[PGT] WCQF Game 1: Flames 2 - Ducks 3

[ClubFlames]

http://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/127...ave-it-to-them

"Two power-play goals and a bad change, it's not like they really earned it that much. We kind of gave it to them," Elliott said postgame, according to The Canadian Press. "We clean things up, we'll take care of business."

Gives me more faith that the team will be more well prepared on Saturday.

[Spinach]

Originally Posted by Flaming Homer

I truly don't believe in this curse. Or that it's even in the players heads. Some of these guys haven't even played in the building more then 3 times. As much as we love the team it is constantly evolving. At this point it's a statistical anomaly. They are paid professionals if any of them are sitting there thinking "we just can't win here" or that there is some sort of curse then I want my money back.
Go Flames Go

It's a statistical anomaly that the players are probably getting reminded of every five minutes. That said, you're right: there's no chance guys like Versteeg, Stone, Elliot or Tkachuk are sitting there thinking, "well, now that we're Flames we'll never win here."

Even the younger core has no business dwelling on this Honda Centre crap. Granted, it's a tough building for all teams to play in, and the curse might cross the minds of the Gio's & the Backlund's. But it's hard to believe that the longtime Flames feel totally hopeless and helpless just because the game's in Anaheim.

And, let's face it, if the team had won even couple of times there in the last 10 (or whatever) years, there'd be no talk of a curse. It'd just be another place where the home team has the visitors' number, which you see all the time in pro sports.

[normtwofinger]

Discipline and the power play entry needs to be better. Also what the hell is up with Garrett being so against the Flames? I know he's a Vancouver homer, but it's very unprofessional.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by wingmaker

Yeah I don't really understand the out coached comments. Bad discipline was the problem, and that is on individuals making poor decisions.

Agreed. It's not as if GG told them to go out and take a bunch of stupid penalties.

[CliffFletcher]

Flames 37 per cent on face-offs. Hard to control the game when you give away the puck on two-thirds of stoppages in play.

Backlund 37 per cent
Monahan 33
Bennett 33
Stajan 38

Absolutely p0wned.

[Gaskal]

That line change still burns my ass this morning.

I hope Elliott gave the bottom pairing an earful for that. Not only did they make an idiotic judgement to come off, they impeded the fresh guys coming on to backcheck too. And Moose had made the first save, so if Gio had been there half a second earlier I think he could've helped clear the puck out of danger.

Remember when Glen was explaining the whole business about not talking to the team until the morning after, under the basis of "if I'm still cheesed off about it in the morning, then it's actually worth being angry over"? I think he gives the bottom pairing an earful for it too. Good lord that was stupid, and both those players have been in this league long enough to know better.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Rick M.

Agreed. It's not as if GG told them to go out and take a bunch of stupid penalties.

Coaching is about more than Xs and Os, it's about setting the tone and getting the players to follow the game plan. The alternative is guys like Hamilton are uncoachable, and are just gonna do whatever they want regardless of what the coach tells them. Frankly, that's more alarming.

[debil]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Flames 37 per cent on face-offs. Hard to control the game when you give away the puck on two-thirds of stoppages in play.

Backlund 37 per cent
Monahan 33
Bennett 33
Stajan 38

Absolutely p0wned.

strange, i was thinking monahan and backlund are superstar centers per expert pannel here.

[Five-hole]

So this is interesting. Gully was asked in his post-game presser whether a penalty shot should have been awarded for Kesler's antics in the dying seconds. It appears not, but the NHL should consider amending this rule:

Rule 63.5 - Penalty Shot
... If by reason of insufficient time in the regular playing time or by reason of penalties already imposed, the minor penalty assessed to a player for deliberately displacing his own goal post cannot be served in its entirety within the regular playing time of the game or at any time in overtime, a penalty shot shall be awarded against the offending team.

So you get a penalty shot if the defending team intentionally knocks the net off its pegs, but not if a guy sits on the puck to kill time. I see zero difference in the spirit of the rule. The outcome should be the same.

[868904]

Originally Posted by Saint Troy

Really like to hear Gulutzan explain Brouwer over Ferland on the PP, but then this staff refuses to use Hamilton on the top unit, baffling..

The Brouwer thing is a mystery, given Ferland's recent play, he should be in that spot.

As for Hamilton, he's on the second unit with Giordano and 3M. They are a 5 man unit and have been successful all season long. Why tinker with it?

As for the first unit, they've been successful too. Brodie is the best skater and he's the only defenceman on that unit. You need your best skating defenceman on that unit to defend against a short handed chance.

People need to get over this Brodie on the first unit thing. The powerplay was at 20% all season and that was even with the first half struggles. It's a good powerplay. Guess what the success rate of the power play was in Game 1?
20%!

Even in the Flames hayday, I think the MacInnis led PPs were only at the 25% success rate. The powerplay is fine, the two units are fine, they just need to execute. You don't go and make massive changes to the powerplay in the playoffs, you can tinker with it (Ferland for Brouwer), but you can't move Brodie and replace him with Hamilton or Gio, cause then you risk screwing up both units.

THe 5 on 3 was frustrating, but by that time, the rhythm of the top line had already been broken so much by the penalties the Flames took. The unit hadn't had a powerplay since the first period. I don't want to make excuses, but flow, rhythm and momentum are big factors.

The bottom line is, Flames can't take stupid undisciplined penalties. All 3 of Hamilton's penalties were stupid and unnecessary. The first two were just borne out of laziness. Why is he even swinging his stick at the guys legs? Swing it at his hands if you have to, we know they don't call that! Or better yet, why don't skate like a deer and rub him out against the boards with your 6'6" 215 pound frame?

It was a really brutal night for Hamilton. His penalties were the absolute worst of the 7. Bennett's penalty was pretty weak by the refs. The Engelland one was a dive by Perry. Bouma needed to be more careful on his. I don't recall Versteeg's penalty. Hamilton also had a few of his shots blocked, which is not the norm for him as he's usually good at getting the shot through.

[Stay Golden]

What worries me is that this group have been habitually fragile when they lose. They only seem to play with confidence win they win. When they win they ooze confidence and they win again. The 1st the Flsmes had a slight edge over ANA and the 2nd period the Flames were the better team but the pk did not get the job done. 3rd period the Ducks controlled the rest of the game.

Game 2 whether we want to admit or not has turned into a must win.

[hurtin_albertan]

I'm still mad.


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[EVERLAST]

Listening to the after hours from last night ....Hilarious..... worse than here but so far 4 calls in everyone needs to mix in a water.

Pat's being polite but wow. Drunky mcdrunkerson and all his buddies calling in ....You can smell the rye coming thru the radio.

Troy and Lance taking a beating so far but it's not on them ....Love listening to late late late call in shows as it really puts things that we worry about on CP to shame.

Can't wait for game #2 ......

[Flash Walken]

At this point I have huge concerns about Gaudreau.

2 years ago I thought he was going to be a datsyuk type player who generated the majority of his offense through tenacious defense. That player is basically gone at this point and that is exceptionally troubling because of how starkly ineffective he is when he isn't playing both sides of the puck.

More than anything else that is a very, very troubling indication for the future of the team.

What a waste of a great game from Monahan.

[EVERLAST]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

At this point I have huge concerns about Gaudreau.

2 years ago I thought he was going to be a datsyuk type player who generated the majority of his offense through tenacious defense. That player is basically gone at this point and that is exceptionally troubling because of how starkly ineffective he is when he isn't playing both sides of the puck.

More than anything else that is a very, very troubling indication for the future of the team.

What a waste of a great game from Monahan.

I'd love to sit Johnny down to watch Hakan Loob, Joe Mullen, Paul Byron for crying out loud.

All smaller players who could dominate with skill and or speed and weren't afraid of the contact.

The abuse they took was far greater than what Johnny sees today IMHO.

Oh well. What's the solution if Johnny wants to win hell change if not ...Huge disappointing situation.

[Sainters7]

I think Anaheim is just one of those teams Gaudreau struggles against. They just big and burly and always hacking and whacking at him and his hands in particular, I think it gets in his head and he plays a little wary around them because of it.

I still think Gaudreau will be an elite offensive weapon in this league for years, but as soon as we drew Anaheim I knew he'd be fairly invisible this series. Just one of those teams he disappears against; yet another reason everyone's sick about us drawing the friggin Ducks in the playoffs

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

I think Anaheim is just one of those teams Gaudreau struggles against. They just big and burly and always hacking and whacking at him and his hands in particular, I think it gets in his head and he plays a little wary around them because of it.

I still think Gaudreau will be an elite offensive weapon in this league for years, but as soon as we drew Anaheim I knew he'd be fairly invisible this series. Just one of those teams he disappears against; yet another reason everyone's sick about us drawing the friggin Ducks in the playoffs

Gaudreau used to feast on forcing neutral zone turnovers. I haven't seen that player since his first few games back from injury.

He is a 1.5 zone player right now and his work without the puck is garbage quite frankly.

I am not hugely down on the team, Hamilton had a rough game, but I feel like gaudreau is displaying all the wrong signs.

[taxbuster]

Thoughts after a night of rest:

Bad part: Flames were beaten too often behind their net getting to the puck. How many times did the puck get forced loose, only to have a Duck grab it behind the net and have opportunity after opportunity to do damage? Especially with little checking.

Good part: Flames did a great job blocking off the pass from the right side of the net cross-seam on the PK time and time again.

How to fix: Someone needs to think about playing back just a couple of feet to get on the back of net pucks faster. And someone else needs to be an outlet. Too many passes never got past a Duck at the blue line.

---

Bad part: Really, really, really bad dump-ins and poor passes at the offensive blue line/slot.

Good part: um, they didn't give up any great scoring chances doing that? (Well, except for THAT one....)

How to fix: Play smarter, keep the passes shorter, forget the stupid rim-arounds - the Ducks' D is too speedy. Better to carry and chip short.

---

And fer &**^^%'s sake stay out of the freaking box or giving the refs the opportunity to call stupid 50/50 penalties, because they'll do it every time.

[Sainters7]

Yeah I guess I was just referring to his offensive game, I just knew it'd be minimized when we got this draw. Agreed his consistent turnovers are an issue

[frodo_t_baggins]

After sleeping on it, I feel optimistic about last nights game. 2 years ago in game 1 vs the ducks, the flames were absolutely destroyed and I knew the flames had no chance. Last night, being down 3-2 with 5 minutes to go despite penalties being 7-2 and the flames gifting the ducks a goal was much better. With under 5 minutes, they had the ducks take 2 penalties which gave them a great chance to tie, it's just sad they couldn't pull it off. Before the game, I had no idea if the flames had a chance in this series but now I am confident they can do it if they cut down on the brain farts and become more disciplined. Excited for the next one. Go flames go!!

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