[PGT] Where is the defense? Flames lose to Avs 6-3

[Jagermeister]

Originally Posted by Drak

We shouldn't be allowing 42 shots on net.

Did you watch the game? If they even had 42 shots they were from all over the place, not many high quality shots. But that's what teams are going to do against the Flames because they can score goals from anywhere with this .850% goaltending.

[dammage79]

Might have to point the finger a bit at the goalie coach too. Sean Burke is looking for work.

[bubbsy]

at this stage, there's a moral victory if the flames lose 3-0 next game, just to finally have a game where these guys don't give up 4 goals.

they should be embarrassed.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

Is anyone else worried about Giordano's contract?

Raymond needs to be punted off the team, just send him down.

Otherwise I don't think the team should make any drastic moves. Clearly, this is not their year

Giordano's contract was always going to be awful, signing a guy for that term and that value that late into their 30's was almost always going to end up looking ridiculous at some point. It might look terrible this year before it even kicks in, which would be over the top pathetic and sad. But at some point that was going to be a bad signing, the hope was he would outperform in the early years of the deal. Right now it looks like he will severely underperform in the early years of the deal and be a potential buy-out option in the last 2 years.

[ScorchyScorch]

Originally Posted by Drak

We shouldn't be allowing 42 shots on net.

At least 60% of those were perimeter, low percentage shots. And that number is probably several more than the actual amount.

[Stay Golden]

The D is soft. They won't hit. They won't even angle players to the boards. They push and shove until they allow the opposition to fish the puck back to support.
Man they are just weak and dumb. Brodie excluded.
Wideman is by far the worst D on the team.

[Igottago]

Everything right now is about goaltending. The team won't have any confidence until a goalie starts bailing them out on occasion.

[heep223]

Originally Posted by codynw

Hiller
7GP, 2W, 3.67GAA, .861SV%

Ramo
4GP, 1W, 4.27GAA, .868SV%

Ortio
4GP, 0W, 4.27GAA, .868SV%

That is unbelievable. Truly.

[FlamesNation23]

Gio will be fine. Him and Brodie need to play together for a few games and I am sure his game will going. I am more worried about the russell and Wideman pairing. We need to trade one badly for a goalie or secondary scoring

[PepsiFree]

I don't even think the defence is that bad. Some lapses, but those are lapses that most teams make. The difference is that every time there is a lapse it's in the back of the net.
Every.
Time.

The goalies are embarrassing.
Find new teams and never come back, y'hear!

We deserved to lose, sure. But 4-3 maybe, not 6-3.

At least Bennett got a hat trick

[442scotty]

I think Gio's game is affected by having to play with Wideman who he has to try and cover for as well... Take Russell away from Wideman and Russell plays much better

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I was one of the few that would have been fine with trading him for a big return over caving into a long term deal. He's too old for the contract the Flames gave him. Rewarding 30 year old players for career seasons with long term deals never work out well. I think he brings good leadership skills to the table so even if he's not a top flight defenseman he still has value but the contract is likely going to handicap the Flames severely.

It's a fair concern. The unfortunate thing about finding out so quickly that the Flames aren't actually ready and are still very much rebuilding and not close to moving into contender status is that the length of Gio's contract really isn't worth it. The next 3 years when he's likely going to be worth his deal (I have faith he'll get better soon) we will be rebuilding and not taking advantage of his play. 3 years from now when we are hopefully ready to compete, he'll be an anchor eating up cap space. If we were going to contend in the next 3 years, I'd be more open to accepting the hurt in the last years of this deal, now it really feels like it's for nothing.

[Kswiss]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Everything right now is about goaltending. The team won't have any confidence until a goalie starts bailing them out on occasion.

Besides the D as well, I think Gio as captain needs to step up his game to the max. Him playing like crap aint helping the rest of the team at all.

[GullFoss]

Originally Posted by DionTheDman

Scrivens! Bryzgalov! Fasth!

This is why we need to get a handle on whether its the goaltender or whether its the team in front of them...

There are too many guys who just don't have their heads in the game...its not just the defense and its not just the goalies

Its Johnny Hockey on blind passes, its Sam bennett not playing his man, its Colborne and Raymond with stupid penalties, its a lot of guys who aren't playing an honest 200ft game

[ScorchyScorch]

We actually (on the whole) played really well for 50 minutes too. Fragile as hell.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

I can't help but feel sad that all the hard work Hartley instilled in the team the last 2 season is coming undone. Burke said before you can sprint to the finish, you need to be able to walk. That foundation starts with hard work and buying in.

2 years hard work of instilling that type of attitude starting to come unraveled? Hard to say but things don't look good. What the hell is going on? Gio new contract hasn't even kicked in yet and now it looks like an upcoming anchor. Best D in the league my ass. Shades of the overrated Bouwmeester-led D from 2009 all over again.

I've been a big supporter of the team this year and will continue to do so, but this loss hurt more then the other for some reason. We have got to own the crappiest record in the league when scoring first. I don't even what to know what it is, but it's almost certainly last.

Effort looked good tonight. I don't this team is having effort issues.

[direwolf]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

I know it's not popular, and I know it's hard to accept as a fan, but this season is already done. The hole is already so deep that anything short of the Flames actually being the best team in hockey between now and the end of the season will fall short of the playoffs.

Disagree. They've dug themselves a deep hole, but they've only played 13 games. Plenty of hockey left to go on a run, turn things around, and still be within striking distance of the playoffs. Is the season in danger of being lost? Definitely. But if they can right the ship quickly over the next few games, there's still hope.

[buyakasha]

Shocked to see blame going to Treliving, Burke, and really anyone newish to the organization. It's as if everyone has forgotten that we're still in a rebuild and trust me Ramo/Hiller will not be the goalies when we win our cup from this rebuild.

Sure, times are rough right now but most of our young guns are getting better after every game. A lot of comments in our threads even say that. "Brodie/Gaudreau/Bennett/Colborne etc etc." is that not progress for our rebuild?

I see great things in these games and I'm confident they'll get it right sooner or later.... with a change of goaltending of course..

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Might have to point the finger a bit at the goalie coach too. Sean Burke is looking for work.

At this point I'd put him in the effing net.

[hockey.modern]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

It's a fair concern. The unfortunate thing about finding out so quickly that the Flames aren't actually ready and are still very much rebuilding and not close to moving into contender status is that the length of Gio's contract really isn't worth it. The next 3 years when he's likely going to be worth his deal (I have faith he'll get better soon) we will be rebuilding and not taking advantage of his play. 3 years from now when we are hopefully ready to compete, he'll be an anchor eating up cap space. If we were going to contend in the next 3 years, I'd be more open to accepting the hurt in the last years of this deal, now it really feels like it's for nothing.

Overeaction? Yeah were still rebuilding, but talking that Gio's contract isn't work it and he won't be a factor when we contend is out of context.