[PGT] Wild 4, Flames 2

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

No kidding. If we're actually afraid of a bubble team with 20 less points than us then we have no business even discussing a championship.

The problem is sometimes you run into your kryptonite.

Back in 2010 a team with Semin, Backstrom, Ovechkin all having killer seasons ran into one Halak and that was all it took.

I am concerned that the Minnesota Wild's top D pair (Suter-Spurgeon) has a knack for containing Gaudreau and Monahan, probably more than any other pair in the league (though Hampus Lindholm plays them extremely well too) as their style of defense is rarely about taking a body and almost always about absolutely perfect stick positioning and timing. That D pair can log 30, 40 minutes a night in the playoffs and that's not a good matchup. I honestly think that duo match up better to the otherwise excellent D cores of teams like Tampa, Nashville, San Jose.

[Jordan!]

Thanks for sucking Smitthy

[Jeff Lebowski]

I was at the game and people getting mad at Bennett didn't see:
-His stick was obstructed by a good defensive play by the MIN player on his shot off the post. He barely got anything on it.

-On Hamonic's goal it was Bennett who started it by making a good read and play deep in his own end.

MIN have guys back and make it very difficult to make passes through the middle of the ice. CGY was forcing a lot of plays early but got better at generating chances. Bennett and his line were pretty consistent - they were on for 3 goal but the team was pressing in the third.

CGY need to regroup, realize they played pretty well against a counter team just be ready to perform for the next game.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

https://twitter.com/user/status/1102100944320258050

Awful character, obviously.

Ok, then.

The converse perspective is that he neglected to mention that he let in s 5 hole goal he saw that put the game out of reach.

He could have said it’s a 2 goal loss. I coughed one up and got beaten by a stoppable goal 5 hole, I have to be better.

Burke saw the goals. From further away than Smitty.

[RedHawk12]

Frustrating game by Smith, he really blew it on Iginla night. But the lynch mob calling for Smith's head is so frustrating too. We need both Rittich and Smith to do well for us if we are to have a chance in the playoffs. It feels like there's posters out there who want Smith to fail so they can say "See?? Smith sucks!!! He should never play again!!! Put in Rittich!!!"

So let me ask: come playoff time, do you ride and die with Rittich? Hypothetical: If Rittich goes 1-3 in his first 4 games in the playoffs, do you put him back for game 5?

I personally wouldn't do either, so I'm REALLY cheering for Smith to get his act together so we have 2 decent goalies, as frustrating as it sometimes is.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

I was at the game and people getting mad at Bennett didn't see:
-His stick was obstructed by a good defensive play by the MIN player on his shot off the post. He barely got anything on it.

-On Hamonic's goal it was Bennett who started it by making a good read and play deep in his own end.

MIN have guys back and make it very difficult to make passes through the middle of the ice. CGY was forcing a lot of plays early but got better at generating chances. Bennett and his line were pretty consistent - they were on for 3 goal but the team was pressing in the third.

CGY need to regroup, realize they played pretty well against a counter team just be ready to perform for the next game.

Impressive that you saw the guy get Bennett’s stick at the game, without the benefit of replays. Pretty easy to miss live.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

The problem is sometimes you run into your kryptonite.

Back in 2010 a team with Semin, Backstrom, Ovechkin all having killer seasons ran into one Halak and that was all it took.

I am concerned that the Minnesota Wild's top D pair (Suter-Spurgeon) has a knack for containing Gaudreau and Monahan, probably more than any other pair in the league (though Hampus Lindholm plays them extremely well too) as their style of defense is rarely about taking a body and almost always about absolutely perfect stick positioning and timing. That D pair can log 30, 40 minutes a night in the playoffs and that's not a good matchup. I honestly think that duo match up better to the otherwise excellent D cores of teams like Tampa, Nashville, San Jose.

Nothing is easy but seriously...who is an easier match up than the Wild?

Flames win the game tonight 9 out of 10 times...they were incredibly unlucky. Plus the Flames have beat them twice when they had better players

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Kunin probably shouldn't charge Hathaway again...he takes a few strides and is leaving his feet to make a hit

That's not even close to being charging.

[jonkaupp]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Literally word for word



https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showpo...5&postcount=42

Sorry, I thought you were talking about the article he wrote on the website in mid Feb. That said, I looked at their game splits for Feb/Jan/Dec and dont really understand where he came up with that. Rittich had a slightly better save percentage, but that was on 23 games versus 18 for smith in those months so maybe that made the difference but it would negligible at best. And regardless, its pretty well 100 country miles between who has been the better player over the course of the season.

[Vinny01]

Every time Smith builds up momentum with a nice run he will throw out a complete dud like tonight and faith is lost again.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by RedHawk12

Frustrating game by Smith, he really blew it on Iginla night. But the lynch mob calling for Smith's head is so frustrating too. We need both Rittich and Smith to do well for us if we are to have a chance in the playoffs. It feels like there's posters out there who want Smith to fail so they can say "See?? Smith sucks!!! He should never play again!!! Put in Rittich!!!"

So let me ask: come playoff time, do you ride and die with Rittich? Hypothetical: If Rittich goes 1-3 in his first 4 games in the playoffs, do you put him back for game 5?

I personally wouldn't do either, so I'm REALLY cheering for Smith to get his act together so we have 2 decent goalies, as frustrating as it sometimes is.

No we don't...we need one of them to play well

Smith is also on his way out of the league...we should see what Rittich is

[combustiblefuel]

What ever happened to goalies keepin there stick blade flush on the ice in the butterfly postiontblock the 5 hole? I never see it any more. I do see it in the Older goalies like Lundquist, MAF and usually Luongo. Why has mike Smith never done that. Im guessimg over the years when thetop of the pads became taller it became less of a need to have better form bit the last 3 years or so I've noticed the stick isn't fluch and its generally just the heal on the ice.
Seems like its a generation thing. You can find examples of of goalies today like quick,Price and well almost all of them with just the heal of stick on the ice when going into the butterfly.

Examples of good.

[Jore]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Nothing is easy but seriously...who is an easier match up than the Wild?

Flames win the game tonight 9 out of 10 times...they were incredibly unlucky. Plus the Flames have beat them twice when they had better players

the wild know they got away with one tonight. boudreau said their whole game plan was to go after smith when he has the puck, and said they got the break. donato said his goal was a lucky shot and a tough goal to give up. read is up on an emergency recall and might not score another nhl goal.

this was the wild broadcast's response to smith, funny it's not praise all night long about being the third defense:
https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/1102077729283944453

the wild needed every possible break to go their way tonight, and they know it

[jonkaupp]

Originally Posted by RedHawk12

Frustrating game by Smith, he really blew it on Iginla night. But the lynch mob calling for Smith's head is so frustrating too. We need both Rittich and Smith to do well for us if we are to have a chance in the playoffs. It feels like there's posters out there who want Smith to fail so they can say "See?? Smith sucks!!! He should never play again!!! Put in Rittich!!!"

So let me ask: come playoff time, do you ride and die with Rittich? Hypothetical: If Rittich goes 1-3 in his first 4 games in the playoffs, do you put him back for game 5?

I personally wouldn't do either, so I'm REALLY cheering for Smith to get his act together so we have 2 decent goalies, as frustrating as it sometimes is.

Most people are disappointed in the discrepancy in starts as of late. Smith getting the overwhelming majority makes no sense, and it indicates that they view him as the no 1. Which also makes no sense. Smith playing well is great when he does it but most of us do not trust him as the starter and are very sceptical of the teams seeming insistence to shoehorn him into that role.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

That's not even close to being charging.

looks like he jumps to me...I would have done the same thing as Hathaway. Guy will probably think twice next time he comes at him.

[Manhattanboy]

Zucker looked good. Great set up on the MINN first goal.

Smith really unlucky on the gaffe. A series of unfortunate bounces.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Nothing is easy but seriously...who is an easier match up than the Wild?

Flames win the game tonight 9 out of 10 times...they were incredibly unlucky. Plus the Flames have beat them twice when they had better players

Arizona, Colorado, Chicago, Edmonton would all be better opponents for us in round 1.

I don't doubt we can beat the Wild, and with Rittich in net chances are we win tonight too, but there's something concerning about a team with a huge goalie who just needs to be positionally sound because the team in front is collapsing so well. Dallas and Minnesota are not so easy.

[DeluxeMoustache]

I’ll say this. A few games ago, Eric Francis excused a puck handling miscue by throwing out a statement that Smith is disruptive to the forecheck, and included an arbitrary unsubstantiated stat that 1 in 200 times he handles the puck that things go wrong. That was just s few games ago. And Smith has handled the puck a hair under that less than 200 times between costly miscues.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Jore

the wild know they got away with one tonight. boudreau said their whole game plan was to go after smith when he has the puck, and said they got the break. donato said his goal was a lucky shot and a tough goal to give up. read is up on an emergency recall and might not score another nhl goal.

this was the wild broadcast's response to smith, funny it's not praise all night long about being the third defense:
https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/1102077729283944453

the wild needed every possible break to go their way tonight, and they know it

Notice its not just "hater" Flames fans

Most objective viewers can't fathom WTF Smith is doing...get back in the net!

[Strange Brew]

Geez if you’re scared of the Wild then you’re thinking too small.

I’d love to play these guys in the playoffs.