[PGT] Chicago 5 - Calgary 3

[Flash Walken]

The reason most players like playing off the rush is that it's easier and more fun than skating hard, battling to hold onto a pick, making a series of passes a s battling for rebounds and loose pucks.

The reason you see that style of play when desperation sets in is because the desperation has set in.

Drop passes off the rush inside the blueline are easy.

Battling 2 guys outside the crease to chop at the 3rd rebound is really hard.

Coaches want their players to play hard all the time. That mystery element we all love about tkachuk? He plays hard.

The mystery about why Bennett can't play like he does when he's successful? Because it's really hard. He wants to be an off the rush player, but he isn't. He has to work really hard to produce. Sacrifice his body, literally, to make plays driving the net and making hits.

It's hard to play like that, but it's basically impossible when the top guys aren't playing like that, especially when they keep getting minutes no matter what.

Pat Kane worked way harder tonight than Gaudreau, it was obvious.

You can't win consistently on talent alone.

[driveway]

First game I've had the chance to actually attend in years and they play the worst hockey I've ever seen in the first period.

Thanks guys, real glad I didn't pay $200+ for each of those tickets.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Rittich is not a number one goalie. Period.

Treliving disagrees. Literally put all his eggs in this basket. How many goalies have changed jerseys in the 5 years treliving has been gm.

But hamonic was worth how many 1st/2nd rounders? Neal... Lucic...

Granted, Hanafin/Lindholm deal were great, but the unwillingness to fix the goaltending is annoying.

I actually think Talbot may be better than rittich but dumbAss coaches will leave that an unsolved mystery.

[Caged Great]

This boils down to the Flames not respecting their opponents. The teams they face from now until the end of February are all bad pretty much with a couple of exceptions. It seems like they feel that those are easy points, don't try and then oh crap it's 3-0.

This team needs to get their head out of their posterior and realize that all teams are capable of being good except the Oilers. In order to actually win or make the playoffs, they need to try for more than the last 5 minutes.

if they actually try, they might win. I also wonder why they don't do the things that make them successful in the final 5 minutes all the time. The way they approach the game is entirely different.

[Dion]

I question the leadership group on this team. That's 2 games in a row where they've had starts where their collective heads are not in the game. No acceptable.

[Poe969]

Wait, what about the whole "its only one game, they're still close" and all that crap?

This team isn't good enough. Make changes.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

This boils down to the Flames not respecting their opponents. The teams they face from now until the end of February are all bad pretty much with a couple of exceptions. It seems like they feel that those are easy points, don't try and then oh crap it's 3-0.

This team needs to get their head out of their posterior and realize that all teams are capable of being good except the Oilers. In order to actually win or make the playoffs, they need to try for more than the last 5 minutes.

if they actually try, they might win. I also wonder why they don't do the things that make them successful in the final 5 minutes all the time. The way they approach the game is entirely different.

I think the way you have worded your post is interesting. 'You are better than your opponents, so play like it'.

That is the fundamental problem with the team, and us as fans.

There's the actual Few good teams in the league, the few garbage dwelling teams, then everybody else.

Flames are everybody else. The gm and the fans try to jump to the team being any better WAY too soon. I mean we're fans, what do we know.

However, trading away multiple 1st/2nd round picks for hamonic after beating being above average, especially if anyone pays attention to advanced stats?

Going into this season with your biggest move being bringing in lucic???

The team is mediocre. This team is WAY worse than last year. We aren't talking about it enough, but Giordano had fallen off a cliff. He's TERRIBLE this year. He wins barely any board battles now, and his shot doesn't get past the chin pads of the opposition forwards.

If the flames were smart they would maximize return on Giordano and backlund and perhaps gaudreau But they are not smart, they are stupid ( not opinion but observations made over 30 years).

[Otto-matic]

Originally Posted by Dion

I question the leadership group on this team. That's 2 games in a row where they've had starts where their collective heads are not in the game. No acceptable.

The whole season the team seems like its starting 20 mins late. Getting pretty tired of this skip 55 mins of a game and play 5 and hope to win.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by Otto-matic

The whole season the team seems like its starting 20 mins late. Getting pretty tired of this skip 55 mins of a game and play 5 and hope to win.

That's not fair.

I mean how many games have they had OK to brilliant first periods only to forget to play the 2nd period?

[Otto-matic]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

That's not fair.

I mean how many games have they had OK to brilliant first periods only to forget to play the 2nd period?

I just don't remember seeing a team being this poor at being consistent for an entire game.

We've had what maybe a dozen complete games this season?

[shadowlord]

Originally Posted by browna

8 shifts for Eatbread in first, 4 in second, 0 in third.
Backlund and his 2 terrible giveaways on the same shift in not really caring about clearing his zone didn’t even blip his ice time.

The team played way better when the original lines were reassembled in the third period and pushing for the equalizer. I can't disagree with the coach's ice time allocation on that one.

Mangiapane's fly-by stick swing on Kane when he scored the 3-0 goal, and that whole shift in the second period that he spent waiting for the breakaway pass while Chicago kept bringing the puck into the Flames zone multiple times leaving Tkachuk and Lindholm to do a 2-man transition game twice... it wasn't a good game for him.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by Otto-matic

I just don't remember seeing a team being this poor at being consistent for an entire game.

We've had what maybe a dozen complete games this season?

Dozen???

[TheSquatch]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

I think the way you have worded your post is interesting. 'You are better than your opponents, so play like it'.

That is the fundamental problem with the team, and us as fans.

There's the actual Few good teams in the league, the few garbage dwelling teams, then everybody else.

Flames are everybody else. The gm and the fans try to jump to the team being any better WAY too soon. I mean we're fans, what do we know.

However, trading away multiple 1st/2nd round picks for hamonic after beating being above average, especially if anyone pays attention to advanced stats?

Going into this season with your biggest move being bringing in lucic???

The team is mediocre. This team is WAY worse than last year. We aren't talking about it enough, but Giordano had fallen off a cliff. He's TERRIBLE this year. He wins barely any board battles now, and his shot doesn't get past the chin pads of the opposition forwards.

If the flames were smart they would maximize return on Giordano and backlund and perhaps gaudreau But they are not smart, they are stupid ( not opinion but observations made over 30 years).

I agree with a lot of this. The trades Tre tried to make were needed - Kadri's snarl, an upgrade on RW. Instead they got Lucic. But even that wouldn't have fixed this group. Again, this comes down not even to the love of winning, but that hatred, that total refusal to lose. Battle. These guys don't have a ton and these slow starts and the idea that the team is pretty great and the wins will just come... all part of this. As a group, there isn't enough fire. And the "fireless" guys like Jankowski can just bus it outta town in my opinion. Another Jooris, a guy who has just enough skill but not the fire to lock it down.

The idea that Kane outworked Gaudreau tonight should horrify us... and I mean, how old is Kane now, is he ten years older than Johnny? Feels like he should be. (It's 5, just checked, but he's on the other side of 30).

Mediocrity, stamped in up front with a couple exceptions, and luckily there are some nice young defensemen coming up or this whole thing would look utterly bleak. But the fix, the big turnaround? Gotta jettison some names that aren't carrying the mail they need to and reap some kind of harvest.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by TheSquatch

I agree with a lot of this. The trades Tre tried to make were needed - Kadri's snarl, an upgrade on RW. Instead they got Lucic. But even that wouldn't have fixed this group. Again, this comes down not even to the love of winning, but that hatred, that total refusal to lose. Battle. These guys don't have a ton and these slow starts and the idea that the team is pretty great and the wins will just come... all part of this. As a group, there isn't enough fire. And the "fireless" guys like Jankowski can just bus it outta town in my opinion. Another Jooris, a guy who has just enough skill but not the fire to lock it down.

The idea that Kane outworked Gaudreau tonight should horrify us... and I mean, how old is Kane now, is he ten years older than Johnny? Feels like he should be. (It's 5, just checked, but he's on the other side of 30).

Mediocrity, stamped in up front with a couple exceptions, and luckily there are some nice young defensemen coming up or this whole thing would look utterly bleak. But the fix, the big turnaround? Gotta jettison some names that aren't carrying the mail they need to and reap some kind of harvest.

Regarding your point about gaudreau vs kane. My bet is he whimpers and his game goes down even further after the Allstar snub.

[Roof-Daddy]

Lol man i hate this ####ing franchise.

So useless. They sure don't bring a fan much joy, that's for sure.

[mrdonkey]

My new year’s wish for 2019 was a good hockey team to cheer for.

It didn’t come true.

[djsFlames]

Shouldn't have had to launch a massive comeback attempt to begin with?

My ask is we squeak in (ahead of the Oilers) and have two good months of solid, consistent hockey starting March or April. That's what this fanbase deserves.... a run.

If your going to play like inconsistent ass for this long, bring your best hockey when it matters most.

The theme this year seems to be getting up for specific teams while looks past a lot of others. Canucks were beatable. Chicago is beatable. This is your ####ing home ice. Cant believe it takes getting down 3-0 and two periods to start actually giving a full, complete s####.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Otto-matic

I just don't remember seeing a team being this poor at being consistent for an entire game.

We've had what maybe a dozen complete games this season?

I remember plenty of flames teams just as inconsistent, unfortunately.

[Manhattanboy]

Any hope for this group is based on blind faith and nothing more.

[WhiteTiger]

Ugh, this is not the result I hoped to come home to. >.<