[PGT] Rocky Mountain High -- Flames win!

[Roof-Daddy]

This was so great to wake up to, the Flames beating Avs on their own turf and the oilers getting spanked.

Please, please, please don't lose to the oil again now.

[Enoch Root]

I don't think anybody had a rough night. I think they played a good team. The Avs are going to put pressure on you at times, they're going to get their chances.

The Flames have been able to dominate teams this year. They've even been able to dominate some of the best teams. But they were in the Avs' barn and it was a playoff atmosphere. They weren't going to be able to dominate.

But I didn't see anyone struggling, I saw them battling. Shots were even, shot attempts were even, it was an even game, and getting to OT wasn't 'lucky', it was the most deserved event.

[joejoe3]

It’s Eliteas Lindholm now

[looooob]

I know plus minus is a flawed stat, but sometimes it can tell enough of a story- the 6 guys on the ice for the Gaudreau winner last night are a combined +199 on the season (with MacKinnon the straggler ). great players on great teams

[Sylvanfan]

Until that chance late in the third, I thought the third pair really held up for the Flames last night. There is something comforting about always having a tougher guy to get in the other teams face. Landeskog tries to step in on Tkachuck and Gudbransson is right there to tell him to sit his ass down.

After a very rare off game on Thursday, Lindholm bounced back in a huge way and was the best player in last nights game against a team loaded with star talent.

Fun game, and as always wearing those road white jerseys they looked good winning that one.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Coach

Fun game. Was really tired so was having a tough time staying up but damn I wanted to watch these teams play.

Love the Vladar start. Such a Sutter move. However I don’t really get the hesitancy to play him in the first place. IMO Markstrom has shown some fatigue for a while, and I’ve been very impressed with Vladar each time he’s played. I can’t remember thinking a loss was on him, and I think he’s given us very reliable back up goaltending. I don’t see why he doesn’t play every 5 or 6 games. But in Sutter I trust.

Sutter takes his cues from the players and how they are looking in practice.

Maybe Vladar doesn't practice particularly well or Markstrom is just that much more competitive when its hard to be.

[kermitology]

Overtime conversation:

Gaudreau: hey Nate, you know what my nickname is?
MacKinnon: oh I know this one, it’s Johnny Hockey
G: nope
M: really? What is it then?
G: Gaudreauvertime
M: huh? I don’t get it.
G: you will

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by Coach

Fun game. Was really tired so was having a tough time staying up but damn I wanted to watch these teams play.

Love the Vladar start. Such a Sutter move. However I don’t really get the hesitancy to play him in the first place. IMO Markstrom has shown some fatigue for a while, and I’ve been very impressed with Vladar each time he’s played. I can’t remember thinking a loss was on him, and I think he’s given us very reliable back up goaltending. I don’t see why he doesn’t play every 5 or 6 games. But in Sutter I trust.

I remember Canuck fans saying that they would know Markstrom was getting ridden too hard when he started wandering around the net. Been noticing that lately. But then again, hard to argue when he's serving up W's almost every night.

Just have to trust Sutter knows best, and clearly he does.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

Around the League Report

You'd think the mile high state would be more chill.

[BigRed]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

But I didn't see anyone struggling, I saw them battling. Shots were even, shot attempts were even, it was an even game, and getting to OT wasn't 'lucky', it was the most deserved event.

I hear you. No doubt the Avs are a different order of magnitude than anybody else. But I was surprised to see D like Hanafin and Tanev even coughing it up in our end several times. Almost never happens. Also Kylington — who I have been stumping for for years — seemed kind of all over the place. He needs to simplify his game and get back to short passes and quick outs — especially against a high speed pressure team like CO.

Anyway. Love the result. But I felt like the back end could have been a lot tighter. Easy for me to say when I’m not the one who has McKinnon, Vantanen, Landeskog, Kadri etc bearing down on me!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by CSharp

He’s a liability defensively. Every time he’s out on the ice in his zone or he’s caught flat footed, it’s almost guaranteed a goal for the opposition. Yes, he did make a few good plays to break out of the zone but you kind of hold your breath when he passes the puck right onto the Avs’ plsyers a few times on turnovers. Just glad Vlador is a capable goalie.

That isn't a very good take.

CA60 3rd (behind sheltered third pairing)
xGA60 3rd (behind Zadorov and Tanev)
xGF% 1st

League wide ...

CA60 23rd
xGA60 37th

He's a top pairing defenseman defensively.

He's certainly not perfect, no defenseman is, but the numbers don't support the notion that's he's a liability defensively.

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by Bingo

That isn't a very good take.

CA60 3rd (behind sheltered third pairing)
xGA60 3rd (behind Zadorov and Tanev)
xGF% 1st

League wide ...

CA60 23rd
xGA60 37th

He's a top pairing defenseman defensively.

He's certainly not perfect, no defenseman is, but the numbers don't support the notion that's he's a liability defensively.

Hanifin has got to be one of the most underrated and overlooked players we’ve had in a long time. He plays such a cerebral game, a great hockey mind who touches a lot of aspects especially 5v5. He’s got a great first pass and chews hard minutes against top opponents and has quietly put up a solid stat line of 5 G 21 A 26 pts in 53 games with a respectable +9.

I think it’s easy to forget that Hanafin is still just 25 years old yet he’s closing in on 500 games played already with 489. There is still runway left for him to peak which is crazy to think because it feels like Lindy and Hanifin have been here forever and he’s taken noticeable steps in his game under Sutter as most players have.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I don't think anybody had a rough night. I think they played a good team. The Avs are going to put pressure on you at times, they're going to get their chances.

The Flames have been able to dominate teams this year. They've even been able to dominate some of the best teams. But they were in the Avs' barn and it was a playoff atmosphere. They weren't going to be able to dominate.

But I didn't see anyone struggling, I saw them battling. Shots were even, shot attempts were even, it was an even game, and getting to OT wasn't 'lucky', it was the most deserved event.

Yep, I am not sure what people expect. Look at that team's record. Nobody is going to.come into that building and give up nothing. There were a couple of extended time frames last night, however, where the Flames did shut them down.

[GioforPM]

Funny about MacKinnon and Gaudreau talking - why was Rantanen taking the FO - is he better at it?

Funny part is - we all are supposing it was some chirping. It probably was “Hey I heard you got married, that’s nice”. “Oh, thanks Nathan”. “Did you get my card”. “Yes it was very thoughtful”.

[stone156]

I wonder how the Flames would have handled that Florida trip without the covid factor. TB this week, we will see.

[Mass_nerder]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Funny about MacKinnon and Gaudreau talking - why was Rantanen taking the FO - is he better at it?

Funny part is - we all are supposing it was some chirping. It probably was “Hey I heard you got married, that’s nice”. “Oh, thanks Nathan”. “Did you get my card”. “Yes it was very thoughtful”.

Kadri took the face-off and immediately changed getting Rantanen on the ice.

[browna]

I don't think there's any reason to ever doubt Sutter when it comes to lineup decisions or goalies decisions...he has the pulse on the individual.players, their mental state, the situational awarenss at a player and team level, the need for the players to either compete and work through issues or take a break to clear their minds etc etc.

Those that play checkers would assume he would play against a lesser opponent vs Montreal and Markstrom the top team in the league. But that may send the message to a team high on a good winning streak, that they can get by Montreal with less than top goaltending and run best vs best against Colorado.

Same putting Vladar in for the comeback game with a back to back the next night. Or Vladar in vs the Leafs in Toronto.

But Sutter plays chess.

5 games in the next 7 days is likely to see a whole bunch of juggling from the coach...just hope we come out unscathed injury wise.

[---Hatrick---]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Funny about MacKinnon and Gaudreau talking - why was Rantanen taking the FO - is he better at it?

Funny part is - we all are supposing it was some chirping. It probably was “Hey I heard you got married, that’s nice”. “Oh, thanks Nathan”. “Did you get my card”. “Yes it was very thoughtful”.

I think it was actually Kadri who took the draw, won it and then immediately went off for a change

Beat by Mass_nerder ^^^

[Bunk]

The ATL is always great for insights into teams. We assume when we face a team like Colorado, first in the NHL, that they have no holes. But hear the fans, and they know where the holes are. Sounds like Avs fans are not big on their D core, for instance. No team is perfect.

[Johnny Makarov]

I noticed nobody here posted after the Calgary game. I guess people caught on to Calgarypuck spoofing the place lol.