What I like about Smith, is that he holds his team accountable and isn't afraid to let them know what he's seeing them do wrong. After last night I expect he had a few words about staying out of his lane and letting him play the shot. Its a getting to know you process, and one I expect to be worked out in short order.
A few times in the offensive zone, Versteeg and Bennett would be battling for the puck along the boards, or cycling it between the two of them and the D, and Brouwer would just be standing around, in no-mans land. It's like he had no idea where to be or what to do. They didn't seem all that interested in involving him, either.
For a guy in the "best shape of his life" and who has "something to prove" he sure spends a lot of time standing still or gliding aimlessly.
__________________ "I think the eye test is still good, but analytics can sure give you confirmation: what you see...is that what you really believe?" Scotty Bowman, 0 NHL games played
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Mike Commodore @commie22
Even though it's just preseason..I feel like The Flames need a decisive victory Saturday night after laying that egg in Vancouver yesterday.
For all of those people shrugging this off as "just preseason", Gully is not taking it lightly. He said that he thinks the team is just expecting that results will come without having to work for them.
I recall a similar storythe year we ended up drafting Matt Tkachuk. We made the playoffs the year before by working our asses off every game, and over the summer somehow decided we were talented enough to coast to the playoffs. Obviously, we were (and are) not.
We make the playoffs then add Hamonic and evidently this team thinks its good enough to coast and still get results.
This team has been 100% listless and lazy this preseason and the results show it. For a team that has won one season opener since the 2004-05 lockout, it's completely inexcusable. I would currently bet a large chunk of change that we're going to be embarrassed by the Oilers next week as I have seen absolutely nothing in the last 12 years that suggests this team knows how to get ready for the start of a season.
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Our bad October is what allowed Edmonton to beat us in the standings last season, I never want to be under that #### stain of a team so a good October is neccesary, getting off the season right is something this team hasn't done in years, it's time they show up in October for once.
For a guy in the "best shape of his life" and who has "something to prove" he sure spends a lot of time standing still or gliding aimlessly.
This has always been Brouwer in a nutshell. He's not a girtty, hard nosed player unless he suddenly decides he's ready to get involved. He's a big body with marginal skills that has made a career of feeding off of better players around him.
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I hate to tell you this, but I’ve just launched an air biscuit
For all of those people shrugging this off as "just preseason", Gully is not taking it lightly. He said that he thinks the team is just expecting that results will come without having to work for them.
Which is why I think the last pre-season game you will see a totally different attitude and effort. Love Gully and I think he will nip this in the bud before Wednesday.
I mean...if Gully wants to heave all the sticks into the showers and ream out the players then by all means...but with the rate at which those garbage composite sticks break, would be a costly display...
Yeah I don't see the value in starting vets on Wednesday when you have two young fast players that - while maybe not seasoned - aren't going to hurt you playing 10 minutes in that game. The only reason I see for the 4th line is a concern over not having last change in Edmonton and seeing Jankowski or Lazar exposed.
Same lines and D pairings in practice this afternoon as last night's game.
Can't say I'm a huge fan, but it's looking like the opening night roster.
I can't believe Glass and Freddie would be ahead of Janko or even Hathaway or Lazar?
Glass has played well but he is truly the only guy fighting for his livelihood in this camp. If he gets cut he could be out of the league which is fueling him now.
I would much rather see a Hathaway-Jankowski-Lazar 4th line
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He said that he thinks the team is just expecting that results will come without having to work for them.
Sounds like they’re taking a page out of Kings playbook. Maybe they asked the canucks to spot them 5 goals at the beginning of the game and then decided they weren’t going to try since the caucks refused. Gio will probably release a statement today blaming the whole thing on the canucks organization and reqest for Henrik be removed as captain.
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The Delhi police have announced the formation of a crack team dedicated to nabbing the elusive 'Monkey Man' and offered a reward for his -- or its -- capture.
