[PGT] Flames lose another season opener

[AC]

I choose to believe they're giving Brouwer a last chance to prove he's worth playing, given Jagr and Janko are both ready and waiting. Treliving said Janko is NHL ready today, and that it's just a matter of making room for him.

Hathaway played like he didn't want to lose his spot, yet he probably will due to the circumstances. I just want a ####ing pissed off team on Saturday that looks like they HATE to not only lose, but give up the puck. Enough of this boring, uninspired hockey.

[Chonger]

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

Glass, Hamonic, Smith. All newbies to this team seem the most prepared to start the season. Don't think that's a good thing

This needs to be seen and read again

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Our centre situation is quickly becoming the death of us. "He's a centre, he will be groomed that way and we won't deviate".

Okay great, but you're also saying we're going for it now, while Bennett and Jankowski aren't able to serve us because you won't let them see the light of a top six role while bringing them along properly.

Meanwhile other teams make the decision to move centres to wing all the time. Trust me, I get the reasoning, but you have to have the flexibility when you have a possible four top six centres just kind of sitting there at the same time as you scratch your head trying to fill top six wing positions.

It's utterly frustrating to watch.

Can't help but agree. We have a lot of skill in the C position yet Bennett in a 3rd line role and Jankowski can't even crack the line up.

Get our highest skill players playing together, playing valuable minutes. This isn't an ea nhl game.

[mikeecho]

Originally Posted by united

And like two of those minutes were because of Gulutzan's bizarre obsession with constantly rolling out whatever line Brouwer is on to start road periods. Did it all last year, too - the other coach immediately matches with their best line.
Did it to start two periods tonight and both resulted in icings followed by McDavid's line battering them.

^^^this

[Racki]

My new lineup if I'm Gulutzan.

Johnny - Monny - Bennett
3M line
Versteeg - Janko - Jagr
Ferland - Lazar - Brouwer

Waaaaaaay better than what we saw tonight. Ferland and Brouwer don't have to focus on offense, they can just hit people and out pucks to the net.

[bubbsy]

Honest question, what is the harm in flat out scratching Brouwer?

[KootenayFlamesFan]

I can't really be too upset when I expected this.

Slow start by everyone for the most part. Same thing for years and years now. Getting used to it.

Smith was great.

Pulling him at the end down by 2 goals when the team has done nothing all game and put Brouwer out there? lol, wow, even I could coach better than that.

Onto the next one, can't get much worse anyways.

[Bawbag]

Originally Posted by Racki

My new lineup if I'm Gulutzan.

Johnny - Monny - Bennett
3M line
Versteeg - Janko - Jagr
Ferland - Lazar - Brouwer

Waaaaaaay better than what we saw tonight. Ferland and Brouwer don't have to focus on offense, they can just hit people and out pucks to the net.

Get Brouwer to f. He couldn't hit water if he fell out a boat. Absolutely useless.

[Backlunds_socks]

Scratch gg and maybe things get better.

[scotty2hotty]

Originally Posted by Racki

My new lineup if I'm Gulutzan.

Johnny - Monny - Bennett
3M line
Versteeg - Janko - Jagr
Ferland - Lazar - Brouwer

Waaaaaaay better than what we saw tonight. Ferland and Brouwer don't have to focus on offense, they can just hit people and out pucks to the net.

He's too stubborn. He'll continue to roll out the same lines until game 10 when the players finally buy into 'the system'.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Anything is possible and I wouldn't be shocked if they got swept again. The defense really seems to have issues with McDavid and Gaudreau has been pretty well shut down by their defense group for six games now. Over the past few seasons now they have not looked very confident playing the Oilers. It's almost like they are intimidated.

I think you pretty much said it all right here, I think part of it is we don't approach the games the right way. Hartley used to get really pissed if we played a poor game against the oilers. I think he understood the psychological aspect of beating the oilers and the importance of winning the season series. I also think with Hartley's approach we got in the oilers heads but with GG the standard just isn't there. It is as if we are accepting defeat, our top players just don't seem to want to rise up and take it back. One only has to look at the Crosby, Ovechkin match up to see how Crosby gets in their heads by winning every battle. GG needs to ramp up the significance of the battle of Alberta if he wants the team to rise up to the occasion.

[locsofblu]

Knew we werent going to win this game my only regret is not betting every penny I have on the Oilers. Bennett looked solid though but ffs get Brower off of his line please.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by ---Hatrick---

You actually think that Gulutzan shouldn't have pulled the goalie and they shouldn't have atleast made a last ditch attempt to score a couple late goals?
I know the team played like s*** but what kind of message would that have sent to the team?

Message? Look who Glue had on the ice when trying to get a goal. He sent a message alright, that's he's lost in space.

[saXon]

What the hell was with the 9 x breakout hail mary's from behind the net from the D? If that's the system, then Gully and the team can GTFO.

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by ---Hatrick---

You actually think that Gulutzan shouldn't have pulled the goalie and they shouldn't have atleast made a last ditch attempt to score a couple late goals?
I know the team played like s*** but what kind of message would that have sent to the team?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

Can't help but agree. We have a lot of skill in the C position yet Bennett in a 3rd line role and Jankowski can't even crack the line up.

Get our highest skill players playing together, playing valuable minutes. This isn't an ea nhl game.

Exactly.

1. Monahan
2. Backlund
3. Bennett
4. Stajan
5. Jankowski


This team will go to it's season's grave with that order of centres and a lack of skill on it's wings before it changes a centre to wing. Insane.

I hate to repeat the Jay Feaster quote "the answers are in the room", but in terms of top six offense, it may actually be true in our case. But we'll never know.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by mikeecho

Gulutzan out coached like he was a rookie

I agree. To me this was biggest issue. Not once did he try to match backlund against mcdavid line

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by Racki

My new lineup if I'm Gulutzan.

Johnny - Monny - Bennett
3M line
Versteeg - Janko - Jagr
Ferland - Lazar - Brouwer

Waaaaaaay better than what we saw tonight. Ferland and Brouwer don't have to focus on offense, they can just hit people and out pucks to the net.

Can't sit Glass when he actually looked like he cared tonight. Rather scratch Brouwer.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

Honest question, what is the harm in flat out scratching Brouwer?

Only thing I can think of is that if there is any smoke to the fire that he could be traded, it might cripple the deal.

Otherwise, no harm at all. Multiple better options in the AHL, and also keeping him in the NHL is a pretty brutal signal to your prospects when you try and tell them with a straight face that the best players can make it.

[KevanGuy]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Games like tonight make it really hard to be a fan of hockey.

The Flames came out with zero energy and zero care, and like only the Flames can do, they maintained that pathetic play for a full 60 minutes.

And then there's McDavid. This is what seriously makes me question my fandom in the NHL. The Oilers' fourth 1st overall pick in six years, and they suddenly get a generational talent. A complete difference maker that makes it seem as if there's nothing the Flames can possibly do to compete. To a team with fans like the Oilers.

The Flames looked scared, dumb, and stupid. More depressingly, they looked apathetic.

The Flames were also completely out-coached. There is absolutely no justifiable excuse for putting Brouwer out on the ice with under 2 minutes remaining and an empty net. He had been one of the worst players for the entire game (which is saying something), so it's no surprise that he's the one to make that blunder.

Great post. Hopefully Jagr gives them some flair. I just said to my buddy I can't watch 8 more years of this shinguard ha ha. Pathetic all around.