[PGT] Avs 3 Flames 2 on the brink

[Duffalufagus]

Originally Posted by wooohooo

Man Flames could not drive the play when it mattered. So frustrating but we all knew the Flames had no chance outside a lucky bounce with the way they were playing. This has been all Avs.

Painful. But true.

Smith has been the best goalie in the playoffs. Who would have thought?

[memphusk]

Originally Posted by bigrangy

Too slow

Tkachuk
Monahan
Neal
Jankowski

Too small

Gaudreau
Ryan
Mangiapane

Not skilled enough

Bennett
Neal
Hathaway
Frolik

Too soft

Neal
Monahan
Jankowski

The forwards are severely lacking in complete players, outside of the Swedes there’s nobody that can play any situation, and they both barely pass the “not skilled enough” bar

Players that are in multiple categories can play somewhere else next year

Mangiapane isn't too small. He may be small, but he plays big and he sure as #### isn't running away from the puck when a defender comes near him like someone else.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

After another rum, I've settled down and just assume the series is done, so hopefully the players come out with that attitude...........nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Go out, win Game 5 and see what happens. Get some confidence. Hope the #1 line can do, well, anything. Play with some edge, play ticked off, play like you're the #1 seed.

You have nothing to lose. Get up to the plate, forget the jitters, and take a swing. Just take a swing and see what happens. Just don't play scared anymore.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Classic Mikael Backlund stinker. Takes a late dumb penalty that leads to the tying goal, has the goaltender down and out in OT and shoots into his pad, leaves his man alone for the game winner.

Shoots into the pad? He actually raised it. Grubauer made a great save. Backlund had more time and didn’t need to rush it the way he did but he was off balance fading backwards. He did a decent job getting it up, but tip the hat to grub, it was a nice save.

[The Boy Wonder]

Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary

smitty has been the best player on this team.

2 months ago, i'd have agreed with you, but now? I'd have no issue with a 1 year contract...

i mean who else is there that is actually available?

Anyone who isn’t 38 years old. This is his swan song. His Tom cruise in last samurai moment... he’s got ####else left after this

[Spinach]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

You know what I love about playoff PGTs? Seeing fans that literally haven't posted in years suddenly finding their voice to shout about how awful the Flames are.

Get bent. Your voices carry no weight around here.

Yeah, it's almost as if fans get more passionate during the playoffs. Quelle surprise.

Those of us who don't post much don't give a damn how much "weight our voices carry." What is this, high school?

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by keenan87

Honestly,

I really hope Treliving realizes sooner than later to get rid of Gaudreau and Monahan. These are not players that you win with.

Also, Jankowsk is trash too. Get him off the team.

I’d like to see what Johnny does with a real Center. Not hard to focus on Johnny when you don’t really have to worry about Monahan other than when he gets a puck in the slot.

[ASP#26525]

Yeah... that sucked, and I'm super bummed too. But it's not over yet, and the unending negativity around here is getting so, so old. I REALLY hope those of you that said "I'm done" tonight are REALLY done because I'd love nothing more than to watch the last game(s) without your horrible negativity on the forum and at the Dome. It's a SPORTS TEAM, not the end of the freaking world. This is supposed to be FUN. I find myself wondering why some of you even watch. GFG!!

[AC]

I forgot how much I hate playoff Flames hockey.

What an embarrassment so far.

[CaptainCrunch]

I will say that anyone that is banking on Monahan and Gaudreau being traded is going to be dissapointed.




This team is missing a major physical element out of its top 6, and I'm dissapointed in MT who should be that guy.


This team is still very young in its core group, and things like this, getting beaten up in the playoffs are part of the growth curve, its whether the team can find its pride in game 5 that's probably the last question to be answered this season.


Lets give credit where credit is due, that Avs team is playing fast and confident, and they're following the leader. The Flames really aren't doing any of that.



While the NHL regular season highlights skating and skill, the playoffs add the element of tenacity, nastiness, execution and game planning for a specific opponent.


The Flames need to learn from that.


Valimaki is going to be an amazing defenseman and Anderson is going to be very good going forward. Eat Bread is going to be a good player going forward.


Money and Gaudreau are going to get another kick at the can with this core next year, its too soon to panic, or fire off a rebuild.


The sad thing is that Gio isn't getting any younger, and we can't keep counting on him as an anchor player.


Smith has been sensational, anyone that thinks that putting Dave in net in the next game is certifiable, you give Smith the opportunity to see this through.

[soulchoice]

Flames are done. After being average at best the last quarter of the season, I had a hope they’d be better. But they are not even in the same class as the Avs this series. It’s not even about the refs.

The latter half of the game, James Neal didn’t win one puck battle. Yet he is still being given ice time. No compete, no defensive acumen or offensive awareness. Even The Compher break you could see the crap effort from him.

Winning goal, it was both Backlund and Neal who defensively played the rush like it was atom hockey.

Sorry to say, on one hand, being their salaries are great compared to what other players with similar regular season numbers will be getting paid. No team in the NHL will win with your top two forwards being Gaudreau and Monahan. Watching Monny in the defensive zone is an albatross, away from the puck his head isn’t even on a swivel at times and loses his man. Notwithstanding his soft play all around. Not an impact player whatsoever when play gets tough.

Gaudreau is a huge disappointment and this series shows just how ineffective he is when the games get tighter and more physical. That one play when the game is on the line in OT was disgusting(in the blue line dzone, when the puck was close). Rather than get in there with jam, he gets scared and tries a half ass attempt to poke the puck. I’ve always admired guys with skill as he has but have despised the same player who has no heart and willing to do whatever it takes to win. Hated playing with and having guys like that on my teams growing up and it’s equally hard to cheer for players in that ilk on the Flames.

Trust me, as some players work extra hard playing with Gio, the same players on the team notice how Johnny and Monny mail it in just as much.

Bottom line the Flames played better this game but we’re still outplayed by the Avs. They didn’t deserve to win this game. Such a disappointment with the result, seeing how much Smith is battling. What a warrior.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

Can I ask you an honest question? How are we supposed to come to a different conclusion based on what we just saw these past 2 games?

Meh, they're not great, but it's been a hard fought series against a team with nothing to lose. 2 OT losses after last minute goals in the 3rd period to tie it. One awful performance that they had no business winning. This series could still easily be 3-1 for the Flames, even with how bad they've been.

I'm not looking at anything through rose-colored glasses here. It's been far below expectations.

And yet, I still fundamentally like this team and I think there are great things in their future. I'm not going to hand in my fan card because of this series.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

Came for the overreactions ... found them. Almost 300 of them so far, in fact. Wow. Holy moly, calm down.

The Flames burned themselves in part...but I thought tonight they played a pretty good game tonight.

You don't play a good game and give up 50 shots in fact it is rare to win any game giving up that many.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

I don't think it is wise to be trading players from a position of weakness after a terrible playoff series from everybody not named Mike Smith.

Best thing for this franchise might be for them to have a down year next season and miss the playoffs, but have Gaudreau and Monahan put up big points. Sell high at the deadline and hopefully get an impact prospect or two that can compliment Tkachuk and Lindholm

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

Came for the overreactions ... found them. Almost 300 of them so far, in fact. Wow. Holy moly, calm down.

The Flames burned themselves in part...but I thought tonight they played a pretty good game tonight. Missed a few great chances, gave up some and Smitty bailed them out.

Flames got a lesson and came to the table to play today...the fact that they couldn't play up to the required standard in OT -- now that is information for BT. What he will do about that, we'll see.

The fact that it took the Flames 4 games to figure out how to play in the playoffs -- now that's information for Peters. What he will do about that, we'll see.

Possibly a sad ending to a good season...but that is why they play the games.

I'm sorry but which games have you been watching? The Flames have been completely outclassed these past 2. How on earth can you argue otherwise?

They didn't learn how to play in the playoffs after their game 3 shellacking, yet for some reason you're convinced that they've learned how to play playoff hockey from game 4?

Clue in, this is a repeat of the Tampa series (aside from game 1).

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Scary Eloranta

I will never get optimistic about this team as long as we have this core. They don’t want it bad enough. Never did. What a sad franchise...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It’s garbage like your last scentence tgat turn a completely fine opinion into nothing more than petulant child whining cause he’s not getting his way.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

I will continue to beat this horse...

It's not the Avs zone entries that is causing the problem. It's not even their neutral zone play. It's the ease with which they're permitted zone exits.

You leave your end with speed, you get through the neutral zone with speed, and you attack the blue line with speed, and the defenders have to back off and leave a bigger gap. The sense that there has been an unending assault against the Flames zone is the result. The Avs never have the sense that they need to struggle to move the puck out of their end - they have time and they have options.

This all starts with the forecheck. When the Flames are playing two guys up ice, aggressively taking time away from the breakout, the whole game changes for them. This happens almost never. They're using one forechecker and they're keeping him high in the zone with an active stick rather than pressuring the Avs' D. This is a coaching problem and it's not at all clear to me why it has not been addresssed.

holy smokes this is it

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Just heart breaking that we gave up leads in two playoff games with three minutes to go.

That just cannot happen.

The weird thing is they talked about this during the season about how they couldn't just throw the puck back to the opposition; But here they are doing just that every time they a lead.

[Beninho]

Valimaki and Andersson should’ve been bumped to the second pair. Both Hanifin and Hamonic looked gassed and had poor games. Coughed up pucks all night and had no gap control on the winning goal.


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[Igottago]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

You know what I love about playoff PGTs? Seeing fans that literally haven't posted in years suddenly finding their voice to shout about how awful the Flames are.

Get bent. Your voices carry no weight around here.

Except at this moment they are correct and the team you are defending has left you shrieking in the cold.