[PGT] Poor goaltending does the team in .... AGAIN. Flames lose 6-4 to the Bruins.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by dino7c

When I am paying to watch someone play a kids game they better be damn good at it. If you went to a concert and the singer sucked, guitarist was flubbing notes ect. wouldn't you be disappointed and feel ripped off?

I can't speak for anyone else but I have already passed on tickets when I know Smith is playing.

Which is the right thing to do when you feel this way.

[keenan87]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I am sure this approach is highly effective with your cable company. Are we seriously having this discussion?

Last I checked, we are having this discussion. Getting a bit tired of your pretentious attitude on here like your #### doesn't stink.

As for your question, people are ordering less cable all of the time so yes, the cable company and Sportsnet should be worried. There are very few people I know who order cable.

As for an entertaining product and being accountable to the fans, its pretty apparent fans are frustrated with losing. Have you seen the reduced prices on tickets on this forum? Along with not being able to sell out... so yes, the team is accountable to fans who ultimately pay their effing salaries.

[keenan87]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Wait, I'm fine with players being accountable to fans, but let's not stretch the point. Would you get cable without the Flames? I suspect you would. And I'm sure there are plenty of unentertaining shows on your cable tv.

Nope,

I like watching the Flames on my TV and legitimately I dont recall watching a single TV show besides the Flames on cable for a few years.

[sketchyt]

Originally Posted by keenan87

so yes, the team is accountable to fans who ultimately pay their effing salaries.

Can you please say something like this to a cop next time you get pulled over?

[keenan87]

Originally Posted by sketchyt

Can you please say something this to a cop next time you get pulled over?

I am not sure why I should do that. I help pay the cops salary so I can be safe. If I am being an idiot on the road and speeding, then the cop is doing exactly the job I would like them to.

Paying players salaries is for entertainment and making sure a good product is shown on the ice. Very similar to watching a movie or a show. If they crap the bed, then they are not doing what they should be doing.

[The Boy Wonder]

Originally Posted by sketchyt

Can you please say something this to a cop next time you get pulled over?

That’s totally different. Are you paying a cop for your entertainment?

No you can’t just stop paying for that cop’s salary. So it would be an empty threat anyways

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by keenan87

Lol are you freaking kidding me?

The fans are part of the team and are owed a good product when they spend their hard earned money to watch this team. Lets see how long any of these guys last playing in front of an empty arena.

When you buy something from the store and it craps out on you.. do you also believe the manufacturer owes you nothing?

Smith has been playing like #### all year and its pathetic. I didn't watch the game in person but I watched it on TV. I pay for cable and deserve to watch an entertaining product. A loss is okay but not this way. I don't think I have ever disliked a player as much as Smith.

Smith owes us nothing but his best effort.....which unfortunately I do think he’s providing. He’s just not good enough but he owes us nothing more.

[dino7c]

The Flames have had decades of mediocre at best teams...nobody cares about nice guys anymore

How many nice guys have the Flames had, played a lot, and then the very next season they are no longer in the league. Its a pretty long list, pretty sure Smith is joining that club next season

[Jaybo]

A few thoughts...

Smith is a Loser
I'm not a fan of personal attacks but really, the definition of loser is "someone who loses." Tonight, whether they like it or not, every member of the Flames team could rightly be called a loser. Smith gets the attention because he's seen as being most responsible for the team losing but that's completely fair as far as I'm concerned.

Gillies Should Start
His AHL numbers aren't great but at this point, what's the worst that can happen? Even if there's a 10% chance that he comes in and wins and/or even if the team is more confident in front of him? Or imagine that 1% chance that he's like many other unheralded/underperforming goalies who come out of nowhere to go on big runs. I mean, if he starts Saturday and craps the bed, pull him and put in Smith. Experiment over with minimal damage.

What Does Smith Owe The Fans?
Everything and nothing? I mean, fans don't directly employ him but I think there's a fair analogy with Calgary's shiny new library, largely paid for by the citizens of Calgary in various ways. No one at the library directly works for those who use and support the library either. But wouldn't everyone rather have a successful library that performs well and builds civic pride instead of one with big holes (in the roof obviously!) that damage the library's records?

[keenan87]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

Smith owes us nothing but his best effort.....which unfortunately I do think he’s providing. He’s just not good enough but he owes us nothing more.

That is a fair statement. Then, I think the blame goes to incompetent management as I do believe they owe fans to ice the best lineup on the ice each night.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by keenan87

Last I checked, we are having this discussion. Getting a bit tired of your pretentious attitude on here like your #### doesn't stink.

As for your question, people are ordering less cable all of the time so yes, the cable company and Sportsnet should be worried. There are very few people I know who order cable.

Worried because of the play of Mike Smith in the midst of the Calgary Flames's best season in over two decades? I have no doubt that SN is concerned about subscribers, but am quite certain this has nothing to do with the poor performance of one player on one team. This is another issue entirely, and it is completely irrelevant with regards to Mike Smith.

As for an entertaining product and being accountable to the fans, its pretty apparent fans are frustrated with losing. Have you seen the reduced prices on tickets on this forum? Along with not being able to sell out... so yes, the team is accountable to fans who ultimately pay their effing salaries.

The Flames are the top team in the Pacific Division, and have lost fewer games in regulation than 26 other teams in the NHL. If there are Flames fans who are "frustrated with losing" to an inordinate degree, then I don't know what to tell you—that is just patently ridiculous.

[8sPOT]

I just don't get it. This is a guy with years of NHL experience and decent stats. Now it seems he can't even track a simple shot and is constantly fighting the puck all game. He seems so awkward and out of it. Come to think of it I could say the same for Neal. Really bizarre to me.

[darthma]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

I don't remember Kipper's backups letting in the kind of ultra-soft goals that Smith has been letting in this season.

Is this green text? McBackup was a thing for a loooong time.

https://calgaryherald.com/sports/hoc...for-mcelhinney

“For the win, you can put anything in my face,” McElhinney said. “It felt great.”

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

I think the other possibility is that Treliving is not absolutely 100% sure who he needs, a backup or a starter. I think if/when Treliving is 100% convinced Rittich is the future he pulls the trigger on a backup.
Otherwise you wait on grabbing legit starter?
I dunno

My belief, and i could be 100% wrong, is that BT wont make a decision on his starter next year til the draft. Where he either signs Rittich or makes a deal for a guy he wants. But that is the time of year where you get your best value.

Right now though i think it will be for a backup guy who is an FA at seasons end or on a very low 2 year deal. Someone who will just settle things down for now...that may even be Gillies but it doesnt feel like that is in the cards.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by 8sPOT

I just don't get it. This is a guy with years of NHL experience and decent stats. Now it seems he can't even track a simple shot and is constantly fighting the puck all game. He seems so awkward and out of it. Come to think of it I could say the same for Neal. Really bizarre to me.

father time is still undefeated

There is a reason most players hang em' up around this age

[TheAlpineOracle]

When I say we don’t owe Smith anything, I mean the Flames don’t owe him the curtesy they would owe a longtime staple to the roster. Smith was brought here to do a job, he’s not doing it. Put him in the AHL. He hasn’t done #### for this franchise. You don’t put a guy like Stajan in the AHL as he put years of sweat equity here. Smith hasn’t done a goddamn thing for this franchise other than collect a paycheck. He’s owed no curtesies from this franchise.

[FlamesFanStrandedInEDM]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Because they aren't. They are accountable to their employers.

...but aren’t the employers accountable to their fans/customers?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by dino7c

When I am paying to watch someone play a kids game they better be damn good at it. If you went to a concert and the singer sucked, guitarist was flubbing notes ect. wouldn't you be disappointed and feel ripped off?

I can't speak for anyone else but I have already passed on tickets when I know Smith is playing.

Haha, well if Smith’s play is enough for you to not be willing to pay to see the show some of the other amazing Flames (like Gaudreau, Monahan, Lindholm, Tkachuk and Gio) have been putting on this year that’s totally your perogative. But I’d say as a Flames fan you are missing out and I’d question how much you actually like this team or sport cause it’s been entertaining as hell.

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

It does, and even though it might hurt the Canucks, IMO we should never take an injury as a positive

If it’s the Canucks you can apparently laugh at their injuries, precedent was set not long ago.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I actually feel sorry for Smith. Seems like a really good person with a tonne of pride, and he is an absolute beast of an athlete. I am sure he was really looking forward to wind-down his career on a team that gave him a real chance at a cup.



Two poor goals this outing, but also some damn impressive saves. Flames are still giving up too much defensively at times for my liking, but he covered-up well for them. Just those two stinkers. They just keep happening too often. I think he is both amazing, but untrustworthy. It is really a shame he hasn't been able to just shut-down those bad goals. Flames don't need him to be spectacular all the time, they just need him to be consistently solid - just be a consistently average goalie. That's really what the Flames need.


After saying that, I would hesitatingly start Gillies next game. Why? Some goalies find the NHL easier to play in - you have much better shooters, but the play is less scrambly. They find it easier to read the pucks (IIRC, that was what Leland Irving even said). Maybe Gillies' game is better suited to the NHL than the AHL. There is just no way I would feel comfortable running with Gillies right now as a backup that needs to play ~20 games or so, at least without seeing if he has really regressed or if it is just too much 'scramble' down on the Heat right now. The Heat don't really have anything of note on Defence right now, which may further cloud where Gillies is. I was never so high on Gillies myself (Parsons on the other hand, oh boy! Wish he was another year or two further along in his development). I do think, however, that Gillies might be worth a look.


Other than that, Flames played a decent game. Too many grade A chances against, but the Flames unquestionably in my opinion out-played Boston.