I find that pretty hard to believe. Pro athletes take the game very seriously these days and I bet 95% of NHL hockey players are in top physical condition year round.
I think if you compare fitness numbers from team to team, they are pretty even throughout the league.
The Flames were crazy high in their shooting percentages last year. I think their additions will help but I still am expecting them to slide back from where they finished last year.
Shocker.
There has been much talk about the torrid pace at which Hartley conducts Flames practices, and many opposing coaches and manager's who spoken about their work ethic.
Considering the lazy hockey you've been watching for the last few years, I can really see why you'd find it a foreign concept.
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The main difference is that Calgary looked at the potential holes in their game and team and filled them. Poor puck possession team, get Hamilton & Frolik.
Leafs and Avs did practically nothing adress their potential weaknesses.
That is the main difference.
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I think the Corsi issue is overstated based on the style of game the Flames play but I still think they overachieved last year. With the summer moves I think they end up in about the same place as last year but in more of a 'never in doubt' kind of way.
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With the addition of Hamilton to the D core and Frolik up front I think the course is set to be the same or even rise. I have a feeling that Ramo is going to have a really good year between the pipes and that Hiller will be moved before the deadline.
There has been much talk about the torrid pace at which Hartley conducts Flames practices, and many opposing coaches and manager's who spoken about their work ethic.
Considering the lazy hockey you've been watching for the last few years, I can really see why you'd find it a foreign concept.
Not to mention that pretty much every player that has left to Oilers (to any other team) has mentioned hard much harder those other teams practice. Smid, Petry, Dubnyk, Gagner, all made mention of this after moving to other teams.
In terms of shooting percentage there are some players that have a higher percentage due to their style of play, picking the right shot, and making that extra pass. Hudler fits this bill as he has a high career shooting percentage, Monahan has done it in both his career seasons, and Gaudreau is the type of guy that will always have a higher shooting percentage.
Really the only guys who I think will have a shooting percentage that is sure to regress are Bouma and Jooris. Other guys are around career averages, or play with styles that lead to a higher shooting percentage.
The other thing with shooting percentage is that this is already a trend for the Flames. 9.9%, 9.2%, and 10.5% the last three seasons and always in the top third of the league (aka all three years playing under Hartley). So maybe their style of play does attest to having a slightly higher than average shooting percentage.
The real risk for the Flames was the comebacks. They gained a lot of points in the fashion of a miraculous comeback, and really that isn't a sustainable trend in the NHL. The real improvements they need to make are in having better starts and not getting behind in games. The fitness in the third helped attribute to those comebacks, but in the end teams will start to find a way to lock down a lead.
Last edited by SuperMatt18; 08-28-2015 at 08:12 AM.
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I find that pretty hard to believe. Pro athletes take the game very seriously these days and I bet 95% of NHL hockey players are in top physical condition year round.
I think if you compare fitness numbers from team to team, they are pretty even throughout the league.
The Flames were crazy high in their shooting percentages last year. I think their additions will help but I still am expecting them to slide back from where they finished last year.
There's a difference between fitness levels as measured by testing, and being in game shape as a unit. The fitness levels are gained in the off season with training regimens that, as you said, almost all NHLers will take part of. But the game shape is gained in practices, and those differ from team-to-team.
Not to mention that pretty much every player that has left to Oilers (to any other team) has mentioned hard much harder those other teams practice. Smid, Petry, Dubnyk, Gagner, all made mention of this after moving to other teams.
And Glencross intimated that the Caps practices were way easier (he said more fun or something like that). I don't see Trotz as being a particularly soft coach so Hartley must be a real taskmaster.
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The year after those teams all made the playoffs they each made a big splash in free agency with a winger. Toronto signed the horrible Clarkson deal which speaks for itself. The Avs signed a 37 year old Jarone Iginla who had a pretty good year last year. Flames add Frolik who appears to be a great fit on paper.
All 3 teams had young players they hope would improve to get past the poor advanced stats. Toronto made it in a shortened year and possibly would not have made the playoffs if the season was 82 games. The Avs were still a 90pt team but also were division winners when they made it. Flames squeaked in as the 16th placed team but avoided a wildcard spot and were able to face an easy first round opponent.
2 things that Calgary will have next year that I think puts them above the Avs and Leafs in their poor fall back years are Hamilton and Bennett. Neither the Leafs or Avs added a player that is the calibre of Dougie Hamilton the offseason after their fluke year. Hamilton was the exact player Calgary was missing last year. Also neither the Leafs or Avs had a prospect like Sam Bennett who was ready to step in as a top 6 forward with a dynamic skill set.
I'm concerned as to whether or not Gio will be 100% this season, given his injury. That's probably the biggest question mark as to whether or not the Flames will regress in my mind. A healthy Gio makes the biggest impact on this team. After that, we need secondary scoring depth as the rest of the league will be looking to shutdown the Monahan line. So hoping for big things from Bennett, Frolik, etc.
I find that pretty hard to believe. Pro athletes take the game very seriously these days and I bet 95% of NHL hockey players are in top physical condition year round.
I think if you compare fitness numbers from team to team, they are pretty even throughout the league.
The Flames were crazy high in their shooting percentages last year. I think their additions will help but I still am expecting them to slide back from where they finished last year.
A big change this year is I think teams will push the Flames even when they are winning. I think a lot of the struggles the Flames had last year was when teams pushed hard up the ice and fore checked.
I don't think anyone will be taking the Flames lightly this year after last year.
I'm concerned as to whether or not Gio will be 100% this season, given his injury. That's probably the biggest question mark as to whether or not the Flames will regress in my mind. A healthy Gio makes the biggest impact on this team. After that, we need secondary scoring depth as the rest of the league will be looking to shutdown the Monahan line. So hoping for big things from Bennett, Frolik, etc.
From all sources, the bicep will be 100%.
The Flames did pretty darn good without Gio for 25 games. So I don't think the team relies on him as much as some think.
Hard to say what would've happened if the Flames stayed pat, but they have bolstered the defense with a very good addition in Hamilton and Frolik who is an excellent 2-way forward.
IMO they will produce more offense next season as top line youngsters mature, and Bennett pushes a less productive forward down the depth chart.
Defense will be better.
And goal tending was not a problem last year. It could be improved a bit, but with better players in front of the goalies the results should be better even if the goalie talent stays the same.
Now please crawl back into that rancid hole you came out of.
The trainer in the article you site was with the LA Kings during both of their cup wins.
Kings goals by period in that time period:
2012 P1-54 P2-73 P3-58
2013 P1-34 P2-52 P3-44
2014 P1-66 P2-55 P3-73
After Van Asten left:
2015 P1-65 P2-70 P3-82
The LA Kings actually had their best season in terms of third period goals after Van Asten left.
Look at some other teams that stayed very constant in terms of core, and coach over the last four seasons.
Boston
2012 P3- 108 goals (1st in league)
2013 P3- 39 (19th in league)
2014 P3- 104 (1st in league)
2015 P3- 56 (28th in league)
Goal scoring in the third period doesn't really look like a repeatable skill.
It mostly jumps all over even when a lot of the other variables around a team remain the same.
So I'm not saying that the Flames weren't in great shape, and didn't have hard practices. It's just unlikely that they were in so much better shape than every other team that that would translate into a distinct advantage on the ice.
So I'm not saying that the Flames weren't in great shape, and didn't have hard practices. It's just unlikely that they were in so much better shape than every other team that that would translate into a distinct advantage on the ice.
I really don't think anyone here is bothered with the fact you don't think that.
It's been noted the pace at which they conduct practices, and opposing teams' management and coaching staffs have pointed out how hard they work.
To brass tax it, you're someone who comes here with a deep underlaying need to lash out because of how insecure you are about having watched such terrible Oiler hockey for so long that you feel compelled to criticize anything Calgary related.
This is really a strange area to do that in.
Calgary's worth ethic was one of the best in the league the last year, and no matter what happens, it's not going to be a sudden issue.
I'd move on and try to grasp at another straw if I were you, because picking at the Flames overall work ethic and trying to (laughably) use advance stats to downplay the strength and conditioning coach is really on the verge of being sad.
Well done spending 45 minutes trying to prove an NHL article wrong Oil Stain. That is quite the joke of a rebuttal, but I'd expect nothing less from a pathetic Oiler fan.
So I'm not saying that the Flames weren't in great shape, and didn't have hard practices. It's just unlikely that they were in so much better shape than every other team that that would translate into a distinct advantage on the ice.
Effort is really the only thing you can control in the game. How long you can sustain a hard effort has everything to do with conditioning. So yes, if you are a better conditioned team than your opponent, it is a distinct advantage.
