Francis: Tire Fire

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

Bennett was our best PKer last year IIRC paired with Alex Chiasson.

I suspect both Stajan and Bennett's data is skewed by Brouwer. Teams keying in on Brouwer was exemplified last game on the replay where we saw how they just isolated him.

It's more Stajan and Brouwer combined that are hurting Bennett. Bennett doesn't have a single guy he plays with consistently. The most is Stajan at 14 minutes - and they have been terrible together. Then just nine minutes with Brouwer, which has also been bad.

7 minutes each with Lazar and Jankowski, 5 with Monahan, all great numbers.

Most likely, Bennett is getting top pair PK minutes when either Brouwer or Stajan take the penalties.

More I look at these numbers, more I like Jankowski and Lazar getting more penalty killing opportunities.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Rubicant

Summary looks pretty well on the nose to me.

B. S. Saying guys like Gaudreau and Monahan are not going all out to win is stupid and asinine. Mony is obviously playing hurt and still trying hard every game and Johnny is still racking up points. Statements like that piss me right off!

[Canehdianman]

Originally Posted by Canehdianman

MOD EDIT: Removed image with inappropriate language.

Thank God someone is protecting the children.

[Displaced Flames fan]

You can't say leadership issues and then excuse the leadership.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by browna

I take full issue with JG not caring about losing. Last year he seemed much less engaged and likely also due to the late signing.

He hates losing. But like a lot of skilled players, he seems to think the only way he can contribute to winning is to score.

I know I've been banging on about this, but half the game is played without the puck. Players vary dramatically in how well they play without the puck, just as they vary in how well they play with it.

Offence/defence on a 1-5 scale

5/2 or 4/4, which is better? I like the 4/4.

The good news is skilled players can bring that second number up if they really care about that part of the game and put in the effort. Some do. Some don't. Good teams have cores made up mostly of players who do.

[dino7c]

This issue is not enough good players....so let's blame the few we have lol

Francis wrote this as click bait and it obviously worked

[Toonage]

I heard the interview on Hockey Central at noon. Typical Francis talking out of both sides of his mouth. Spent some time saying how Hamonic had trouble because Brodie was horrible. Then suggested how the Flames could move Brodie to the Habs cause they need a good puck moving defenseman. Not if they listened to your description of him Eric.

[N-E-B]

I agree with Francis on everything except the criticisms of Monahan, Gaudreau, and Hamilton.

What more can Johnny do to win? He's going to be AT WORST a PPG player this year, and that's only if he goes on a 7 game pointless streak. He's too small to be physical and IMO too important to be blocking shots.

Monahan had over 30 goals. Hamilton leads the league in goals by a defenseman. Could both of them be more physical? Absolutely, but that doesn't mean they're content with losing.

The guys on the team who deserve criticism are guys like TJ Brodie and Troy Brouwer. Both of them looked completely disinterested. I tend to give Brodie the benefit of the doubt because of his family situation, but I can understand if others don't. Brouwer should be embarrassed every time he looks at his bank account.

Other than that though, I think Francis nailed it.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Nah, Hamilton really dogs it defensively for good portions of the season. If Giordano wasn't his partner, his numbers would looks as bad as Brodie's. He doesn't care enough about the defensive zone and is happy when he scores goals/points. He's the exact type of player Francis is talking about. I think Brodie tries harder than Hamilton most nights, but he makes boneheaded decisions the same way Gaudreau does. Wrong time, wrong choice, ends up hurting the team.

Hamilton needs to hate losing a lot more than he currently does. I can't think of any instances where he goes all out to make a play. Gio does it 3 or 4 times a night. You'd think some of that would have rubbed off on Hamilton by now.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Funny how this team goes from being perceived as mentally strong under Hartley and becomes mentally weak under Gulutzan.

But yeah, let's blame this on the young guys not buying in.

####, this team is dumb.

Ah yes the legend/myth of Hartley . It was one season out of three that the flames made all those comebacks . They didn't do it in his first season and they didn't do it in his last season. The last season of Hartley , when the goalie let in a softie the flames folded like a cheep tent, just like they are doing now. There has been a problem with adversity with this team before GG arrived.

I will say that Hartleys teams were well conditioned from hard practices, but i laugh at the mentally strong comment.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I think a lot of what Francis is saying isn't wrong. This team doesn't hate to lose enough.
I do struggle with Johnny. And I've been hard on him.
- I think he's the most skilled player on the team by far and has delivered a terrific season
- I think he does hate to lose and is uber competitive

But...
- I think he makes very poor decisions with little awareness about the game situation at times
- I don't think he's committing to the extent he can be to be a great pro. Thinking specifically about overall fitness and nutrition.
- He's not great away from the puck or defensively except for trying to take the puck away.

I think this may be 100% accurate (I have no idea about his fitness, much less his nutrition) but as stated by Jiri and others this doesn’t mean anything is Johnny’s fault.

He is not getting paid like a superstar whom a championship team revolves around. I think he’s the 40th to 50th highest paid player in the league. Does the organization believe he is capable of being the best player on a championship team? Is that what they are counting on? I hope not.

Gaudreau is fine. One hell of a 4th round pick and a reasonably priced superstar. The reason you don’t trade all your draft picks is because you need more like him, not less.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by delayedreflex

Gaudreau is only paid to be a Kessel, not a Kane. We don't have an elite overall player that will lead a team to contender status, but we also aren't paying anyone to do that. I guess the question is, can a team succeed if it just has elite overall players, but nobody who can carry a team?

Is Nashville's roster really that much more talented or gritty than Calgary's? Their depth forwards are definitely performing much better than ours, but I don't see guys on their team that are any more game breakers than the Flames. Are there some intangibles at play that makes that a roster full of winners and the Flames losers?

If only we could do a coach swap and see whether's it's really the rosters that is the root of the difference.

Look at Vegas. A bunch of castaways from the other NHL teams that have come together in their first year and are likely to go on a deep run in the playoffs. It is really amazing what they have done.

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

Ah yes the legend/myth of Hartley . It was one season out of three that the flames made all those comebacks . They didn't do it in his first season and they didn't do it in his last season. The last season of Hartley , when the goalie let in a softie the flames folded like a cheep tent, just like they are doing now. There has been a problem with adversity with this team before GG arrived.

I will say that Hartleys teams were well conditioned from hard practices, but i laugh at the mentally strong comment.

The legend/myth of Hartley has finally surpassed the legend/myth of Byron.

[rooster]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Bennett was supposed to be a more skilled Toews.

Bennet was never given the opportunity like some of the other guys. He was playing with Brouwer way too much when Brouwer was playing his worst.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Look at Vegas. A bunch of castaways from the other NHL teams that have come together in their first year and are likely to go on a deep run in the playoffs. It is really amazing what they have done.

Or they got the best expansion draft rules in NHL history even though they were the only team picking

Team has a lot of talent...it's not just trying hard.

Compare their RWers with the Flames

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Or they got the best expansion draft rules in NHL history even though they were the only team picking

Team has a lot of talent...it's not just trying hard.

Compare their RWers with the Flames

They have James Neal but no one else really shines. They are not a team with a lot of fire power or elite players but they all seem to know their role and come prepares every day. They have bought into a system and are successful.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

They have James Neal but no one else really shines. They are not a team with a lot of fire power or elite players but they all seem to know their role and come prepares every day. They have bought into a system and are successful.

What?

Neal is like their 6th leading scorer.

Karlsson has had a breakout year.

Marchessault built off last year's 30 goals and leads the team in scoring.

Reilly Smith rediscovered his scoring touch and has 60 points.

Hell, Erik Haula has outperformed Neal.

Colin Miller, a defenseman, has almost as many points as Neal.

M.A. Fleury has a .930 save% and 2.18 GAA.

There is a lot of talent on that team. It's not just a collection of plugs.

[Jiri Hrdina]

They got more quality players than any other expansion team ever has. Guys like Neal, Marchessault, and Perron were established offensive players. Reilly Smith and Tuch were on the upswing.
Karlsson and Haula are the real big surprises that puts the whole thing into a different level.
But they were able to pluck some players that were a much higher pedigree that previous expansion teams.
Full credit but some of it can be explained by advantages they had.

Karlsson though - boy - where did he come from?

[getoverit]

Well said, agree whole heartedly. Tired of his penalties every game for lully gagging. He could bring us the right return. Put Brodie back with Gio.

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Nah, Hamilton really dogs it defensively for good portions of the season. If Giordano wasn't his partner, his numbers would looks as bad as Brodie's. He doesn't care enough about the defensive zone and is happy when he scores goals/points. He's the exact type of player Francis is talking about. I think Brodie tries harder than Hamilton most nights, but he makes boneheaded decisions the same way Gaudreau does. Wrong time, wrong choice, ends up hurting the team.

Hamilton needs to hate losing a lot more than he currently does. I can't think of any instances where he goes all out to make a play. Gio does it 3 or 4 times a night. You'd think some of that would have rubbed off on Hamilton by now.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

What?

Neal is like their 6th leading scorer.

Karlsson has had a breakout year.

Marchessault built off last year's 30 goals and leads the team in scoring.

Reilly Smith rediscovered his scoring touch and has 60 points.

Hell, Erik Haula has outperformed Neal.

Colin Miller, a defenseman, has almost as many points as Neal.

M.A. Fleury has a .930 save% and 2.18 GAA.

There is a lot of talent on that team. It's not just a collection of plugs.

Going into the season the only guy on their roster that was an elite player was Fleury with Neal being the only creditable first liner. Marchessault didn't have much experience in the NHL prior to the expansion draft so he was an unknown. The rest of the team was essentially support guys and bottom six players. For whatever reasons these guys have come together quickly, learned a new system and have had an amazing year. The Flames are complete 180 of Vegas. They have some top dollar, talented players who are seriously under performing and can't get their #### together.