[PGT] Oilers claim 10% of their wins this season tonight vs. a very bad Flames team, 5-2

[Armchair Quarterback]

This board is so full of doom and gloom it is embarrassing. Makes CP look like premiere hangout for bandwagon fans. I will keep watching this team and cheering for them even if they lose their next 20 games in a row. I for one am happy that hockey is back and I believe that these guys are going to turn it around.

The truth is always somewhere in the middle. We are not as bad or as good as we think. IMO teams are playing Calgary much harder because they respect them this year; last season with no expectations we caught everyone by surprise. And sure we're off to a bad start, but there have been some flashes of hope and demonstrably good play in every game so far, with the exception of last night.

On a sort of unrelated note, anyone else think that Jones looks like Chris Griffin?

[flambers]

Lack of effort, has started right from training camp and still exists... Team seems to be missing the spark... No clue why...

In my view the GM needs to get rid of one of the goalies, then call up another player.

Start to sit players in the press box....

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

I'd actually like to see a Kulak-Hamilton top pair (or 2nd maybe is more realistic).

Sorry, but that is moronic.

Kulak has played well within the parameters of what has been asked of him so far.

And Hamilton hasn't been as bad as some people are making it out to be.

But of the 6 defensemen, those two would be 5th and 6th right now, as far as ability to play top pairing defensive minutes goes.

[taxbuster]

I can't help but wonder if Coach Bob has taken the approach of allowing the boys a lot of rope to hang themselves with. Why? Let 'em play run and gun, sloppy, fancy hockey for a bit and then see how that works. (Answer: not well so far). Then go back at them an instill discipline and get back to that high-pressure Flames hockey we got to love last year.

To be fair, we've got a few problems to solve first: Hamilton needs to get up to speed or to sit and watch in order to understand what he needs to do; Gio needs time to get back to his former self; MHG line needs to get back to skating hard, short passes and lose the fancy crap. Once they do that the other lines will follow suit.

[Enoch Root]

The defense has been struggling, no question. And with only 6 healthy bodies, it's difficult to change things up too much.

I think calling up Nakladal (because he has played well in Stockton) or Wotherspoon (because he can actually play defense), just to stir things up, might be a good idea

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Sorry, but that is moronic.

Kulak has played well within the parameters of what has been asked of him so far.

And Hamilton hasn't been as bad as some people are making it out to be.

But of the 6 defensemen, those two would be 5th and 6th right now, as far as ability to play top pairing defensive minutes goes.

Yeah, maybe. But you have stir things up. Sometimes trying something crazy like that, even if its just for a period, sends a message.

Kind of like putting all D on a PP. LOL

Yeah, Nakladal has played great and deserves a call up. I'd leave Kulak in though.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

Yeah, maybe. But you have stir things up. Sometimes trying something crazy like that, even if its just for a period, sends a message.

Kind of like putting all D on a PP. LOL

Yeah, Nakladal has played great and deserves a call up. I'd leave Kulak in though.

They could definitely use a shake-up of some kind.

And like someone said in the goalie thread - they could really use a goalie stealing them a game right now. That is often how teams escape a funk.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by Armchair Quarterback

This board is so full of doom and gloom it is embarrassing. Makes CP look like premiere hangout for bandwagon fans. I will keep watching this team and cheering for them even if they lose their next 20 games in a row. I for one am happy that hockey is back and I believe that these guys are going to turn it around.

The truth is always somewhere in the middle. We are not as bad or as good as we think. IMO teams are playing Calgary much harder because they respect them this year; last season with no expectations we caught everyone by surprise. And sure we're off to a bad start, but there have been some flashes of hope and demonstrably good play in every game so far, with the exception of last night.

On a sort of unrelated note, anyone else think that Jones looks like Chris Griffin?

I'm far from doom and gloom yet but I'm far from confident as well. The team just hasn't played well and drastically needs to turn that around. I think they can but the only consistancy they have shown so far is poor play and that isn't exacty promising. Hopefully all it takes is a couple wins to turn this thing around and having them playing like they can. Obviously we know how they can play but the fact that they've shown very little of that so far is a bit concerning.



I don't quite see it.

[Samonadreau]

Only untouchables for sitting a game at this point:

Immunity goes to:
1. Gaudreau
2. Giordano (unless he needs some rest)
3. Frickin Jones.... really? I know but only cause he just got 100% of our scoring in a game and leads the team in goals right now and you cant sit a guy for doing that. Normally he could sit.
4. Frolik. Hes been the most consistent player outsidebof Gaudreau.
Borderline: Mony and Huds. This line is probably just guilty of trying to carry the team on their backs and are trying to do too much.

Outside of that start sitting a few guys a game to spark something.

[skudr248]

this team is shieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttttttttttttttttttttt tttttttttttt

[Gaskal]

This is seriously making me wish we had all our young Black Aces up with the team right now so we can sit some that are struggling. Stupid roster limit.

[old-fart]

Coiler best players were far, far, far better than the Flames best players.

This team right now doesn't appear to want to put in the work and the focus. Horrible passing, stupid plays, bad defense, bad goaltending.... faults are everywhere on every front.

Having said that, Flames need to pull their collective heads out of their collective asses, and soon, or we might as well "pull an Edmonton" and tank for a top pick. Right now this team looks like a joke.

[saillias]

Time for a shakeup.

Put Ortio in net.

Trade a bottom 6 player.

Call up an Arnold or Shore.

Scratch a veteran.

One of these. Plodding forward with the same group and swapping Hiller for Ramo every game is not working.

Hartley needs to look in the mirror as well. There are other ways to break out than a hail mary stretch pass.

[Coach]

Haven't been a fan of Hamilton much so far. He hasn't used his speed at all, either for offense or defending.

I think it's becoming apparent how important Brodie is to this team, and to Gio. They should be reunited as soon as he returns.

[Samonadreau]

Really good article that pretty much sums it up:

http://flamesnation.ca/2015/10/18/sh...-five-games-in

Interesting read anyways.

[BlackWallStreet]

I stopped watching the game after 3-1

[Heavy Jack]

I dunno, its crazy what losing can do to fans, even if its a small sample size. This board did it when we botched 8 in a row last December and they are doing it again with 4 of the first 5 being L's out of the gate. I know what I saw the last three years since Bob took over head coach and I can't let a loss to a team who has beat us a couple of times in the last 25 meetings cloud what I know is a good team. Its been a tough start, lots of injuries, confusion with goalies ect. This team still has a lot to show, I'm patient enough to give them time.

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

I dunno, its crazy what losing can do to fans, even if its a small sample size. This board did it when we botched 8 in a row last December and they are doing it again with 4 of the first 5 being L's out of the gate. I know what I saw the last three years since Bob took over head coach and I can't let a loss to a team who has beat us a couple of times in the last 25 meetings cloud what I know is a good team. Its been a tough start, lots of injuries, confusion with goalies ect. This team still has a lot to show, I'm patient enough to give them time.

Optimism is good and hopefully contagious

[FlamesAddiction]

Obviously I am really disappointed with the game, but I just need to keep reminding myself that we are still mid-rebuild. Last season was great, but my expectations are still tempered.

Never good to lose to the Oilers, and especially not good that they dominated practically the entire game.

[Heavy Jack]

Back to the game, I thought Jooris showed some good speed last night but it was wasted because he was playing with two guys - Bollig/Raymond - who kind of just floated around the whole night. Jooris had an insane preseason last year in large part due to his success playing with Gaudreau, I hope they throw him on the right side of the Gaudreau/Monahan line, he has the size and speed to help win the board battles Gaudreau and Monahan can create and enough hockey sense to go to the front after winning battles.

If Bennett is good to go against the Caps I hope the lines go like:

Gaudreau-Monahan-Jooris
Ferland - Bennett/Granlund - Frolik
Granlund/Bennett - Backlund - Hudler
Bollig - Stajan - Jones

Our PP needs to get lethal, its been the difference in a bunch of games so far where we failed to score on multiple PP's early. We are doing the good work of drawing the penalties we just have to take advantage of them, hopefully they don't throw Raymond on the powerplay anymore... Or even in a game.