[PGT] 5-3 Kings, oh no!

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Did you watch it?

LA stayed tight, Flames wasted time around the perimeter looking for something perfect.

This is one time I think you need to get greasy because if you draw 2 of the 3, and knock the puck to your other guys, you are at an advantage

I watched it, and I think they were hoping to draw out the defenders, who stayed disciplined. I think the Flames need to be way more accurate with passes across the middle. They go around the horn but they don’t pass across the goal at all.

The point shot doesn’t seem to be an option at all. I’m not a big point shot proponent but on a 5 on 3 you could at least create a rebound and try and outman them.

[Stauner]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I’m not sure how Monahan and Gaudreau’s style is on Treliving. He picked Tkachuk (no brainer) and got the guy you say is the best shooter (which is likely true). Monahan’s outside shot isn’t bad - it’s not going to overpower a goalie but his release is good. Really the best wrister on the team has belonged to Gio (or Hamilton when he was here).

Aside from tanking and getting a MacKinnon or McDavid, I’m not sure what the strategy can be. I suppose I would say they should focus a little more on speed - the core players aren’t very fast - really only Dube and maybe Reider can be described as fast out of all the fwds.

If you look at Vancouver and Edmonton there is a lot of speed we looked way slower than them. Under Hartley we were a fast energetic team. We lack speed

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Stauner

If you look at Vancouver and Edmonton there is a lot of speed we looked way slower than them. Under Hartley we were a fast energetic team. We lack speed

Hartley’s team had faster players (though largely unskilled). Byron, Jooris, Bouma, Raymond had some speed. But also Gaudreau looked faster then - I think he’s lost a step. Same with Backlund.

Funny though, I recall so many people complaining about Hartley’s stretch passes. Now they are calling for them.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Gaskal - what’s their issue? you are the PP guru.

I'm no Gaskal but the issue to me is that you have two left shots in Gaudreau and Monahan who can't be used together on a PP unit given their designated roles.

Now that might sound like a terrible assessment but bear with me for a second.

Monahan is a left shot, and not a strong playmaker.
Gaudreau is also a left shot, and not a strong shooter.

Why is this an issue?

On paper you want a guy like Gaudreau to play on the right side of the powerplay, especially on a 5v3 where there are many seams to pick apart to feed Lindholm for the one timer. Playing Gaudreau on the left makes the angle for his shot too easy to stop.

But because Monahan shoots left, Gaudreau on the right needs to pass across Monahan's body for the snap shot. That option not existing make the other options - feeding Lindholm across the slot or Tkachuk for a tip, or the D man for a point shot, that much easier to read.

I also think we've been using the wrong Dman on 5v3. It should be Andersson, not Hanifin. But I digress.

The best PP units in the league use the setup I we lack.

LHS Playmaker on the right (Gaudreau / Kuznetsov / Kucherov)
LHS Secondary playmaker down low (Tkachuk / Backstrom / Killorn)
RHS Primary Sniper on the left (Lindholm / Ovechkin / Stamkos)
RHS Secondary Sniper in the slot (Monahan/ Point / Oshie)

Yeah there are other ways to score on the PP than the Washington/Tampa strategy but the general handedness needs to be balanced to the roles and I'm not sure it ever will be with these personnel. I think Gaudreau and Monahan should not be on the same PP unit.

[Stauner]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Hartley’s team had faster players (though largely unskilled). Byron, Jooris, Bouma, Raymond had some speed. But also Gaudreau looked faster then - I think he’s lost a step. Same with Backlund.

Funny though, I recall so many people complaining about Hartley’s stretch passes. Now they are calling for them.

So would you prefer more unskilled players that were fast or skilled players that are slow

[blender]

All talk of trading for ufas and asset management aside, a right-shot forward that can score would change the dynamic of the team dramatically.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Hartley’s team had faster players (though largely unskilled). Byron, Jooris, Bouma, Raymond had some speed. But also Gaudreau looked faster then - I think he’s lost a step. Same with Backlund.

Funny though, I recall so many people complaining about Hartley’s stretch passes. Now they are calling for them.

I don't believe Hartley's team had faster players. They played a faster style for sure. But guys like Rieder, Czarnik, Dube, Kylington, Ryan would have skated the guys Hartley had off the ice other than Byron. Guys like Granlund, Bouma, Bollig, Jones, Colborne, Wideman, Stajan, Engelland... he worked miracles.

To your second point - everything is good in moderation. Hartley lacked moderation WRT the stretch pass and exploited until it becams his achilles heel. But Ward and Gulutzan essentially decided to cut it out altogether which is too far down the other extreme. I also feel our top six or seven D right now can throw far more accurate stretch passes than guys like Kris Russell and Deryk Engelland could. Even Stone.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Stauner

So would you prefer more unskilled players that were fast or skilled players that are slow

I want Treliving to start targeting faster skilled players. I mean, not his fault obv., but how would Teravainen look on this team? So this means getting Kapanen, looking maybe at Athanasaiou, signing Hall (who for all his warts, has that skill).

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

I don't believe Hartley's team had faster players. They played a faster style for sure. But guys like Rieder, Czarnik, Dube, Kylington, Ryan would have skated the guys Hartley had off the ice other than Byron. Guys like Granlund, Bouma, Bollig, Jones, Colborne, Wideman, Stajan, Engelland... he worked miracles.

To your second point - everything is good in moderation. Hartley lacked moderation WRT the stretch pass and exploited until it becams his achilles heel. But Ward and Gulutzan essentially decided to cut it out altogether which is too far down the other extreme. I also feel our top six or seven D right now can throw far more accurate stretch passes than guys like Kris Russell and Deryk Engelland could. Even Stone.

I’m more referring to forwards. In that, I think Jooris and Byron were faster than any Flames and Bouma was pretty fast. The back end had Brodie at a step faster than now and Gio was fast then.

Thing is, the Flames looked damned fast at the beginning of 2018-19. I remember in China they looked like they were matching the top line of Boston.

I do think the top line can move up the ice faster. Monahan can skate OK when he wants - so can Lindholm. They need to push the pace.

Kylington has maybe the best skating on this team but until he works into a bigger role it’s moot.

[zamler]

You know what's way worse than complaining after a loss? This weird stocking some of you do trying to "prove" people are complaining too much.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by zamler

You know what's way worse than complaining after a loss? This weird stocking some of you do trying to "prove" people are complaining too much.

[Manhattanboy]

I liked some thing about the Flames tonight but to me they look tentative and slow.

Pretty disappointed in Monahan tonight. He seemed totally disinterested. Maybe thinking about some LA night life this evening.

Flames pissing away valuable points to bottom feeders. The runway is getting shorter quickly.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

lol

I'm not editing my post.

[Manhattanboy]

Originally Posted by zamler

You know what's way worse than complaining after a loss? This weird stocking some of you do trying to "prove" people are complaining too much.

[zamler]

[soulchoice]

The lack of a an adequate/accurate one timer on a 5 on 3 PP doesn't help much either.

[Manhattanboy]

Originally Posted by soulchoice

The lack of a an adequate/accurate one timer on a 5 on 3 PP doesn't help much either.

No excuses for that 5 on 3 debacle. My television almost got destroyed I was so angry. 5 on 3 against one of the worst PKs in the NHL and we can’t even generate a scoring chance. Pathetic.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by zamler

[Manhattanboy]

I just looked at the schedule. Lol our “easy” schedule is going to get much more difficult in the next week. Gotta say if I’m betting I don’t think we make the playoffs. Ya I know that’s a stretch.

[soulchoice]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

No excuses for that 5 on 3 debacle. My television almost got destroyed I was so angry. 5 on 3 against one of the worst PKs in the NHL and we can’t even generate a scoring chance. Pathetic.

Based on how pathetic the PP has been in general besides the last two games, I actually wasn't surprised at how inept it was for the 5 on 3.

I would have been shocked if they did score truth be told.