[PGT] Flames lose to Mammoth 3-1

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Looking at the schedule and it's tough to Nov 1, then softens up a bit in November, before a hard stretch to end the month.

@ Knights
Jets
Canadiens
@Jets
Rangers
@ Maple Leafs
@ Senators

Then an easier stretch

@Predators
@Flyers (Back to Back with travel)
Blue Jackets
Blackhawks
@Wild
@Blues
Sharks
Jets
@Blackhawks
@Sabres

Then tougher again

Stars
@Canucks (Back to Back with Travel)
@Lightning
@Panthers
@Hurricanes

That's the first 27 games of the Flames season. They likely need to be something like 13-9-5 to be in the playoff hunt (94 point pace).

They are 1-4-0 right now. Which means they need a 12-5-5 stretch here to get back into the race, which is tough with this schedule.

No they don't. As long as they're .500 or slightly above at the end of this first 1/3 of the season, they'll have a good shot at making the playoffs. The schedule is favorable in the final 2/3 where they can make up ground. I'm not saying anything is guaranteed, but they do have the ability to make the playoffs and I honestly think they will.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Sharangovich was going to the dirty areas, now he is not.

Two potential reasons for that:

1) the coach doesn't want him to
2) since the injury, he is hesitant

Which of those two is more plausible?

3) He goes to the hard areas, but his line mates are unable to get him the puck in those areas, and are grinding along the boards instead.
4) The Flames have been bad at quickly transitioning the pick up the ice, or generating odd man rushes.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Bingo

12th in xGA60 five on five and 28th in 5 on 5 save percentage.

They've been decent defensively for sure.

31st in shots on goal against. No they haven't. It's amazing what good goaltending will do huh.

[Rhett44]

Wait, the Flames have been decent defensively? We bleed scoring chances.

The difference right now is Wolf hasn't been standing on his head as much as he was last year. I don't care what the fancy stats say, we have been dreadful on defense.

[NegativeSpace]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

No they don't. As long as they're .500 or slightly above at the end of this first 1/3 of the season, they'll have a good shot at making the playoffs. The schedule is favorable in the final 2/3 where they can make up ground. I'm not saying anything is guaranteed, but they do have the ability to make the playoffs and I honestly think they will.

That seems fair to me. I think the challenge at this point is trying to get some wins together and stop the bleeding.

[CaptainCrunch]

This is the nothing is going right part of the discussion.


The offense has completely dried up. The defensive coverage has been poor. Wolf has had a subpar start to his season. The special teams suck, and the 5v5 play ain't great.


I think we as Flames fans can live with a team that isn't getting points. It happens. But this team has no entertainment value, they're really hard to watch.


I know its not even 10% of the season in, but for a team that missed the playoffs with a tie breaker last year, bleeding these points is devastating.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

This is the nothing is going right part of the discussion.


The offense has completely dried up. The defensive coverage has been poor. Wolf has had a subpar start to his season. The special teams suck, and the 5v5 play ain't great.


I think we as Flames fans can live with a team that isn't getting points. It happens. But this team has no entertainment value, they're really hard to watch.


I know its not even 10% of the season in, but for a team that missed the playoffs with a tie breaker last year, bleeding these points is devastating.

I really don't think Huska is capable of coaching a style of entertaining hockey. The team was boring last year even when we were winning.

I miss the Hartley run and gun. It is a lot easier to watch this play style we are using now when we have a good team and are winning.

[dissentowner]

Bob Hartley was a beaut.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Wait, the Flames have been decent defensively? We bleed scoring chances.

The difference right now is Wolf hasn't been standing on his head as much as he was last year. I don't care what the fancy stats say, we have been dreadful on defense.

Not really

Here is the reality of the situation

The Flames haven’t bled scoring chances, imo. Event counts are low and things have gone wrong

The sample size is small and some unique events have skewed stats

Lots of people were complaining when they saw the schedule. Well it is rough but things have happened too

-Pachal made an atrocious pass last game, that turned in to a breakaway and goal. Clean it up, not replicable

-Wolf let in 2 goals 1 game on perfect deflections. Highly unlikely to happen often

-Flames have let a few inexcusable slot shots happen, this is early season attention to detail



Wolf was awesome last year … specifically against the bottom 3 teams in the West and the bottom 3 teams in the east. That’s literally the story of the Flames delta above .500… he was then on par with Vladar for the rest of the league. He is awesome, no dispute, but padded his stats with gifted starts against losers

There is no sheltering this year

It’s going to take the team and the goalie


The inability to gain the zone on the PP is alarming. The offense is the concern.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Wait, the Flames have been decent defensively? We bleed scoring chances.

The difference right now is Wolf hasn't been standing on his head as much as he was last year. I don't care what the fancy stats say, we have been dreadful on defense.

You dont care about stats its your narrative or the highway! Chances against have been top half of the league. Every game is close in the third, havent got the big goal and Wolf has been just okay.

I dont care what anyone says Huberdeau is theìr most talented offensive player

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

This is the nothing is going right part of the discussion.


The offense has completely dried up. The defensive coverage has been poor. Wolf has had a subpar start to his season. The special teams suck, and the 5v5 play ain't great.


I think we as Flames fans can live with a team that isn't getting points. It happens. But this team has no entertainment value, they're really hard to watch.


I know its not even 10% of the season in, but for a team that missed the playoffs with a tie breaker last year, bleeding these points is devastating.

Of the 4 losses, 2 of them were 2nd halves of back to backs, 1 was the 3rd game in less than 4 nights, and 1 was against one of the cup favorites. I don't think it's fair to make assessments of this team based on these past 4 games.

Yes some points have slipped away and it's unfortunate. But there's tons of time to make up ground.

[dino7c]

Yeah if they keep playing this way when the schedule is a normal mix of playoff and non playoff teams and reasonable rest then we can talk

I mean the Oilers have played the Flames, Canucks, Rangers, Islanders with rest between each game and have 10 goals (2 EN) and 2 wins. They are supposedly a cup contender.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

31st in shots on goal against. No they haven't. It's amazing what good goaltending will do huh.

They're actually 21st in shots/60 against five on five

But I'd go with expected over shots any day.

All stats can get better and more precise, but shots are literally not shaded in danger at all.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Bob Hartley was a beaut.

Not a beaut from what I have heard from a few sources behind the scenes.

I'd guess he has more to do with Bennett's blip than anything else in his time in Calgary.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Wait, the Flames have been decent defensively? We bleed scoring chances.

The difference right now is Wolf hasn't been standing on his head as much as he was last year. I don't care what the fancy stats say, we have been dreadful on defense.

The Flames are playing low event hockey. Both directions.

24th in xGF60
19th in HDF60

13th in xGA60 (or 20th if sorted in low event)
13th in HDA60 (or 20th if sorted in low event)

If you put the two together ... total expected goals both ways and total HD both ways the Flames are ranked ...

23rd in total xG
16th in total HD chances

Defense isn't good by any means but it's not the problem compared to offence.

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Not a beaut from what I have heard from a few sources behind the scenes.

I'd guess he has more to do with Bennett's blip than anything else in his time in Calgary.

Stajan had some harsh things to say about his handling of players in the dressing room.
Pitting guys against each other on purpose to try and divide the room.

[Jason14h]

Hartley knew how to coach a very French style of entertaining hockey - almost QMJHLesque

He was a grade A prick as well .

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

No they don't. As long as they're .500 or slightly above at the end of this first 1/3 of the season, they'll have a good shot at making the playoffs. The schedule is favorable in the final 2/3 where they can make up ground. I'm not saying anything is guaranteed, but they do have the ability to make the playoffs and I honestly think they will.

It's possible but it's very tough.

If Flames are 13-13-1 that's 27 points through 27 games.

To get to 96 points they would need to get 69 points in the final 55 games. 32-18-5 (.627 points percentage, 103 point pace). That is going to be very tough for this group.

[Ped]

Always thought Hartley was an ass, well before he got to Calgary. He seemed to coach really dirty in Colorado.

[Toonage]

And Atlanta.

Hartley is overrated around these parts based off that overachieving 2014/15 season. Guy is not a great coach.

He and Crawford crafted legacies off of elite Avalanche teams.