Only Florida has allowed more goals per game than the Flames

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by SebC

I'd rather play Keenan style hockey than Brent-style. What's more, Keenan had better results.

I don't really agree that a better offence necessarily means more goals against. More possession and more time in the offensive zone are good ways to cut down the shots against.

We have done a good job with those at times during the season. We need to reinforce that and wait for the goaltending to get better (because if it doesn't, we're screwed regardless of what to do). If we try to revert to some kind of turtling style, that is guaranteed not to work.

I'd be interested to see numbers for zone time because I would assume it would be better last year.

This is a fast-break offensive club with a pretty good powerplay. The only players that can cycle properly are czech or Backlund, and there's no big-body presense forecheck either. There isn't even really that much speed.

If this were another team, like Chicago, maybe I would agree with you. Yeah, Calgary would be in a better position with a team save percentage of 909, but his group would have to seriously lock it down to get there, especially with 1 centre, or Kipper would have to explode in an aura of roloson-esque late career brilliance.

[Five-hole]

I doubt that our new fast-paced offense or whatever it's being billed as is what is responsible for our atrocious coverage in our own zone. It seems to me like the vast majority of goals scored against us come off the cycle, with the secondary group being powerplay goals against. Neither of those have anything to do with what we're trying to do on the offensive side of the puck and everything to do with brain-dead coverage in our own zone and a really long streak of atrociously bad luck.

I mean, seriously. The second goal against in the Phoenix game doesn't go in on any other team in this league.

While we may not be a good team, we're a better team than this record, and that makes us not too bad considering we have one center and no goalie.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

I'd be interested to see numbers for zone time because I would assume it would be better last year.

This is a fast-break offensive club with a pretty good powerplay. The only players that can cycle properly are czech or Backlund, and there's no big-body presense forecheck either. There isn't even really that much speed.

If this were another team, like Chicago, maybe I would agree with you. Yeah, Calgary would be in a better position with a team save percentage of 909, but his group would have to seriously lock it down to get there, especially with 1 centre, or Kipper would have to explode in an aura of roloson-esque late career brilliance.

I think there was just a suggestion that Kipper should aspire for the lofty heights of ... Roloson?

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Five-hole

I doubt that our new fast-paced offense or whatever it's being billed as is what is responsible for our atrocious coverage in our own zone. It seems to me like the vast majority of goals scored against us come off the cycle, with the secondary group being powerplay goals against. Neither of those have anything to do with what we're trying to do on the offensive side of the puck and everything to do with brain-dead coverage in our own zone and a really long streak of atrociously bad luck.

To some extent, there is a relationship between being bad at getting takeaways from a cycling opponent and having the quick-strike offense, in that Feaster has selected players like Hudler who have strong offensive abilities but don't really muscle people off the puck.

The good news is that we're much more efficient when we do turn it over, instead of just flipping it into the neutral zone and letting the opponents start a new attack.

[puckluck2]

One month after this thread was created and the Flames are still the second worst team defensively in the NHL only behind Florida.

Can anyone honestly say they're surprised seeing the lack of centers and players with any sort of 2-way game whatsoever?

[trackercowe]

Having an injured Kipper, and starting AHL/ECHL level goalies in his place for the majority of our games hasn't helped out much either.

[puckluck2]

Originally Posted by trackercowe

Having an injured Kipper, and starting AHL/ECHL level goalies in his place for the majority of our games hasn't helped out much either.

Like I said when I started the thread I highly doubt Kipper would have made a difference.

Macdonald played excellent tonight and we still let in 4 goals. Game could have easily been much worse.

It was obvious from the beginning of the season that we would have problems keeping pucks out of our net.

[Roof-Daddy]

Plenty of skill in our line up.

Too bad there isn't much for size, toughness or two way play ingrained into our skilled players.

[FAN]

The team is small, soft, and easy to play against. Teams enter the Flames' defensive zone at will and know they can go into the corners and stand in front of the Flames' net without being at risk of much physical punishment.

[DeluxeMoustache]

The D and/or backchecking C watch the puck and aren't attentive enough to the approaching players who are scoring threats. It is simple. They are passing the puck to their own team, not you.

Must drive Hartley nuts.

[Nasty]

Originally Posted by FAN

The team is small, soft, and easy to play against. Teams enter the Flames' defensive zone at will and know they can go into the corners and stand in front of the Flames' net without being at risk of much physical punishment.

makes me miss the 03/04 flames team

[Mister Yamoto]

Originally Posted by FAN

The team is small, soft, and easy to play against. Teams enter the Flames' defensive zone at will and know they can go into the corners and stand in front of the Flames' net without being at risk of much physical punishment.

Well put. I can't believe a D this soft could ever put Sarich in the press box. He is the ONLY guy with some jam except for the odd Giordano play. I thought this was worth a chuckle:

Calgary Flames Defence

Anton Babchuk...............6'5".........200
Jay Bouwmeester...........6'4'..........212
TJ Brodie......................6'1"..........182
Chris Butler...................6'1"..........196
Mark Giordano................6'............200
Derek Smith...................6'1".........197
Dennis Wideman..............6'............200

Calgary Hitmen Defence

Josh Thrower..................6'.............194
Kenton Helgeson..............6'3"..........192
Peter Kosterman..............6'4"..........200
Spencer Humphries..........6'2............208
Alex Roach......................6'4"..........228
Jesse Zgraggen................6'1"..........213
Jaynen Rissling.................6'4"..........225


Flames Average.................6'2"..........199
Hitmen Average.................6'2 1/2".....206

Yes! The Flames D is smaller than the local junior team! Oh, and the Flames are letting in a lot of goals, go figure.

[vilzeh]

Every god damn goalie will struggle with bad defending. EVERYONE.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

So...

Who comes out of retirement? Conroy or Langkow? Yelle maybe?





...

...Otto?

[fredr123]

I enjoyed Simmer's comment on the broadcast last night. The camera was trained on Joey MacDonald standing on the Flames' bench. The extra attacker was on the ice for a face off in the last minute or so of the game in Dallas.

Simmer, taking a break from his usual comments on feet moving, says "[MacDonald] has done his job tonight". The graphic at the top of the screen clearly shows a 4-spot next to the Dallas Stars.

Look where the Flames' goalies are at, right now, in terms of even strength save percentage (out of 79 goalies who have made an appearance this year):

59. Danny Taylor 2 GP ESS .905
62. Joey MacDonald 10 GP ESS .897
64. Mikka Kiprusoff 12 GP ESS .895
71. Leland Irving 6 GP ESS .884

Is it team defence? Is it the lack of a single goaltender (no offence to Danny Taylor) who can consistently save at least 9/10 shots he faces at evens?

If the Flames even had an NHL replacement level goaltender, forget about an average to good goalie, how many goals against could that have prevented? That's important in a short season because even with how terrible the team has played, they are still only 4 points out of the playoffs with games in hand. An extra win or two, maybe an occasional extra point in the shootout, and this team is sitting 6,7,8,9 in the conference.

[North East Goon]

Yup, our D-core is too small and too soft. Same can be said for the forwards though.

[Psytic]

Originally Posted by fredr123

I enjoyed Simmer's comment on the broadcast last night. The camera was trained on Joey MacDonald standing on the Flames' bench. The extra attacker was on the ice for a face off in the last minute or so of the game in Dallas.

Simmer, taking a break from his usual comments on feet moving, says "[MacDonald] has done his job tonight". The graphic at the top of the screen clearly shows a 4-spot next to the Dallas Stars.

Look where the Flames' goalies are at, right now, in terms of even strength save percentage (out of 79 goalies who have made an appearance this year):

59. Danny Taylor 2 GP ESS .905
62. Joey MacDonald 10 GP ESS .897
64. Mikka Kiprusoff 12 GP ESS .895
71. Leland Irving 6 GP ESS .884

Is it team defence? Is it the lack of a single goaltender (no offence to Danny Taylor) who can consistently save at least 9/10 shots he faces at evens?

If the Flames even had an NHL replacement level goaltender, forget about an average to good goalie, how many goals against could that have prevented? That's important in a short season because even with how terrible the team has played, they are still only 4 points out of the playoffs with games in hand. An extra win or two, maybe an occasional extra point in the shootout, and this team is sitting 6,7,8,9 in the conference.

I guess thats why they were in talks about Bernier or supposedly were. It does kind of makes sense. I don't know if I am sold on Bernier though I haven't seen enough of him, not enough to send Iginla at least.

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by fredr123

I enjoyed Simmer's comment on the broadcast last night. The camera was trained on Joey MacDonald standing on the Flames' bench. The extra attacker was on the ice for a face off in the last minute or so of the game in Dallas.

Simmer, taking a break from his usual comments on feet moving, says "[MacDonald] has done his job tonight". The graphic at the top of the screen clearly shows a 4-spot next to the Dallas Stars.

Look where the Flames' goalies are at, right now, in terms of even strength save percentage (out of 79 goalies who have made an appearance this year):

59. Danny Taylor 2 GP ESS .905
62. Joey MacDonald 10 GP ESS .897
64. Mikka Kiprusoff 12 GP ESS .895
71. Leland Irving 6 GP ESS .884

Is it team defence? Is it the lack of a single goaltender (no offence to Danny Taylor) who can consistently save at least 9/10 shots he faces at evens?

If the Flames even had an NHL replacement level goaltender, forget about an average to good goalie, how many goals against could that have prevented? That's important in a short season because even with how terrible the team has played, they are still only 4 points out of the playoffs with games in hand. An extra win or two, maybe an occasional extra point in the shootout, and this team is sitting 6,7,8,9 in the conference.

Flames have the second worst save percentage in the league at .884. Devan Dubnyk et al have put up a .916 save percentage behind the vaunted Oilers defence.

As a comparison, if Flames goalies had a .916 save percentage, we would have allowed 24 less goals so far (over 27 games.)

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Psytic

I guess thats why they were in talks about Bernier or supposedly were. It does kind of makes sense. I don't know if I am sold on Bernier though I haven't seen enough of him, not enough to send Iginla at least.

I think he's worth the gamble as it appears that goaltending is going to be a weakpoint for this franchise in the immediate future and nothing holds back a team rebuilding more than poor goaltending just look at the Jackets.

[Stanley]

I just don't understand why our defensemen (Gio does this a lot) commit to the player with the puck on his opposite side and leave their man wide open in front...and of course forwards not smart enough to read the coverage and get back to cover their man and play them hard rather than like p***ies.

Our players are just not very smart hockey players, period. I don't think Hartley is telling these guys to be lost and soft on the backcheck so I wouldn't blame the new system/style of play/coaching....I mean, what gives? How did they all just get defensively ######ed?

Their d-zone coverage is downright embarrassing...

I really honestly think we just have a bunch of really dumb hockey players on this team. At times they can effectively cycle and pour on the offense and look really creative/exciting and grind it out, but when there's an odd-man rush or neutral zone breakdown their absolutely lost.