Hunt and Morton up; Kerins Down

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

And yet while trying to win games they still find themselves in 32nd place because he's too rigid in that approach and not willing to tweak his approach to try to generate more offense.

The offensive approach has been the same for a couple seasons now, and it's not just player personal for why they rank in the bottom of goals for in the NHL over that time period.

A good coach would try to make more offensive players play within his more defensive system. Not take low event low upside players and just force them do achieve nothing and give up nothing while on the ice.

It probably is though

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by dino7c

It probably is though

Actually though.....This roster is a poverty lineup and it's no coincidence that they can't score. Blaming the coach for not being able to polish a turd is strange. There isn't a coach out there that would turn this group into a top half scoring team right now and if they tried, the goals against would be horrific for sure.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

Actually though.....This roster is a poverty lineup and it's no coincidence that they can't score. Blaming the coach for not being able to polish a turd is strange. There isn't a coach out there that would turn this group into a top half scoring team right now and if they tried, the goals against would be horrific for sure.

You could definitely turn this group more offensive, but it would also result in way more goals against.

Right now we are playing Huska's defensive hockey. I call it low event hockey, you are essentially trying to win 2-1 and we try to bore the other team to death. It is awful to watch, but it is effective in just turning the game into a non skilled muck fest.

Now, certainly a coach could implement a system that would have us taking risks and scoring more goals with more chances. But our defenders are pretty bad so it would result in a lot of goals against. I would still prefer it though to Huska hockey.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

And yet while trying to win games they still find themselves in 32nd place because he's too rigid in that approach and not willing to tweak his approach to try to generate more offense.

The offensive approach has been the same for a couple seasons now, and it's not just player personal for why they rank in the bottom of goals for in the NHL over that time period.

A good coach would try to make more offensive players play within his more defensive system. Not take low event low upside players and just force them do achieve nothing and give up nothing while on the ice.

For sure if you think Huska is sitting on untapped offence and is too rigid to let it loose.

I see a team with 3 top six forwards and 2 top half defensemen ... a lack of transition ... and a huge lack of one on one skills to generate.

I think Huska will no longer fit when the Flames have more weapons developed, and at that point you'll be right, and he'll be fired. But I don't see it yet.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Bingo

For sure if you think Huska is sitting on untapped offence and is too rigid to let it loose.

I see a team with 3 top six forwards and 2 top half defensemen ... a lack of transition ... and a huge lack of one on one skills to generate.

I think Huska will no longer fit when the Flames have more weapons developed, and at that point you'll be right, and he'll be fired. But I don't see it yet.

I honestly think Huska could turn Nathan Mackinnon into under a point per game player, when he averages much higher now.

I don't think he's the worst coach ever. But his offensive system might be.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Yeah people did this last time and Hunt was sitting in the pressbox. He works his ass off in the AHL and deserves the nice pay bump from time to time and they don't mind him sitting. Kerins you want either playing here or on the first line in the AHL.

Yeah so I think Kerins should have been given more than two games. That’s just kind of weird to me.

[442scotty]

I feel bad for Kerins. You reward him by bringing him up but put him on the wing. Then you stick him with Kadri who , I think, is hard to play with because he likes to hold onto the puck and is prone to doing whatever. I think it takes a certain type to find chemistry with Kadri. Not to mention Kerins knows that he has a short leash. Kerins looked slow at times but he seemed to read the game well. I don’t think his deployment set him up for success. We’re just fans though so what do we really know lol.

[dino7c]

Kadri hit his career high in goals under Huska, had his second best points season in his 30s under Huska. The only other real offensive player is Huberdeau who likely needs to play with high end players to reach his potential.

Other than that who do you expect to score a bunch? Coleman is on pace for 28 which is kinda incredible.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

I honestly think Huska could turn Nathan Mackinnon into under a point per game player, when he averages much higher now.

I don't think he's the worst coach ever. But his offensive system might be.

NHL coach's don't do a lot of coaching inside the opposition blueline.

They may insist on a high forward at all times, and a F1/F2 forecheck system, but the system is individual talent.

Mackinnon would be just fine with the coach, but probably a little disappointed in his linemates!

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Kadri hit his career high in goals under Huska, had his second best points season in his 30s under Huska. The only other real offensive player is Huberdeau who likely needs to play with high end players to reach his potential.

Other than that who do you expect to score a bunch? Coleman is on pace for 28 which is kinda increadible.

It's types of players.

Huska isn't playing a system that is going to suit Huberdeau (who to his credit tried to completely recreate his game to fit it), Coronato, Zary, Sharangovich, Kerins, Frost, etc.

He plays a system that suits guys like Coleman, Farabee, Kadri, Klapka, and it's why visually those guys tend to look better in his system.

They play a get the puck on net, crash the net, and try to score on a rebound type of game. A game more tailored to just going north-south and trying to crash your way to a goal.

The others don't really suit that. Guys who are tailored less to shot volume, and more to pre-shot movement, more to trying to make a riskier pass or a pass through the royal road aren't going to look as good.

It's interesting because I watch the Wranglers sometimes and they seem to attempt to make way more of those risky passes than the Flames do. I think it's more than just talent or skill to do it at this point.

Kerins actually attempted a couple of those passes over the two games, those riskier cross ice passes, and he actually connected on a few of them...but now he finds himself back in the AHL.

Also defensive zone structure plays a role in this too. Flames generate very little of the rush IMO. They play passive in the netural zone and defensive zone and IMO don't generate a lot of those turnovers that lead to odd man rushes. That also hurts certain styles of players, some players need a bit more open space to generate, and you generally get that space in transition.

[Dienasty]

I thought Kerins looked average in speed which is fine, spent a lot of time in front of the net trying to screen or get rebounds (could look to try and get some seperation there, would have liked him to screen Askarov as Weegar came in off the point after he shook Reaves and trust Weegar to pick a corner.)

He made two great seem passes one to Pachal from low in the corner which you can see in the highlights, and another was to a trailing D man (I can't remember who it was) who proceeded to miss the net from the slot (can't find the highlight).
I dont see the Flames slow down very often and look for trailers, so that was refreshing. Most the times they go wide rip a wrister from outside, which ends in a save or goes around the boards and the play goes back the other way.

Also thought he worked hard in the corners.

Not sure why we need Sharangovich back in the lineup... I guess if all you care about is keeping up with the play he is your guy.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by BagoPucks

It's not a bad thing. It's good to get a sense of where guys are at. Allows conroy some flexibility in trade negotiations if they need to replace internally or take back guys who are going to get spots from the called up players.

HOW VERY DARE YOU have a calm, rational response to what is clearly a matter to be outraged about.

[Macindoc]

Kerins' best chance is probably to go back down after playing a few NHL games and seeing what he needs to work on. The Flames want him to do all of the work he needs to do at the AHL level before he needs to clear waivers. Sending him down after a few games gives him/them that insight while not cutting into his waiver exemption too much. It's not about a few games, it's about the long-term plan for him.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

I feel bad for Kerins. You reward him by bringing him up but put him on the wing. Then you stick him with Kadri who , I think, is hard to play with because he likes to hold onto the puck and is prone to doing whatever. I think it takes a certain type to find chemistry with Kadri. Not to mention Kerins knows that he has a short leash. Kerins looked slow at times but he seemed to read the game well. I don’t think his deployment set him up for success. We’re just fans though so what do we really know lol.

Thing is, people complain that guys like Kerins and Zary get stuck on the 4th line. So Huska puts Kerins on the top line with the top player (give or take a Huberdeau) with plenty of offensive starts. He can't put him at centre unless it's on the 4th line because Kadri, Backlund and Frost exist.

[Macindoc]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Take out Lomberg - he's not important now and not important to the future.

I get wanting to elevate Zary and Sharangovich - but no reason that Kerins couldn't sit in the press box for game and needed to be sent down.

And honestly Zary hasn't really earned it. Kerins has more expected goals for in these 2 games than Zary has in his last 11.

Huberdeau - Frost - Coronato
Farabee - Kadri - Kerins
Sharangovich - Backlund - Coleman
Zary - Morton - Klapka

I'd much rather see something like this - and no reason that Lomberg can't sit for a couple games.

I'd have to check my work, but I wonder if Kerins spent more shifts in the last 2 games with players who have actually scored a goal this season than Zary did in the last 11 (only half kidding).

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

It's types of players.

Huska isn't playing a system that is going to suit Huberdeau (who to his credit tried to completely recreate his game to fit it), Coronato, Zary, Sharangovich, Kerins, Frost, etc.

He plays a system that suits guys like Coleman, Farabee, Kadri, Klapka, and it's why visually those guys tend to look better in his system.

They play a get the puck on net, crash the net, and try to score on a rebound type of game. A game more tailored to just going north-south and trying to crash your way to a goal.

The others don't really suit that. Guys who are tailored less to shot volume, and more to pre-shot movement, more to trying to make a riskier pass or a pass through the royal road aren't going to look as good.

It's interesting because I watch the Wranglers sometimes and they seem to attempt to make way more of those risky passes than the Flames do. I think it's more than just talent or skill to do it at this point.

Kerins actually attempted a couple of those passes over the two games, those riskier cross ice passes, and he actually connected on a few of them...but now he finds himself back in the AHL.

Also defensive zone structure plays a role in this too. Flames generate very little of the rush IMO. They play passive in the netural zone and defensive zone and IMO don't generate a lot of those turnovers that lead to odd man rushes. That also hurts certain styles of players, some players need a bit more open space to generate, and you generally get that space in transition.

Same response ... I just don't see it.

I see Huberdeau doing his thing. I see Morgan frost doing fancy things in his own zone and through the neutral zone and not getting benched.

We do see Sharangovich punished for completely giving up on plays or taking the circular route to a puck to avoid contact, but then I don't know of a coach that would ever be supportive of that type of play.

Zary I think is the enigma. He's lost a step and I think they're working with him. He certainly singled out himself as the issue in a recent article.

I'm just not convinced that his roster is ...

a) deep in enough in offensive actual upper roster players
b) slow
c) lacking individual skills talent

to be much more than a perimeter team.

And I certainly don't see coaching forcing zero risk taking, or dump it in at all costs play at all.

They just don't have the skills to beat a defender into the slot.

[dino7c]

Kerins played with the top scorer and posters complained about that too lol. Like what other roster is Kerins getting a shot in the top six...probably top line TBH.

[JTech780]

I would rather have a lineup where Zary is playing in the top 9 and Morton is centering the 4th line, than Kerins in the top 9 and Zary centering the 4th line.

Hunt is an extra body while they go on a quick road trip.

[ComixZone]

I really don't get the fuss about Huska at this stage.

His roster is trash.

Is he trash? I don't know. He clearly put together a game plan that he thought would do everything to minimize the impact of skill during 60 minutes (on both sides of the puck), and when you don't have skill this seems like a prudent approach - and I kind of think it's been successful in what he'd designed it to do.

Downside? I think we do have one player that can play with elite skill in Parekh, and it has gone very poorly on that side of it because this system is anti-skill by design in an effort to build team success.

Well, there's no team success...but that is good, because it will help address the most difficult problem this organization faces: no/very little elite skill, and no pathway to it unless you get the proper high value draft opportunity.

The team seems to be on a path of drafting skill, and not intangibles. That will help us maximize our draft opportunities moving forward.

...so, the organization largely seems to be on a good path with Huska at the helm. The real test for Huska will be when his roster has the tools to succeed on it, does he help those players grow?

Once Andersson gets dealt, and Parekh is healthy, I assume Parekh will get more minutes, and more important minutes. Until that happens (or if it doesn't happen), we're just debating something that really isn't worth debating right now.

Rory Kerins? Dustin Boyd. Whether he makes it or not in this organization will not have a material impact. He's not some undeniable gem. His time can wait until we've shuffled off the Coleman/Kadri/Andersson's of the current roster - which yeah, I do hope comes sooner rather than later.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by iggyloob12

Hunt is gonna eat popcorn as injury insurance. Looking forward to Morton making his debut. Not much to look forward to these days.

Do you know who our coach is? Hunt is gonna play.