[PGT] Ne pas joyeux, 2-0 Canadiens

[Aarongavey]

Hard to figure out what the role of Backlund is going to be on the team longterm if Lindholm is a center and the Flames continue to try to develop him into a Bergeron type offensive 70 point center who is a yearly contender for the selke and Ryan is your backup defensive center. Backlund does not have the offensive ability to be a scoring winger and he is too expensive for the 4th line.

Would be nice if BT was able to get something for Backlund and use the space for a legitimate longterm scoring option to play with Monahan and gaudreau. Not sure what the market would be like for Backlund but he is a guy who almost certainly is using cap space that could be used more efficiently elsewhere in the lineup given the makeup of this team.

[Steve Bozek]

Turned it off after a period and a half. The Flames looked flat, and they were beaten to the puck consistently, and badly outshot while I was watching. The worrisome thing to me is that although they’re not a great team, the Canadiens are fast, and the Flames seem to have trouble against fast teams - e.g. the Avs, Canucks.

[Displaced Flames fan]

I felt like it was an easy shutout for Price

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

I felt like it was an easy shutout for Price

Maybe two or three difficult saves, that's it. In fact, the best chances turned out to be non-shots. Mangiapane had a couple bounce over his stick, for example.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Steve Bozek

Turned it off after a period and a half. The Flames looked flat, and they were beaten to the puck consistently, and badly outshot while I was watching. The worrisome thing to me is that although they’re not a great team, the Canadiens are fast, and the Flames seem to have trouble against fast teams - e.g. the Avs, Canucks.

They beat the Canucks 3-0 and then lost one largely due to bad goal tending

[Steve Bozek]

Originally Posted by dino7c

They beat the Canucks 3-0 and then lost one largely due to bad goal tending

I thought the Canuck loss was more than bad goaltending - maybe we just don't see it the same way. I still think they have particular trouble dealing with teams that emphasize speed and forecheck.

[Flamenspiel]

I would put this loss down to jet lag and the team still celebrating the win over the Oilers. They simply were not “in” the game emotionally. In an 82 game regular season it often comes down to who wants the game more.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Maybe two or three difficult saves, that's it. In fact, the best chances turned out to be non-shots. Mangiapane had a couple bounce over his stick, for example.

Does anyone have concern that Mangiapane may not be ready for the role he is being given? Outside of that 3 point game against the lowly Oilers, he is not accomplishing all that much in terms of scoring and seems to get knocked down a lot. The effort seems to be greater than the production

[EldrickOnIce]

I am irritated.
When the Flames beat the Oilers in first meeting of the season they proceeded to lose 2 straight and give the advantage gained back.
They follow up the hoopla around Tkachuk and another big win over the Oilers thing with another egg layed.

Yeah, I know they had just won 5 in a row. Maybe I make too much of this. I dunno.

[Toonage]

You aren't making too much of this at all. It actually tells us all we really need to know about the team and what needs to change. I don't envy Treliving but I'm fascinated to watch.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Steve Bozek

I thought the Canuck loss was more than bad goaltending - maybe we just don't see it the same way.

They had a bad start but with Talbot in net or atleast Rittich playing average I think they get out of the first down 1-0 at the most and have a good shot at winning the game.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Does anyone have concern that Mangiapane may not be ready for the role he is being given? Outside of that 3 point game against the lowly Oilers, he is not accomplishing all that much in terms of scoring and seems to get knocked down a lot. The effort seems to be greater than the production

I think he's the best they can put there unless they think Dube is ready for a shot (and I think Dube is going to be better than Mangiapane eventually).

[djsFlames]

The frustrating thing is that it's not like anybody didn't see the Montreal game coming. All the media guys traveling with the team were harping on that last let down after beating the Oilers the first time and theres no way the coach wasn't speaking up about the same thing in the room.

It kind of falls on the top players/leaders for needing to ensure that they don't come out with a completely limp first period after that big game, yet still they had possibly one of their worst in the past couple seasons. And not even against a strong opponent - Habs were 8-10 going in at home! Truly ripe for the picking for any road team. But I think they gave them a ton of confidence in the first several minutes with the endless giveaways and they just carried the momentum from there.

The peaks and valleys have been rather extreme which is perplexing. Saturday was one of the most complete games from a 60 minute standpoint to getting contributions and consistent effort from everyone.

Maybe a letdown is inevitable but it just can't be that night and day from the last one. The top guys have to mitigate that a bit at least.

[Toonage]

Unpopular opinion time - Maybe Gio is a great lead by example guy so far as off ice training and overall conduct is concerned. But perhaps he isn't as much a light a fire under his teammates guy.

I mean, when you look at the team, how many guys do you think express how much they hate losing in that room?

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Unpopular opinion time - Maybe Gio is a great lead by example guy so far as off ice training and overall conduct is concerned. But perhaps he isn't as much a light a fire under his teammates guy.

I mean, when you look at the team, how many guys do you think express how much they hate losing in that room?

I think you are correct. Terrific at leading by example. But when the guys need the emotional boost or a fire lit under them, he doesn't come across as that guy.

I see Tkachuk being that guy one day soon. Although Monahan has had a letter for 5 years or so, maybe he's a great motivational locker room guy, who knows.

[868904]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

I am irritated.
When the Flames beat the Oilers in first meeting of the season they proceeded to lose 2 straight and give the advantage gained back.
They follow up the hoopla around Tkachuk and another big win over the Oilers thing with another egg layed.

Yeah, I know they had just won 5 in a row. Maybe I make too much of this. I dunno.

They may have won 5 in a row but they weren’t playing particularly well. This team still isn’t very good. It feels like the Second year of Gulutzan. Play poorly all year, get on a hot streak and makes everything look fine but then continue to be inconsistent and end up missing the playoffs.

The rest of the Pacific playoff contenders are not falling off. Vegas is Vegas, a real good team. Coyotes have been consistently good for a good year now. Oilers and Canucks are not falling off like past years.

With how inconsistent the Flames have been this year, it’s a real possibility that they miss.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I think you are correct. Terrific at leading by example. But when the guys need the emotional boost or a fire lit under them, he doesn't come across as that guy.

I see Tkachuk being that guy one day soon. Although Monahan has had a letter for 5 years or so, maybe he's a great motivational locker room guy, who knows.

While i think this is true, maybe there are too many players that need to be led on this team.

But here's another thing. It's one thing to come up flat consistently throughout the regular season. That speaks to effort and work ethic and yes, maybe leadership..

But in the playoffs, I presume these guys were actually trying and they got steamrolled. What if they are a middle of the pack team roster wise and where they sit in the standings is about where they should be?

[Bingo]

Yeah I just don't like this team.

I don't feel that they play all that well even when they win (emotional games aside like Saturday). Something is just missing.

They have the skill to come back, and the skill to win some games that they shouldn't, but they just don't seem to have the mettle to bring consistent results game in and game out (realizing that no team can be "on" every evening).

Is that an NHL wide phenomenon though? Parity and a cap certainly levels the playing field, and maybe each fan base has to be less myopic in how they view their teams.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

While i think this is true, maybe there are too many players that need to be led on this team.

But here's another thing. It's one thing to come up flat consistently throughout the regular season. That speaks to effort and work ethic and yes, maybe leadership..

But in the playoffs, I presume these guys were actually trying and they got steamrolled. What if they are a middle of the pack team roster wise and where they sit in the standings is about where they should be?

Or skilled, not that mentally tough, and when the chips were down they just didn't have it in them to stick to their structure and play the game the way they did all year.

They panicked.

[Steve Bozek]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Unpopular opinion time - Maybe Gio is a great lead by example guy so far as off ice training and overall conduct is concerned. But perhaps he isn't as much a light a fire under his teammates guy.

I mean, when you look at the team, how many guys do you think express how much they hate losing in that room?

I suspect Gio and Iginla have/had similar approaches to being a captain. Sometimes the followers need more than a quiet demonstration of how to do it.