[PGT] Flames 2 Blues 5

[direwolf]

Special teams are a major problem with this team right now. Fix that, and they should be fine.

[Galakanokis]

Problem with special teams is, arguably our best overall line plays both the PP and PK. We really need to find a center to either take Backlund's PP responsibilities or his PK responsibilities. Stajan cannot cut it anymore. And as much as people hate Brouwer his PK has been fine. We need to find better second units for our special teams.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Stanley

Our bottom 6 is terrible...

There are 13 players on the roster who are a minus on the season.

Kris Versteeg leads the team with a -4. Somewhat forgivable because of his power play production, but honestly just not good enough. Watching him play, it feels like last year's magic has come and gone and unfortunately he's returned to being the player that struggled to crack an NHL roster.

By far the biggest liabilities seem to be Stajan, Brouwer, Bennett and Ferland. How Ferland is a -3 with 1 even strength goals is beyond me, but that's how things stand through 9 games for him. How Brouwer is -3 with 2 non-powerplay points is less of a headscratcher.

Anyway, just not nearly enough offense from the Flames. Bottom 3rd in shots for per game, 7th worst in shots against.

Not enough offensive zone pressure to compete.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

Problem with special teams is, arguably our best overall line plays both the PP and PK. We really need to find a center to either take Backlund's PP responsibilities or his PK responsibilities. Stajan cannot cut it anymore. And as much as people hate Brouwer his PK has been fine. We need to find better second units for our special teams.

The current second PP unit produces nothing with their ice time.

Would really like to see a shakeup or swap between the two units to find some better chemistry. Swapping Brodie and Dougie comes to mind first. Unit one is the only dangerous unit and they're pretty snake bitten as it is.

Something has to change. I mean if winning the special teams battle is as important as GG makes it out to be.

[Kybb79]

Thankfully Glass,Stagan,Jagr and Versteeg contracts are done after this year.We need to replace them with speed.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Kybb79

Thankfully Glass,Stagan,Jagr and Versteeg contracts are done after this year.We need to replace them with speed.

Um.. no.

That one I'm not so thankful for. Still very much a fan of him being a Flame and excited to see what he can do when in game shape. I mean he's kept up fine and generated chances already.

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by Kybb79

Thankfully Glass,Stagan,Jagr and Versteeg contracts are done after this year.We need to replace them with speed.

Treliving will just go out and sign more useless PTOs and locker room champions.

Oh and then leave deserving players in the AHL until someone gets injured. The wizard always has a plan.

[Kybb79]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Um.. no.

That one I'm not so thankful for. Still very much a fan of him being a Flame and excited to see what he can do when in game shape. I mean he's kept up fine and generated chances already.

Yeah but 99.9% this is his last season.Im a fan of his too but we need to get younger and faster.

[Kybb79]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

Treliving will just go out and sign more useless PTOs and locker room champions.

Oh and then leave deserving players in the AHL until someone gets injured. The wizard always has a plan.

I hope BT will stop with the Pto's next year.

[djsFlames]

He should only sign one vet (hopefully top six caliber) next summer and fill the rest internally. Guys like Hathaway, Mangiapane or Dube could fill in those gaps nicely.

Eat Bread has been tearing it up in the A - currently with 12 points in 7 games!

[Kybb79]

Hopefully Foo can step it up next season too.

[Infinit47]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

Treliving will just go out and sign more useless PTOs and locker room champions.

Oh and then leave deserving players in the AHL until someone gets injured. The wizard always has a plan.

I really do think signing Glass was a mistake. I understand he was one of the better players in pre-season, but if we can't bet on someone in our farm system stepping into a 4th line grinder role then I think there are problems. Why were we so worried about filling out our 4th line and 7dman in preseason. I think we focused on the wrong things.

My guess is when Jagr is healthy we see Glass put on waivers and sent to the AHL, that is unless Jankowski's play crashes hard after the initial "I'm in the NHL" energy wears off, which can happen sometimes.

[Flash Walken]

Here is the problem with the idea that the vets are a problem:

There is no one in Calgary's system that can legitimately claim to be NHL ready except for Janko, who is now on the roster.

Brouwer is not the problem, he's the symptom of the problem. So is Tanner Glass.

The problem is that the Flames once again find themselves in a position where the main roster is suffering from a lack of push from the minor league roster.

The team has to sign and play jabronis like Bartkowski because there is no one else that is actually more capable than him, shift to shift, in the minors.

You hope you've got a player in Valimaki. You hope you've got a player in Dube. You hope you've got a player in Andersson and Kylington. But right now, they aren't players. Hathaway is not going to help your top 6 or your powerplay.

Same old story for this organization, unfortunately. Have to either commit to drafting players or rely on free agency to fill your roster with bloat.

[Lanny'sDaMan]

One thing I noticed last night was Bennett REFUSING to use Lazar. There was one play where Sammy drove in with Jankowski and Lazar, went beside the net, and Lazar was open, and in the slot with a golden lane to the net and Sammy looked right at him, and then went for the wrap around shot.

One example of a thing I saw quite a bit of (until Lazar got stapled to the bench mid way through the second). Just curious if there is something untowards going on between the two.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Lanny'sDaMan

One thing I noticed last night was Bennett REFUSING to use Lazar. There was one play where Sammy drove in with Jankowski and Lazar, went beside the net, and Lazar was open, and in the slot with a golden lane to the net and Sammy looked right at him, and then went for the wrap around shot.

One example of a thing I saw quite a bit of (until Lazar got stapled to the bench mid way through the second). Just curious if there is something untowards going on between the two.

To be fair, over the past 3 games whenever Bennett would feed Lazar, he would often end up whiffing on the shot or falling on his face. I get that he'd become gun shy.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Lanny'sDaMan

One thing I noticed last night was Bennett REFUSING to use Lazar. There was one play where Sammy drove in with Jankowski and Lazar, went beside the net, and Lazar was open, and in the slot with a golden lane to the net and Sammy looked right at him, and then went for the wrap around shot.

One example of a thing I saw quite a bit of (until Lazar got stapled to the bench mid way through the second). Just curious if there is something untowards going on between the two.

It might have something to do with Lazar being maybe the worst offensive player on the entire roster.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

It might have something to do with Lazar being maybe the worst offensive player on the entire roster.

Lazar is handling the puck like it's a hand grenade. Absolutely no confidence with it.

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Here is the problem with the idea that the vets are a problem:

There is no one in Calgary's system that can legitimately claim to be NHL ready except for Janko, who is now on the roster.

Brouwer is not the problem, he's the symptom of the problem. So is Tanner Glass.

The problem is that the Flames once again find themselves in a position where the main roster is suffering from a lack of push from the minor league roster.

The team has to sign and play jabronis like Bartkowski because there is no one else that is actually more capable than him, shift to shift, in the minors.

You hope you've got a player in Valimaki. You hope you've got a player in Dube. You hope you've got a player in Andersson and Kylington. But right now, they aren't players. Hathaway is not going to help your top 6 or your powerplay.

Same old story for this organization, unfortunately. Have to either commit to drafting players or rely on free agency to fill your roster with bloat.

Hathaway can't take a spot from Glass? Kulak from Bartkowski? Jankowski from anyone not in the top 6?

Players have earned spots but the Flames are reluctant to play them.

Glass getting a contract while a much better and younger player in Hathaway is in the AHL is a joke.

Lazar deserves to be in the AHL but because Treliving wasted a 2nd rounder he won't waive him. So many mistakes by the GM go without criticism because he is a "wizard.

Remember when Feaster did "whatever the hell he wanted" but after he was fired then fans changed their tune and he was one of the worst GMs in history.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Fire

Lazar is handling the puck like it's a hand grenade. Absolutely no confidence with it.

Yeah, makes you wonder why Ottawa gave up on him.

[Machiavelli]

Second round pick....I will never understand. Hopefully he can salvage some value with the team.

I thought he was okay on the top line; opened up some space for Gaudreau and Monahan