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

[Igottago]

It was never going to be a linear trajectory to the top of the league. The Flames are still rebuilding really. The key pieces to getting this team to the upper end of the league are all still very young. There will be growing pains.

That being said, the inability to put together complete 60 min efforts has been a concern going back to last season, its just finally starting to bite us in the arse.

I think the team is better than they've shown and they will get better, but the season isn't going to be all pleasant surprises and unreal comebacks like last year.

[Hackey]

I wouldn't mind seeing Ortio given an opprotunity to play. It could backfire but we know Hiller and Ramo are just stop gaps. Let Ortio have a chance.

[FiveSeven]

Well when you have nearly every person outside of flames fans, and even some fans, and the media beat the drum of regression that's got to get into the heads of everyone.

Last year our lack of offense was overshadowed by massive attacks from the defense. We do have one of the best defense lineups in the league...They need to act like it. I haven't seen the defense do anything. I've seen a few rushes that lead to nothing. The most I've seen is 3-4 shots from the point that missed the net. Where's Gio sneaking in and firing that deadly wrister? Where is Hamilton's and Wideman's clapper from the point..that actually gets through?

If the defense would play to their capabilities I don't think we would have anything to worry about and the offense would have more chances and time to figure things out. It seems though like there is a collective ####ting of the bed.

I could go individually on the forwards but obviously everyone besides Gaudreau, Jones and Frolik needs to play with a renewed sense of vigor. I boblieve. Regression doesn't mean you play a completely shadow of yourself last year so I don't believe regression should even have its place in this discussion.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

If TJ Brodie is the difference between last year and this year then they might as well start the whole rebuild over because we're ####ed.

[Locke]

When you add people and subtract people you wind up changing the formula and it takes a while for the equation to come into balance.

Its not like this is 2009 an dour window to win is closing.

I think its important to remember that we and the Oilers are not even remotely in the same place, this is the third year of our rebuild and the this is the Oilers' finished product.

And we are still rebuilding. Our goaltending situation is paper mache, it looks okay but its just there to cover up the imperfections at the moment, our forwards are constantly rotating in and out and our defence, while looking good, has some questionmarks as well in terms of age, ability and affordability.

Yes, our expectations are high, and in sports thats a good thing, everyone wants their team to win all the time, but thats not the way it works.

[jg13]

We're not even a top 10 defence without Brodie.

[saillias]

Originally Posted by 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.

We just became a near cap team and locked up 5 players to long term contracts. I'm not quite sure what rebuild means to people but it seems to me like it's meant to imply ok with sucking. The cap situation, the contracts Treliving handed out and trading our first 3 picks in a draft for one player tell a different story.

Our ownership had to be pulled kicking and screaming into a rebuild in the first place. Now that we tasted some success I don't doubt they are not interested in talking about rebuilds. That group only gives the green light to spend if it expects a competitor. That rebuild is over. Our top picks made the team.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Locke

I think its important to remember that we and the Oilers are not even remotely in the same place, this is the third year of our rebuild and the this is the Oilers' finished product.

What?

Draisaitl
Nurse
McDavid
Klefbom
Reinhart
Slepyshev
Yakimov
Brossoit/Laurikainen

None of those players are a finished product and in half those cases even on their NHL roster yet. Eberle didn't play last night. The Oilers are far from a finished product.

[FiveSeven]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

What?

Draisaitl
Nurse
McDavid
Klefbom
Reinhart
Slepyshev
Yakimov
Brossoit/Laurikainen

None of those players are a finished product and in half those cases even on their NHL roster yet. Eberle didn't play last night. The Oilers are far from a finished product.

Not sure if that was supposed to be a downplay or not, but that's actually scary, especially if they find a good goalie. They have a lot of high end talent. We have a solid team but it seems as if we're lacking a lot of high end talent on forward. If hudler doesn't stay we're looking at some troubling time if everyone doesn't step it up and guys like Klim, Poirier or Jankowski,if they don't step in and take a spot and do well with it, would seem we continue down the path of doing things by committee instead of having 2 high powered lines at least, not a terrible thing, but not optimal, obviously.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

What?

Draisaitl
Nurse
McDavid
Klefbom
Reinhart
Slepyshev
Yakimov
Brossoit/Laurikainen

None of those players are a finished product and in half those cases even on their NHL roster yet. Eberle didn't play last night. The Oilers are far from a finished product.

Right. Sad isnt it?

Otherwise you have to say that they've been rebuilding for 10 years and my point still stands.

[Poe969]

Im getting chirped by an oiler fan. I told him that the flames were playing like crap and I'm mad because I'm not used to losing like oilers are and he shouldn't get used to them winning either. It was their first f'n win...

[FlatLandFlamesFan]

Hoping Bob kicks some ass in practice and this is a wake up call.
Need more intensity all round , as soon as we simplified our game we took control , then took some weak penalties and let it slip away
that 3 on 1 short handed chance goes in and the game shifts ,but it didn't and the PK is sucking badly.

[trublmaker]

this better wake them up, if this horrible play doesn't do it then were in a bit of trouble. Wake up guys.

[SHOGUN]

It's weird how everyone is out of sync. Even Johnny is making bad decisions with the puck he normally wouldn't. Honestly, I don't know what's going on... they're just a bad team compared to last season.

[flamesfever]

Originally Posted by Locke

When you add people and subtract people you wind up changing the formula and it takes a while for the equation to come into balance.

Its not like this is 2009 an dour window to win is closing.

I think its important to remember that we and the Oilers are not even remotely in the same place, this is the third year of our rebuild and the this is the Oilers' finished product.

And we are still rebuilding. Our goaltending situation is paper mache, it looks okay but its just there to cover up the imperfections at the moment, our forwards are constantly rotating in and out and our defence, while looking good, has some questionmarks as well in terms of age, ability and affordability.

Yes, our expectations are high, and in sports thats a good thing, everyone wants their team to win all the time, but thats not the way it works.

I think the bold is the Key. It doesn't take much to alter the chemistry, and everything that comes with it, including confidence, teamwork, etc.

OUT (the 4 B's)

Brodie
Bouma
Bennett
Byron

IN

Hamilton,
Frolik
Kulak

Lets hope things start falling into place shortly. They played pretty well in Winnipeg, so I'm hopeful last night was an unusual deviation from the norm.

[sa226]

It's no surprise that there is still some growing and evolving this team needs to do. Guys need to be better and I honestly believe they will get it together.

The concerning part is that with how competitive the west is, they need to find ways to win, even when they're not paying well. Or else they're going to fall too far behind.

[Flamesforver11]

Still early and our best D is missing. That's embarrassing, but oil beat us like that 2 years ago and proceeded to suck royally. Mcdavid is scary though

Hate to say it but Hamilton kinda blows. Hopefully it's early season jitters

[Strange Brew]

Patience is required. Absolutely. And I expect some growing pains. But to say the Flames are still rebuilding means different things to different people. Short of dumping Glencross what "rebuilding moves" has the team made in the last few months?

[Stay Golden]

The Flames look lazy. What i can't figure out is how did 90% of the team simultaneously pick up such bad playing habits and really dumb decision making over the off season. The preseason games the regulars were approaching those games with very little seriousness, bahhh it's just preseason i like many thought. But they as a group are still playing with very little passion and the mistakes are getting worse. 1 game they played hard and got the result.
You could even feel that vibe from the dome crowd. It was like the Flames crowd right from 5 min were simultaneously exasperating "what the hell are they doing out there".
Even Gio and Hudler are struggling. Johnny is having brief moments of JH but Monahan is just having continously bad shifts.
Flames are struggling in the face off dot big time even at home with the line change.
Every D pairing is a mess.
Hartley must bd extremely frustrated with what he is seeing.
I truly believe most of the Flames problems are their own. Crap attitude and constant brain cramps with bad passes and way too many offensive zone passes.
They are passing while they are in scoring chances.
Btw whats with this nonsense of coming out of the zone so slow and only a couple forwards dedicating themselves to a forecheck.
Ferland is working hard but where else is the effort.
If i hear one more praising of Backlund I'm going to puke, talk about a floater that guy is way over rated.

[Eric]

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.

I think the difference is that they probably deserved to win 4 of those 8 games last season. But i agree its very early and a lot of this board is overreacting.