[Game Takes] Flames 3 Stars 1 (Flames lead series 3-2)

[Bingo]

Flames 3 Stars 1 (Flames lead series 3-2)

- Sutter puts the "good" second line back together
- They reward him with two third period goals to erase 1-0 deficit
- Markstrom solid
- Red Lot made for great tv

[Erick Estrada]

I just can't give Dallas any credit here. They are bringing these games down to the worst form of non-event hockey. I get that Bowness thinks it's the only way his team can win but it's awful hockey. Personally I feel playing this type of hockey in the first round can only benefit the Flames if they move on as typically the quality of the hockey degenerates deeper into the playoffs as the officials put away their whistles. That said Bowness has suffocated his team to the point where all they have at this point is the hope of getting the first goal to hold on for a SO win. They just have nothing going on offensively and when they get behind it shows as the last few games have been pretty easy to close out for the Flames.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I just can't give Dallas any credit here. They are bringing these games down to the worst form of non-event hockey. I get that Bowness thinks it's the only way his team can win but it's awful hockey. Personally I feel playing this type of hockey in the first round can only benefit the Flames if they move on as typically the quality of the hockey degenerates deeper into the playoffs as the officials put away their whistles. That said Bowness has suffocated his team to the point where all they have at this point is the hope of getting the first goal to hold on for a SO win. They just have nothing going on offensively and when they get behind it shows as the last few games have been pretty easy to close out for the Flames.

Giving them credit and liking it are two different things!

The most important part of last night's game was they switched the game two script and found a way in the third period. That's huge for the mental game of this team.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I just can't give Dallas any credit here. They are bringing these games down to the worst form of non-event hockey. I get that Bowness thinks it's the only way his team can win but it's awful hockey. Personally I feel playing this type of hockey in the first round can only benefit the Flames if they move on as typically the quality of the hockey degenerates deeper into the playoffs as the officials put away their whistles. That said Bowness has suffocated his team to the point where all they have at this point is the hope of getting the first goal to hold on for a SO win. They just have nothing going on offensively and when they get behind it shows as the last few games have been pretty easy to close out for the Flames.

It is brutal hockey to watch, and I hope the Flames can pull of the series win so then that type of hockey doesn't get rewarded.

Playing not to lose, rather than to win, should still result in losing.

[burn_this_city]

Dallas played not to lose when up 1-0, reminded me of the Flames of yesteryear against a superior opponent.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Giving them credit and liking it are two different things!

The most important part of last night's game was they switched the game two script and found a way in the third period. That's huge for the mental game of this team.

Nope. I don't like it nor am I going to give any head coach credit for reducing today's game to 90's level hockey. Besides it not really even working for them as they are wasting one of the better goaltender performances in recent memory.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Giving them credit and liking it are two different things!

The most important part of last night's game was they switched the game two script and found a way in the third period. That's huge for the mental game of this team.

Agreed.

As fugly as the game is when played the Stars way, it is both difficult to do and very effective when done right.

I think the Stars know they are in trouble. If they dont win that game last night after being as good as they can at the clogging of the neutral zone, they have no other answers.

Good.

[Knut]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Dallas played not to lose when up 1-0, reminded me of the Flames of yesteryear against a superior opponent.

They also played not to lose when it was 1-1. Almost like they were trying for OT. Glad the Flames broke through.

[Shazam]

Dallas has been playing not to lose since the first minute of game 1. Flames also got into that mentality in games 1 & 2.

[NegativeSpace]

The Flames were not the best team through 40 minutes. The shots were close, the score was close, but the team was tight and as a result the Dallas Stars had the best of the five on five play for the most part. The third period? Very different scenario. Through the game the Flames had the better of the possession, but the high danger stuff was with Dallas, in the third Calgary pushed hard and caught up.

Five on five the Flames had 62% of the shot attempts with period splits of 47%/62% and 71% respectively. In terms of five on five expected goals, the Flames had 54%, and for high danger scoring chances the Flames had 50%, with a 5-5 split. The Flames had a 4-0 high danger split in the third period.

In all situations the Flames had 63% of the shot attempts, 65% of the expected goals, and 50% of the high danger splits.

Thank you for always summarizing these stats. It does tell the story of the game. That seemed like a very strong Dallas game in the first two periods and a great response to the beating they took in game 4. They executed their game plan perfectly: clog up the neutral zone, box out everyone from the middle of the ice, and pounce on any opportunities. They had no response in the third period. Their leadership and coach seemed lost for answers afterwards. It will be interesting to see how they respond in game 6. You could already hear Sutter's warning to his team that getting win 4 is harder than getting win 3. I do hope that he sticks with Coleman-Backlund-Mangiapane. The team had very little push back until that trio was put back together.

[GullFoss]

I like the idea of

Johnny-lindholm-toffoli
Dube-Jarnkrok-tkachuk

Gives Tkachuk the ability to lead drive play. And gives toffoli a better chance to break his goal-less streak. I noticed both players were far more engaged after the line shuffle

[redmile04]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Nope. I don't like it nor am I going to give any head coach credit for reducing today's game to 90's level hockey. Besides it not really even working for them as they are wasting one of the better goaltender performances in recent memory.

If they didnt play this way, they would have been done in 4. I give them credit for staying in the series. Bowness IMO is a underrated coach. A lot of other coaches in this series would have been done by now

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

I like the idea of

Johnny-lindholm-toffoli
Dube-Jarnkrok-tkachuk

Gives Tkachuk the ability to lead drive play. And gives toffoli a better chance to break his goal-less streak. I noticed both players were far more engaged after the line shuffle

Put me in the group that screamed FINALLY! when they put Mangiapane - Backlund - Coleman back together. I like your lines and would like to see:

Gaudreau - Lindholm - Toffoli
Mangiapane - Backlund - Coleman
Dube - Jarnkrok - Tkachuk
Lucic - Lewis - whatever Sutter is up to

IMO, that top 9 is really balanced, with the two, big, playoff warriors in the back pocket

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by redmile04

If they didnt play this way, they would have been done in 4. I give them credit for staying in the series. Bowness IMO is a underrated coach. A lot of other coaches in this series would have been done by now

I've been a lifelong NJD fan, before moving to Calgary in 2007 and have started supporting the Flames since then. I've grown to love trap hockey. People say it's boring and they are entitled to their opinion. If you like a team that plays the trap it's pretty exciting, they end up forcing a bunch of turnovers that lead to odd man rushes and breakaways.

The Stars get full marks for sticking to their system and frustrating the Flames attack. Add in the fact that Oettinger's GSAx is +10.5 and here we are.

It was a huge relief when the Flames finally broke through in the third. Here's hoping they figured something out and can put that to use right off the hop in Game 6.

[Shazam]

I really thought Oettinger was a little shaky in the third. His positioning was a little bit off.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Shazam

I really thought Oettinger was a little shaky in the third. His positioning was a little bit off.

The guy doing color on ESPN (Dominic Moore I think?) was trying to pin it on the Dube bump.

I think as a whole the Stars looked worse and worse as the third period went on. I'd like to think that means that they will crap the bed in game 6 but totally prepared for another very tight low scoring game that will be hard to win.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by redmile04

If they didnt play this way, they would have been done in 4. I give them credit for staying in the series. Bowness IMO is a underrated coach. A lot of other coaches in this series would have been done by now

Really though if the goal is to win the cup how far do you think they could go playing like this? The goaltending they are receiving in this series isn't sustainable long term and when that goes they are toast because they have no transition game or offensive game to speak of. Do they even coach the powerplay (it's terrible) or is the focus 100% on sitting back and staying in their lanes? They can't even open it up when they are down by a goal late in a game. Teams never win anything playing not to lose. I will give Bowness props for getting that team to the final a few years back thanks in part to the bubble environment but there's a reason that Stars fans universally want him gone as this low ceiling hockey yields nothing but mediocre results. They hate watching this as much as we do.