[PGT] Avs 6 Flames 2

[Monahammer]

Hopefully the Neal mistake finally teaches tre to stay far away from older role players. I thought brouwer would be enough but here we are.

Still very angry and ashamed of last night. How can we cheer for a team that doesnt want to win? They played like a junior team last night, sloppy changes and all. Johnny looks so weak. Monahan and lindholm have become comical caricatures of their worst traits... Monahan is floating around like a ghost and very rarely can control the puck at all, and lindholm is bringing everything except offense, but hes killing plays and shooting muffins right into the Crest.
Doesnt help that Johnny takes the puck directly to the corner instead of the net on every rush. I watched him kill at least 4 odd man rushes like this yesterday. Hes terrified of Cole and johnson. What a wuss.

[Monahammer]

I would personally rather watch Johnny get hacked to death trying to get to the middle of the ice rather than kill plays and momentum by trying to hide in the corner every time hes in the ozone. Just brutal. I hope hes ashamed of his play.

[Flash Walken]

^so personal

[Erick Estrada]

There's no doubt the first three games haven't been good but the Flames are in the same position as the Jets, Hurricanes, Stars, Bruins, etc as being down 2-1 in a series isn't the end of the world as plenty of teams have been down 2-1 only to win the series. If the Flames can play their best hockey tomorrow they can turn around this series.

[Strange Brew]

Let's wait for the off season to bitch and moan about Neal's contract (and trust me I will). He's not the reason we're getting killed. The last two games have been an utter breakdown across the roster starting with the very best players. Treliving said one of the reasons he hired Peters was because it was clear this group was so young it needed leadership from the coach. So now would be a good time...

[dino7c]

Gaudreau is a 150lb playmaker...he is an amazing player but needs help. It is what it is...

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

There's no doubt the first three games haven't been good but the Flames are in the same position as the Jets, Hurricanes, Stars, Bruins, etc as being down 2-1 in a series isn't the end of the world as plenty of teams have been down 2-1 only to win the series. If the Flames can play their best hockey tomorrow they can turn around this series.

Flames also have home ice if they can get a win...next game is likely the series IMO

[8sPOT]

Haven’t read this whole thread but has any one commented on how pathetic of a team performance that was? Out hustled, out muscled, outplayed. Embarrassingly so. Peters comments about the team taking a look in the mirror is on point. Tomorrow’s fame will tell us what this team really is.

[calgaryfox]

Originally Posted by Jore

Every time the flames had a rush there were at least 2 avs defenders back with plenty of back pressure from their forwards. Every time the avs had a rush it was like the Red Sea parting with defenders giving them way too much of a gap and no forwards (especially from lines 1 and 3) coming back to pick up trailers. That shg where Monahan just coasted back and let his mark score into an empty net off a rebound was just... ugh.

Monahan, neal, jankowski, and fantenberg need greatly diminished roles or to come out altogether.

I hope they can adjust, but being down in the series it will be hard. One mistake could get them frustrated and off their game again. They’re showing nothing of the resilience of their regular season play.

The trouble is that he wasn't coasting - that was his top speed and he's clueless when it comes to defense. Specifically regarding Monahan, I don't know what BP can do with him. Play off hockey is a different animal to the regular season and without being given time and space he is totally ineffective. Unfortunately, his lack of mobility and physicality means that he would be even more of a burden on any other line. I hope BP doesn't rest on sentiment and play him and guys with large contracts just for the sake of it. If they aren't performing, change it up. I would say sit Monahan for game 4 and let him watch and learn. I would like to see Johnny, Lindholm and Chucky on the top line just to mix it up.

[R2theJ]

The game last night demonstrated a lot of things:
- Brodie is just awful. He needs to be sat in favour of Valimaki for good. He gives the puck away so much, makes really poorly timed pinches and bad decisions.

- Gaudreau thinks he can do it all alone. Count the number of times he made a bad pass at the offensive blueline or top of the zone, or how many times he stick-handled into the defender to have the puck taken away. To add to that, once he gave the puck away there was no back check at all. He floated back and pouted. Selfish player... not a team guy. That is the difference between him and a guy like Marner. Super skilled but a selfish player. Someone in the room needs to call him out on it... Gio perhaps.

- Monahan - he goes as Johnny goes. He's a drone, and doesn't have the ability to raise his level of compete. Soft as butter and looks lost.
- Lindholm - seems to have lost all confidence with the puck - maybe he's injured. Shot has dropped off considerably and looks like he struggles to even stick-handle. Like his compete level and physical upswing.
- Bennett - this guy has raised his game - he's playing hard and fast, physical and engaged. Put him with Tkachuk and Backlund against McKinnon line and see if they can slow that line down (and make them pay).
- Defence - backing up way too much because they are playing a system that leaves the neutral zone wide open for Colorado to transition with speed. Do what Colorado is doing - gum up the neutral zone - make it hard to gain speed. Neutralize McKinnon's speed by clogging it up. That's playoff hockey...
- Smith - leave him in - he's the reason we still have a chance. No fault on him so far and really been impressed how he has raised his game.
- Neal - leave him in - Czarnik is not better and those who think he's going to make the Flames better are dead wrong this time of year - he's small, soft and not an upgrade. Neal needs to be fed the puck by a center that fights for it. Janko is terrible and might be the softest player I have seen at his size - even worse than Jaybo soft. Dube should be the one to take his spot on a line with either Bennett or Lindholm centering the line.
- Its gut check time - Peters needs to rally the troops - there is no next week if they play like they did the last two games. Tighten it up, close the gaps and get to playing playoff hockey. I was around for the runs of 86, 89, 2004, 2014... none of those teams played perfect either. They made adjustments after losses, raised their game to playoff level and their top players played like top players. So far we can't say the same thing for the 2019 version...

[colbym72]

Originally Posted by 8sPOT

Haven’t read this whole thread but has any one commented on how pathetic of a team performance that was? Out hustled, out muscled, outplayed. Embarrassingly so. Peters comments about the team taking a look in the mirror is on point. Tomorrow’s fame will tell us what this team really is.

Its literally 21 pages of this....

[Flash Walken]

I definitely agree I'd be putting in Dube before Czar.

The flames are being killed with speed and Dube is the fastest guy on the roster.

[flamesfever]

Strange things happening on the ice:

Johnny trying to be physical with someone 50% heavier than him

Monahan all alone in front of the net while Johnny streaks down the ice

Neal everywhere on the ice

Brodie off the line with Gio, giving the puck away

Penalties galore

Line changes galore

They have forgotten who they are i.e. a fast, highly skilled team, trying to be something else...I don't know what.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

There's no doubt the first three games haven't been good but the Flames are in the same position as the Jets, Hurricanes, Stars, Bruins, etc as being down 2-1 in a series isn't the end of the world as plenty of teams have been down 2-1 only to win the series. If the Flames can play their best hockey tomorrow they can turn around this series.

You're right EE. But it's not the series score I'm thinking about. It's how the Flames are playing. The Avs have gotten better every game and Flames yet to find an answer.

Unfortunately as Flames fans we don't have much in the way of positive playoff memories to draw from. The last time the flames were down 2-1 in a series and came back to win 2004 vs. Vancouver. That sure felt different as Flames were competitive in every game and you sensed their confidence growing.

It's far from over but I don't have memories of a Flames team coming back from these kinds of spankings to win a series. The closest I can think of is 2007 where an overmatched Flames team was destroyed for 2 games in Detroit and showed incredible heart by winning the next 2 in Calgary through guts and determination. Unfortunately that didn't end well (thanks David Moss).

This next game (and the series) could truly be franchise defining if the team can find a way.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

The sunk cost is playing the worst 5-5 producer on the team 16 minutes a night after 60+ games of being below replacement level.

This is looking like the third buyiut worthy free agent signing of tre's tenure.

Absolutely sunk cost is a factor.

According to you, all players are a sunk cost then, regardless of their play.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

I definitely agree I'd be putting in Dube before Czar.

The flames are being killed with speed and Dube is the fastest guy on the roster.

Hath might actually be the fastest. He’s sneaky quick on his skates.

[Strange Brew]

I don't think Dube will be able to accomplish anything out there. Yeah he's fast as hell but has no confidence yet at the NHL level. Not the scenario I'd put him in.

[Mayo]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

I definitely agree I'd be putting in Dube before Czar.

The flames are being killed with speed and Dube is the fastest guy on the roster.

I hate how all our speedy players are so small. Who's next, Matthew Phillips?

I realize the faster guys will generally be on the smaller side, but like 190-200lbs...we've got so many guys weighing in <170lbs and that just doesn't seem to cut it in playoff hockey anymore. Is it a different game than when St. Louis & Theo were able to compete?

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

I definitely agree I'd be putting in Dube before Czar.

The flames are being killed with speed and Dube is the fastest guy on the roster.

I'd be bringing both Dube and Valimaki into the lineup.

They are the most talented of the black aces, and proved themselves as game breakers in the AHL.

Gaudreau - Lindholm - Bennett
Tkachuk - Backlund - Jankowski
Dube - Monahan - Frolik
Mangiapane - Ryan - Hathaway

Gio - Andersson
Hanifin - Hamonic
Valimaki - Brodie/Fantenberg

[howard_the_duck]

Ugh, as embarrassing a game as I can recall in my lifetime as a Flames fan. So much expectations, talk, after having been 'dominated' the game before, and then that.

To my eyes, the game plan looks like problem number 1. We're trying to cycle deep in their end and the Avs responded by leaking out forwards early when we inevitably turn it over. It's completely exposed our defensive transition game and gaps are completely shot as a result. Mind you this is exaggerated when we play high risk coming from behind so that has to be factored in.

Having a hard time seeing how they respond to it - the Avs transition game is next level compared to the Flames, and that's the strength of our offense (at least when the top line is right).

Hard to not feel defeated after that, despite only being down 2-1. Has to be one of the poorest showings in franchise history.