[PGT] Flames 0 - Wild 3

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by Phaneuf_Phan

Why oh why does Huberdeau keep choosing to pass it off while in a grade A chance in the slot? What's the phobia called for fear of scoring a goal?

Shootaphobia mixed in with a case of passititis

[HighLifeMan]

In a game in which the season was all but on the line, Milan Lucic played more five on five minutes than Huberdeau, Lindholm, Toffoli, and Dube. If that doesn’t speak volumes about the coaches complete mishandling of his top players then I don’t know what will. It’s inexcusable. His roster (mis)management is arguably the largest reason as to why this team is heavily underperforming. I truly don’t understand how some of you can’t see it.

[Classic_Sniper]

...and that’s the season folks. What a brutal game to watch, feel bad for fans who attended that snoozer. Both teams put on an absolute clinic defensively, but the Flames’ skaters had no desire to get to the hard areas to score whereas the Wild did. I suspect the room knows they’re done, so the urgency just wasn’t there.

Only one line and Markstrom bothered to put any effort into the game. Thought Kadri’s line had a rough night, giving up a couple goals and generating no momentum, no scoring chances and killing the powerplay.

Not sure why everyone is so down on Kadri tonight though. I thought it was Huberdeau who really sunk his line all night with poor decisions and turnovers. For instance, he receives a nice pass from Weegar which leads to a prime opportunity right in the middle of the slot and instead of shooting, he makes a lateral pass to Kadri on the wing for a much lower percentage shot.

There was one play by Huberdeau though that had me absolutely baffled. Kadri takes a pass in the neutral zone, does a 180 to gain the offensive zone and stops up, sucks in his defender and dishes it off to Huberdeau on the side wall and instead of turning the puck upwards where Pelletier has established position in front of the net with Andersson wide open on the back door, he curls back towards the blueline and makes a blind spin pass through coverage to no one and it gets easily picked off and leads to a counter attack for the Wild. Like, this is the kind of stuff we’ve seen from him all season long, baffling decision making, wild passes, turnovers, lack of poise and etc.

Kadri isn’t without his warts either and should get plenty of blame for how the season has unfolded. But he’s also a Stanley Cup champion and was a big part of the Avs’ success over the past few seasons. He’s proven he can do it on the big stage, against tough teams and in difficult conditions.

I don’t think it’s fair for Kadri and the rest of the team to bear the brunt of the criticism while Huberdeau gets to constantly play the “no one is ready to accept his passes” or the “he needs better linemates” type of BS. Honestly, it’s Huberdeau that needs to step up his own play and show that he’s worthy of the $84M contract he was offered and signed. Elite players are supposed to make their linemates better, not the other way around.

[madmike]

I used to like Sutter but his Lucic fascination is maddening. It’s like he’s trying to troll the fans and/or the GM, who can all see Lucic is done and shouldn’t be dressing.

[flamesgod]

Sutter isn't a very good captain. The captain should take the blame every once in a while.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

...and that’s the season folks

Let’s be real, the season has been over for a while now

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by HighLifeMan

In a game in which the season was all but on the line, Milan Lucic played more five on five minutes than Huberdeau, Lindholm, Toffoli, and Dube. If that doesn’t speak volumes about the coaches complete mishandling of his top players then I don’t know what will. It’s inexcusable. His roster (mis)management is arguably the largest reason as to why this team is heavily underperforming. I truly don’t understand how some of you can’t see it.

I don’t disagree, however, that’s more an indictment on the top guys in my opinion. Biggest game of the year and Huberdeau, lindholm and Kadri didn’t generate squat.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Link

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by DomeFoam

Stop buying tickets please

Tickets are already bought unfortunately. Imagine spending hundreds to go see that.

[Lanny_McDonald]

See the look Tanev gives Sutter as he walks down the hall at the end of that video. I doubt he was thinking, "great game coach." Flames are an organization in disarray. A coach that doesn't understand what it takes to win in the current iteration of the NHL. Keeps playing dinosaur hockey and playing favorites. A GM that had no clue what to do at the deadline and shuffled a few deck chairs to show he still had some authority left in his role. Obviously neither are on the same page and there is a struggle to find a path for this team. There are some big decisions to make and I don't think there is a single person in ownership or the executive capable of making those calls. They've set themselves up for failure.

Do you stick with a coach who sticks with a outdated style of play and poorly uses the talent he is given, or do you stick with the players you just invested huge money in and give them a coach who understands the current game and what it takes to win? Do you stick with a GM who has done nothing of significance in his tenure and made the team worse or do you possibly do something even more dangerous and hand the reigns over to the coach who last time pretty much burned the system to the ground? Or is it house cleaning time? Is it time for a new direction where you bring in people with an actual plan and stick to that plan of building a winner, which of course means using the talent you have and leveraging their skills in the best way possible? The organization is at a crossroads with some very tough decisions ahead.

[Tsawwassen]

Postgame links
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl...ch-4-1.6768611
https://www.espn.com/nhl/game/_/gameId/401459580
https://scores.nbcsports.com/nhl/rec...=30&final=true
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/games/2466548

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

It's always fun to listen to Darryl place the buck as far away from himself as possible.

Just a dreadful season. He should be the very first to go.

He has never been one to take any personal responsibility though.

[442scotty]

Went to bed after the first goal. Glad I didn’t bother to watch.

[Phil Russell]

A season this terrible doesn't happen as a result of one problem. Huberdeau has grossly underachieved and so have three or four of our top forwards and defensemen. Markstrom has been bad and our back-up failed to provide stability in net when we most needed it. The confidence of the team is shot. The team lacks leadership. The coach has a system that does not win games, has stuck with failing lines, and mostly refuses to line match.

You can sit and argue forever about which one of these factors is more important than the others, maybe you don't think one or two of these are factors, but the important question is which of these factors are most easily fixed. What I do know is that practically speaking, trading away a bunch of underachieving very expensive players is the least likely way the team gets fixed.

[TheChief]

I just find it funny that we have the best coach we have had in decades and everyone has turned on him.


Yes was it a bad game? Sure. You cant tell me they have quit on him when they put up the performance they did against Boston, and really for the greater part of the season. The team hasn't had puck luck and has been soured by goaltending all year.





Obviously Sutter wants to win, and the next 20 games are going to go against everything he wants...He wont be happy at all. The players are no doubt dissapointed aswell. You ride out the season and let Sutter give them their offseason plans. You CANNOT fire this coach. The GM on the other hand...

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by TheChief

I just find it funny that we have the best coach we have had in decades and everyone has turned on him.


Yes was it a bad game? Sure. You cant tell me they have quit on him when they put up the performance they did against Boston, and really for the greater part of the season. The team hasn't had puck luck and has been soured by goaltending all year.





Obviously Sutter wants to win, and the next 20 games are going to go against everything he wants...He wont be happy at all. The players are no doubt dissapointed aswell. You ride out the season and let Sutter give them their offseason plans. You CANNOT fire this coach. The GM on the other hand...

Sutter for us is like when the Oilers had Hitchcock.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by TheChief

I just find it funny that we have the best coach we have had in decades and everyone has turned on him.


Yes was it a bad game? Sure. You cant tell me they have quit on him when they put up the performance they did against Boston, and really for the greater part of the season. The team hasn't had puck luck and has been soured by goaltending all year.





Obviously Sutter wants to win, and the next 20 games are going to go against everything he wants...He wont be happy at all. The players are no doubt dissapointed aswell. You ride out the season and let Sutter give them their offseason plans. You CANNOT fire this coach. The GM on the other hand...

His players already gave up on him

It happened all the time to Sutter because he is a stubborn miserable SOB. When they are not winning, there is no reason to play for him unless you are his favorites like Lewis and Lucic.

He needs to go ASAP

[dammage79]

If you're not lumping Sutter into the same poop pile as every other person in the organization, you're doing it wrong.


It takes a special kind of blindness to not recognize how broken the Huberdeau/Kadri pairing is. If not for a the Pelletier thing I don't know if those two survive each other at all.

Sutter settled on lines in Novemeber and hasn't done anything since. Cratering confidences along the way with neglect.

That's a burden of responsibility IMO.

[TheChief]

I dont buy they have given up. I think maybe a select few may have, but not the team. Those select few need to shape up or ship out.

[I_H8_Crawford]

So fortunate the Flames have a forward looking, proactive management team who sold off some of the higher performing players for futures in what looks to be a great draft this year.

Would really suck if they held onto them and didn’t do anything at all….