[Game Takes] Stars 2 Flames 1 (Dallas Leads series 3-2)

[Five-hole]

This team appears to be unable to hold swagger for long stretches. The one exception was the first 2/3rds of the 2018-2019 season, when the top line was dominant and Gio was playing the hockey that got him the Norris.

That faded, and became more inconsistent in the last 1/3rd of that season. They had it in Game 1 vs the Avs, got rattled by the OT loss in Game 2 and we all know what happened. The team was hanging on for dear life after that.

While the team was still in a playoff position much of this year, they rarely had that confidence. Particularly the top line.

They had it vs the Jets, and arguably game 1 vs the Stars. It hasn't been back since the Stars stepped up their game in Game 2.

Not sure if you can peg that all on leadership or if the sum total of the guys in the room just aren't those kinds of players. The 03-04 Flames would lose playoff games, and some of them were stinkers (game 2 Detroit, game 3 and 4 SJ come to mind). Others were total heartbreakers (game 6 Van). But they always came back the next game and played their hearts out. (At least until the Game That Shall Not Be Named.)

Where is that resilience with this group? The resolve? The leadership? The coaching?

If the Flames bow out of this series, it's something Treliving had better address, or this team will never have any playoff success. Every team in the playoffs is talented. It's not about talent at that point, it's about grit and determination, and we just don't seem to have it.

[Flames0910]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Yeah it was interesting to hear Ward say that first period was the first time he's seen his team jittery since the return to play started.

Ya that's a good callout Bingo... and also so true. People harp on Game 3 and Game 4 where they were outclassed / playing not to lose, but the first period of the last game IMO was the first time in the series where they looked lost—like they forgot how to play and legitimately didn't know what to do anymore.

IMO they're scared of losing. They thought they had a winnable series, but now they're faced with the possibility that they might lose out again. They want desperately to prevent that from happening but they don't know how anymore... because when they give it everything they've got, Dallas seems to have all the answers.

I really hate to say it because I'm holding out hope for a game 6 miracle followed by a coin flip for game 7, but it's probably time to move on from this core and re-tool. They don't have what it takes.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Regardless of any nonsensical reasoning the coach may have in his head it's clearly wrong, wrong, wrong to ice what's probably the worst player left in the bubble.

A player getting 5 minutes of icetime isn't worth having in the lineup.

I don't think that's a Geoff Ward decision frankly, the reason Rinaldo is on the team in the first place is because the GM philosophy for building a team is from 1998.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

A player getting 5 minutes of icetime isn't worth having in the lineup.

I don't think that's a Geoff Ward decision frankly, the reason Rinaldo is on the team in the first place is because the GM philosophy for building a team is from 1998.

I agree that Rinaldo is on the roster because the GM does share some long on the tooth philosophies with Burke but I don't think he is telling the coach to play him over Jankowski. That's on Ward.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I agree that Rinaldo is on the roster because the GM does share some long on the tooth philosophies with Burke but I don't think he is telling the coach to play him over Jankowski. That's on Ward.

You think it was Ward that was playing Buddy Robinson too?

I dunno man. I truly do not think Ward is deciding to play a guy who sucks over a guy that Ward seems to love killing penalties.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I agree that Rinaldo is on the roster because the GM does share some long on the tooth philosophies with Burke but I don't think he is telling the coach to play him over Jankowski. That's on Ward.

That's how I see it.

If the GM was meddling to that degree we would have seen it more with his failed UFA signings getting a better chance to redeem him.