A Tale of Two Cities... it was a great game, and it was an awful game.
Have the Flames really played great? Or were they awful, and stole 3 points? Truth is somewhere in the middle I think.
Toronto out-chanced and out-classed Calgary. Simple as that. If not for the heroics of Rittich, this team would have been feeling an incredible amount of heat right now.
I don't understand what is going on. Are the Flames trying to be an elite defensive team that ekes out 1-0 and 2-1 wins?
Goaltending has covered up a LOT of warts on this team this season so far. Montreal has played much better than Calgary, but Price not being elite any longer cost Julien his job. Ward better better be buying presents for Markstrom and Rittich right now.
This team seems to be converting to a much more defensive team, but they bleed chances. They are stifling themselves offensively. Sorry, but the last thing I want to see here is Devils hockey. It worked in the 90's, but it doesn't work any longer... just ask the Wild.
3/4 points is great - especially considering that Toronto has been on a bit of a roll this season so far, and the Flames historically do poorly there.
Great PK though - that's some serious PK'ing that they have done to earn those 3 points so far. Truly awesome stuff.
Rittich just unreal. I remember someone posting his stats sometime over the off-season, citing how strong he is on high danger chances, but terrible on the low-danger chances. I thought it was either a mental thing, or just small corrections needed. It looks like whatever it was, he is good at all shots. He has been fantastic.
I read Lebrun's tweet about Julien being relieved of his duties. It made some sense. He basically said that he didn't think it was an issue with effort in Montreal, but more so that the team looked confused.
I don't think Calgary is suffering from apathy or a lack of effort. They are just not executing properly as a team. Why? Rattled? Unable to play the system properly? Don't know the system well enough? I don't know, but they are giving up too much and not generating enough. Where would they be without Markstrom's huge games and Rittich's huge games?
I get it - Rittich and Markstrom are both part of the team, and there is no shame in them stealing some games. I agree with that statement 100%. However, it is not sustainable to expect them to be THAT good consistently game in and game out. Having to rely on your goalie to steal games too often is not a recipe for success - it is a recipe for disaster. It also ends up with your goalies getting worn out, and maybe even a bit shell-shocked like Edmonton does with their goalies.
Flames need to fix whatever is broken, and do it quickly. If Ward can't fix whatever is going on, then the Flames better find someone who can, or we can expect another mediocre season where the Flames don't make the playoffs, or just squeak in and get bounced in the first round again.
There were some positives. Any time you take 3/4 points is a positive in itself. It is the manner in which the Flames have been playing for a while that makes these 'steals' a bit disappointing.
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I know a lot of coaches think you can teach defence but trying to teach offence is just not that effective.
Powerplay is different though. The Flames do have a good powerplay when they move the puck quickly. This happens every year, including this year - they move the puck fast, they score.
Keefe seems to have a history of being able to do just that: create offense. Perhaps it's a mentality.
I watched a video about Laviollette and how he gets his team to think about offense - how are the going to help create offense. Maybe it's something like spending less time on details and being defense. If you are pounding check check check all the time
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Toronto is a good team, even missing some big players, so I can be happy with 3/4 points. If we don't get 5/8 points in the next 4 against Ottawa, I'm not sure I can handle it.
Ottawa has been much better lately, but we are still a better team (on paper).
5 out of 8 points against Ottawa is a C- at best
if they want to get back in the race, they need 7 out of 8
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Most of everything I read in the PGTs whether they win or lose are complaints about the head coach. A handful of posters have resorted to making things up about him as a means to justify their anger.
It gets tiresome reading the same things over and over and over and over again, especially when this group of players HAVE NOT EARNED THE BENEFIT OF DOUBT AT ALL THAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF CHANGING what has become a perpetual history of mental fragility.
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Dealing with Everything from Dead Sea Scrolls to Red C Trolls
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Originally Posted by woob
"...harem warfare? like all your wives dressup and go paintballing?"
This core group has been mentally weak for years. Can't blame every single thing on Ward.
No, but when he has them play a pathetically passive style it leads to spending all that time in your own end. Do that against a good team and you will lose.
And you can see they back off even their pathetic 1 man forecheck when leading or tied. Leafs had three guys deep when it was tied 1-1.
As Torts says. Safe is death.
There is a reason no other team wanted Ward as a head coach.
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Most of everything I read in the PGTs whether they win or lose are complaints about the head coach. A handful of posters have resorted to making things up about him as a means to justify their anger.
It gets tiresome reading the same things over and over and over and over again, especially when this group of players HAVE NOT EARNED THE BENEFIT OF DOUBT AT ALL THAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF CHANGING what has become a perpetual history of mental fragility.
With that perpetual history of mental fragility you'd hope we'd eventually get a proper coach to try to fix it. It's not the only problem, but it's a serious problem
...No, you can't blame 'every' single thing on Ward. There're some roster issues. But when the team is constantly gripping their sticks and failing to make effective, clean breakouts? That has nothing to do with mental toughness and everything to do with strategy and confidence.
Bull ####. It is the very definition of mental fragility. This group of players are pros to having their confidence sapped with an alarming frequency, and have struggled through every single regime to find it again.
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Dealing with Everything from Dead Sea Scrolls to Red C Trolls
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Originally Posted by woob
"...harem warfare? like all your wives dressup and go paintballing?"
Man.
I watched most of the game. Lots not to like. Heartbreaking loss for the team, Rittich most of all. He was the man tonight.
But the mood here is foul. Take the points. Move on. Try not to complain anymore.
I actually enjoyed the game. Not because the Flames played well, but because seeing our goalie play well is enjoyable. Its like watching a baseball player hit for the cycle. Its exciting to see top athletes perform at a high level. I enjoyed the game because there was drama and it was a close game.
If it isn't fun to watch, why watch?
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This is incredible! Is this the goal? 139 goals over 82 games??!! Anemic doesn't even begin. Do the coaches love this? What are they doing to improve this area? Keep checking?
Find the balance to play good offensively but find some offense it is just incredibly bad to have a 139 goal pace for 82 games but these guys will be happy with this game. Happy?!!??
I am actually perversely interested in seeing how long this failed experiment of putting Lindholm as the second line center, thus throwing off three lines, rather than have him on RW on the first line will go on for. We have done it for 35% of the season so far. Can we make it to 60% of the season?
Last edited by Aarongavey; 02-24-2021 at 08:59 PM.
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With that perpetual history of mental fragility you'd hope we'd eventually get a proper coach to try to fix it. It's not the only problem, but it's a serious problem
No, the way you fix it is to change the chemistry of the players. IE, roster moves.
A coaching change as well, sure. But you can't keep nibbling around the edges, eventually you have to make some serious roster moves if you want some serious changes.
I am actually perversely interested in seeing how long this failed experiment of putting Lindholm as the second line center, thus throwing off three lines, rather than have him on RW on the first line will go on for. We have done it for 35% of the season so far. Can we make it tomorrow 60% of the season?
Is tomorrow's game worth 25% of the season for some reason? If so, then yes.
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This team in the recent past in the playoffs folds like a cheap suit the second there's any adversity. They can't handle it.
I know, I know, it's the coaches fault. Again.
People say this, but I don't think they do it more than other teams. Are we talking where they blew the 3-0 to Dallas? When our goaltending cratered?
I think people like to call them mentally fragile, but how do you get to this level of sport being mentally fragile.
I think it's much more likely they have a coach who can't help in game, and when things go wrong they just keep doing the same thing and it doesn't work.
Tonight wasn't mental fragility, they played Wards crap system and got burned because they spent so much time in their own end.
No, the way you fix it is to change the chemistry of the players. IE, roster moves.
A coaching change as well, sure. But you can't keep nibbling around the edges, eventually you have to make some serious roster moves if you want some serious changes.
Yeah, but there are two problems. One is a nightmare to fix but has to be fixed, one is much easier to fix and also has to be fixed.
They clearly both need to be done, but one doesn't have to wait.
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Originally Posted by MisterJoji
Johnny eats garbage and isn’t 100% committed.
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No, the way you fix it is to change the chemistry of the players. IE, roster moves.
A coaching change as well, sure. But you can't keep nibbling around the edges, eventually you have to make some serious roster moves if you want some serious changes.
Why would you not try a real NHL coach first though. What is the downside?
Ward makes dumb decisions, has a system built for the 2010 Bruins, and looks dumbfounded during the game.
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