Notes from Nov 6 Practice: Ferland "Close" UPD: Ferland will join team on road trip

[1_Flames_Fan]

Did anyone see the article by Eric Francis in the Sun today. It was pretty rough on the Flames but I can't say it wasn't accurate. They really haven't been a fun team to watch this year, especially if you compare to last years team. I don't even care about wins that much as this is a part of the rebuild or whatever you want to call it but it would be nice to see the entire team put in a 100% effort every game. I don't think we are getting that and based on what tickets cost we definitely aren't getting our moneys worth. I don't know what the problem or the answer is and obviously neither do the Flames or they would have fixed it by now. Just hoping the effort comes and maybe the results will follow. If not its going to be a very long and difficult season for everyone.

[Wastedyouth]

Not as fun to watch because not as lucky.

That's basically the difference this season.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by FBI

Not sure why bennett is demoted.

Grant and Jooris promoted?

They played great yesterday.
The rest of the team was a little tentative.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by dammage79

If I recall Trelvings comments on the Engelland signing, the ticket price paid for leadership and stability. He's stable. Not the best at anything but certainly hasn't been the worst either. Big pirce to pay for a solid bottom pairing dude but whats done is done. And as Darren Haynes has pointed out, he's the least of CGY's problems right now. He's been steady eddie.

Treliving also said there was a bit of a bidding war for him.

[activeStick]

I think Hartley might be putting Bennett on the wing because perhaps the coaching staff is seeing some deficiencies in his defensive game and given the Flames issues with 4 goals against per game, maybe wants to shelter him a bit first.

[combustiblefuel]

Galchenyuk played on the wing for his first couple of seasons now Montreal is getting him to play centre. There was a reason for this to ease him in ro his role.


This has been used as a comparison to Bennet many times. It is not really a huge deal at this point in his career.

[JohnnyT]

Originally Posted by combustiblefuel

Galchenyuk played on the wing for his first couple of seasons now Montreal is getting him to play centre. There was a reason for this to ease him in ro his role.


This has been used as a comparison to Bennet many times. It is not really a huge deal at this point in his career.

I live with two Montreal fans so I see a lot of their games over the past couple of years and I think they left Chuck on the wing too long, 1 season is understandable, especially if it's sort of a rotating thing, but I asides from understanding defensive responsibly faceoffs are huge and the only way to get good at faceoffs in the NHL is take faceoffs in the NHL.

http://faceoffs.net/player/alex-galchenyuk For reference
Chucky has almost already taken more faceoffs this year than any year before and already more than his first two years combined. While his percentage isn't bad we can see by the splits that most of his wins are coming in the offensive zone and against other leth handed players.

Monahan has started rough this year but was nearly 50% in every category last with over 1000 faceoffs in both of his first two years

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by activeStick

I think Hartley might be putting Bennett on the wing because perhaps the coaching staff is seeing some deficiencies in his defensive game and given the Flames issues with 4 goals against per game, maybe wants to shelter him a bit first.

This. This is part 2 of 2 of my big issues with the Flames coaching staff so far this season.

You recently find some jam and success with the line combos of Gaudreau-Bennett-whoever and Hudler-Monahan-Frolik and run them for a couple of games, things look great and you can see things start going the right way. Then, because part one of my problem with the coaching staff plays a guy who cannot stop a beach ball in COL lets in a bunch of beach balls, you shake things up and everything looks sloppy again. Luck into playing a team somehow struggling even more than the Flames, scratch out a W and refuse to go back to what was actually gaining steam the day after said lucky win.


Bennett isn't the issue, the Gaudreau-Bennett line was sure as heck not the issue, even defensively. Why mess up something that was working? Because the sum of the parts dont make up the whole?

I scratch my head a lot this season. I'm actually quite surprised how pessimistic this has made me so far. I may just stop watching games for a couple of weeks. As Bryz always reminds me, "It's just game, why you hef to be mad?"

[JJ1532]

Originally Posted by dammage79

This. This is part 2 of 2 of my big issues with the Flames coaching staff so far this season.

You recently find some jam and success with the line combos of Gaudreau-Bennett-whoever and Hudler-Monahan-Frolik and run them for a couple of games, things look great and you can see things start going the right way. Then, because part one of my problem with the coaching staff plays a guy who cannot stop a beach ball in COL lets in a bunch of beach balls, you shake things up and everything looks sloppy again. Luck into playing a team somehow struggling even more than the Flames, scratch out a W and refuse to go back to what was actually gaining steam the day after said lucky win.


Bennett isn't the issue, the Gaudreau-Bennett line was sure as heck not the issue, even defensively. Why mess up something that was working? Because the sum of the parts dont make up the whole?

I scratch my head a lot this season. I'm actually quite surprised how pessimistic this has made me so far. I may just stop watching games for a couple of weeks. As Bryz always reminds me, "It's just game, why you hef to be mad?"

Yep, I fully agree with all of this.

Very disappointed in Hartley for the last game. Spent the entire game trying to find decent line combos(forgetting the ones that had worked offensively in the previous 4-5) and by the end of the game, he was still no closer to getting some spark from his forwards. Get Gaudreau-Bennett-Jooris together as line. They all play a fast game and all 3 have been arguably our best forwards over the last few games. You don't start changing something that has been working. You find something that works and as long as it continues to work, you leave it. Then you jiggle the rest of the pieces and see what falls into place.

At the moment, Hartley seems like a guy who is trying to play a whack-a-mole game and isn't getting anywhere at all. I like what he's done with the D pairings. Don't see how that could have played out any differently. Same with the goalies. Has done his best with an underperforming trio and a GM that should never have carried 3 into the season on the roster.

But the forwards, he doesn't seem to have a clue. If we play how we did against Philly, we'll get smoked tonight against the Pens.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Nothing hyperbolic about it.

Skating: Ferland is easily better than Bollig and it's not even close.
Puck handling/passing: Ferland better by quite a bit again.
Shot: Maybe just a slight edge to Ferland because I've seen Bollig get some decent shots off too.
Defensive acumen: Bollig maybe has a tiny, tiny edge on Ferland simply due to experience and playing under Quenneville.
Offensive acumen: Ferland, and again, it's not even close.
Checking ability: Ferland, even when he's not great he's a better hitter than Bollig.
Fighting (not that it matters): Bollig has a slight edge, but only due to experience. Ferland can really let 'em fly too.
NHL experience: Bollig. This is really the only thing he has going for him: he's been in the league longer.

Ferland was playing well below the level he's capable so far this year, and from what I've seen over his time here, the way Bollig is playing currently is the most he has to offer. I'd still rather have struggling Ferland over good Bollig any night.

That's my honest evaluation. If you don't like my opinion that's fine, but I don't see anything hyperbolic about what I said. Ferland has a much, much higher skill set than Bollig and he's much more versatile too. Ferland just lacks experience at the NHL level, so he makes mistakes now and then that Bollig doesn't. I can live with that.

I'm not really a Bollig hater either, it's just that he doesn't provide the team nearly as much as Ferland does currently, or possibly could in the future. Bollig is a serviceable 4th line pugilist veteran. That doesn't make him overly valuable.

It is hilarious to me that you think posting a more detailed account of your opinion, is evidence to support your over the top opinion.

I actually don't disagree with your opinion, based on what you wrote in this post, when Ferland plays well, he is a better and more talented player than Bollig, for many of the reasons you state. But even in your flawed presentment of your opinion as fact, you didn't even address the part of your initial statement that I objected to. I'm not objecting to Ferland being a better player, I'm objecting to your ridiculous claim that Ferlands worst game is better than Bolligs best. Even in pulling together your opinions of the players did you even come close to addressing why you think that's true.

[heep223]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

It is hilarious to me that you think posting a more detailed account of your opinion, is evidence to support your over the top opinion.



I actually don't disagree with your opinion, based on what you wrote in this post, when Ferland plays well, he is a better and more talented player than Bollig, for many of the reasons you state. But even in your flawed presentment of your opinion as fact, you didn't even address the part of your initial statement that I objected to. I'm not objecting to Ferland being a better player, I'm objecting to your ridiculous claim that Ferlands worst game is better than Bolligs best. Even in pulling together your opinions of the players did you even come close to addressing why you think that's true.

Using the exact same reasoning, you're saying that your opinion is more factual than CFF's opinion.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

^whatever. You're not adding anything very constructive here either. Don't bitch about what I write until you start doing so.

Edit: addressed to CSW.

[sureLoss]

@SUNGilbertson: #Flames LW Micheal Ferland (knee) will be on upcoming four-game trip. Sounds like it's a possibility he could play Tuesday at Florida.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Treliving also said there was a bit of a bidding war for him.

Team A: We'll give you 1.3
Team B: We'll give you 1.35
Team C: We'll give you 2.9

[ben voyonsdonc]

Originally Posted by Trailer Fire

The only problem I have with Engelland is when he plays with Wideman. Terrifying.

I think that is as much of a reflection on Wideman as it is on Engelland. Wideman has dragged down every pairing that he has been on this season.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by 1_Flames_Fan

Did anyone see the article by Eric Francis in the Sun today. It was pretty rough on the Flames but I can't say it wasn't accurate. They really haven't been a fun team to watch this year, especially if you compare to last years team. I don't even care about wins that much as this is a part of the rebuild or whatever you want to call it but it would be nice to see the entire team put in a 100% effort every game. I don't think we are getting that and based on what tickets cost we definitely aren't getting our moneys worth. I don't know what the problem or the answer is and obviously neither do the Flames or they would have fixed it by now. Just hoping the effort comes and maybe the results will follow. If not its going to be a very long and difficult season for everyone.

Meh. His account of the winning goal is pretty lame. That goal was a product of good fundamentals. Get pucks on goal and drive the net. The fact the goal bounced off a body part doesn't erase the fact that it happened because they did everything else right. Good fundamentals lead to those breaks. Our to put it another way...you make your own luck

[ricardodw]

Grant - Jooris and Ferland give the Flames a great 4th line. It would not be a panic situation if they got matched against against another teams top line.

Grant is what I like in a UFA signing - one year @ 700k. Even after him having a bad faceoff game against the Penguins he is 22-16 in face offs 58%... Might be worth some PK time it if he can win a faceoff on the PK.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Grant - Jooris and Ferland give the Flames a great 4th line. It would not be a panic situation if they got matched against against another teams top line.

Grant is what I like in a UFA signing - one year @ 700k. Even after him having a bad faceoff game against the Penguins he is 22-16 in face offs 58%... Might be worth some PK time it if he can win a faceoff on the PK.

Agreed. Ideally I'd like Ferland to be more then a 4th liner but if that is where he settles in it'll ok.

Grant has been a decent find. A guy who can actually win a faceoff.

Jooris needs to keep up the intensity and skate like theres no tomorrow.

[heep223]

I like Grant, wins draws and looks big out there and can skate

[Enoch Root]

I have been impressed with Grant in these past 2 games.

Really, really want Ferland back in the lineup.

Now that Backlund is playing better (and hopefully Monahan as well), replacing Raymond with Ferland would really round out the roster nicely.

This team is starting to look like the team we thought it was. Ferland will definitely help.