Practice Notes - Nov 3

[taxbuster]

Already getting tired of "the new coach is terrible" all of 10 games into his tenure.

Oh...along with "the new GM is terrible".

"The owner is terrible" is fine.

[Freddy]

I find it refreshing the Flames are utilizing the benefits of having their AHL affiliate in the same city by plugging in Heat players on a roll. I remember Sutter talking about how important it is to constantly have competition in the roster and with the Flames struggling it’s a perfect opportunity to see if anyone on the farm can step in and show they can play in the NHL. Walker Duehr illustrated how the opportunity can be grasped last year and Zary had a phenomenal debut last game. I’m pulling for Pospisil and hope he has what it takes to stick.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

Already getting tired of "the new coach is terrible" all of 10 games into his tenure.

Oh...along with "the new GM is terrible".

"The owner is terrible" is fine.

Well I think we can all agree the team's record so far is terrible. Everyone that has a hand in it stinks including Treliving.

[Strange Brew]

I know all the cool kids blame Edwards for the current state of affairs. And maybe rightfully so.

But it sure seems like the GM was ready to sign one player, if not 2, to some big money eight year deals and it’s the owner who put a pause on that. I’m kind of happy about that.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I know all the cool kids blame Edwards for the current state of affairs. And maybe rightfully so.

But it sure seems like the GM was ready to sign one player, if not 2, to some big money eight year deals and it’s the owner who put a pause on that. I’m kind of happy about that.

Or the GM has been pushing for retool and looking for ownership support...

[Flamesfan05]

Hunt is the new Lewis except worse

[Savvy27]

Originally Posted by 868904

It was pretty stupid to have Coronato playing centre between Walker and Greer last game. That line got caved in. Were caught out against the Stars top line twice and were lucky they didn't get scored on. Huska benched them after that, but it really wasn't the players fault there. Why did he put a rookie winger at centre between two AHL/NHL tweeners? What did he expect was going to happen? Of course DeBoer was going to try and take advantage of that situation.

He could have easily had Sharagovich centre that line, which has been effective, and had Coronato with Kadri and Zary.

They were hemmed in for extended periods twice in the second period with Oesterle and Gilbert on the ice. Once, I understand as maybe it was just how the flow of the game went for the lines, but it's on the coaches for allowing it to happen again just a few minutes later.

Anyways, these lines are pretty good. Hopefully the Kadri line sustains their play as they were awesome against Dallas. The Lindholm line is at least outchancing and outscoring opponents, even if it doesn't feel like it's working. I prefer Dube at C, so hopefully this time it sticks for a while and he is able to help that group get back to the strong play in the first few games.

I was listening to Flames talk discuss sending Coronato down and they made a pretty decent case for it. I'd love to see him get back to scoring and playing top line minutes. I was also thinking that it would be good for him to have some familiarity with the players and staff of the Wranglers in case he ends up going down for a Calder Cup chase at the end of the season.

[Kolsch]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Today? He just is.

It seems like your hate is directed at Huska, personally. Shouldn't it be at the flames and their GM for hiring him?

Besides his coaching record, which you obviously think is pitiful, has Huska done something that rubbed you the wrong way? You have way more info than most of us, so is there something else we can know about the absolute certainty in your disdain of him?

I'm personally rooting for Huska because he seems like he has a really good demeanor for a coach, and I think the players will buy in. It has obviously looked rough out there to start, but a brand new head coach probably needs a full year to really get established.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Well I think we can all agree the team's record so far is terrible. Everyone that has a hand in it stinks including Treliving.

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I know all the cool kids blame Edwards for the current state of affairs. And maybe rightfully so.

But it sure seems like the GM was ready to sign one player, if not 2, to some big money eight year deals and it’s the owner who put a pause on that. I’m kind of happy about that.

It's always good to see vigilantes hanging people based on media reports, supposition and innuendo. But hey...fill yer boots!

If you're cleaning up a pile of dog poop, guess what? Your hands are gonna get dirty and you're likely going to smell ... "stinky".

And I'm glad that it "seems like the GM" was gonna do something that never happened, so..um...who knows? No idea whether they were big money, little money, short term or long. But hang him for talking to guys!!

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Kolsch

It seems like your hate is directed at Huska, personally. Shouldn't it be at the flames and their GM for hiring him?

Besides his coaching record, which you obviously think is pitiful, has Huska done something that rubbed you the wrong way? You have way more info than most of us, so is there something else we can know about the absolute certainty in your disdain of him?

I'm personally rooting for Huska because he seems like he has a really good demeanor for a coach, and I think the players will buy in. It has obviously looked rough out there to start, but a brand new head coach probably needs a full year to really get established.

I don't hate Huska, I just never saw anything to indicate he would ever be a good head coach. This is a roster that needs an offensive minded coach to get the most out of it and Huska is the opposite of that. As I stated back in May when we were debating who should be coach, Huska will use the same system in the o zone that didn't work for this team last year and low and behold, here we are. If they would have kept him as an assistant in charge of the defence and penalty kill you wouldn't hear me say boo about him because that is what he is qualified for. Like Conroy, I love the guy but he absolutely dropped the ball when he knew he had to play a more offensive creative brand with this group and especially Huberdeau and Andrew Brunette was right freakin there! That is an absolute no brainer to offer him the job right after Sutter was gone. Instead they decided to go the bargain bin route and even at that they had a young coach who had actually done really well in the AHL and they let him walk to keep a guy who has shown much less. The only thing Huska does really well is talking, he could sell an ice machine to an Eskimo. Even I was doubting my take on him listening to him talk before the season started and I so wanted him to prove me wrong! It was all smoke and mirrors though, he simply changed the D from man to zone and that is it,everything else is the same except for Darryl's stupid comments. People constantly bitch about Huberdeau and Kadri and how they suck now and the roster has no talent and blah blah blah and it is bull####. These guys are still high end players, they have been their whole careers, there is plenty of creative talent on this team, this roster is easily a playoff team on paper but you have to put them in a position to succeed. The system a team plays has to fit the roster or you are not going to win games. I would bet good money if you used this system with the Colorado Avalanche their record would be as abysmal as our is right now, I have no doubt.

[sureLoss]

Huh, the Flames gave Pospisil #21. Guess that means Rooney is out for the season?

https://twitter.com/user/status/1720516193768108357

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I don't hate Huska, I just never saw anything to indicate he would ever be a good head coach. This is a roster that needs an offensive minded coach to get the most out of it and Huska is the opposite of that. As I stated back in May when we were debating who should be coach, Huska will use the same system in the o zone that didn't work for this team last year and low and behold, here we are. If they would have kept him as an assistant in charge of the defence and penalty kill you wouldn't hear me say boo about him because that is what he is qualified for. Like Conroy, I love the guy but he absolutely dropped the ball when he knew he had to play a more offensive creative brand with this group and especially Huberdeau and Andrew Brunette was right freakin there! That is an absolute no brainer to offer him the job right after Sutter was gone. Instead they decided to go the bargain bin route and even at that they had a young coach who had actually done really well in the AHL and they let him walk to keep a guy who has shown much less. The only thing Huska does really well is talking, he could sell an ice machine to an Eskimo. Even I was doubting my take on him listening to him talk before the season started and I so wanted him to prove me wrong! It was all smoke and mirrors though, he simply changed the D from man to zone and that is it,everything else is the same except for Darryl's stupid comments. People constantly bitch about Huberdeau and Kadri and how they suck now and the roster has no talent and blah blah blah and it is bull####. These guys are still high end players, they have been their whole careers, there is plenty of creative talent on this team, this roster is easily a playoff team on paper but you have to put them in a position to succeed. The system a team plays has to fit the roster or you are not going to win games. I would bet good money if you used this system with the Colorado Avalanche their record would be as abysmal as our is right now, I have no doubt.

I feel like he duped us.

He talked the talk, and hes a good guy and coaches a great PK but all the talk about allowing creativity etc was a lie.

The hiring of Savard gave me more hope, but it seems like he is not allowing it.

I didn't want him as head coach because it felt like more of the same minus the Sutter mental abuse.

[1qqaaz]

Well, if the Flames are going to get a lottery pick, I'm fine with Huska leading the team for the foreseeable future. He seems to still be pretty decent with development and giving young guys a chance.

He doesn't get results, and have has (at the professional level), but if the players are learning, it could still make sense long term.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Huh, the Flames gave Pospisil #21. Guess that means Rooney is out for the season?

https://twitter.com/user/status/1720516193768108357

That's so rough if true

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Personally, I would like to see the team playing a little better before I put Wolf behind them.

What I would be doing right now is playing Vladar regularly, to get him going, in order to build up his value.

I say keep riding Markstrom. He has been doing well, and maybe you can trade him instead for value, if he continues to do well. Markstrom may be the better mentor, or perhaps you run a 1B-1B combo with Wolf and Vladar next season. If the Flames are not going to win this season, and if the retool (or rebuild) ends up being a step back or two into a much younger, but not 'win now ready' team, maybe trading Markstrom would be the better plan (if possible).


Markstrom's value as a mentor has value too. I see a case for either scenario is what I am trying to say, I guess.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Unless Huska's system consists of turning the puck over at either blue line and failing to connect even rudimentary passes, I don't think you can blame the system at this point.

Even if the system is dump and chase, they aren't doing that well either. They fail to get the puck deep and then don't force the D with a steady forecheck. (I think dump and chase gets a bad rap; it can be fast and exciting hockey, but execution needs to be flawless). That Dallas game was unbelievable in the contrast between Dallas exiting the zone and Calgary failing to do so. (Too be fair, Calgary did much better in the 3rd).

[Great Save Tanev]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Huh, the Flames gave Pospisil #21. Guess that means Rooney is out for the season?

https://twitter.com/user/status/1720516193768108357

Great now I have to get my jersey altered.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

Already getting tired of "the new coach is terrible" all of 10 games into his tenure.

Oh...along with "the new GM is terrible".

"The owner is terrible" is fine.

The contradiction is

"roster is terrible"
"coach is terrible"

I have yet to see a coach do well with a terrible roster...there have been a few times goalies have bailed a coach out

Babcock was the greatest coach ever in Detroit and on team Canada and then the Leafs were 31st overall

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

Unless Huska's system consists of turning the puck over at either blue line and failing to connect even rudimentary passes, I don't think you can blame the system at this point.

Even if the system is dump and chase, they aren't doing that well either. They fail to get the puck deep and then don't force the D with a steady forecheck. (I think dump and chase gets a bad rap; it can be fast and exciting hockey, but execution needs to be flawless). That Dallas game was unbelievable in the contrast between Dallas exiting the zone and Calgary failing to do so. (Too be fair, Calgary did much better in the 3rd).

They could practice "passing". I understand it's a fundamental skill and they seem to lack it. Frequently.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Has anyone seen a Huska practice? Are they practicing at game-speed, or is it slow like Gulutzan/Ward practices? Could explain why they have trouble executing passes if they are practicing at a slower pace than game-speed.