i'm going to chalk that up to a trap game. This team hasn't face real competition together yet with everyone so new, the coach is new, the system is new, and they may have overlooked a team that is expected to be really bad.
Not that it's their fault but maybe you sit some of your stars when the PP is going so poorly. Hopefully, the PP isnt a sign of things to come but it doesn't take Dave Cameron to tell you that it's easy to close in on the guy with the book when everyone is standing still and covered... The team needs to learn how to move without the puck.
Well, that sucked. All offseason Peters talked about playing fast. Tonight, the Flames played fast like they were stuck in quicksand. Are the Flames tired? Was training camp that tough? They certainly looked like it tonight.
The PP was horrible, a serious momentum killer. The Flames could not enter the offensive zone with possession on the PP.
Motte walked around Stone as if Stone was a statue. I’ve long thought he’s replacement level and he sure looked it during that sequence. I think Stone’ll need to be pretty protected this season. If it’s still possible to get a conditional 6th rounder for him, do it (just my opinion).
I liked the Tkachuk - Backlund - Czarnik line and I also liked Neal on the top line.
i'm going to chalk that up to a trap game. This team hasn't face real competition together yet with everyone so new, the coach is new, the system is new, and they may have overlooked a team that is expected to be really bad.
Not that it's their fault but maybe you sit some of your stars when the PP is going so poorly. Hopefully, the PP isnt a sign of things to come but it doesn't take Dave Cameron to tell you that it's easy to close in on the guy with the book when everyone is standing still and covered... The team needs to learn how to move without the puck.
I noticed Czarnik being quite active moving around to open up lanes, but yea the PP needs to mix things up and not be predicable, move their feet and puck quickly.
I thought the Flames played better than the score. Some bad moments, bad bounces, Markstrom was good, but also a lot of chances and good energy through most of it.
That powerplay though, woof. At powerplays 2-5 we’re just awful. 1 was ok, 6 and 7 were good, but you have to score.
Frolik seemed noticeably bad. Ryan was meh. Lindholm was great. Hanifin was great. Neal got a lot better as the game went on. Brodie seemed a LOT better than last season, and even Bennett had some good jam.
Nice having that crew of RW to mix around when things aren’t clicking. Czarnik and Lindholm improved every line they were on.
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Well, that sucked. All offseason Peters talked about playing fast. Tonight, the Flames played fast like they were stuck in quicksand. Are the Flames tired? Was training camp that tough? They certainly looked like it tonight. .
Clearly the Flames were all up last night playing fortnite, that’s the only explanation.
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Calgary Flames, PLEASE GO TO THE NET! AND SHOOT THE PUCK! GENERATING OFFENSE IS NOT DIFFICULT! SKATE HARD, SHOOT HARD, CRASH THE NET HARD!
He made so key saves after the Flames got unorganized losing Hamonic in the first. But which goals did he look bad on? Petterson was top shelf having all day to walk-in.
Second has a shot blocked in front of him leading to a guy wide open on the side.
3rd was 3 guys out of the zone before the puck, left 2 on 0 against him when it didn’t clear.
A speed Move by Virtanen against a tired Gio where maybe he could’ve saved that.
So that’s 1 of 4 thst he could’ve done better on. Nowhere near a talking point.
I think the Flames didn’t have to play any bit better, and just got 1/3 of the bounces Vancouver got and it would’ve been 6-4 Flames. Canucks were over matched in most of the second and 3/4 of the third and hung on for dear life.
The first one looked stoppable. I thought he challenged the shooter with his glove and got beat, instead of staying square. On the second goal, he commits to the shooter in front, goes down while the canuck passes to open to the player on the open side. He has no way to get to that side because he wasn't following the puck, instead commits and is facing the wrong way. Pretty sure that 3 save was a rebound off smith straight to the Canuck player who then passes it for a quick tap in? I am probably being a bit critical, I just think when smith is on his game he makes those saves.
Smith: good enough to win with but not to be a game changer. Saves what he should but not more.
Today's Smith will let us compete but he needs to be better for us to really succeed.
Speed: We looked like the slowest team in the league. Defence getting beat many times and Vancouver has almost all odd man rushes.
Slapshots: Gio took a slaapshot off the glass late in the game and I think it was the only one. With 7 PPs and no slap shots from the point, that struck me as a tactical decision. Strange systematic decision.
PP: Horrible as mentioned. No big shots from the point contributed to a predictable operation in my opinion. Same old drop to Johnny for gaining the zone is also too predictable.
Slapshots: Gio took a slaapshot off the glass late in the game and I think it was the only one. With 7 PPs and no slap shots from the point, that struck me as a tactical decision. Strange systematic decision.
We had 12, Gio himself had 3 or 4 of those.
Not sure what you mean. Valimaki, Neal, Brodie, lots of guys taking slap shots. You’re too deep down the hole, man!
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The Flames may as well save us all the agony and just forfeit the season opener. Year after year no matter how ####ty the team they're playing is they show up unprepared and embarrass themselves.
I don't know what is more ridiculous. After one game out of 82 saying it is over and the results will be the same or the oilers and their preseason banners.
One game. Vancouver worked their ares off and played a good game. Bottom line the longer you let a team like that stick around the more confidence they get. Lots to work on going forward, but I hope the sky doesn't fall every loss.
If there wasn’t such an extensive history of witnessing the same lame start setting the tone of the mess to follow, I’d agree with you.
