[PGT] Flames win 6-3 over Vegas!

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by jayswin

I always figured Text was kind of playing a character when it comes to his take on other teams. If everything worked out like he predicted with all our rivals there'd be 15 teams at 80 points at the end of the year in the West.

Yeah, this.

Also, heaping contempt on the Flames's rivals beats the hell out of the constant state of panic that erupts, and the sense of resigned defeat that emanates from a few every time things tighten up in the Standings. I just don't get a lot of joy from fretting about everything that could go wrong.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by N26

I played with a guy who had a similar style to Gaudreau's way back when. Obviously not as good as him but he was a small. fast winger with a lot of moves. When we, or even just him, weren't getting the points he would get frustrated and try to do too much himself.

We wouldn't enter the zone with much structure and it was very hard to know where to be for him. Good teams would force him into situations where he dazzled yet ultimately ran out of options. They did this by double-teaming him at crucial points and taking away his favourite options (say like Johnny's curl inside the zone and hitting the trailer). So many plays were ultimately "scrambled eggs" type plays and myself and the centre were forever guessing at what the right place to be was.

I don't think Monahan and Lindholm are playing well at all but I feel for them. The line needs to play with more structure and be less predictable. You can see half of Johnny's giveaways coming before they cross centre ice these days.

Problem is Gaudreau is the only one on his line who's capable of carrying the puck through the neutral zone while entering the offensive zone with control. It should be Monahan as he's the center and being a puck distributor is part of the job description going up the middle, but unfortunately that's one of Monahan's weaker aspects of his game. So he relies heavily on Gaudreau to do the heavy lifting in that department, but as a winger, it's very difficult to do so successfully because the boards cut off his option to go left, so turnovers are naturally going to happen.

Backlund and Jankowski are far better at exiting and entering zones with the puck, so their wingers aren't tasked to do so much of the heavy lifting. Lindholm appears to be better handling the puck then Monahan, so perhaps moving Monahan to the left wing and pushing Johnny to the RW might help out more in this regard, but unlikely. This line will just have to learn to dump and chase when teams are playing the trap, which won't be easy because that's not exactly a specialty for Monahan and Gaudreau.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Yeah, this.

Also, heaping contempt on the Flames's rivals beats the hell out of the constant state of panic that erupts, and the sense of resigned defeat that emanates from a few every time things tighten up in the Standings. I just don't get a lot of joy from fretting about everything that could go wrong.

Me neither. It's hardly ever that team is in TB's position, running away with top spot. Accordingly, there's always a few teams near the top of the standings and it does no good to worry about whether they are on a good run or not. I would think the other teams have to be concerned about Calgary, who has spent a lot of the season in first place in the west, who has the third best goal differential in the league (which the analysts seem to think is a big deal) and who are pretty darn deep, especially on D. Is there a goaltending issue? I guess, but there's one in SJ as well, and Vegas can't feel very happy about the backup situation.

[AC]

Pretty sure I figured out what Johnny is saying when chatting with Backlund and Mangiapane after their goals:

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

Problem is Gaudreau is the only one on his line who's capable of carrying the puck through the neutral zone while entering the offensive zone with control. It should be Monahan as he's the center and being a puck distributor is part of the job description going up the middle, but unfortunately that's one of Monahan's weaker aspects of his game. So he relies heavily on Gaudreau to do the heavy lifting in that department, but as a winger, it's very difficult to do so successfully because the boards cut off his option to go left, so turnovers are naturally going to happen...

This is simply not true. While I agree that Monahan is not great at carrying the puck into the offensive zone in large part because of his skating, Elias Lindholm is actually very good at doing this, and this was a BIG reason why that line was so successful for the first four months of the season.

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by SmoggyFlamesFan

The flames have officially played 69 games this season. Nice.

Can we stop doing this? There's nothing remotely funny about it.

[Lil Pedro]

Man, I gotta say Pacioretty for four more years at $7 million/season looks real bad

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Lil Pedro

Man, I gotta say Pacioretty for four more years at $7 million/season looks real bad

Disagree - that Pacioretty/Stastny/Stone line is real good, and he's a big part of it.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Anyone listening to 960 right now? Can someone tell me what in the blue hell Lou is going on about?

Didn't know where to out this, it sort of involves yesterday's game, but its borderline bizarre. He's taken it upon himself to ask the host questions but its going nowhere and I have no idea what point it is he's trying to make.

It sounded pretty obvious to me that he had an agenda coming into that hit, especially when he thanked Matt at the end there. I think Lou is a helluva analyst. But the whole 'pump Smith's tires' thing is getting obnoxious and redundant. You'd think Mike Smith was his darn son or brother or something.

He can't seem to fathom the idea that the majority of fans prefer David Rittich. Lou is big on veterans, experience and character, so I guess I'm not surprised that he's stuck with Smith for so long. But he and Derek Wills are too biased on this subject. They're too close to these guys and probably have a major affinity towards him.

He's seeing past all his faults while seemingly ignoring how much better Rittich is at stopping pucks. Good thing Smith is in his last season here because it's getting annoyingly frustrating having to hear Francis, Wills and Lou constantly shoving wave after wave of Smith propaganda through the air waves.

If the fans are all collectively booing Smith because of his poor play and league bottom numbers, then there's probably something there. Enough with the scolding and the personal agendas. It's like sitting in detention while the teacher is barking at you after class, it's straight punishment, not entertainment.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

This is simply not true. While I agree that Monahan is not great at carrying the puck into the offensive zone in large part because of his skating, Elias Lindholm is actually very good at doing this, and this was a BIG reason why that line was so successful for the first four months of the season.

My comment was more directed at Monahan because he has been Gaudreau's linemate almost exclusively this season whereas Lindholm has been moved around. But yes, Lindholm is better than Monahan, but he isn't able to carry the puck while simultaneously breaking down defenses and drawing multiple defenders his way, that's the magic that is Gaudreau. His ability to do that gives the additional time and space for Lindholm and Monahan to work with and that makes all the difference. How else does Lindholm go from a career high 45 points to 72 and counting ppg player.

With that said, I'd personally like to see Lindholm at center right now over Monahan. #23's defensive game down right bad. The constant puck watching leaving his man wide open in the slot is like clock work. Lindholm seems to have better defensive coverage and awareness, so I'd definitely try playing him up the middle for a game or 2 to see how things go.

[DeluxeMoustache]

I was driving and heard that Loubo spot. Odd. What in the blue hell, indeed.

Lou said something about taking all of their save percentages by month and then taking the average of those, and that they were pretty much identical.

That’s not how it works, Lou.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

I was driving and heard that Loubo spot. Odd. What in the blue hell, indeed.

Lou said something about taking all of their save percentages by month and then taking the average of those, and that they were pretty much identical.

That’s not how it works, Lou.

Lou is grasping right now. I think it physically hurts him when Smith is booed at home and he's doing everything he can to pump up his tires to the listening audience. I get it, it's the whole, older guy protecting the older guy thing. But a lot of his hits and takes comes off almost anti-Rittich, as if he has some sort of beef with him.

[Manhattanboy]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

I watch somewhere around 100 NHL games and year and I couldn't tell you what the rule is on goalie interference. Just a complete disaster of a rule right now.

Yup and people are going to lose their s##t in the playoffs when these calls determine the outcome of games.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

It's like sitting in detention while the teacher is barking at you after class, it's straight punishment, not entertainment.

Kinda, right? It was somewhat chastising and and at the same time condescending. Just bizarre.

He kept saying things like "I want to know why people feel the way they do.." and "today I want to ask the questions" meanwhile poor Matt Rose was clearly baffled as to what his role in all this was supposed to be.

The Flames were coming off an impressive and important win. And he chose that direction?

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Yup and people are going to lose their s##t in the playoffs when these calls determine the outcome of games.

This is my great fear. The inconsistency has been the worst thing about this mess, but what has contributed significantly to it is the number of goals waived off for contact that is at best incidental and at worst entirely irrelevant. My faint hope is that with how officiating shifts in the playoffs these sorts of recalled goals will not occur. It didn't work when the Oilers pathetically tried to argue for goaltender interference in Game #3 of the 2017 Second Round; I trust that the same sort of "Hail Mary" challenges we have seen this season won't work again come April.

[Yamer]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

Lou is grasping right now. I think it physically hurts him when Smith is booed at home and he's doing everything he can to pump up his tires to the listening audience. I get it, it's the whole, older guy protecting the older guy thing. But a lot of his hits and takes comes off almost anti-Rittich, as if he has some sort of beef with him.

I have every reason to like Mike Smith, apart from his play. And as a fan, that's what matters most.

[Gaudreau is a Ninja]

My goodness listening to the fan960 right now and reading some posts you would think this team is horrible. Yes the number one line is slumping but that is very common during a long season. We have obviously been spoiled this year, I'm so pumped about this team heading into the playoffs, I don't care who we play, the playoffs are a game to game momentum swing. It's going to be a battle who ever we play, but I know whatever happens this team is going to battle and play well. I would way rather have a bit of a slump/lack of puck luck now then during the playoffs. I guess being 42 years old I know anything can happen in the playoffs. The '89 Flames were unbelievable favorites against the Canucks and barely got past them and in 2004 we were underdogs against every team we faced. You would have thought we lost last night geez la weez!!!!!

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

I watch somewhere around 100 NHL games and year and I couldn't tell you what the rule is on goalie interference. Just a complete disaster of a rule right now.

.... am I alone in thinking this is consistent???

Tkachuk was in the crease prior to the event, barely left the crease, then caught himself on Fleurys stick and pulled his blocker across his body. Deliberately? No. That’s why it was no goal and no penalty.

Yesterday, Subban is on top of the crease, gloves completely outside the blue paint. Backlund never touches blue paint once. Contact outside the crease, good goal no penalty.

This really isn’t difficult if you stop being a fan for a second.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

.... am I alone in thinking this is consistent???

Tkachuk was in the crease prior to the event, barely left the crease, then caught himself on Fleurys stick and pulled his blocker across his body. Deliberately? No. That’s why it was no goal and no penalty.

Yesterday, Subban is on top of the crease, gloves completely outside the blue paint. Backlund never touches blue paint once. Contact outside the crease, good goal no penalty.

This really isn’t difficult if you stop being a fan for a second.

How do you explain the Jamie Benn OT goal against the Flames then? That was a clear interference of the goalie's ability to make a save when he put his skate into Rittich's and turned him around.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

How do you explain the Jamie Benn OT goal against the Flames then? That was a clear interference of the goalie's ability to make a save when he put his skate into Rittich's and turned him around.

I don’t know, post it.


I’m assuming the comment I quoted was like many other comparing those two reviews in the last two Vegas games. And the plays aren’t even remotely comparable.