That is in my eyes the "sweet spot" we will end up at soon, hopefully.
Gaudreau on his off-wing could spice things up. Bennett working his ass off in all three zones alongside Looch's smart short breakout passes. The biggest thing would be NOT giving Johnny the puck in the neutral zone. Have Looch and Benny drive on the left with Johnny off to the side for the pass.
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Calgary Flames, PLEASE GO TO THE NET! AND SHOOT THE PUCK! GENERATING OFFENSE IS NOT DIFFICULT! SKATE HARD, SHOOT HARD, CRASH THE NET HARD!
The top line needs to shoot the puck. They were tripping over their own dicks out there.
Well I guess it’s not all bad for those 3 then.
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Calgary Flames, PLEASE GO TO THE NET! AND SHOOT THE PUCK! GENERATING OFFENSE IS NOT DIFFICULT! SKATE HARD, SHOOT HARD, CRASH THE NET HARD!
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The Flames special teams have really been something else.
The PP still needs to do more, yet it's the 2nd best in the league currently at 29.2% and we have 7 different PP goal scorers so far. Makes it much harder to defend I'm sure when almost every player feels like a threat on either PP unit.
Meanwhile, the PK has only allowed 3 goals against (88.9%) and has 3 shorthanded goals to break even!
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It's been said before and it has been becoming more and more apparent all the time. They need to change the game plan for Johnny. Everyone knows what's going to happen when he's on the ice. He'll get the puck or demand the puck then skate through everyone. All the opponents have to do is make sure the other two forwards are covered (or whomever is in the rush) and then close the gap on Johnny. He doesn't have anyone to pass to and either dumps it or coughs it up.
Sure he's got talent and can get out of those situations sometimes but the success rate is getting lower. It's time to allow Monahan or Lindholm to carry the puck more often.
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No effort defensively from Johnny? Because of the blown coverage on the Oleksiak goal?
Johnny is hustling back a lot, and the team did really give up relatively few high danger chances
I see he is skating in to guys and turning over the puck a lot, and fighting it offensively. Also flying the zone at times, which the couple of times I have noticed has been pretty well timed - he is anticipating the Flames recovering possession and being ready to fly.
But I disagree with the incorrect assertion that he has no effort defensively.
Or, in other words - remember James Neal?
Oh man, all I saw was Johnny circling, coasting, waiting for the puck. I saw him actually involved in one board battle in the offensive zone. But mostly I watched him cruising around doing nothing, not controlling lanes properly, not being close enough to actually get a stick on. Very very loose. Did I miss a good shift or two? It's possible, but I spent a lot of that game watching Johnny when he was on. The blown coverage on the Oleksiak goal is ... not great. Is it on Johnny? I don't know... there was a shift change... it's a bad situation. But his positioning on that goal, out in no man's land, not in a lane, not covering a player either... that's his defensive specialty, and I think it's crap.
Watching the highlights again (...and again, and again - god I love hockey), my favourite part of the game is still Sam Bennett smiling in the faces of Radulov and Klingberg at the end of the game and then smirking at the ref as he gets pulled away.
Location: F*** me. We're so f***ing good, you check the f***ing standings? Lets f***ing go! F***ing practice!
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Reading this thread I'm surprised there is hardly any talk about the game Backlund had. 4 shots, 6 hits, 1 takeaway, and opens the scoring with that beauty game winning shorthanded goal.
It really was a great goal, recognizing whats happening, takes off with 3 strides, bumps the puck ahead between his legs as he spins around at the blueline, LIFTING HIS LEG to stay onside while spinning, still keeps his speed to cut outside Perry while protecting the puck with his body, cuts hard to the net, dragging the puck and is able to raise it with a one handed backhand. Simply a world class shorthanded goal.
Bonus that it was around Perry and we get to see "Perryface" as he skates back to his bench.
I could and have watched this over and over again.
Backlund is having such a great playoffs. 3 goals, 5 points, 20 shots, 7 takeaways. His PK work has been outstanding.
__________________ Backlund for Selke 2017 2018
Oilers suck.
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Credit to the Flames bending and not breaking, just like when kipper was around, you don't have to apologize for having the last line of defense being phenomenal. In 04, Flames were out shot in 8 of their wins (tied in shots for the 9th). Sometimes significantly.
Ebs and flows of the playoffs is to win in all sorts of ways. Key is the win column, they aren't all going to be Rembrandts.
Backlund was incredible last night with and without the puck.
His defensive effort was just great. Gio was his usual self defensively too I thought, especially in the 3rd when we needed to shut it down.
On that PK towards the end it was the Giordano of last year. Breaking up plays, aggressive at the defensive blue line, and great clears.
Just like Johnny making moves on two Stars later in the game - I'm hoping we're starting to see them figuring this time of year out. If they can start putting together a few shifts at a time, all of sudden we become something very dangerous in these playoffs.
Reading this thread I'm surprised there is hardly any talk about the game Backlund had. 4 shots, 6 hits, 1 takeaway, and opens the scoring with that beauty game winning shorthanded goal.
It really was a great goal, recognizing whats happening, takes off with 3 strides, bumps the puck ahead between his legs as he spins around at the blueline, LIFTING HIS LEG to stay onside while spinning, still keeps his speed to cut outside Perry while protecting the puck with his body, cuts hard to the net, dragging the puck and is able to raise it with a one handed backhand. Simply a world class shorthanded goal.
Bonus that it was around Perry and we get to see "Perryface" as he skates back to his bench.
I could and have watched this over and over again.
Backlund is having such a great playoffs. 3 goals, 5 points, 20 shots, 7 takeaways. His PK work has been outstanding.
Backlund has been really good this playoffs. 7 months ago most Flames fans were saying his contract was horrible and wondering if he would be on the 4th line next year.
On that PK towards the end it was the Giordano of last year. Breaking up plays, aggressive at the defensive blue line, and great clears.
Just like Johnny making moves on two Stars later in the game - I'm hoping we're starting to see them figuring this time of year out. If they can start putting together a few shifts at a time, all of sudden we become something very dangerous in these playoffs.
Yeah, Johnny had flashes. More than the skating and the moves but he made a couple great backhand passes through Dallas defenders to send Monahan into a good spot. That's what I've been missing most; Johnny giving the puck to teammates in good areas.
When Johnny is off he overhandles the puck and makes bad decisions all over the ice trying to do too much. Makes his linemates completely ineffective as a result.
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Location: Wondering when # became hashtag and not a number sign.
Exp:
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache
No effort defensively from Johnny? Because of the blown coverage on the Oleksiak goal?
Johnny is hustling back a lot, and the team did really give up relatively few high danger chances
I see he is skating in to guys and turning over the puck a lot, and fighting it offensively. Also flying the zone at times, which the couple of times I have noticed has been pretty well timed - he is anticipating the Flames recovering possession and being ready to fly.
But I disagree with the incorrect assertion that he has no effort defensively.
Or, in other words - remember James Neal?
Just because JG hasn't been "as bad" as Neal was last year, doesn't mean he hasn't been bad this year.
In fact he has been god awful. He certainly is avoiding any and all contact and it has led to literally dozens of turnovers or lost possessions of the puck.
He has done about 20 fly bys as well throughout the playoffs....which is inexcusable.
He has lost almost every board battle he actually decided to engage in, and on top of all that he looks lost in the offensive zone unless its on the PP where he has space to work.
Over 3 minutes left last night and his line mates were out with the G pulled....he was stapled to the bench. Ward knows it as well. 6th in ES ice time tells you that.
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Yeah, Johnny had flashes. More than the skating and the moves but he made a couple great backhand passes through Dallas defenders to send Monahan into a good spot. That's what I've been missing most; Johnny giving the puck to teammates in good areas.
When Johnny is off he overhandles the puck and makes bad decisions all over the ice trying to do too much. Makes his linemates completely ineffective as a result.
Still holding on to long or shooting from bad angles, he needs to make quicker decisions.
