[PGT] Wild 4, Flames 2

[WhiteTiger]

Such a frustrating night to watch. Goal called back. Bad 5 min/game penalty. Missing a wide open net. So much felt like it should be going right, and just didn't. Ah, well. >.<

[zamler]

Originally Posted by direwolf

They just won 7 straight before tonight, and the 1st line has picked it up over the last couple of games, including the tying goal tonight in the 2nd period. The team's mojo is just fine and they're playing some terrific hockey right now.

Not compared to where the team was before the break. Feels like the team is at 80% now.

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by Breakfast

I see this as a positive. We needed a game like this for Smith to remind us what calibre of goalie he really is. Now we can continue with the goalie that brought us to this point, who saved our season, and who unquestionably the better of the two, David Rittich.

But they won the last 7!!!

[Psytic]

As soon as Burke said " Best puck handling goalie of all time." The jinx was in.

[jonkaupp]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Mike Smith is a rubbish goaltender.

Super duper.

Best team in 30 years and an entirely predictable goaltending problem is the very visible Achilles heel.

He has to get his !?#% back on track, because all this team needs is league average goaltending which he has not been able to provide on any sort of consistent basis.

Is it really the Achilles heel or is it the coaching/management staffs insistence on Smith that is the Achilles heel? Rittich had a slight mid season slump but for the most part hes ranged from good to freakin excellent. I’m still not 100 percent that BSD is the answer and the future, but he sure might be. I do know Smith 100 percent is not the answer and that is why getting 7 of 9 starts is so totally perplexing to me.

[direwolf]

Originally Posted by zamler

Not compared to where the team was before the break. Feels like the team is at 80% now.

Disagree. I think they're playing better now than before the break, especially defensively.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

you make a decent point (a conjectural one, sure, but still relatively merited)

but man I never imagined I'd read the phrase "fool you with wins" on this forum

If the flames win but the goalie puts up a sub 9 save %, the team is winning in spite of that goalie. That exact thing happened 4 times in smiths last 8 games. Yet some people here maintain that hes playing better or playing well because hes winning. those would be said fools

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Yoho

Great, find an interview where Smith actually comes close to admitting his mistakes cost the Flames.
He always has great tips for how the team could do better, but for his level of give aways he should own it once in a while.

My argument had nothing to do with Smith admitting to any mistakes. Krahn did an excellent job of talking about his body language which can say a lot about a person and what they are feeling inside.

[Racki]

Sam Bennett is the most unlucky player alive. He should have had one goal and one assist and been first star.

[djsFlames]

Yeah I think playing from behind early and needing to claw back most the game made the Flames vulnerable to the rope-a-dope.

They're so good, smart and responsible when playing with the lead. Take less chances and stifle the other team. Smith did his part in the L, but the Flames seemed bent on taking more chances to try to beat Dubnyk and they had the second best goalie on the ice by a fair margin when trading third period rushes.

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by Racki

Sam Bennett is the most unlucky player alive. He should have had one goal and one assist and been first star.

Boy howdy, 4 years is a long run of bad luck.

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by direwolf

Haha, wow. Might want to relax and have a drink or something, dude. You're gonna give yourself a heart attack.

I am 100% with Jore and about 19,000+ in the arena were too.

I simply cannot comprehend how he can #### tonight up to the point where the home crowd is basically lynching him at the top of their lungs (at least, most in my section did). Inexcusable.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Yobbo

It wasn't all on Smith. Team really lacked finish tonight.

Maybe but they were doing fine and could have rode the game to OT if it were not for that gaff. Instead they were forced to take risks and not play their game.

[Manhattanboy]

People always say that three things wins you games in the playoffs, goaltending, power play and penalty kill. MINN was 2-2 on the PP and our goaltending was not good.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Breakfast

I see this as a positive. We needed a game like this for Smith to remind us what calibre of goalie he really is. Now we can continue with the goalie that brought us to this point, who saved our season, and who unquestionably the better of the two, David Rittich.

I saw a goaltender who in the past won games on the back of a Flames team that can score a lot of goals. It's games like this is what we're going to see come playoff time and Smith needs to understand that there is going to be no room for error in the playoffs.

Trying to create a pick play behind the net is something Smith had no business trying. Keep it simple and stop the puck

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

If the flames win but the goalie puts up a sub 9 save %, the team is winning in spite of that goalie. That exact thing happened 4 times in smiths last 8 games. Yet some people here maintain that hes playing better or playing well because hes winning. those would be said fools

same with Rittich.

Rittich's last two games (both against bottom-feeders, OTT and NJ): .953 SV%
Rittich's previous three games (against TB, VAN, and SJ): .810 SV%
Rittich's previous five games (against middling teams): .904 SV%
Rittich's previous three games (against three pretty bad teams): .922 SV%

Rittich is not without his issues, mainly with consistency. He may look visually better but there are still questions to have with his play

go back to him in the next game for sure but I'm slightly uneasy about the Flames' goaltending in general

[MelBridgeman]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

People always say that three things wins you games in the playoffs, goaltending, power play and penalty kill. MINN was 2-2 on the PP and our goaltending was not good.

If only it was a playoff game!

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

People always say that three things wins you games in the playoffs, goaltending, PowerPlay and penalty kill. MINN was 2-2 on the PP and you know the rest.

??

They didnt score a PP goal did they?

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

People always say that three things wins you games in the playoffs, goaltending, power play and penalty kill. MINN was 2-2 on the PP and our goaltending was not good.

That doesn't make any sense. If I recall we killed off a major penalty...

And you couldn't have meant PK either because we scored on one of our PPs.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

People always say that three things wins you games in the playoffs, goaltending, power play and penalty kill. MINN was 2-2 on the PP and our goaltending was not good.

Mommy was 2-2 on the pp? I don’t recall them scoring a PP goal.