[PGT] still alive but barely

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Inferno

You can blame him on the McDavid goal in the first one that tied the game but the second game was won on a unnecessary penalty by Mangiapane.

I think most people on here would have took how he played in those games over how he played in others where he did have a bad game. The only reason they stick out is because they're losses to the Oilers.

I just remembered that one when he went diving out to the blue line against Montreal.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by Inglewood Jack

I still think this is something about Sutter's system this year getting hacked by opposition and broken, but maybe people don't talk about that more because it's not easy to track exactly how it's being done.

In one respect it's actually rather simple: shot location.

Per an earlier post I made...when a good shot is made from the blue line at something close to 100 mph it traverses the 64' in something like half a second. Most are probably somewhat slower than that...so let's say .75 sec.

That is more than ample time for an NHL goalie to set, move, position, track and stop a puck from a clear shot. Even a blazing shot at 100 mph gives him just under a half second to set. That's pretty doable by today's goalies.

All those long shots get soaked up most of the time, or deflected...and that slows the puck too...more time.

The more shots taken from there, the less likely a goal will be scored.

There was, on the Fan960 on some holiday a discussion about how boxes and movement were formed by COL in the last playoff and how subbing one guy in and out on the PP, or even 5-on-5 allowed them to shoot from closer in, creating less time for goalies and D-men to adjust. Flames don't really do that. It's always back to Raz to play pitch and catch with Lindy. Not a recipe for PP success or even strength opportunities.

Are there other issues? Sure...lack of physical play too often, bad starts, crappy 'tending...this list is long this year.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

On paper and in theory this team was actually built perfectly to grind out a couple long series playing sandpaper 5 on 5 hockey.

You cant really account for chemistry beforehand though. Hard to predict. But even then if they got .910 goaltending as one would expect this team would probably go pretty far.

The fact that they've dealt with bottom 5-10 goaltending and are still hanging around in the dying days actually speaks to how well the team was constructed to battle in the western conference, despite everything going against them - luck, posts, calls, confidence, locker room shenanigans, etc...

I wouldn't be so quick to undersell every piece here and call it a disaster.

Half of those 16 OTLs go the other way and were having very different conversations today.

16 OTLs, posts, calls, confidence etc are symptoms of the personel, not random luck.
Those things have happened because the players aren't good enough.

I agree they are better than bad, and goaltending is the biggest issue but it's not a team that's anywhere near being a contender.
Management now needs to look at massive contracts to players who aren't going to make them a contender and figure out what to do.
Not a good spot to be in. Maybe not a disaster, but if the goal is to compete for a championship, it's close.

[Meers]

Sure, Demko is a talented goaltender. But, the defence in front of him was not NHL-quality. Two of Vancouver's defenders were taking classes and playing in the NCAA just a couple of weeks ago. Ultimately, if the Flames miss the playoffs, it will be because of their inability to solve an AHL defence.

[skcli]

Originally Posted by Meers

Sure, Demko is a talented goaltender. But, the defence in front of him was not NHL-quality. Two of Vancouver's defenders were taking classes and playing in the NCAA just a couple of weeks ago. Ultimately, if the Flames miss the playoffs, it will be because of their inability to solve an AHL defence.

Unfortunately some of these AHL calibre players outshine our big guns and so called veterans. We have a bad team, and management refuses to accept that and is not making any adjustments.

The team deserves in where they are at today. The fans are more frustrated than the players.

Enjoy the rest of the holidays.

[Burning Beard]

Originally Posted by Meers

Sure, Demko is a talented goaltender. But, the defence in front of him was not NHL-quality. Two of Vancouver's defenders were taking classes and playing in the NCAA just a couple of weeks ago. Ultimately, if the Flames miss the playoffs, it will be because of their inability to solve an AHL defence.

Demko stood on his head and made a couple highlight real saves.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

In one respect it's actually rather simple: shot location.

Per an earlier post I made...when a good shot is made from the blue line at something close to 100 mph it traverses the 64' in something like half a second. Most are probably somewhat slower than that...so let's say .75 sec.

That is more than ample time for an NHL goalie to set, move, position, track and stop a puck from a clear shot. Even a blazing shot at 100 mph gives him just under a half second to set. That's pretty doable by today's goalies.

All those long shots get soaked up most of the time, or deflected...and that slows the puck too...more time.

The more shots taken from there, the less likely a goal will be scored.

There was, on the Fan960 on some holiday a discussion about how boxes and movement were formed by COL in the last playoff and how subbing one guy in and out on the PP, or even 5-on-5 allowed them to shoot from closer in, creating less time for goalies and D-men to adjust. Flames don't really do that. It's always back to Raz to play pitch and catch with Lindy. Not a recipe for PP success or even strength opportunities.

Are there other issues? Sure...lack of physical play too often, bad starts, crappy 'tending...this list is long this year.

I honestly couldn’t stand the PP this year

Last year, it was deadly. Gaudreau could hang on to the puck and find lanes. Tkachuk was net front, good at screening and very good at tipping. But then he could step to the side, take a quick pass and make another quick one to Lindholm in the slot. (No coincidence - Lindholm has something like 21 goals this year to last year’s 42. )

I don’t know why Tkachuk took that knowhow with him to Florida, and nobody here seems to have figured out that it works, and practices it. They should take a long hard look at the coaching.

[Mr.Coffee]

PP didn’t have a good qb. Andersson is not a good PP QB. Way too reluctant to shoot. To an absurd level.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

PP didn’t have a good qb. Andersson is not a good PP QB. Way too reluctant to shoot. To an absurd level.

The powerplay doesn’t open shooting lanes, therefore it’s hard to get clean looks.

Andersson isn’t back there seeing a somewhat clear lane - when he gets the puck, he’s looking at a squared-up defender like 5-8 feet from him.

The biggest reason why our PP is trash is strategy. Simple as that. Just look at the fact that Ritchie is featured on PP “2” and that Huberdeau was used as a side post/net front presence for a long stretch.

Lots of things failed this season, and coaching is 100% among those things.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

I honestly couldn’t stand the PP this year

Last year, it was deadly. Gaudreau could hang on to the puck and find lanes. Tkachuk was net front, good at screening and very good at tipping. But then he could step to the side, take a quick pass and make another quick one to Lindholm in the slot. (No coincidence - Lindholm has something like 21 goals this year to last year’s 42. )

I don’t know why Tkachuk took that knowhow with him to Florida, and nobody here seems to have figured out that it works, and practices it. They should take a long hard look at the coaching.

Those are 2 elite talent. You can’t coach someone to be a Tkachuk or Gaudreau.

They just can’t do it.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

I don’t know why Tkachuk took that knowhow with him to Florida, and nobody here seems to have figured out that it works, and practices it. They should take a long hard look at the coaching.

That's why Florida paid the price for him. Within 5 feet of the net there's no one in the NHL who is as good as Tkachuck is. Flames don't have anyone else who can do what he could in tight. Fast thinker with quick hands and the nerve to go to the net.

[Ped]

It's really hard to point to the Flames improved record lately with any sort of confidence. They got Anaheim twice,Vancouver twice, Chicago and San Jose, all games they should have won handily.

Instead, they need late game comebacks to beat Vancouver and Anaheim in games they never should have been trailing, lose to Chicago, and lose to Vancouver in a shootout. If the Jets hadn't collapsed for a bit, they would have been out of it already.

[Burning Beard]

Originally Posted by Ped

It's really hard to point to the Flames improved record lately with any sort of confidence. They got Anaheim twice,Vancouver twice, Chicago and San Jose, all games they should have won handily.

Instead, they need late game comebacks to beat Vancouver and Anaheim in games they never should have been trailing, lose to Chicago, and lose to Vancouver in a shootout. If the Jets hadn't collapsed for a bit, they would have been out of it already.

Except those were rhe games they were losing before. They didn't have a problem playing the better teams. They s### the bed against teams like the ones you mentioned.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

A lot of things could have changed the trajectory of the season.

A few more saves. A few more goals instead of posts. A few more OT wins. A few better lineup decisions. A few less terrible giveaways. We’ve had it all and more.

Just wait, next year the team will start getting those things and we’ll end up comfortably in the division top 3 and this debacle of a season will be long forgotten. It’s the Calgary way.

Right. But a .900 save percentage results in 25 less goals. A .910 save percentage, which is league average is 50 less goals. That's got to be worth at least 10 more points, especially when you lose 26 games by 1 goal.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Right. But a .900 save percentage results in 25 less goals. A .910 save percentage, which is league average is 50 less goals. That's got to be worth at least 10 more points, especially when you lose 26 games by 1 goal.

League average is .904 now, the worst since 2005-06. And teams are shooting more, so league average GAA is 2.97, the worst since 1995-96.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by butterfly

I just remembered that one when he went diving out to the blue line against Montreal.

That was kind of an unfortunate bounce. He was forced to chase out there because of a bad team play, and he actually won the race with the Hab who was chasing it down. But the puck took a weird bounce, not only away from him, but right to one of their guys and not a Flame.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

The powerplay doesn’t open shooting lanes, therefore it’s hard to get clean looks.

Andersson isn’t back there seeing a somewhat clear lane - when he gets the puck, he’s looking at a squared-up defender like 5-8 feet from him.

The biggest reason why our PP is trash is strategy. Simple as that. Just look at the fact that Ritchie is featured on PP and that Huberdeau was used as a side post/net front presence for a long stretch.

That’s of things failed this season, and coaching is 100% among those things.

Yeah, on good power plays there is so much room in the middle because teams force the defenders to move around. The Flames cut the ice in half a lot. Andersson isn’t reluctant to shoot - he used to do it a lot more. He’s reluctant to shoot into shin pads because he knows that’s a bad idea.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by butterfly

League average is .904 now, the worst since 2005-06. And teams are shooting more, so league average GAA is 2.97, the worst since 1995-96.

Sure. League average goaltending results in 37 less goals putting them in 9th in the league, second in the division and 4th in conference for goal differential.

This season has been an utter disappointment but with average goaltending this is a good team, even though their two stars have been extremely underwhelming.

No need to overreact in the offseason. The team is pretty close.

[Ashasx]

The team was pretty close to making the playoffs.

They are nowhere close to competing for a Cup.

And they'll now be one year older with albatross contracts kicking in.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

The team was pretty close to making the playoffs.

They are nowhere close to competing for a Cup.

And they'll now be one year older with albatross contracts kicking in.

This is the Calgary Flames way. Gotta stay in the middle and hope for another 04 run to fall in our laps