[PGT] Series win Yeeeeaaaahhhh babbbyyyyyyy Flames win 4-0

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Coach

Yeah I’m not really really faulting him for it, just liking what he’s doing now that he seems more comfortable with his own decisions.

Sorry. I didn't mean to suggest that you were faulting him. But training camp and the play-in have really demonstrated to me just how difficult it can be to make the sorts of on-the-fly adjustments that so many fans pine for. It's interesting, is all. And it helps to explain why Ward's in-season performance was not as good as I think it could have been. He is proving right now that he just might be a better coach than many gave him credit for.

[Plett25]

I think Ward's decision process that led to starting with Talbot wasn't which goalie gave a better chance to win game 1. IMO Big Save Dave would have given the team the same chance of success.

It was about who would give the team a bigger lift coming off the bench. Ward was saving Dave's energy for a "Break glass in case of emergency" situation

[868904]

I haven't been a big fan of Ward, but I have been impressed with him in the qualifier.

The way he handled Maurice's comments was pure class and poise. He just exuded so much poise and I think that is important for the players to see that from their coach.

Then to learn that he made adjustments during the break and implemented them during training camp? I doubt many coaches had the balls to make a big change like that. Gio sounds like he was super impressed with the work that Ward put in during the break.

As for moving Bennett to centre the third line, that was probably luck due to Ryan's injury. But kudos for Ward's comments in the press after Game 4 to reinforce Bennett's confidence. Many of said that all Bennett needs is a coach who is in his corner. He hasn't had that since Hartley. Hopefully Bennett watched Ward's presser last night and takes the next step.

[Robbob]

Also, when Bennett took the silly penalty, the coach just threw him back out there. Seems like other coaches would bench him, whereas Ward is giving Bennett the chance to redeem himself. That has got to help Bennett and his confidence.

[Strange Brew]

It has to be rather cool inside the bubble as teams get eliminated and you’re one of the teams that remain behind. The players literally see the field being thinned out. And the next cut is drastic as half the teams will leave and you have to think it will feel dramatically different from the start with 12 teams.

[united]

OUTSTANDING way to cap off the series by the Flames. As I said in the pre-game thread, I was looking for two things: First and most importantly, win the game in any manner possible. Second, achieve a score-adjusted expected goal share above 60% given the state of the Jets.

Not only did the Flames accomplish both, they passed with flying colours. A score-adjusted expected goals share of 70% is damn impressive.


On the series as a whole, going into game one I was looking for the Flames to control score-adjusted expected goals to the tune of 55-61%. However, given what happened to the Jets in Game 1 you would expect the Flames to exceed those expectations.

In that sense, the Flames finishing with 57% for the series is just okay on the surface, however I think the context of Game 2 is important. I am not advocating arbitrarily removing a poor game from evaluation as that is, of course, cherry picking statistics for a results-based purpose. However, I believe that the Flames subconsciously did not show up to work in Game 2 as they had the Jets' losing their best player and number one centre, and a top-six winger, in the back of their minds and thought they could cruise without working and were given a wake-up call to the tune of the complete rebound beat-downs we saw in Games 3 and 4.

Game 1 was rust for all teams, Game 2 the Flames put in a shocker, and Game 3 and 4 they separated themselves with their combination of superior skill and put in the work needed too.

Great job by the boys!

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Sorry. I didn't mean to suggest that you were faulting him. But training camp and the play-in have really demonstrated to me just how difficult it can be to make the sorts of on-the-fly adjustments that so many fans pine for. It's interesting, is all. And it helps to explain why Ward's in-season performance was not as good as I think it could have been. He is proving right now that he just might be a better coach than many gave him credit for.

No need to be sorry. Yeah he had a tough situation coming in. A more experienced guy may have overshot making changes just to solidify “his team” or whatever. Trying to continue to roll with what Peters was doing made sense. His in-game adjustments I thought were lacking a bit, but it appears he’s got it going. Hopefully they can continue to play this way. Opponents will only get tougher.

[codynw]

I know we can't really know right now, but which teams are looking most likely for round one matchup at this point?

[mrchristy31]

As good as the Flames have played, I think some caution needs to be exercised. Winnipeg wasn't a deep team to begin with, and losing 2 of its top 3 would be backbreaking for even the deepest of teams. With that being said, the hockey the Flames are playing can't be entirely discounted or discredited.........but it will certainly take another gear to take on any of the top 4 (please be Dallas).

[woob]

Originally Posted by getbak

LOL, Stajan.

OK, that's hilarious.

[White Out 403]

Originally Posted by mrchristy31

As good as the Flames have played, I think some caution needs to be exercised. Winnipeg wasn't a deep team to begin with, and losing 2 of its top 3 would be backbreaking for even the deepest of teams. With that being said, the hockey the Flames are playing can't be entirely discounted or discredited.........but it will certainly take another gear to take on any of the top 4 (please be Dallas).

It would be super easy for me to come here and to throw water based on the above mentioned injuries, but, there's also a lot to be said about how the Flames responded in the last 2 games from a really bad game 2. Tkachuk, as much as I hate him and players like him, is a pain in the ass other teams will have to deal with, and he plays with high intensity and has a lot of skill that pests normally don't have. You can only beat the teams put in front of you and the Flames did that.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by mrchristy31

As good as the Flames have played, I think some caution needs to be exercised. Winnipeg wasn't a deep team to begin with, and losing 2 of its top 3 would be backbreaking for even the deepest of teams. With that being said, the hockey the Flames are playing can't be entirely discounted or discredited.........but it will certainly take another gear to take on any of the top 4 (please be Dallas).

This is the sort of thing that needs to be said when people are getting ahead of themselves. That is not what is happening here.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

It would be super easy for me to come here and to throw water based on the above mentioned injuries, but, there's also a lot to be said about how the Flames responded in the last 2 games from a really bad game 2. Tkachuk, as much as I hate him and players like him, is a pain in the ass other teams will have to deal with, and he plays with high intensity and has a lot of skill that pests normally don't have. You can only beat the teams put in front of you and the Flames did that.

You cannot imagine how begrudgingly painful it is for me to extend you my thanks, but you are right on point here.

The Jets deserve a tonne of credit for fighting as hard as they did to get this series as far as they did. But the Flames also looked really good in the last two games; games in which they should have looked really good.

How different would this series have been had Laine and Sheiffele remained healthy? Who can say? I am certain the outcome would have been much less lopsided, but I also still think that it probably would not have been enough for the Jets to prevail. I think you said it earlier: the Jets needed Hellebyuck to be the best player on the ice to win this series, and he was not. Injuries didn't do the Jets any favours, but they also didn't lose because of them.

[Wolfman]

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by Robbob

Also, when Bennett took the silly penalty, the coach just threw him back out there. Seems like other coaches would bench him, whereas Ward is giving Bennett the chance to redeem himself. That has got to help Bennett and his confidence.

Good coaches know they gotta let the Mustangs run even if they stumble a little bit. Every sport has its cases.

Throw an interception in the biggest game of your career? Get back out there.

[CroFlames]

I never noticed before but it looks like Mahomes has a belly haha.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by codynw

I know we can't really know right now, but which teams are looking most likely for round one matchup at this point?

The teams that look most likely to me are St Louis and Dallas. Hard to tell though. If Arizona wins their game today it's almost guaranteed the Flames won't be playing Colorado

[Monahammer]

Very happy with the whole team by and large- great series all around.

Now with that said...

I firmly believe that if you kept the roster the same except you subbed Hall in for Johnny, we would have won in 3 games.

I love JH but we must do this if we can.

[Calgary4LIfe]

This team has its' swagger back. They can play any way - skilled or physical, run-and-gun as well as boring trap/defensive. They are fast, they are tough, they are talented and they have solid goaltending that is capable of bailing them out of mistakes.


They didn't have any swagger about themselves this past season - perhaps a game or two here and there at most. Now they look confident, all 4 lines seem to be rolling, the defence is playing well, goaltending has great - this is a dangerous team. Are they a contender? I don't know, but they aren't an easy out either. They may be out next series regardless of who the opponent will be, but it wouldn't shock me to see them keep on rolling through either. This is a legitimately good team playing really solid playoff hockey. They seemingly don't have any 'holes' at the moment. Maybe their next opponent will expose some that we aren't seeing, maybe they won't.


While I say this, I also think that Gaudreau, Giordano and even Ryan have more to give based on even recent history - I don't think they have been playing even close to their best (but definitely not poor in the least). I think the PP could use more practices. I think some of the defensive assignments were missed too often this series. There is further room to improve. Point I am making is that this is not a team that is playing over their heads. This is a team that is playing well, playing as a team, rolling essentially 4 lines that are contributing, with a strong defence and a strong goalie.



Can't wait until the next series.



Anyone still with any doubts about the Lucic trade also needs to get their heads out of their butts. Neal was a no-show that complained about his ice-time last playoffs. Peters seemingly caved (arguably) and gave him more minutes, and Neal rewarded him with being a complete liability out there. He didn't contribute anywhere on the ice, at all. In fact, every line he played with suffered with him on it. Lucic might not be worth his contract, but he has provided a tonne of leadership, never complained about his usage, stood up for his teammates, skates his butt off to get back on defence (and is often there!), helps the Flames play a heavy forecheck, and is a point per game in the playoffs. By most metrics in this series that just wrapped up, Lucic is actually earning every penny of his salary when you think about it. That's fricken awesome.

[1Nite]

Originally Posted by Beatle17

Wait, i thought he was dead?

No just in a wheel chair after the amputation.