On a related note - the insanely passive PK that Huska and the coaching staff employ drives me absolutely nuts. Every time we're on the PP, almost all other teams are hounding our guys with more aggressive PK tactics and taking the man, rarely allowing us the time to set up properly and smothering our opportunities.
When we're on the PK, we just play an incredibly passive diamond formation, no checking or taking the man with the puck, and it seems like every other team moves/circulates that puck around our system with ease - which they of course, end up doing. Can't stand this.
Anyways, apologies - rant over haha!
Bieksa pointed that out on the weekend.
‘Welcome to an NHL power play’ he said, in relation to a Vegas tic tac toe goal. He said our PK looked lost and out of position. Not sure whether to cover pass or shot so did neither.
I sure hope the outbound trades start happening soon. I really just want to see youth this season. No more Ras, Blake, Naz, Lombo…
Last edited by Badgers Nose; 10-23-2025 at 10:36 AM.
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Because he wants the shots from the perimeter, (his team stats suggest it) he just wants more traffic in front is how that sounded.
It's insane to me that we play this way. I guess it helps us win the fancy stats and advanced stats battles.
But almost all of our chances are just perimeter shots. Almost every Montreal shot last night was uncontested in the slot, or an odd man rush, or breakaway.
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It's insane to me that we play this way. I guess it helps us win the fancy stats and advanced stats battles.
But almost all of our chances are just perimeter shots. Almost every Montreal shot last night was uncontested in the slot, or an odd man rush, or breakaway.
And you don't believe that the talent difference between the two teams explains that. Do you think Huska would not prefer uncontested slot chances?
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When a team changes its defensive systems, only two things will make the new system work: time and practice. The Flames, so far, have had neither. You don't get to practice at all when you have three games in under 72 hours, and precious little with the game and travel schedule they've had so far. But the time to put in a new system is right at the beginning of the year, because it's hell on wheels trying to change it on the fly during the season.
You can argue about whether it was a good idea to change those systems at all. But you can't argue about whether the new system is any good, because none of us have actually seen it yet. We've seen players trying to execute something they're still not used to, against some of the toughest competition in the league.
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And you don't believe that the talent difference between the two teams explains that. Do you think Huska would not prefer uncontested slot chances?
I do believe if we open it up we would probably allow even more chances with how bad our defense is. But it would be way more entertaining and we would probably score a couple more every game.
Would we lose more? Probably. Would it be way more fun to watch? Yes.
If you ‘open it up’ in the defensive zone, you get more goals against, but you also don't get possession to do anything in the offensive zone.
So far this season, the NHL is averaging 2.98 goals for per team per game. The Flames are at 1.63. Adding two more goals for per game would put them near the top of the league offensively. With this roster, it's a pipe dream. But they can easily give up even more goals than they already do; all they have to do is ‘open up’ and let the opposing teams work unimpeded.
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I just wish there weren't as many bodies up on the Flames so that these kids could get 5 game looks to help them develop.
C4L, we have been saying this for months.
It is a failing by flames management. You aren't saying that but I am. I don't know how we can position it otherwise. We need to move out veterans and let our youth play. Perversely, it seems in this case that it would both make us more likely to win games and develop those players rather than whatever we are doing now.
Great, agreed, which is why I’m asking what the difference is between quality shots and getting guys inside to ensure they aren’t just shooting from the perimeter?
The difference between what Royle is saying and what Huska said, from my read, is that Huska seems to want the perimeter shots in high volume to lead to rebounds and then guys mucking around in the slot and driving the net to put those rebounds in.
Instead, it would be nice if our coach was willing to employ strategies that would result in passes to open players in the slot/ hard/ inside areas to generate shots not on rebounds but clean. It seems like he specifically said no to that concept, instead talking about high volume shots (perimeter) with net crashing for rebounds and garbage goals.
It's garbage d grinder hockey vs the beautiful game.
It's insane to me that we play this way. I guess it helps us win the fancy stats and advanced stats battles.
But almost all of our chances are just perimeter shots. Almost every Montreal shot last night was uncontested in the slot, or an odd man rush, or breakaway.
to me, the Flames trying to make chances from the perimeter is a symptom, or atleast a recognition of the fact that the Flames do not have a player to can confidently carry the puck through the neutral zone. If they struggle to get good offensive possession's off the rush, how exactly are they going to create quality chances in the middle of the ice.
Huska can't spit shine a turd. The Flames have no 1st line talent.
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And you don't believe that the talent difference between the two teams explains that. Do you think Huska would not prefer uncontested slot chances?
Huska - "Um.. no" - "For us we need to commit to going to the net harder, when you're not scoring goals you tend to be more perimeter, you have to be more consistent getting pucks towards the net and getting in there before you can move on to the other stuff"
I don't know what he would prefer, but he seems to be saying that he doesn't care about uncontested slot chances right now and wants to focus on them getting pucks on net and crashing hard for rebounds/chaos.
That style favors older players TBH. The young guys are the craftier skill players who could employ more fast break/ movement styles to generate slot chances through passing plays and cycles.
Huska - "Um.. no" - "For us we need to commit to going to the net harder, when you're not scoring goals you tend to be more perimeter, you have to be more consistent getting pucks towards the net and getting in there before you can move on to the other stuff"
I don't know what he would prefer, but he seems to be saying that he doesn't care about uncontested slot chances right now and wants to focus on them getting pucks on net and crashing hard for rebounds/chaos.
That style favors older players TBH. The young guys are the craftier skill players who could employ more fast break/ movement styles to generate slot chances through passing plays and cycles.
Well this is where we likely reach an impasse. I think the Flames don't have players that can do that. And Huska likely knows it.
The difference between what Royle is saying and what Huska said, from my read, is that Huska seems to want the perimeter shots in high volume to lead to rebounds and then guys mucking around in the slot and driving the net to put those rebounds in.
Instead, it would be nice if our coach was willing to employ strategies that would result in passes to open players in the slot/ hard/ inside areas to generate shots not on rebounds but clean. It seems like he specifically said no to that concept, instead talking about high volume shots (perimeter) with net crashing for rebounds and garbage goals.
It's garbage d grinder hockey vs the beautiful game.
They don't have that roster in my and most opinion.
It's been said about 1000 times.
Have yet to hear any response to what coach would want their team to play on the perimeter if there was another option.
I don't disagree with that necessarily, but I think we don't know if we have players that can do that because we haven't tried.
I think Gridin-Zary-Coronato could make a decent run at generating slot chances off of cycles.
Would love to see a line like that. It seems like Huska really doesn’t want to try Zary and Coronato together. And is also hesitant to put Zary in a scoring centre position.
More than most players, it seems like Zary is getting the Bennett treatment. Bouncing around the lineup. Getting some looks at centre only in a 4th line role. Being sat for long stretches of the 3rd periods.
I don't disagree with that necessarily, but I think we don't know if we have players that can do that because we haven't tried.
I think Gridin-Zary-Coronato could make a decent run at generating slot chances off of cycles.
So the coaching staff hasn't explored whether or not they have players with individual skills that can break down opposing defense strategies, and have just defaulted to a perimeter plan out of laziness?
Montreal defense looks like they are being told to never take a shot from the point, it's obviously being encouraged by the Flames coaches. I will say it did seem to really be something that started last night too - previous heat charts were not nearly that prominent with point shots.
And I'm not sold that they Flames don't have the players that can do it, they play a system that doesn't create open ice to be able to do it.
First problem is our passive defensive system doesn't create odd man rushes. That's where you tend to generate these types of chances, but we play passive which means we are never really generating off the rush and always have to generate off the cycle.
Then I do think the team as a whole just doesn't try to make those cross seam or royal road passes in the offensive zone. Those passes are higher risk and higher reward, but the coaching staff does not want offensive zone turnovers or making those risky passes.
Huberdeau, Kadri, Frost, Zary, Coronato, Sharangovich, Farabee have enough skill to make plays in the offensive zone. It just comes with risk, and risk leads to potential odd man rushes and chances against.
But our system is more to slow the game down and try to turn it into a rugby match. I think it's not working this year because our actual in zone defensive coverage has been abysmal at times, and teams also know we aren't going to take those offensive zone risks, so just let the Flames pass it around the perimeter and focus on boxing out to prevent rebounds.
This Farabee video of his 22 goals is actually a great example. Majority of his 22 goals here are generated by neutral or defensive zone turnovers and then a more aggressive approach off the rush. Very few goals here from play within the zone off the cycle.
It's what hurt Huberdeau a lot too - those Panthers teams he was on were some of the best teams in the league at generating off the rush. Just has not happened in his time in Calgary.
Last edited by SuperMatt18; 10-23-2025 at 11:34 AM.
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So the coaching staff hasn't explored whether or not they have players with individual skills that can break down opposing defense strategies, and have just defaulted to a perimeter plan out of laziness?
Laziness, lack of trust, dogmatic insistence on specific styles of play, I don't know. I can't tell you why I am just guessing at what I see. I hope they don't think so badly of some of our rebuild players (coronato, zary, parekh, gridin, honzek) already that they aren't pursuing it because we don't have the horses. I think that's a way worse outcome as it means we are starting from point 0 on a proper rebuild rather than 5/10 or something because of good depth drafting the last few seasons.
So the coaching staff hasn't explored whether or not they have players with individual skills that can break down opposing defense strategies, and have just defaulted to a perimeter plan out of laziness?
I don't think it's laziness. I just think Huska knows only one way to coach, and it is the system he has currently implemented.
I really feel like he is a bad coach. He would have the cup champion Panthers playing on the perimeter.
