[News] Flames scratch Sven...again

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by FBI

Not sure why I'm so angry about this but I'm pretty pissed.. Must be because my mindset for this year is to have fun watching the young guys play in a REBUILD ??

yeah, it's undoubtedly the same for me.

Nothing but silly emotional reaction, but frustrating nonetheless.

[Hyde]

Originally Posted by Fire in the disco

Ok Hartley, you made your point with the original benching. Sitting Sven twice in a row is overkill. Let the kid show you what he can do now. I have a feeling this is Hartley having a pissing match at this point, as he already called Sven out in the media while praising Jackman and McGratton at the same time. Now he plays both of them again, when most would agree that barring injuries only one of the 2 of them should be playing in each game.

I'm no NHL coach, but I know that sitting Baertschi twice in a row while he is healthy is counter productive to our rebuild/youth movement.

If the point was made then Sven would be playing…no?

I have faith that the coaching staff (it is not just Hartley) have spoken to Sven and he is aware of why he is sitting again. Personally, I rather our "children/kids" are getting tough love and not a free pass (see Edmonton).

Anyone want to watch a team that and just plays the youth, watch Edmonton. (not to mention you get a sense watching and listening to the children of the North that they have no respect for the vets on that team).

[Tinordi]

I have zero problems with this. Let him sit and stew and focus on being a better player. What's really been lost in a lot of the discussion was just how bad he was in the five games leading up to the benching. It wasn't this was out of the blue. His game got worse and worse. For young players, that has consequences. He's not getting to the keys to the corporate washroom handed to him. Earn it.

This type of 'tough love' approach works on lots of prospects. It basically makes them prove that they're an NHL player. Sven has to start bearing down more on both sides of the puck.

Look a similar prospect in LA with Toffoli. Blue chip guy but just hasn't done enough to cement himself to the roster. We wouldn't say that the Kings are ruining Toffoli would we? Or say we sent Sven down like how the Wings have developed Nyquist over the past three seasons who's bounced between both leagues. Would we say that the Wings have ruined Nyquist? No because he's dominating the AHL and is showing that he's ready.

Anyway, I'm ranting. Basic point, this is no big deal. Stop treating it as such.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by troutman

fyp

Out of thanks, so... thanks!

[Fan in Exile]

Originally Posted by troutman

fyp

So you think the problem with the lineup that got their asses handed to them in Minnesota was that Jackman was too far down the depth chart?

[flamesfever]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Anyway, I'm ranting. Basic point, this is no big deal. Stop treating it as such.

This IS a big deal when I'm paying big money to see one of the best prospects on our team, and he's being benched...again and again and again.

[Diemenz]

Originally Posted by Fan in Exile

So you think the problem with the lineup that got their asses handed to them in Minnesota was that Jackman was too far down the depth chart?

What are you even talking about?

That is really grasping at straws, no one said anything even close to that. The team Playing piss poor defensively has nothing to do with Sven sitting or what line Jackman is on.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

This IS a big deal when I'm paying big money to see one of the best prospects on our team, and he's being benched...again and again and again.

Uhh, I could really give a crap how much money you spend. Your money spent should have ZERO influence in the hockey decisions being made by this organization.

[J epworth]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

This IS a big deal when I'm paying big money to see one of the best prospects on our team, and he's being benched...again and again and again.

Well good thing he hasn't been benched at home then, when you are paying big money to see him.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Fan in Exile

So you think the problem with the lineup that got their asses handed to them in Minnesota was that Jackman was too far down the depth chart?

The lineup is going to lose a lot of games badly this year, with or without Sven. Patience.

[Erick Estrada]

Honestly I'm more puzzled by Hartley's love for Jackman than the Sven situation. Jackman has been pure garbage for the better part of the past two or three seasons.

[taxbuster]

One of the things that strikes me about Sven (and occasionally about some of the others) is that they panic in certain situations - unnecessarily. Perhaps benching Sven provides him with time to watch others - evaluate the time they have to make a play - and then work to produce that in his game.

You have to give the Flames’ brain trust some credit for making hard (and possibly unpopular) decisions -- it’s not just Hartley....

Right now I’d still rather be watching the Flames – win, lose or whatever – than the jokes to the north of us.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by FBI

Not sure why I'm so angry about this but I'm pretty pissed.. Must be because my mindset for this year is to have fun watching the young guys play in a REBUILD ??

I would like to see Sven on the ice too, but I don't get how sitting him for a couple of games has stopped the rebuild. I don't see how icing an entire team of all rookies/young guys helps the rebuild at all. You need some veterans to show you how to be an NHL player. You can't rely solely on talent or hype. If you just let all the young guys play all the time, without training/teaching/motivating, you quickly become like the Oilers. We are able to watch quite a few younger players tonight in Monahan, Brodie, Backlund, Reinhart, etc.

After Backlund sat a game, he played really well. He was the forward who got over a minute of time when Chicago was on their 5 on 3 power play. I'm hoping Sven gets back in the lineup soon, and has an equally effective role upon his return.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Honestly I'm more puzzled by Hartley's love for Jackman than the Sven situation. Jackman has been pure garbage for the better part of the past two or three seasons.

Maybe it’s not about love for Jackman - he is just the available body.

[BigBrodieFan]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

It's not even about hurting Sven - because you're right, it's not a science. Even if you look at it simply as meritocracy/playing who deserves to play angle, it makes no sense to me.

Jackman and McGrattan have done absolutely nothing to earn their playtime. If you disagree with that, well...fine I guess, we see things differently.

I don't even think Sven has been great or even good at times - but he's done more to help the team, and can do more to help the team than Jackman and McGrattan can/have.

I think you may be missing the point.

Definition of rebuild is to rebuild (something) again after it has been damaged or destroyed. Jackman and McGrattan can't be rebuilt, Sven can be built from the ground up. Hartley has made a commitment to rebuild the flames without making the same mistakes coaches have with players like Jackman and McGrattan. We can't say 'Blow it up' and 'Rebuild' and then 'WIN EVERY GAME NOW.' While it's wonderful to see the Flames win, whether you realize it or not, their victories and 'heart' have been a direct result of the way they are being coached. I haven't seen the Flames play with this much passion since 2010. Hartley knows what he's doing. He's in this for the long haul. The seeds are being planted to make Calgary a very good hockey team, as they have shown they can be.

[Five-hole]

I almost wonder if the Edmonton situation -- them sucking SO HARD -- is affecting what our management is doing. It's pretty clear that Feaster holds up the Oilers as a "what not to do" organization. The Oilers have coddled their prospects and that's one of the many problems up there. So the moment one of our prospects shows a bit of entitlement or perhaps too much interest on one side of the puck to the detriment of the others, he gets benched. And apparently this works for guys who show too much commitment to EITHER of the two sides, since Backlund was benched for not creating offence.

It's difficult as a fan to understand why someone like Backlund is benched for not creating offence when Tim Jackman gets any ice time at all. The only explanation is that it's not simply about who is better right now. Obviously the coaching staff and management feel that these moves will make us a better hockey team in the future, because they simply do not make us a better hockey team for tonight's game.

I'm just not sure I agree. I don't pretend to understand what motivates professional hockey players, nor particular professional hockey players, and I don't understand how to develop one. I just hope that Hartley and management do. And the jury's out on that, in my opinion.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

Maybe it’s not about love for Jackman - he is just the available body.

That's pretty much it.

He provides size and he is on the roster, that is really the extend of why he dresses when somebody else needs to sit.

[northcrunk]

I would like the Calgary media to be asking harder questions to the coach and making him accountable for his decisions. We have been pretty much left in the dark about these scratchings while Bob gives a very general awnser and then comes up with a folksy saying to deflect and the media just accepts that.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by northcrunk

I would like the Calgary media to be asking harder questions to the coach and making him accountable for his decisions. We have been pretty much left in the dark about these scratchings while Bob gives a very general awnser and then comes up with a folksy saying to deflect and the media just accepts that.

That's nice but the coaching staff never has been and never will be accountable to you.

[18flames]

Originally Posted by northcrunk

I would like the Calgary media to be asking harder questions to the coach and making him accountable for his decisions. We have been pretty much left in the dark about these scratchings while Bob gives a very general awnser and then comes up with a folksy saying to deflect and the media just accepts that.

Why does he have to answer to the media? Do they pay his salary? Ridiculous.