How are you feeling about the flames so far?

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Sutter talked during training camp about Vladar needing to be ready to play lots of games, and so far he has played 2/8 and won both. I don't think this should be a concern until something changes.

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I could see vladar getting the start against Dallas this week. And then at least one game on the eastern road trip this month.


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[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Yup. I said when everyone was complaining about dump and chase that Tampa Bay was using it a lot with great effectiveness, because they were executing it well.

Most systems work if they are done with purpose and executed properly. Sutter's power is getting his players to do what he wants. I mean, I doubt other coaches were telling the Flames not to transition and move the puck up quickly. But somehow they failed to convince them to do it whereas Sutter succeeds. I don't know how he does it but he does.

Execution is vital, obviously.

But I think you're missing the change in the way they are playing - it isn't just execution, they are playing differently.

I was watching the Kraken last night, and I noticed immediately how they were passing D to D, circling back, setting up - much like the Flames were last year.

Many of us were pointing out this style of play last year, and every time we did, you tried to counter those points. Most of your counters were simply an attempt to argue that different posters were saying different things. Well, some of that was true, but also, some of it was simply the case that posters were describing things in different ways, or pointing out the results, or some were referring to the breakout while others were referring to the setup, or whatever.

The point that many posters were trying to make was that the Flames didn't play fast. They didn't move the puck up quickly, they didn't close gaps quickly, they didn't pressure all over the ice as well. Etc. In other words, there are many small differences in the way they play.

Execution is better, without a doubt. But there are also very clear changes to the way they are playing.

[Hockey-and_stuff]

Originally Posted by stemit14

I could see vladar getting the start against Dallas this week. And then at least one game on the eastern road trip this month.


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I believe there are two back to backs on that long 7 game road trip so I expect Vladar to get at least two starts there.

[CroFlames]

Vladar should get the Habs game. There's enough rest between games Markstrom can handle it. He's red hot right now, so he'll want games.

You maybe give Vladar the Sens game too, especially if the trip is going well.

[Freddy]

On today’s episode of Spittin Chicklets Ryan Whitney and Paul Bissonnette just made a bet between themselves as to which team, Oilers (Whitney) or Flames (Bissonnette) will go further in the playoffs this year. If Whitney loses he has to wear a Barry Bonds style earring for a month and if the Grease go further Bissonnette has to shave just the top of his head (regardless of his broadcast schedule) for a month. Funny stuff, and great to see the BOA get some media attention because of it’s relevancy.

[robertsfan]

Originally Posted by robertsfan

Jumping back in the relationship after getting heartbroken so many times- once again hoping things will be different.

Yep.

[jlh2640]

Some old bad habits starting to creep right back in.

[Strange Brew]

Losing two in a row will happen multiple times in a season to good teams. I’d feel better if they’d hadn’t played so poorly in the third both games, against such bad teams.

I’d say that getting 4 points in next 3 games is important for the good feelings to stay with them.

[AustinL_NHL]

As I posted in the PGT thread, tonight they sucked (most disappointing performance of the season by far IMO), but even though they've lost 4 of their last 5, they deserved a much better fate than just getting 4 out of 5 points.

5v5 xGF% in their last 5 games:

- 45.68% vs Montreal (L)
- 60.46% vs San Jose (L)
- 66.07% vs New York (W)
- 56.98% vs Dallas (OTL)
- 71.39% vs Nashville (OTL)

Hard to say they deserved 4 losses in their last 5.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by AustinL_NHL

As I posted in the PGT thread, tonight they sucked (most disappointing performance of the season by far IMO), but even though they've lost 4 of their last 5, they deserved a much better fate than just getting 4 out of 5 points.

5v5 xGF% in their last 5 games:

- 45.68% vs Montreal (L)
- 60.46% vs San Jose (L)
- 66.07% vs New York (W)
- 56.98% vs Dallas (OTL)
- 71.39% vs Nashville (OTL)

Hard to say they deserved 4 losses in their last 5.

The key will be not changing too drastically

[Enoch Root]

Darryl works so hard to keep the highs from being too high and the lows from being too low for the players.

It's a shame that message doesn't sink in for fans.

[Goriders]

I still think the Flames will be fine. Once again, not their best road game and they were still in it at the end. They are playing good hockey. Way better than last season. I’ll be surprised if they don’t make the playoffs. If they do they certainly look like they are better positioned to play playoff hockey than they have been in a long time.

[Rick M.]

Part of being a good team is quickly righting the ship after a rough patch. Let’s see how it goes.

[TheSquatch]

Sutter once said somthing like: Every team wins roughly 1/3 of their games. Every team loses roughly 1/3 of their games. And there's 1/3 left over which determines whether you make the playoffs.

And that's the thing the Flames have failed at - the games you need to win, the games against bad teams, the games against tired teams, the games against the teams right above you in the standings.

The Flames aren't awful, and they aren't great, they are a middling team with mostly middling players. If Johnny or Tkachuk don't score, you beat the Flames most nights. Montreal did it without any center depth at all. None. I mean... you gotta win that game if you are Calgary, going in basically healthy.

So in Sutter we trust, but this team needs a dominant 1C and a legit top pairing D man. No team can outwork the opponent every night. Sometimes you have to outskill them (at both ends) and the Flames... are close, but not quite there, is my take.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Not going to lie that I do fear this is a return to the norm for this team. As I've said, we need to see that they can be more mentally strong - not allowing streaks to develop (in danger of that now) and playing well in big games.
I just hope that there is clarity - that this is a team that is different than the last couple of years, or its' the same in which case decisions need to be made.
Win 1 lose 1 will be the worst outcome.

[EVERLAST]

The sky is not falling....yet.
I saw sulky faces and really bad body language last night .
I wish #88 could somehow share some of his energy with his team mates because I've yet to be disappointed with his effort.
I'm happy with things so far......even watching the normally cool Tanev lose his S last night after the crosscheck on Gud.

Well be okay. Just too many passengers yesterday and we lose when that's the case.

GFG

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Darryl works so hard to keep the highs from being too high and the lows from being too low for the players.

It's a shame that message doesn't sink in for fans.

* throws booze and cocaine into the trash *

[The Cobra]

The Montreal game was really the first true stinker of the year.

But you lose games often where you outplay the other team. That's the randomness of sports, especially hockey.

Unless the stinkers continue, I'm not too concerned. They are playing good hockey.

Winning on the road is tough at the best of times. Let's see the effort tonight.

The Flames are not a team like Tampa Bay last year, so there will be off nights where they get outplayed. The other team is trying to win also.

[colbym72]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

The Montreal game was really the first true stinker of the year.

But you lose games often where you outplay the other team. That's the randomness of sports, especially hockey.

Unless the stinkers continue, I'm not too concerned. They are playing good hockey.

Winning on the road is tough at the best of times. Let's see the effort tonight.

The Flames are a team like Tampa Bay last year, so there will be off nights where they get outplayed. The other team is trying to win also.

what

[Classic_Sniper]

Definitely feeling more positive about this team now than I did in the season opener, that's for sure. They're playing a system that's more suited to the personnel of the team. This was never a fast team, so the idea of the team trying to play a fast aggressive style under Peters and Ward was never ideal.

So I do like the system Sutter has deployed along with the conditioning. Getting the players to be better conditioned going into the season should be beneficial as the season progresses, so that's another positive.

Overall, I think the winning ways should be sustainable. Only problem is this team is still very reliant on one line and one goaltender to be on top of their games all the time. Even just looking at the last couple of games, top line is shut down for 2 games and goaltender gives up one leaky goal and not coincidentally, they lose to one of the worst teams in the league yesterday and an injury riddled divisional opponent.

There's a lot of eggs in one basket with this team, but hopefully some of these new lines can find some chemistry and this team can start being more balanced.