[GDT] Calgary Flames vs Winnipeg Jets @ 8PM CBC, TVAS, SN

[djsFlames]

There are good players, it's just the wrong mix of players. The top guys don't work together.

No one has chemistry. I mean that telepathic, able to predict where the other guy will be kind of chemistry. Absolutely everything seems forced or out of sync. One in a dozen or more attempts on a dangerous play yields results. Rarely a tic tac toe play that goes in. Just a constantly low conversion rate where they make it look like they don't know how to make goals happen through anything but individual effort.

Need to switch the core up and hope that a different group clicks.

[Mathgod]

What to cheer for?

[heep223]

Shot across the bow sitting Vali and Dube. Sutter showing he’s serious and will back it up. How the top guys tonight respond tonight will be telling, otherwise they’re next.

[Redrum]

Oh no, not Stone. Now our winning streak is doomed.

[Patek23]

Originally Posted by Willi Plett

Spot on. But the above, 2 top line forwards completely falling off the map when they should be peaking. This must be perplexing to the organization.

That said, I felt they needed to go when they ran Hartley out of town. That told me they didn’t want to do what it was going to take to win.

I feel like that was the turning point with this team and its path. I believe that was the year they both got benched a game for being late for practice from partying the night before. The following year Hartley is gone and they bring in a "players coach" kind of guy. I would truly say thats the point I began to feel we needed to make a change with our core.

[UKflames]

Got excited to hear that Sutter was sitting someone and it was causing quite a stir, leaving disappointed that it is only Dube and Valimaki.
It will do them both good in the long run but I was hoping he was sending a message to our underachieving top liners. Oh well maybe next time.

[browna]

Trust in Sutter is unconditional, certainly for this season.

Dube he holds to a higher standard given his WJC pedigree. Valimaki is fine to sit out games too, he hasn't played before this season for over 18 calender months.

The subtle Sutter jab at Gaudreau will be turned into an episode of the "Young and the Restless" on the panel and likely early on in the game, along with the requisite cliches about Sutter and "How Gaudreau responds". It's all part of the Sutter approach and it's most like JG has heard this from Sutter games ago already behind the scenes, so to the player it's more a reminder then a shot, and moreso, it forces him to deal with the answer to the press looking to turn this into some sensationalistic storyline. My guess is Francis is rubbing his hands with glee and will bring up this Sutter comment about JG weekly for the rest of the season, given the personal vendetta like attitude Francis has toward JG.But, Sutter pushed buttons and him pushing JG's buttons to get more from him also has the intent to trickle down to those on the roster who know they aren't giving any more than JG is.

My guess is within a week, Sutter will be singling out praising JG for various things, it is just the way he works when pushing the top players.

[Jetfire]

Originally Posted by UKflames

Got excited to hear that Sutter was sitting someone and it was causing quite a stir, leaving disappointed that it is only Dube and Valimaki.
It will do them both good in the long run but I was hoping he was sending a message to our underachieving top liners. Oh well maybe next time.

It's a decent move. Try to teach the young players a bit with this one. Also to be fair he called out Gaudreau a little as well. If Gaudreau doesn't respond I'm sure the call outs will get a bit nastier.

[Manhattanboy]

Watching three games in a row against Winnipeg is like having to live there three years in a row.

[Strange Brew]

Publicly saying a player didn’t play hard is a pretty explicit call out. It was in response to a question so doubt it was planned, but I bet it’s only a sliver of what they are hearing.

[Scooter]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

I totally disagree with this. The skills and talent are there. The problem is between the ears.

The problem is between the fan base ears believing this roster is any more than a marginal playoff team.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

I totally disagree with this. The skills and talent are there. The problem is between the ears.

I used to think that, but when I look closer at the roster, it’s just not very good.

Their best players are all going the wrong way.

Johnny will be gone before next season. Monny is a shell of his former self, likely due to health issues. Gio likely has negative value. No huge immediate help on the horizon from any premium prospects.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[81MC]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

Why?

We don’t want to win

F that.

I don’t care. Hoping for a loss is some Oiler level #### man. If you want your team to lose, just stop watching.

[flames_fan_down_under]

That 50ish games where this lineup played like a top team in the NHL is very clearly looking like an outlier and the 100s of mediocre performances straddling those 50 games looks like the real thing. I have a really hard time believing the skills and talent are there on this roster.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

I don't care about Stone being in, but I'm frustrated about Kylington not being in.

It has been three coaches now. Clearly there is more to Kylington's play that what we can see through our TV screens.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

What about the vets? no accountability?

Coaches bench different players for different reasons. It has always been that way in the NHL.

I would guess this is not about punishment, and is rather about development. Having veteran players sit for a game isn't going to teach them anything that they don't already know.

[flames_fan_down_under]

Sitting the top players of the team would do nothing to bring this team together. Sutter mentioned in a press conference that this team has to dig out of their holes together. Benching the vets doesn’t accomplish that.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

But we love Looch. Can we keep his heart?

Ewww. Gross.

[TheSquatch]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

It has been three coaches now. Clearly there is more to Kylington's play that what we can see through our TV screens.

I'd be curious. He's got wheels, and was the top secret weapon for the longest time - no worries, Kylington is coming. And he just can't seem to stick it, but it also strikes me that he hasn't been given much opportunity. There's been far too much Fantenburg type weirdness with the Flames - let's get this super mediocre vet in at the last second rather than let our young guys build experience. It's stupid.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under

Sitting the top players of the team would do nothing to bring this team together. Sutter mentioned in a press conference that this team has to dig out of their holes together. Benching the vets doesn’t accomplish that.

Yeah, I tend to think that benching veteran players doesn't do much beyond placating the fans. Thank god the coach is not kowtowing to the fanbase.