[PGT] Flames defeat Sharks 3-2!

[Barnet Flame]

Well, it’s a win against a team we should be beating. Had we done more of that in the games prior to the break, we could’ve absorbed losses in the upcoming road trip, and remained in or on the cusp of a play-off spot.

[FireGilbert]

Big win and nice to be one back of the playoffs with a game in hand only two days after the break. Lucky scheduling to play the Sharks or the Flames could have joined the group of unprepared teams getting destroyed after the break.

Surprised Wolf didn’t get a star. Maybe it’s because he made all those odd man rush saves look easy.

Cool stat that Toffoli is the 10th player to have 20 goal seasons on 5 different teams. The guy just scores goals. Even on his short Vancouver and Winnipeg stops he averaged well over a 20 goal pace.

[Groot]

Originally Posted by bigrangy

Good OOT

Good Wolf

Rest of the team was kind of there, happy to have Zary back but knowing the team he’s probably been rushed back, didn’t look like his legs has the usual pop

That's a pretty staunch accusation about how the team handles the health of its players. Any basis for such a statement?

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by Groot

That's a pretty staunch accusation about how the team handles the health of its players. Any basis for such a statement?

We haven’t had a ton of serious injuries in the last few seasons. So not sure where that would come from.

Monohan maybe. But that sounded more like it was his own doing.

[Bingo]

Think of the internal strife that comes with wanting to believe the team you cheer for is a selfish, evil enterprise!

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by bigrangy

Good OOT

Good Wolf

Rest of the team was kind of there, happy to have Zary back but knowing the team he’s probably been rushed back, didn’t look like his legs has the usual pop

Probably farthest from the truth. the media speculation is that he probably could have played that Seattle game before the 4 nations, but the team wanted to give him a couple more weeks. That doesn't sound like rushing a player back to me.

[Rejean31]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

We had "Big Save Dave".

Is it too early to dub him "Big Goal Joel"?

I really liked the whole first line tonight. They were regularly pushing the play in the o-zone and could have had more points.

Despite the goal, the 4th line was both good and terrible at times tonight. All I ask for that line is consistency. Need to find it. Pospisil was a good influence on that group. That goal doesn't happen without him making plays for his linemates.

Andersson was dog#### tonight. I rarely say that, but he looked worse than Barrie was of late. Just totally out to lunch. He's been trending that way for quite some time now. I hope he figures it out, either as a long-term piece here or as a trade bait. He's too good to play like that.

Also, FYI, I will of course be at the upcoming Flames/Panthers game with my son. The question is...do I go in Flames colors or Panthers colors? The choices are a either a Monahan or Iginla jersey, or a Bjugstad or Barkov jersey. Poll to be posted soon.

Has to be the Flames Monahan jersey.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Think of the internal strife that comes with wanting to believe the team you cheer for is a selfish, evil enterprise!

A lot of people here work for objectively selfish, evil enterprises, so I am not sure why this would be so much different. Might be comfortable.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

If you consider 30% expected goals when he was on the ice decent, then sure.

Expected goals, like plus/minus and many others, is a team stat. It is a function of all the players he is on the ice with, along with who they are matched up against. It tells us absolutely nothing with respect to how well a player plays.

And then there is the tiny sample size of a single game. One or two plays that either work out or don't end up with a scoring chance, will dictate what this number is (good or bad) for the game.

[FBI]

Eye test showed him looking solid.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Groot

That's a pretty staunch accusation about how the team handles the health of its players. Any basis for such a statement?

Must be mixing up our medical staff with the Oilers.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

A lot of people here work for objectively selfish, evil enterprises, so I am not sure why this would be so much different. Might be comfortable.

Not quitting a job because you need the pay cheque isn't the same as choosing to cheer for a sports entity that you seem to detest.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Expected goals, like plus/minus and many others, is a team stat. It is a function of all the players he is on the ice with, along with who they are matched up against. It tells us absolutely nothing with respect to how well a player plays.

And then there is the tiny sample size of a single game. One or two plays that either work out or don't end up with a scoring chance, will dictate what this number is (good or bad) for the game.

Certainly need more sample size to derive who the culprit is, but early returns might suggest Andersson / Soloyvov as a pair isn't a match.

Or it could mean he's not a guy you want in the top four.

But 26% and 28% isn't a good start regardless of sample size.

[UKflames]

Well that was a slog to get two points, the flames made harder work of that win than they should have. Just felt like a lazy performance all round (except Wolf of course). It felt like the 4th line was our best line at times, which isn't a good look.

That Frost, Farabee, Sharangovich line is going to need some time but could be really good.

Liked zary's game after coming back from injury.

Right of to the road trip from hell we go. It's make or break time.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Thank you as always for the around the league report!

I visited the Oilers forum and they are in absolute meltdown mode. Lots of fans saying their window is over, and the team will never win a cup. I hope they keep it up!

It's nice they have finally accepted reality.

[stemit14]

Celebrini really does look like a superstar already. The flames did not have good odds last year to win the draft lottery but just think how good the future would look if they won it and had him in the system. Love having Parekh and who knows what kind of player either them will be in 5 years… but I don’t think many of us would care about bottoming out any more if they got a center like Celebrini in last year’s draft. Wish Calgary would at least once in these rebuilding/re-tooling years get some lottery luck - especially if Vegas falls flat next year and their pick ends up in the draft lottery.

[Macindoc]

Originally Posted by stemit14

Celebrini really does look like a superstar already. The flames did not have good odds last year to win the draft lottery but just think how good the future would look if they won it and had him in the system. Love having Parekh and who knows what kind of player either them will be in 5 years… but I don’t think many of us would care about bottoming out any more if they got a center like Celebrini in last year’s draft. Wish Calgary would at least once in these rebuilding/re-tooling years get some lottery luck - especially if Vegas falls flat next year and their pick ends up in the draft lottery.

Lottery luck is not in the Flames' DNA. I think the best they have ever done in the lottery is to maintain their spot in the draft, and they have dropped a spot almost as often.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Certainly need more sample size to derive who the culprit is, but early returns might suggest Andersson / Soloyvov as a pair isn't a match.

Or it could mean he's not a guy you want in the top four.

But 26% and 28% isn't a good start regardless of sample size.

Or, like I said, that stat isn't telling us anything useful. I thought he has been fine.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Or, like I said, that stat isn't telling us anything useful. I thought he has been fine.

Hockey teams can't ignore small sample sizes. You can't walk out a failed defense pairing for a dozen games in a playoff chase.

Right now that pairing is getting worked five on five. They have horrific event counts against.

I thought maybe they were just pinned on the ice with a struggling fourth line but Solovyov's minutes by forward on the ice show the Kadri and Backlund line as 1 and 2 in his shares, and only 5 minutes total with Rooney.

I like the kid, but I think he'll do better taking Bean's spot for a go with Bahl comes back.

He may need some sheltering.

[drewtastic]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Hockey teams can't ignore small sample sizes. You can't walk out a failed defense pairing for a dozen games in a playoff chase.

Right now that pairing is getting worked five on five. They have horrific event counts against.

I thought maybe they were just pinned on the ice with a struggling fourth line but Solovyov's minutes by forward on the ice show the Kadri and Backlund line as 1 and 2 in his shares, and only 5 minutes total with Rooney.

I like the kid, but I think he'll do better taking Bean's spot for a go with Bahl comes back.

He may need some sheltering.

Agreed.

I've been hopeful that Kuznetsov might have a bit more of an upside because I'm not sure Solovyov does...similar to Klapka in that I think these two might be career tweeners...which is a great way to carve out a living, just not to stick in the show.