[PGT] Tampa 4 Flames 1

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Goriders

The Flames have no skilled finishers. They’re in every game. But don’t score enough goals.

Tough problem to fix. Maybe the toughest

The toughest problem to fix is goaltending when you have a guy locked down for another 3 years after this one. Flames have not had a goalie win a single game for them all year. That is a tough look. If a win is a win after you let in 5 goals and you did your job because you made a save with 20 seconds left to preserve the win (which I can accept, no argument there) a loss is the goalies loss when he lets in that third goal. May be one of the 5 worst goals let in by a goalie in the NHL this year. After the goal they showed two Lightning fans laughing and I was laughing too, but more of a sad laugh, as it reminded me a bit of Rasmus’s rocket last year in the playoffs against the Oilers in Game 4. That third goal killed any chance at a comeback.

[WhiteTiger]

Well, not the result I wanted to see this morning, but it WAS TBL, so...

[Jore]

The Flames started the season with one of the best top 9 forward groups and the worst 4th line in the league (by preseason projections).

Right now, they have spread the worst 4th line in the league to all the other lines, ensuring that not a single line can execute quick and skilled plays. You sign a 10.5 million dollar player and expect him to produce with Lewis? You finally sign a #1 C and anchor him with Lucic?

The top 9 mix wasn't the best before, but the entire forward rotation is impotent now. Phillips, Pelletier, and Zary need to come up. Lucic, Lewis, and Ritchie need to sit.

With all that said, you're just not going to win when your goalies also are putting up the worst results in the league.

[Tsawwassen]

Postgame links
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl...v-17-1.6655563
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/games/2465901/
https://www.espn.com/nhl/recap/_/gameId/401458858
https://stats.cbc.ca/hockey/nhl/recap/145911

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

I'm not so sure I agree with that.

Eat Bread can finish, but isn't. Dube has been quiet lately. Huberdeau is a great player that hasn't found his stride. Coleman can do more. So can a few more.

I'd like to see Sutter go back to the lines that looked so good to start the season. If the top line struggles, so be it. Give them time to figure it out. The other 3 lines looked great for the first 5-6 games.

The team definitely needs another winger in that top 6, but they have enough horses to be much better than they are right now offensively. Between underachieving players and weird line combos this team can be much much better, without having to overhaul the roster.

No this is definitely what the problem is.
If Eat Bread is your only finisher this season (and quite the one he's having) then your team is in trouble.

We need immediate top 6 shooting help, someone who is "greedy" with the puck and can hit the net consistently.

To say were not missing Tkachuk and Johnny's scoring prowess would be an understatement, those 2 had a knack for putting it in when it counted which is why that line was so deadly.

I still think you can rock a Huberdeau/Lindholm line but you need someone with speed who is consistent and not afraid to shoot. I had hoped it would be Eat Bread this year (and to be fair they havent tried it yet) but he's struggling to find his way this year, too many of our guys are in that funk.

The experiment of Lewis and Lucic playing top 6/9 minutes should be over... its not working.

Huberdeau - Lindholm - Mangiapane
Ruzicka - Kadri - Toffoli
Coleman - Backlund - Dube
Lucic - Lewis - Ritchie

(If Sutter wants to keep the Lindholm line intact then swap him with Kadri)

Your best players need to be your best players and you have to put them in a posistion to succeed.
Burying Huberdeau on the 3rd line with less than 14minutes a night isn't going to be a long term solution.
Build around him, call someone like Phillips up and put him on this RW and see what happens.
Sutters stubbornness to give grizzled vets increased ice time because they might be "defensively sound" clearly isn't working.

[flambers]

Flames are missing a right winger, and it shows....

Lines have very little chemistry,

Flames seem to have no idea what to do with Huberdeau...

Flames had lots of shots, however the scoring chances were minimal

[SebC]

Originally Posted by flambers

Flames are missing a right winger, and it shows....

Thus far into the season we're primarily missing a top line left-winger and two goalies. That's not where we expected to be, but it's where we are.

[madmike]

I’m beginning to believe this team just isn’t very good. Normally I wouldn’t care that much because you can always hope for better in the future. But with so many players locked into expensive, long-term deals, we’re going to have to live with this version of the Flames for a long time.

Hopefully they develop better chemistry and improve, but I’m not counting on it any more.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by SebC

Thus far into the season we're primarily missing a top line left-winger and two goalies. That's not where we expected to be, but it's where we are.

I think they are fine at the other areas, however a proper right winger would balance the lines... I am sure they are searching, however its clearly an issue.

They really need to find something that works, its 16 games into the season and the coaches can't find the correct mix

Flames will need to wait and hope their #1 goalie can pick up his game (i.e. weak goals at the wrong time have to be eliminated)

[memphusk]

Originally Posted by madmike

I’m beginning to believe this team just isn’t very good. Normally I wouldn’t care that much because you can always hope for better in the future. But with so many players locked into expensive, long-term deals, we’re going to have to live with this version of the Flames for a long time.

Hopefully they develop better chemistry and improve, but I’m not counting on it any more.

Yep. I'm a big Sutter fan also but whatever bull#### es putting together for lines can #### off right now also. What a mess this is.

[Mightyfire89]

This was the first game I’ve shut off in quite some time, after that awful third goal. Markstrom is…something isn’t right there. I don’t understand what Sutter is trying to accomplish with the way he’s got the lines currently set up. I agree with the idea that you go back to what worked pretty well for the first half dozen or so games and let them gel. A lot of players on the team definitely need to be better, but consistency in line deployment might help them get there.

The thing is, as bad as the team has looked, in this game, if a goal doesn’t get called back and two shots hit the back of the net instead of posts, we’re possibly talking about a different outcome.

The Flames have done a lot wrong but have also had HORRIBLE luck so far this season. I think the luck thing will normalize, at least a bit. The rest remains to be seen.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by Royle9

No this is definitely what the problem is.
If Eat Bread is your only finisher this season (and quite the one he's having) then your team is in trouble.

We need immediate top 6 shooting help, someone who is "greedy" with the puck and can hit the net consistently.

To say were not missing Tkachuk and Johnny's scoring prowess would be an understatement, those 2 had a knack for putting it in when it counted which is why that line was so deadly.

I still think you can rock a Huberdeau/Lindholm line but you need someone with speed who is consistent and not afraid to shoot. I had hoped it would be Eat Bread this year (and to be fair they havent tried it yet) but he's struggling to find his way this year, too many of our guys are in that funk.

The experiment of Lewis and Lucic playing top 6/9 minutes should be over... its not working.

Huberdeau - Lindholm - Mangiapane
Ruzicka - Kadri - Toffoli
Coleman - Backlund - Dube
Lucic - Lewis - Ritchie

(If Sutter wants to keep the Lindholm line intact then swap him with Kadri)

Your best players need to be your best players and you have to put them in a posistion to succeed.
Burying Huberdeau on the 3rd line with less than 14minutes a night isn't going to be a long term solution.
Build around him, call someone like Phillips up and put him on this RW and see what happens.
Sutters stubbornness to give grizzled vets increased ice time because they might be "defensively sound" clearly isn't working.

I agree with almost all of that, except the part of Eat Bread being the only finisher on the team. Lindy can obviously score a lot of goals, Huberdeau too, Toffoli can snipe once in a while. Dube and Coleman ca do more. Totally agree about the team needing another top 6 winger.

Kent Wilson had a tweet this morning and suggested these lines
Huberdeau-Kadri-Lindy
Eat Bread-Backlund-Coleman
Ruzicka-Dube-Toffoli
4th liners

I like the look of those. Much better than whatever Sutter is doing now. Playing Huberdeau with Lewis for an extended time is ridiculous.

[Yikes]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

I agree with almost all of that, except the part of Eat Bread being the only finisher on the team. Lindy can obviously score a lot of goals, Huberdeau too, Toffoli can snipe once in a while. Dube and Coleman ca do more. Totally agree about the team needing another top 6 winger.

Kent Wilson had a tweet this morning and suggested these lines
Huberdeau-Kadri-Lindy
Eat Bread-Backlund-Coleman
Ruzicka-Dube-Toffoli
4th liners

I like the look of those. Much better than whatever Sutter is doing now. Playing Huberdeau with Lewis for an extended time is ridiculous.

Even as an "experiment" it's ridiculous.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

I agree with almost all of that, except the part of Eat Bread being the only finisher on the team. Lindy can obviously score a lot of goals, Huberdeau too, Toffoli can snipe once in a while. Dube and Coleman ca do more. Totally agree about the team needing another top 6 winger.

Kent Wilson had a tweet this morning and suggested these lines
Huberdeau-Kadri-Lindy
Eat Bread-Backlund-Coleman
Ruzicka-Dube-Toffoli
4th liners

I like the look of those. Much better than whatever Sutter is doing now. Playing Huberdeau with Lewis for an extended time is ridiculous.

I like those lines, but I think Lindholm wants to stay being a C.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

I agree with almost all of that, except the part of Eat Bread being the only finisher on the team. Lindy can obviously score a lot of goals, Huberdeau too, Toffoli can snipe once in a while. Dube and Coleman ca do more. Totally agree about the team needing another top 6 winger.

Kent Wilson had a tweet this morning and suggested these lines
Huberdeau-Kadri-Lindy
Eat Bread-Backlund-Coleman
Ruzicka-Dube-Toffoli
4th liners

I like the look of those. Much better than whatever Sutter is doing now. Playing Huberdeau with Lewis for an extended time is ridiculous.

Lindholm is a C, and Kadri has not been using his linemates very well. Those lines from Wilson look awful and his takes usually are terrible and only based on models.

Huberdeau-Lindholm-Mangiapane
Dube-Kadri-Phillips
Ruzicka-Backlund-Toffoli
Coleman-Rooney-Lewis

[I_H8_Crawford]

I still think this team will figure their poop out and will do some damage in the playoffs this year.

[Teroy]

Originally Posted by SebC

Thus far into the season we're primarily missing a top line left-winger and two goalies. That's not where we expected to be, but it's where we are.

Not sure it's fair to include Vladar in the "two goalies". He hasn't been given a chance to be good. You can't expect him to be great when he only gets to play occasionally. He needs to play.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Teroy

Not sure it's fair to include Vladar in the "two goalies". He hasn't been given a chance to be good. You can't expect him to be great when he only gets to play occasionally. He needs to play.

The role of a backup though is to be ready when he's called upon and be good. He's been good in two of his starts but there's room for improvement.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Lindholm is a C, and Kadri has not been using his linemates very well. Those lines from Wilson look awful and his takes usually are terrible and only based on models.

Huberdeau-Lindholm-Mangiapane
Dube-Kadri-Phillips
Ruzicka-Backlund-Toffoli
Coleman-Rooney-Lewis

Lindy can play both C and W. Kadri definitely uses his wingers, look at the first 5 games and his chemistry with Dube and Mangiapane. Those lines do not look awful at all, especially compared to the mess we've seen the last 10 games.

His suggestions have:
Top 3 players on the top line.
88-11-20 has proven in the past to be an extremely effective line
His 3rd line still has the potential to be an effective line that can chip in offensively
The 4th line actually has the 4th liners on it.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

Lindy can play both C and W. Kadri definitely uses his wingers, look at the first 5 games and his chemistry with Dube and Mangiapane. Those lines do not look awful at all, especially compared to the mess we've seen the last 10 games.

His suggestions have:
Top 3 players on the top line.
88-11-20 has proven in the past to be an extremely effective line
His 3rd line still has the potential to be an effective line that can chip in offensively
The 4th line actually has the 4th liners on it.

Kadri was using his linemates, but he has not been lately Converting Lindholm to a winger will severely deplete the center depth the team has, and Dube is not a proven center.

Blake Coleman has also been terrible around the net and reckless this season moving him to the top 6 does not fix the team's offensive woes.

The lines right now are ugly, but the ones proposed by Wilson are just as bad.