[PGT] Flames defeat Oilers 6-3!

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

He never took 30-40 games off even when he wasn’t producing. Lots of things caused his mega slump, but a long term lack of effort wasn’t one of them.

People may not stop talking about his contract, but they should. It’s pretty irrelevant, being sunk money that can’t be changed. And especially now, he’s not stopping the team from doing anything they want to contract-wise.

Yeah you’ll never convince me that a $10.5M contract is going to be irrelevant to how the team manages airs situation going forward.

As for what caused his massive drop off, I don’t pretend to know. I agree that he gives every indication that he cares out there so I should have used a better term. I have been more concerned of his fitness or preparation or commitment to playing without the puck which is what I should have said.

Sorry to derail the thread. I am encouraged by how he is playing better but I still see him as one of the principal reasons the club is outside the playoffs.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Yeah you’ll never convince me that a $10.5M contract is going to be irrelevant to how the team manages airs situation going forward.

As for what caused his massive drop off, I don’t pretend to know. I agree that he gives every indication that he cares out there so I should have used a better term. I have been more concerned of his fitness or preparation or commitment to playing without the puck which is what I should have said.

Sorry to derail the thread. I am encouraged by how he is playing better but I still see him as one of the principal reasons the club is outside the playoffs.

You’re right, this was a complete derail. Huberdeau had an impact in this game.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

For all the hate Huberdeau gets. He cares. You never saw Johnny engaged like that vs the Oilers.

You never saw the Dweeb boo the Oilers dressing room when he walked by?

[All In Good Time]

Originally Posted by Inferno

Not according to Spector. He "put a lickin'" on Coleman.

Because it's not about how many punches connect. It's about how many you throw apparently.

The key variable in that post is “Spector”
That instantly transports everything to “Oilerland”, AKA “window slamming land”

[jonesy]

Originally Posted by Locke

Even if you're right, and for argument's sake lets say you are..thats 'now.'

Its not likely going to 'get better.'

So, like I said, problematic.

Maybe. But how does constant hand wringing help anyone?
(Not saying you specifically , but I think we all get it)
If he is doing well that’s still good, tiresome to not be able to celebrate his points

[dino7c]

Huberdeau is 2M or 3M overpaid

oh well, name me a team and I can name at least that much "bad money" No point in crying about it especially after a 2 points and some big hits in a WIN over the Oilers

[GioforPM]

I agree that is’s nice that the bigger names in the team show some jam against the Oilers. Not only Huberdeau but also Kadri, Coleman, Backlund, Weegar, Zary - all stepped up physically. Plus of course guys like Pospisil.

You didn’t usually see that out of Gaudreau or Monahan or Lindholm.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I have posted a few times about how I was a bit worried - maybe just apprehensive - about the lack of toughness on the Flames (and size as well). I mean, going from Lucic, Gudbranson, Ritchie and Zadorov down to Greer, Pachal and Gilbert is a huge shift. I have posted about how Nurse and Kane are suddenly noticeable out there against the Flames the last couple of games now that Lucic is gone.


I liked the response. Just hit them, but don't engage them. Know what it reminded me of? In Sutter's last season as GM, he got rid of McGrattan (I am assuming because of the off-ice stuff that he was about to conquer), and signed Ivanans instead. Ivanans got KO'd in the first game of the season against Edmonton when he fought MacIntyre. Next game the Flames didn't really have an answer for him - MacIntyre would run guys left and right, and was a hugely intimidating presence.


How did the Flames handle it after that? Instead of avoiding MacIntyre, they looked to hit him at every opportunity. Every time MacIntyre got the puck, he was run hard. I remember Sarich looked like a fricken missile coming down and catching him hard - probably should have been a charging penalty on that. MacIntyre was angry, and kept trying to grab guys and fight. Flames would just skate away, and if they coudln't, everyone would grab MacIntyre so he couldn't fight, and the refs kept giving MacIntyre penalties and the Flames PPs. I think Macintyre didn't dress for the next game.


The whole Kassian and Tkachuk thing threw me for a loop, however. I still think that was the absolute worst officiated game I have seen between the two teams. There is no way that Tkachuk should have been horse-collared and beat up like that. Refs should have stepped-in. Tkachuk was using that same exact game plan that the Flames used in 2010 against MacIntyre - making the tough guy a huge liability by getting him to take bad penalties. I mean, it did work that night against Kassian as the Flames won that game, but it cost Tkachuk a beating, and he was lucky he didn't get seriously injured getting horse-colllared like that. Refs were atrocious in allowing that to go on the way it did.


Last night, McDavid himself opened himself up to being used as the game-plan when he went out and tried to 'physically engage' the Flames. Flames made him a target. It was a BS call on Coleman giving him an embellishment penalty - should have been a PP for the Flames.



Kane and Nurse can pound anyone on the Flames right now. That's where the "what is anyone gonna do about it" hot mic moment came from at the Heritage Classic. I saw a team that seemed fairly demoralized on the ice from the drop of the puck. 2nd game was less so. Last night's game? I saw a team that decided to take the "hit MacIntyre" game plan to a whole new level. Coleman didn't have to fight - and he probably shouldn't have - but he held his own against a much bigger opponent who looks like he probably had a worse day today than Coleman did.



I loved the courage that the Flames showed last night just as much as I loved the courage that they showed against MacIntyre years ago, which I think was the first step in having him banished from the NHL as perhaps the last true goon (McGrattan and others could at least skate and make plays, which is why years later Bob Hartley chose to start the line of McGrattan, Jones and Westgarth, rewarding them for their solid play the previous game while using that as the whip for the other three lines that sucked in that previous game).



It was just nice to see the Flames just being the more physical team out there in spite of being the smaller team and without the benefit of having the toughest guys on the ice. That's a game I will remember for a while. Never backed down. Completely neutered Nurse and Kane in that not only were they kept from making any positive impact for their own team, they ended up being negatives on the ice most shifts.



The next game between the two teams will be Apr 6. That might be a meaningless game for the Oilers by then as they might be well out of a playoff spot by then, and the Flames may look very different by then. Still look forward to seeing that game. Flames showed a heck of a lot of swagger last night, and this type of swagger is what I saw throughout the 2021-22 season, as well as the 2015 season. This time, however, they are doing it without any scary tough players.

[Barnet Flame]

If Coleman (or any Flame for that matter) had laid that hit on McDavid during the last playoff series against the Oilers, the way that series was officiated, I’m fairly sure Coleman would’ve ended up in the box.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Barnet Flame

If Coleman (or any Flame for that matter) had laid that hit on McDavid during the last playoff series against the Oilers, the way that series was officiated, I’m fairly sure Coleman would’ve ended up in the box.

I’m fairly sure the Flames would have won that series had they hit McDavid like that, he looses his mojo when he gets rough treatment.

[Tsawwassen]

Post game links
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/games/2566822/
https://www.espn.com/nhl/recap/_/gameId/401560139
https://www.espn.com/nhl/game/_/game.../flames-oilers
https://www.foxsports.com/nhl/calgar...boxscore-40922
https://fieldlevelmedia.com/news/fla...t-away-oilers/

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

I’m fairly sure the Flames would have won that series had they hit McDavid like that, he looses his mojo when he gets rough treatment.

The reffing was really, really bad in that series - especially for the second round of the playoffs. For perspective… Lucic got the extra penalty in this sequence and the announcers tried to call this a late hit on McDavid:

https://youtu.be/6InAjQ0bkcw?si=ZhlEKtAyUofEd7r0

[Enoch Root]

Calling it a late hit, when McDavid is in the act of reaching for the puck when the hit occurs, is... one way to go

[Barnet Flame]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

I’m fairly sure the Flames would have won that series had they hit McDavid like that, he looses his mojo when he gets rough treatment.

I agree - you only have to look at the (lack of) contribution from McDavid subsequent to the hit.

However, with the refereeing in that series, I reckon the equivalent hit then would have resulted in Coleman sitting for at least two.

[Macindoc]

Originally Posted by barnet flame

i agree - you only have to look at the (lack of) contribution from mcdavid subsequent to the hit.

However, with the refereeing in that series, i reckon the equivalent hit then would have resulted in coleman sitting for at least two (games).

fyp

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Huberdeau is 2M or 3M overpaid

oh well, name me a team and I can name at least that much "bad money" No point in crying about it especially after a 2 points and some big hits in a WIN over the Oilers

The fact that it’s even a conversation in a PGT on a win against the Oilers, a team paying Nurse 9.2M and paying an AHL goalie 5M, is absurd.

[Barnet Flame]

Originally Posted by Macindoc

fyp

Thanks, I don’t know what I was thinking there.

I must need more coffee.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

The fact that it’s even a conversation in a PGT on a win against the Oilers, a team paying Nurse 9.2M and paying an AHL goalie 5M, is absurd.

Where the player in question picked up a couple points including a very nice set up on the eventual winning goal.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

I'm going to have a Nic Cage in the wind moment when they lose their first golden twin and don't asset manage.

They've been touted contenders for 8 years, longer if you go back to "not if but when and how many" comments and have nothing to show for all the hype.

They haven't gotten better, but the hype is inexplicable stronger... its delirium at this point to continue to push that envelope and I look forward to that clown circus being put to bed.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Where the player in question picked up a couple points including a very nice set up on the eventual winning goal.

No one is questioning if he has had a good game*, we are questioning if he can string together a full season. I know folks are tired of the conversation, but it is the first year of a 10.5million dollar cap hit contract that will last another 7 years, and the player in question is on pace for 52 points.

That is alarming front page news for any team.

At this rate, it will be considered a success if he can somehow reach 60 or 70 points in a season ( in that case he will only be 2-3M over paid).

E=NG