[PGT] Flames 7 Sens 3

[direwolf]

We won? Yay!

I completely forgot there was a game tonight. How did they look? Were the Sens that terrible, or were the Flames that good?

[timbit]

Originally Posted by Rejean31

Except for the fact that Bennett was one of the only Flames to actually show up, the last time they played the Oilers!!

Both games

0 points
-4

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by direwolf

We won? Yay!

I completely forgot there was a game tonight. How did they look? Were the Sens that terrible, or were the Flames that good?

yes

[TheRealPepman]

Lovely.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by direwolf

We won? Yay!

I completely forgot there was a game tonight. How did they look? Were the Sens that terrible, or were the Flames that good?

Flames solid but not great, Murray was a total seive

[drewtastic]

My whole life, I've loved "role players" most. (Joel Otto is my all time favourite, although, I do consider him to be more than just a "role" player...)

Nevertheless. I won't argue that my current favourite player is what was missing from the team for a month...

Still, I have to point out that his effort tonight definitely sparked the team to some degree...

So, let's leave it at this: Derek Ryan is underrated. (That is all.)

[Calgary4LIfe]

That's a pressure reducing win if I have ever seen one.


I thought the Monahan line was great to start - all three of them, including Leivo. I felt that they cooled off somewhat as the game progressed, however.


Dube line was hot. Tkachuk was great tonight. Somehow, Lindholm was a bit invisible, but that's ok to me.


The Backlund line was really good tonight for most of the night.


Best 4th line this season so far. Ryan was really good - didn't even look like he had any rust to his game. Ritchie was was very as well I thought - not just the goal he scored (which was huge for the team), but he also made a lot of smart plays with and without the puck. Nordstrom I thought had a fantastic game - best 5on5 game from him all season.


Defence was mostly solid. Kylington stumbled a few times - a bad hiccup with a bouncing puck that directly led to a goal against - but I felt he was mostly good. I think you keep him in the lineup and just let him play. Nesterov I felt was fantastic to start the season - I even compared him to Hamrlik at one point, and thought that he was a steadying influence on Valimaki. I think Nesterov has cooled off a bit, and I would like to see what Kylington can do over a 5 or even 10 game stretch.


Rittich played well - I think that one goal by Anisimov he would have liked to have back, but that was a weird shot. Anisimov flubbing it caused Rittich to misread the shot I felt, but still one he would probably like back anyway. Made some outstanding saves.


I wasn't happy with the lulls that the Flames had at various points in the game. It is one thing to be under pressure by Ottawa - you expect that pushback, especially early on in the blowout - but there were moments where I felt that they were lackadaisical with the puck and even the effort level. They managed to get back on the horse for the most part.


I hate some of the penalties taken - and it is starting to be a consistent theme with this team. I don't really fault Backlund for trying to lift the stick where he did, as that is what you are supposed to do and felt it was just a bit of bad luck to slide up and clip the player in the face. I really hated the Andersson penalty - just a selfish play. Take the hit to make the play, and take a number for later when an opportunity presents itself. Don't take a selfish cross-checking penalty there. I didn't like the Monahan penalty either - holding the stick in the offensive zone, but I felt that Coburn should have taken one too for cross-checking.


I felt that the Flames did a LOT better on the transition and the zone entries. Much more speed through the neutral zone, and a LOT less 'waiting around in the defensive zone'. I think they still did that a bit too much, but it seemed like the message tonight was play fast and move the puck forward quickly. Really showed in their game tonight.



I think partly why Ottawa was looking so poor on defence was the fact that Calgary was transitioning much quicker. That's why a fast transition is critical. Ottawa was often not set on defence, so they were confused and running around before the puck went into their zone.



I feel in order to generate scoring chances in the NHL, teams have to either cause breakdowns in defence, or make elite-level plays consistently. The former is a lot easier than the latter. I think it is a lot more difficult to force these defensive breakdowns when transitioning as a five man unit, where the opposing team is set as a 5 man defensive unit. Why force this? They didn't do too much of that tonight, and I felt that they did a great job in making Ottawa's defence breakdown, and they were highly rewarded for it tonight.


Much more solid game. Stuff still needs to be ironed-out still, but a much better game not just in results, but in generating offence and being a bit more solid defensively. Still some defensive lapses, and Rittich made some pretty impressive saves, but much better than the last handful of games I thought.


With Leivo and Ritchie scoring, I don't think Ward should take either of them out this game. There should be a strong culture of reward here. It is interesting as I think Bennett is still the better player than either of them, but nobody else deserves to sit at the moment. Interesting situation for Ward to be in - scratching Bennett two games in a row raises more than just the one eyebrow - it makes both eyebrows raise up, and that's a different emotion altogether.

[N-E-B]

Side note: I really hope they wear the Blasty’s again next year. It would be a damn shame if they brought them back and we couldn’t see them in person.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

Side note: I really hope they wear the Blasty’s again next year. It would be a damn shame if they brought them back and we couldn’t see them in person.

I'm not a fan but I'd be amazed if they aren't just the regular 3rd

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

That's what I call a sexy win.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1367671828198477826

I mean he's not wrong. Physical play and emotional response does lead to sex

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

Good win but it’s also Ottawa. No complaints tonight but I’d like to see them win the next two games as well to really get back into this race.

It's going to take more than a couple of good games in a row to give me faith again. Maybe if they can get nine or ten very good efforts in a row I'll start believing they have turned a corner. I mean, they still just finished a series against the bottom team in the league with negative goal differential and an even split on points.

[FlamesAreOne]

With the marketing and sale success of Blasty, no way we get rid of them anytime soon.

[Bingo]

Game Takes: Flames 7 Senators 3

- Dillon Dube with the hat trick
- Flames put up seven five on five goals
- Calgary takes too many penalties
- Don't think Brady Tkachuk and Mark Giordano like each other much

[nieuwy-89]

Originally Posted by drewtastic

My whole life, I've loved "role players" most. (Joel Otto is my all time favourite, although, I do consider him to be more than just a "role" player...)

Nevertheless. I won't argue that my current favourite player is what was missing from the team for a month...

Still, I have to point out that his effort tonight definitely sparked the team to some degree...

So, let's leave it at this: Derek Ryan is underrated. (That is all.)

I thought he had a rough start this season before the injury, but he was great tonight. He’s been a good soldier and showed his true 2-way value in this game.

[FlamesAreOne]

@Fan960Steinberg

Pretty nice night for Dillon Dube across the board. Records his first NHL hat-trick, all at even strength.

Finishes 61.1% possession 5v5, shot attempts 11-7 with him on the ice. 4 shots, 5 attempts, 4 high danger chances per @NatStatTrick

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

Side note: I really hope they wear the Blasty’s again next year. It would be a damn shame if they brought them back and we couldn’t see them in person.

Maybe so, but playing in front of empty stands is the most authentic way for the Flames to honor the horse head jerseys.

[Nufy]

Thanks Dube for 30 Tim Horton Reward points

[Wastedyouth]

Are we allowed to be happy about wins?

[Backstop]

Lucic steamrolling Gudbranson was absolutely money and definitely set a tone early.

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

Are we allowed to be happy about wins?