The Deal With Geoff Ward

[SuperMatt18]

More proof that Ward is clueless.

Dresses Rinaldo-Froese-Nordstrom as the 4th line to get dummied.

Plus that means the third line is Lucic-Backlund-Mangiapane...meaning you have Lucic on one of the lines that’s likely matched against either McDavid or Draisaitl.

Just hamstringing the team with these decisions.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

More proof that Ward is clueless.

Dresses Rinaldo-Froese-Nordstrom as the 4th line to get dummied.

Plus that means the third line is Lucic-Backlund-Mangiapane...meaning you have Lucic on one of the lines that’s likely matched against either McDavid or Draisaitl.

Just hamstringing the team with these decisions.

If McDavid/Draisaitl go off in that situation it’s because of Backlund, not Lucic.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

If McDavid/Draisaitl go off in that situation it’s because of Backlund, not Lucic.

not if lucic has his nightly coughup

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

Haven’t the Oilers already proven that “good” head coaches mean absolutely squat?

The Flames are not the Oilers. Yes, the Oilers are proof that a good coach can't fix a bad team. But atleast they've tried hiring good coaches to prove that.

The Flames have already showed what they're capable of with a non-bargain bin coach.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

If McDavid/Draisaitl go off in that situation it’s because of Backlund, not Lucic.

Nope, doesn’t matter who your Center is they need wings that can keep up for a shutdown line.

McDavid and Draisaitl like to play fast and attack on the rush. Having Lucic and his skating on that line is a liability in transition and it’s asking a lot of Backlund to overcome that.

[GG51]

Can’t agree more.

This professional coach lacks some basic logic. Such as, if you put some one along Johnny and Mony, at least put a NHLer, yet Buddy got many games then returned to AHL. Looks like a failed tanking, can’t we even beat the Oilers on this?

This team have 4 first liners, yet he can’t find a combination to make sure a first line. None of them are super stars can carry a line alone, they need to play with first liner to be effective, so put some random guy on each of the top 2 lines only makes it two second lines at best.

The line shuffling in the previous games was ridiculous, everyone can play together, except put 13 23 28 together. Is it a try to average all the lines, say 4x3rd line =12 are better than 1+2+3+4=10? More ridiculous is it worked somehow in one game.

If the lines can change like this, why not give 93 even 77 a try to play with better players. They were skilled prospects, not been successful, but at least have approved their skills, and have been put on the 4th line rotten together. One left and playing as 3rd line center on the Penguins, let me wondering is flames that deep on the center and don’t have a position for him? Yet we have to put our best right wing at center? Of course they picked up Crosby’s winger for free.

Bennett has been one of the best players in playoffs, centering Lucic and Dube, why not let them play together as the 3rd line, and give 13 23 their missing piece with 28. See, everyone got their positions. A single move put 28 on the center messed everything, both top lines are looking wingers, 11 is not happy on the 3rd line, and Bennett wants leave. It’s rather confused.

Looks the culture changed, not sure if it’s because coach, but good players want to leave, and bad players also want to leave. And nearly all the previous flames are happy so far with other teams this season. Can we just found a previous head coach, as head coach?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Nope, doesn’t matter who your Center is they need wings that can keep up for a shutdown line.

McDavid and Draisaitl like to play fast and attack on the rush. Having Lucic and his skating on that line is a liability in transition and it’s asking a lot of Backlund to overcome that.

Shutdown has always been mainly on the C and the D pair if you are trying to match like that.

Lucic is not that bad defensively. The two big giveaways this year so far were huge all right, but I’d rather him than anyone on the 4th line.

[GioforPM]

Yessssss! What a nice rush by Dube and a sweet shot by Lindholm.

ETA: wrong thread by I don’t care.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Shutdown has always been mainly on the C and the D pair if you are trying to match like that.

I don't know which coach but we've had wingers shadow mcdavid in the past. Gully maybe?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

I don't know which coach but we've had wingers shadow mcdavid in the past. Gully maybe?

I can’t think of who that would have been.

[SuperMatt18]

4th line is a tire fire

Edit: Wrong thread

[howard_the_duck]

Leivo was scratched tonight for...Rinaldo?

[Dan02]

Ward must go.

First intermission would be a good time.

[K1LLswitch]

Terrible line-up tonight. What is ward thinking.

[shogged]

with bennetts quote they shared during the game that he didn't know why he was scratched and wondered if the organization was playing games with him or not, makes me think Ward isn't the best communicator. What's the point of sitting him if he doesn't know what you want from him?

[BoLevi]

Was there a reasonable theory on the board about why Ward got re-signed this offseason?

I mean, there must be something that we are all missing?

[Owee18]

This type of hockey is getting really bad. Embarrassed 17-3 in shots after 1 period??? Team not ready to play again. Coach is responsible to have the team ready. This cannot keep going on. Tre has to start holding Coach accountable instead of saying we need to trade x or y or z.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by BoLevi

Was there a reasonable theory on the board about why Ward got re-signed this offseason?

I mean, there must be something that we are all missing?

COVID. I don't think the Flames wanted to spend on a coach with everything up in the air.

There was so much uncertainty at the time and no one knew if the season would even go ahead.

I don't think this is strictly a coaching issue though. Gio is showing his age. A Norris caliber defenseman makes a huge difference and we don't have that anymore. Monahan and Gaudreau are also lazy at times and I suspect are not easy to coach and are at least partly responsible for the country club atmosphere. Time to turn the page on them and go with Tkachuk, Lindholm and Dube as the core to build around.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

More proof that Ward is clueless.

Dresses Rinaldo-Froese-Nordstrom as the 4th line to get dummied.

Plus that means the third line is Lucic-Backlund-Mangiapane...meaning you have Lucic on one of the lines that’s likely matched against either McDavid or Draisaitl.

Just hamstringing the team with these decisions.

I’m an idiot

[Manhattanboy]

Don't know if anyone heard Ward on the radio this morning but he was going on about how important it is to be able to roll all four lines and throw our fourth line out against the other teams' best. To make his point he talked about how were able to use Frolik-Janko-Reider last year to shut down MacKinnon and Eichel. So strange.