, outcoached almost every game, inability to motivate the team. Lame duck coach.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by TOfan

lets put it this way; GG has one of 31 NHL head coaching positions. This is his second time doing so and he is still in his 40's, so its no fluke he has this job. He probably knows a thing or two and the people who hired him know a thing or two as well. The fact he is a coach in the NHL means he is at the very top of his profession.

what do you do? Are you one of the best carpenter's in the world? one of the best accountants in the world? one of the best garbage men in the world? I'm going to go out on a limb and respectfully say, you're not.

'Fans' who come on here ready for a witch hunt, who don't know SFA about coaching are the worst.

I agree that he's smart enough to be in the selected few (31) people to land a coaching job in the nhl.

Truth of the matter is that there is a hierarchy of quality within the 31.

He's a bottom 3rd quality amongst the group. Naturally, the standings place him there, but this roster was supposed to be good enough, according to those smart people that hired him, that they traded away 3 top picks to augment it.

The witch hunt, the questioning if the coach may be the wrong fit, is completely warranted.

I assume you live in TO, as do I. The great Mike Babcock gets questioned here daily for his handling of the young stars (nylander and Marner) despite it being a pretty damn good team. It comes with the territory when you're part of that elite group of 31.

[442scotty]

I know zero about systems. I only know what I see. While a diehard Flames fan I'm also a Jets fan. I don't get to watch the Jets much but when I do they seem to play a faster more exciting style and now that their goaltending has improved and they have learned how to stop taking stupid penalties they are way up there in the standings.

The Jets seem to leave their own zone with speed unlike the Flames which is quite obvious.

I think their skilled players are faster than ours either that or our players aren't allowed to use their speed because of the GG system.??

Or maybe it's just our players... Not being as committed to winning. When they are into the game the Flames are fast and somewhat fun to watch but most of the time they just aren't up for the games it seems.

Loyalty be damned they need to get rid of at least 4 players and bring the kids in... Blah. Blah blah

[VilleN]

Is it possible that we are still experiencing growing pains? Not saying GG shouldn’t take a lot of heat, but when I look at other teams that are as young as we are, there are a lot of similarities. The panthers are struggling, Winnipeg had been for a few years until now, Edmonton has a young core and are struggling... I think the inconsistency that the Flames are showing could be more a result of the youth of our core than the coaching... I realistically think our contending window is in 2 years... next year possibly.


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[GirlySports]

maybe there needs to be a fan revolt. nobody show up to tomorrow's game, it's going to be -30 anyways.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by VilleN

Is it possible that we are still experiencing growing pains?

Only insofar as "we're delusionally thinking young plauers can't do what 35 year olds can"

Our top PK unit exemplifies this.

Brouwer - slow, PK unworthy unless you have him be a meat shield sacrifice in a meat shield system
Stajan - slow, should be on PK3 or PK4 against second units
Giordano - Not as effective a PKer as Brodie, especially with a mediocre partner like Stone or Hamonic as he isn't an elite skater. Could probably work with Hamilton but we've never even seen it on the PK.

Replace these players with Bennett, Jankowski, Hathaway, Backlund, and Brodie, maybe even Kulak and results could follow. But we will never know because we have to go through the" growing pains" of letting vets screw tue pooch.

[Harry Lime]

Interesting driving into work this morning, and listening to the Toronto simulcast on 960. They were trying to figure out what teams had a better young team going forward, than the Leafs.

They named six, and the Flames weren't even part of the conversation. I wonder how much of that is because Calgary is boring as hell to watch?

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

Interesting driving into work this morning, and listening to the Toronto simulcast on 960. They were trying to figure out what teams had a better young team going forward, than the Leafs.

They named six, and the Flames weren't even part of the conversation. I wonder how much of that is because Calgary is boring as hell to watch?

It's because the Flames don't have better younger players than the Leafs.

Off the top of my head:

Jets
Hurricanes
Blue Jackets
Devils
Lightning
Leafs
Coyotes
Flyers
and arguably the Bruins

All have nicer collections of young (under 22 year old players).

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

It's because the Flames don't have better younger players than the Leafs.

Off the top of my head:

Jets
Hurricanes
Blue Jackets
Devils
Lightning
Leafs
Coyotes
Flyers
and arguably the Bruins

All have nicer collections of young (under 22 year old players).

teams that mostly were terrible and picked 1st or 2nd overall

Flames are in the convo if young means under 25 though IMO

They also have some really solid prospects at the world juniors.

All this being said I wouldn't get too bent outta shape about what Toronto radio thinks. Or any media for that matter...Oilers have been cup contenders for a decade according to them.

[Igottago]

The Flames have literally gone decades without this level of centre depth and promising young forwards. The defence was the talk of the league in the offseason and they finally got a goalie who can be depended on. Let's not try to paint this as some garbage team, there's a great group of players to work with here.

[Harry Lime]

When you extend that age to 25 the only teams with potentially more talent are the Lightning, Predators and blue jackets. The Flames are in that secondary group. Playing in hartleys free flowing system, I'm just wondering if they would be considered more talented to the casual viewer.

[Brick]

The problem with the Flames is that they are soft and weak, with not much in the way of veteran leadership.

Why not waive the vets and trade Gaudreau and Brodie, two of the softest players on the team? The Flames need high draft picks to make this team better. Time to sell, trade, and start anew. This rebuild has failed, time to start a new one.

They need more of bigger skilled forwards and physical defencemen.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Brick

The problem with the Flames is that they are soft and weak, with not much in the way of veteran leadership.

Why not waive the vets and trade Gaudreau and Brodie, two of the softest players on the team? The Flames need high draft picks to make this team better. Time to sell, trade, and start anew. This rebuild has failed, time to start a new one.
.

That sounds very Oilery

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by Brick

The problem with the Flames is that they are soft and weak, with not much in the way of veteran leadership.

Why not waive the vets and trade Gaudreau and Brodie, two of the softest players on the team? The Flames need high draft picks to make this team better. Time to sell, trade, and start anew. This rebuild has failed, time to start a new one.

They need more of bigger skilled forwards and physical defencemen.

Lol @ trading Gaudreau

[bubbsy]

I disagree.

The flames have 2 players that are top line players in Gaudreau/Monahan signed at reasonable deals for half a decade.

They have young guys on first/second contracts who are secondary scoring guys but given larger roles, hopefully progress to solid top 6 guys in tkatchuk, Bennett, Jankowski.

They have Giordano, Hamilton, Brodie, hamonic, stone locked up for the next few years. Mind you they have a coach who has Zero idea how to engage mobile dmen to help generate offense,so....

Smith/Rittich look like a decent tandem.

All the building blocks are there. We harp on roster decisions a lot, but it's really just complaining about the 4th line who should have little material impact on a game regardless.

Not sure they need to go full rebuild. Yet, the have burned the best currency to bolster a team, draft picks.

Either the roster is just way overrated and actually is below average in reality. Or, the coach hasn't implemented a game plan or for whatever reason, can't get more out of this collection of players.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Brick

The problem with the Flames is that they are soft and weak, with not much in the way of veteran leadership.

Why not waive the vets and trade Gaudreau and Brodie, two of the softest players on the team? The Flames need high draft picks to make this team better. Time to sell, trade, and start anew. This rebuild has failed, time to start a new one.

They need more of bigger skilled forwards and physical defencemen.

lol this is ridiculous

[bubbsy]

Is it just cp that's freaking out about the team's predicament?

No word from the gm, the media has not raised a peep about the state of affairs.

Seems awfully quiet given the circumstances in a Canadian market.

[Harry Lime]

The only fanbases where you see a lot of dissension in the media seem to be where there are two sports stations. Where there is only one voice, there will be rose colored glasses.

Enter CP.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

Is it just cp that's freaking out about the team's predicament?

No word from the gm, the media has not raised a peep about the state of affairs.

Seems awfully quiet given the circumstances in a Canadian market.

Personally I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't see any coaching changes just yet even if the Flames drop in the standings. If you recall when Burke was in Toronto he stood by his man Ron Wilson even when the fans and media were pouring it on.

There may be some in management that feel that the solutions are in the room. Hopefully they can figure out on time if it is the assistants, certain players or just a confidence issue. Time is running out for this season, I know GG felt this years team would be better than last seasons so he does believe we have the players. He and management needs to put a finger on the problem and address it before it is entirely too late.