[PGT] Long Island/Brooklyn Massacre: Flames lose 4-0

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

Lol because that's what I said? I said Bollig needs to contribute more, no idea how you got that he was the only thing wrong with the team.

But yeah you're right If Bollig was only sat out this team would be undefeated!11

Ill say it. Bollig sucks .

[bucksmasher]

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

Ill say it. Bollig sucks .

I'll say it. It sucks when your team is losing and people run around pitch forking players, coaches and each other because they are unhappy.

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by bucksmasher

I'll say it. It sucks when your team is losing and people run around pitch forking players, coaches and each other because they are unhappy.

Ya a little harsh but everyone was thinking it, I just said it. Even if he doesnt suck if it was always earned never given a few of these guys better start sitting.

[mikeecho]

Originally Posted by Dion

He has 30 blocked shots so far.

When you spend as much time as he does lying on the ice after being spun inside out, you're going to block a lot of shots.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by mikeecho

When you spend as much time as he does lying on the ice after being spun inside out, you're going to block a lot of shots.

After shaking my head at all the ridiculous comments on this thread, this ridiculous comment actually made me chuckle.

How low will Flames fans go? Time will tell.

[Huntingwhale]

All you bandwagoners jumping ship will be the first guys back on board once we go on a winning streak. People proclaiming ''fire Hartley'' and some dude changing his username to not have the word ''flames'' in it?? That's sad, pathetic and frankly one of the more embarrassing things to happen here lately. Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.


The doom and gloom after a loss on here is hilarious. I quite enjoy it myself but I can see why other posters don't bother with the FOI forum when the Flames are losing. Some of you don't have the patience for anything. It's amazing some of you survive this rebuild at all. Lots of talk at the start of the rebuild about how it might take 4-5 years to get this team to be competitive. Year 3 and lots of you jumping ship already 9 games in.

Never change CP. Never change.

[Conroy4Mayor]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Yep. It's pretty clear that the reason the Flames have started terribly is because of Bollig and his 8 minutes of ice time per game. Had Hartley given that 8 minutes to a guy from the Heat this team would be 7-2.

You have to admit that killing two dumb penalties does put the team on the defensive (never mind down on the scoresheet). Bollig was only helping the Islanders out there tonight.

Playing someone else in Bollig's place will not on its own guarantee wins, but it is definitely help move us in the right direction!

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

After shaking my head at all the ridiculous comments on this thread, this ridiculous comment actually made me chuckle.

How low will Flames fans go? Time will tell.

Well you cant get too stressed from reading posts after a 4-0 loss and the team goes 2-7 and nobodyboutsode of 4 people can score.

Half the crap that gets said tonight people wont really mean (or maybe will only half mean) but dont get bent outta shape. Tomorrows another day everyone will calm down and will try and turn things around on wednesday.

[ThisIsAnOutrage]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

After shaking my head at all the ridiculous comments on this thread, this ridiculous comment actually made me chuckle.

How low will Flames fans go? Time will tell.

No lower than any other frustrated fanbase, I bet. The thing about Russell is that sometimes it looks like shotblocking is his go-to defensive play instead of actually taking the puck, the man, or pressuring the puck-carrier. Hartley's defense drives me crazy anyway. It's just waaaaay too passive.

[cannon7]

At what point does Hartley realize his system doesn't work anymore? Will it take ten games? Ugh.

[Timbo]

Simply put ... I am a Flames fan. Always will be one. Win, Lose, or Draw

[Samonadreau]

This is a rational thought:

It is fair to say that the flames are still in a rebuild because by all accounts they are, but, when you make the playoffs (early) and the ntrade a first and 2 seconds and make a couple other high price signings just to prevent 'regression' (and keep the team trending up) it gives the fanbase expectations that they probably shouldnt have. Without all of the above people are more understanding of the extremely painful start.

So people on the far left and people on the far right your both justified. And yes eventually we'll figure it out. Im definitely not jumping ship thats for sure.

[AcGold]

Brodie will save us. The team isn't the same without him.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by ResAlien

Lol we're abandoning Flames related usernames now? Child please, that's some Oiler fan no goodness.

I'm don't want to abandon a Flames' related name. I just always thought this name was kind of terrible. Give me a Flames' related name that doesn't sound stupid like mine is

About the only thing that is coming to mind right now is "Bob's Booger". See? I suck.

[Chingas]

I am a Flames fan through thick and thin, but I am also not blind. We have some very fundamental system/ lack of system issues.
Our zone exit strategy is stretch pass, or Gaudreau skating the puck out. Too easy to defend against, too predictable.

Our zone entry strategy is either Monahan or gaudreau enter the zone and pass it off. Other than that it is dump and lazy chase with no results. Also if we are not going to support the first man in on a forecheck we should just send no one in and play the trap. We have had some guys do some great forechecking, and win the puck only to be all by them selves with no one to pass to. What a waste of hard work and energy. I hate the trap, but it may be the short term answer for our team. We can attack with quick response more effectively from the center zone than we can from a stretch pass that hits its mark at about a 10% success rate so far. Further more, our D do not seem to look for the winger gaining speed when they are between the blue lines, too often we see Bennett ramped up only to see Russell or Wideman circle back and try again. They only have eyes for Johnny and too many times waste a fresh line by resetting and killing 20 seconds when that should be the most opportune time for a rush.

Our Power play strategy with only one man up high is not working and allows the defensive team to clear up the boards too easily. I understand that some of our strength is our d-men's ability to sneak up and join the play down low but it is not providing results. Please go back to an old fasioned two men high structure and get shots on the net, keep pounding away until it works. Find some success and then experiment again. Too many ineffective power plays that result in tilting the ice the wrong way.

We are not making the other teams pay for their space, ever! I want someone in the room to go slap everyone else in the face and wake them up, piss them off. The effort in the last two games has been there but we are too short on passion. I want them to hate every last guy on the other team. When they are standing too close to the goalie after a whistle abuse them. We need to get some respect and by ourselves some of our own space. Teams need to hate playing us. Wash some faces, take zero disrespect from the other team. Ovi should have been attacked after his BS the other night and we just laid over. It is not acceptable.

I want Hamilton to start doing everything hard. Hit hard, shoot hard, pass hard. I don't care if he gets caught out of position by doing this but he needs to realise that he is a big big body and start to use it. Start being crisp, deliberate and Strong. I will forgive any mishap that comes from a result of him being strong. Once he can gain that confidence he can start making adjustments for what is hurting him after that, and I think that he will be a better player as a result of it.

This team needs to develop some systems and play them. A lot of the struggles are a direct result of that. We are not skilled enough to play river hockey all night every night. Hartley needs to take a game in the pressbox himself and watch from above. It is so blatently obvious that I can't believe that he is missing it himself. Gio did mention that we played better in the middle zone during the Red wing game, so there is something being mentioned in practice.The guy is a great coach and I have to believe that he isn't blind to it all, but I do wonder why we have not seen any real system developed after all his time here.

Sorry for the long rambling post, but I have so many thoughts that I can't get them all in order.

This team is not fighting for each other. Gio has played two solid games so far TWO, and now is given a free pass from everyone, but he needs to get his team on board. Hartley needs to give us a fresh look. This team is not trying to do things different and in return are not getting different results. (The definition of insanity).

I don't expect that the rebuild is magically over after two seasons so my expectations are tempered. Additionally this mess will not fix itself. We are not going to get a new second line in the next couple of weeks and I doubt that would help anything anyway. The responisbility is soley on Gio and Bob to get this team on track. It is their job and they better start doing it.

[Calgary4LIfe]

It is quite perplexing as to what ails the Flames right now.

I don't think it is goaltending. That last game that Ramo had I thought he was spectacular until the Flames allow the NHL's best goal scorer a high-percentage shot, followed by his own rebound to score. Flames became rattled.

Same thing happened in most games. There has been some bad goals that one can point and say: "Hey, after this goal went in, the Flames lost it".

Hiller and Ramo have both made sensational saves that should have given this group confidence to turn the play around, but that didn't happen. They just keep looking rattled.

Is it a chemistry thing? I don't think so since the majority of the team is the same as last year, and last year saw a LOT of movement personnel-wise with all the injuries.

I don't think it is because of the 'unsustainable' crap either. They just aren't getting off enough high-percentage shots like they were last season, and they are allowing tonnes of prime scoring opportunities that I think last year they weren't. Ramo and Hiller were both 'average' goalies last year by every metric. This year, they are being exposed (or were with Ramo as he is in the AHL) because there are a lot of 2nd and 3rd opportunities. Some of the 2nd opportunities are almost uncontested. That is really difficult for goalies to stop - even elite goalies have trouble stopping some of those chances regularly.

They just don't seem like that hungry fast team anymore that just bears-down. The swagger is gone. That lunch-pail attitude that everyone seemed to love has disappeared.

I don't know if it is a case of just 'playing through it' with the coach just trying to pull positives and show patience, or if a shake-up trade is required. Maybe more bag skates. I have no idea what is really wrong with this team at the moment, but there has probably been about maybe 8 or 9 periods where I saw last year's team performing all season long.

Hudler looks much more like a passenger this year, while last year he looked like the guy leading the charge mostly.

Backlund often seems confused or unsure out there at times.

Giordano is finally looking more like himself, but also not quite the same outside of that Detroit game.

I didn't think Bouma started the season well at all, and now is out with an injury.

I love Paul Byron, but he was hardly a huge loss (a loss I thought, since he has tremendous speed and solid PK ability, but hardly any sort of an explanation at this point).

As lousy as Hamilton has played, I can't say it is him either. He has made some critical errors, but it isn't like the Flames look better when he is sitting on the bench between shifts.

It seems the whole team is a bit of a mess. It is almost as if the 29 other teams decided to watch video on the Flames and have picked apart the system and completely neutralized every player. There were some piss-poor efforts to start the season for sure. However, there were also some very good efforts that were just neutralized I thought.

At this point, hopefully they just play through it. Hopefully when Brodie comes back, the Flames will do a much better job of transitioning than they have been doing so far. Hopefully it is just a confidence thing. I at least have the confidence that Treliving won't react with a bad 'shakeup' trade. Rebuild should be a longer process than what the Flames have done so far, and perhaps they are much more like Ottawa in that regard where it seemed they were almost done their rebuild, only to show by the mid-season mark that was so obviously not the case.

I do agree with what many have been saying - there is too much 'filler' in the top 6 so far. I don't think it explains the drastic difference from this season (so far) as opposed to last season, however. Bennett is not ready to be counted on. I thought he should have just been permanently fixed as the 3rd line center getting very sheltered minutes. I like Colborne, but he is a 3rd liner at this point. Same goes for Bouma, Ferland, and arguably Frolik as well. I see this team more of a 1st line team and a tweener 2nd line/3rd line team.

Season's far from over, and the Flames are far from out of it. Anyone really believe that Arizona, LA, San Jose, Vancouver, Edmonton, Anaheim and Calgary will actually be the final ranking this year? Of course not. It better get clicking for the Flames soon, however, but they are definitely not out of it. I don't see Calgary as a bottom-feeder this year. I see them still as a bubble-team that would more than likely make the playoffs. I saw Anaheim as a top team in the league. I saw Arizona competing hard for their Arizona-born better than Eichel but not nearly as good as McDavid wonderkid this year. Weird start, but I still don't see those three things not ending up that way.

I am still in 'rebuild mode' though as a fan. If they lose, sucks, but fine.. it is a rebuild after-all. Things are still looking good with the depth the Flames have organizationally. There is no reason to jump off a bridge at this point so early in the season - or at any time this season even if the Flames finish dead-last. As long as Treliving maintains his long-term focus, I won't 'hate' what is happening. Disappointed with the way the Flames came out? Definitely. But hardly anything to be embarrassed about. No good reason to stop cheering for them and supporting them.

It is a rebuild still. Ups and downs. In my mind, part of really enjoying a win is remembering how difficult it was before those wins came. Bandwagon fans scream and shout and have lots of fun. Sometimes the real fans are the ones that can't help but shed a tear or two because they remember how much time and support they kept investing in the team even when they were 'losers'. It is still a rebuild. Not a time to panic.

Anyone thought this team was the finished product and was competing for the cup this year? Don't think so. Just enjoy the season unfold. Rough start, but it is bound to get better with some exciting stretches. Even if they have a terrible season, I will still be interested to see how the young players respond throughout the year in dealing with it. I appreciate the good seasons that much more because of these.

[868904]

I think a lot is being made of the system. This is the same system that got this team to the second round last year. It is the same system that plays to the strength of the mobile defencemen. It is the same system that placed this team in the top ten of scoring last year.

I don't know if the current struggles have to do with the system or if it's just a bad stretch with some pretty bad luck.

A lot of the perceived system issues were also noticeable during the 8 game losing streak last year. During that streak, it looked like the Flames were done. They had problems breaking out of their zone, handling passes, scoring goals.

Is it possible that the league figured the system out? Maybe, but I highly doubt that the NY Ranger and Islanders spent that much time over the summer game planning to beat the Flames in the first month of the season.

The team is simply struggling with some confidence right now and it is affecting all facets of their game. I honestly thought the team deserved a lot better versus the Rangers, I thought they outplayed the Rangers in that game but were the victim of some bad bounces. I think if they had scored that second goal to make it 2-0, they would have cruised to a victory but unfortunately, they just didn't get the bounces. The Flames also looked like last years team against the Wings and I thought they had turned the corner. Against the Islanders, it really looked like their confidence got shot the night before, after playing so well and still losing.

[crapshoot]

Originally Posted by bucksmasher

I'll say it. It sucks when your team is losing and people run around pitch forking players, coaches and each other because they are unhappy.

In all fairness, the idea of Bollig sucking is not something new stemming from this losing skid we're on. Bollig has pretty much always sucked, even during the good times.

[Street Pharmacist]

I'm not saying the sky is falling, because it already fell.

The team is so lacking confidence right now. Hartley is not the Coach to bring a team to contender status, but that's not why they can't win right now. It's not Hamilton, Bollig or Engelland. It's a lack of conviction they had last year. If you're not extremely confident because you know you're good, you lose those close battles on the boards because your always clutching and second guessing. Double so for scoring. The whole team has the yips.

[Caged Great]

For me, there is never a bad thing in a rebuild.

If the Flames continue to lose, then there is zero excuse to keep any veteran outside of Giordano and Frolik. That is a good thing.

The lack of success will allow for another high pick. If you combine that with the additional selections gained from dealing players, the Flames will be able to address another big problem, which is a lack of upcoming young players to replace the last wave of guys that are about to arrive in the NHL.

It will also allow for more young players to come in and take a job.

Money that is freed up for this offseason will be able to be directed towards getting a quality handful of players to address whatever needs there are.

Ideally, the Flames would be able to build off their success last year, that didn't happen. Now we will see how things change moving forward.