[PGT] Painful loss to the Ducks

[BigRed]

Originally Posted by TheoFleury

If you need to prop Monahan up just to help his counting stats, I'd suggest the time has probably come to move on.

It’s not about ‘counting stats.’ It’s about finding a way for a player to contribute and help the team win. Sounds like most think we can’t give him away at this point, so why not maximize his potential — which, I guess we all need to be reminded, isn’t exactly chopped liver?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TheoFleury]

Originally Posted by BigRed

It’s not about ‘counting stats.’ It’s about finding a way for a player to contribute and help the team win. Sounds like most think we can’t give him away at this point, so why not maximize his potential — which, I guess we all need to be reminded, isn’t exactly chopped liver?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If Monahan isn't scoring, he's useless. He's not 3C material. Lindholm, Backlund and Coleman are probably all more effective at actually doing things that help the team win at this point. Heck, I'd like to see Dube at C over Monahan. He's pretty much lost his value on this roster as he's a niche player who seems to have lost his one dimension. Get what you can and give the ice time to better all round players. Addition by subtraction.

Sent from my SM-G988W using Tapatalk

[Jiri Hrdina]

Or give him more than 2 games after an off season with hip surgery

[TheoFleury]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Or give him more than 2 games after an off season with hip surgery

Fair. He's looked bad for 2 straight seasons though. I worry that the injuries have just piled up to the point where he's lost his effectiveness. It's a thin line

Sent from my SM-G988W using Tapatalk

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by TheoFleury

Fair. He's looked bad for 2 straight seasons though. I worry that the injuries have just piled up to the point where he's lost his effectiveness. It's a thin line

Sent from my SM-G988W using Tapatalk

He got injured in game 6 last season...he actually did start well if I recall

[TheoFleury]

Originally Posted by dino7c

He got injured in game 6 last season...he actually did start well if I recall

Wrists, hips, who knows what else. NHL history is littered with guys who lost it in their late 20s as their bodies broke down. For a guy who relies on his shot and cannot afford to lose any mobility to begin with... it's concerning for sure.

Sent from my SM-G988W using Tapatalk

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

2 games vs divisional rivals. We missed the playoffs by 4 points last season, these games matter.

I agree some of the negative posts are over the top dramatic, but dismissing the results as only 2 games is niave.

Dismissing the results as only two games? How many games is it?

If you want to complain about last year or the off season or management sure. But this season has barely started.

[TheSquatch]

That's just it, this isn't some new problematic Monahan, it's just a continuation of a spiral that some of us have been watching, commenting on, and wondering about for a few years here. He's injured every year, all year last year we found out, before that - broken fingers, wrists, ankles... i can't even remember... and he plays through all kinds of stuff (but is ineffective while doing so naturally).

The issue is, he's not fast, never has been, and the game is faster and faster. So he cheats, he doesn't play low enough in the D zone because he wants to get a bit of a break if the puck turns over.

The OT goal is Monahan standing still trying to make something happen, and he flubs it up and 2 guys outskate him the other way. Move your feet, Sean.

I'm hoping he improves, hoping he has a great year. But Monahan is not a top class 1C, never has been. He's a second tier first line center - league is full of such, the true elite 1C are hard to find. He's not that. And as is being pointed out, he's not other things either. If he's not scoring, he's not helping much.

I can't remember who, but it was pointed out that this team doesn't have a legit 1C, or a legit top D man. If they are going to win, it's going to be by out working other teams and Markstrom making saves (which hasn't been good enough, but hopefully will trend up here).

[SOMBRI]

I trust the legend. Peter Maher said give a team 25 games.

Sent from my SM-G975W using Tapatalk

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

And there are probably 15 other fanbases saying the same thing. There are about 8 Elite Teams, 7 Bad Teams, and 16 Average teams. That's just the NHL with a salary cap era.

If you look over the last 5 seasons there are:

-8 Teams with a points percentage over .600: Tampa Bay, Washington, Boston, Pittsburgh, Vegas, Toronto, Nashville, St.Louis

-16 Teams Between .531 and .596: Minnesota, Winnipeg, Carolina, Columbus, New York, Florida, Calgary, Philadelphia, Edmonton, San Jose, Dallas, Colorado, Montreal, New York, Chicago, Anaheim

-7 Bad Teams below a .495 points percentage: LA, Arizona, New Jersey, Vancouver, Ottawa, Buffalo, Detroit

5 years is a long time so there are teams that move in and out of these Buckets but this is how it generally works. Nashville/St.Louis probably more in the middle now, Colorado and Carolina moved up to top tier. Vancouver probably more in the middle tier with Chicago dropping down.

It is frustrating that the Flames re-build was rushed, and that we didn't really get that true elite center that would push us into the top tier, but that's the same story for the majority of the NHL. Takes a lot of luck and good timing to end up in that top tier.



And this is the key. People are projecting the failures of the past 2 seasons (and 18-19 playoffs) onto what we've seen in these 2 games so far.

This team has been a truly average team the last couple years but visually and statistically they've looked better in these two games than they have at any point since the all-star break of the 18-19 season. And that's promising to me.

Agreed.

They've actually looked not just okay but good to Great visually (outside of Zadorov) despite starting late and probably having rust cause of it. These are easily the best two opening games they've played in a decade. So many sloppy openers over the years or just downright dreadful efforts.

The top guys looked more deadly when they were playing those preseason games consistently. Then they sat around for over a week. It takes getting into a groove too. They look pretty cohesive and haven't even got in a rhythm of playing every other day yet. Thats very promising if this is what we consider a bad start.

As for the negativity surrounding markstrom, we could also very well be sitting on another goalie on the verge of breaking out at the NHL level. I firmly believe that between Markstrom and Vladar we will have a solution in net. Whether that be Markstron returning to form or Vladar emerging. I see a lot of starter qualities in Vladar. Lots of composure and bounce back in his game. Its not ideal when the other guy is making 6mil but if vladar seizes the net then so be it.

Just one more bounce their way yesterday and we're talking a suffocating Vegas-like performance. It's an incredibly thin margin.

[HighLifeMan]

I know it's the easy thing to do to rip on Monahan these days and that play in OT rightfully deserves some criticism but you can't overlook his results after two games. He has played incredibly well defensively at even strength and has helped contribute to a line that quite frankly has been dominate to start the year. A couple breaks his way and everyone is happy. Unlucky start to the year for Monahan, and the team as a whole really.

Among Calgary forwards
xGF% - 79.05% (1st)
SCF% - 82.61% (1st)
SF% - 73.33% (2nd)
CF% - 68.89% (2nd)
HDCF% - 75.00% (3rd)
Hits - 4 (3rd)


Mikael Backlund and Milan Lucic have been the deadweight up front to start the year.

[Azhouse]

Originally Posted by Bingo

But I don't get the joy in misery that some people have.

It's been built into us over four decades (actually three decades, the first was awesome) as Flames fans and we've passed it onto our children.

[Psytic]

I remember saying I would be happy cheering for this team as long as they put in a solid effort. They are for the most part. SO here we are. I guess I have to honor that lol. Go Flames! Positive thoughts.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by HighLifeMan

I know it's the easy thing to do to rip on Monahan these days and that play in OT rightfully deserves some criticism but you can't overlook his results after two games. He has played incredibly well defensively at even strength and has helped contribute to a line that quite frankly has been dominate to start the year. A couple breaks his way and everyone is happy. Unlucky start to the year for Monahan, and the team as a whole really.

Among Calgary forwards
xGF% - 79.05% (1st)
SCF% - 82.61% (1st)
SF% - 73.33% (2nd)
CF% - 68.89% (2nd)
HDCF% - 75.00% (3rd)
Hits - 4 (3rd)


Mikael Backlund and Milan Lucic have been the deadweight up front to start the year.

Backlund should start every season centering the 4th line until he gets up to speed. It seems we see this from him every season where he's simply bad to open the season and by mid season he's one of the teams' best players.

[dino7c]

play some ####ing games already!

[Burning Beard]

Originally Posted by dino7c

play some ####ing games already!

Yeah this is ridiculous.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Or give him more than 2 games after an off season with hip surgery

Okay, but if he hasn't scored a hat trick in the first period of game 3 there will be hell to pay!

[Mass_nerder]

Originally Posted by dino7c

play some ####ing games already!

Hey at least we're not the Bruins who are playing their second game tonight!

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Mass_nerder

Hey at least we're not the Bruins who are playing their second game tonight!

so tied for fewest games after tonight

[Mass_nerder]

Originally Posted by dino7c

so tied for fewest games after tonight

Looks like there are a few others in the East that have only played twice (but some may play tonight; I'm too lazy to check).
Silly none the less.
Maybe we're all just spoiled from the condensed schedule last season?