[PGT] Canucks 5 Flames 2. Oh no! We suck again!

[soulchoice]

Originally Posted by shogged

It wasn’t so much that he ate garbage but that he was a picky eater. He’s a meat and potatoes, hold the green beans kinda guy. He also put up 84 points last year eating that “garbage” lol

Yes it was somewhat that, however the concerns over his diet within the Organization was more than just him being picky(steak and carbs). It’ll get better presumably as he gets older and help on this issue. If he chooses to be the best he can be.

[united]

I typically give teams 20 or so games before being confident in judging the direction they are heading, and 25 or so for teams with new head coaches. So taking that into account, it's difficult to draw conclusions on the team as whole but you can start to pick out certain aspects. Adding to the difficulty is how poor judging tactics on TV is, especially with defencemen. With that out of the way:

- Great job by Hamonic stepping up a weight class in Dube's defence. Problem is he shouldn't even have had to if the referees do their job properly there. Hope he's okay.
- What is the point of Michael Stone, who struggled immensely last night? Rasmus Andersson is a clear upgrade but the Flames want more physicality back there and want Andersson getting all the minutes in the minors. Okay then so why not Dalton Prout, who plays even more physical, actually sticks up for his teammates, and is better in the room? Stone has the big shot that he gets off twice a game from 50 feet out? Neither is quick or good at moving the puck so go with the guy who makes life tougher on the opposition.
- The powerplay is so frustrating again. No one-timer options, no ability to cause rotation among the penalty-killers, everything is predictable and telegraphed. Why Brodie, who has shown he isn't good or comfortable playing the role? The drop pass is fine for causing false gaps, but when you do it every god damn time it is ineffective - you need a dual threat to cause uncertainty. Wasting a +6 differential against a ####ty team is a tough one.
- Please take my pre-season advice and keep Czarnik with Tkachuk and Backlund - his fore-checking ability and offensive creativity compliments them perfectly.
-Colborne to Hartley, Brouwer to Gulutzan, Ryan to Peters? Let's hope not, but can't say we weren't warned.
- Mike Smith can't let the fourth goal in. With Gio's angle and Vertanin having one hand on his stick, on his backhand, his only option is fivehole.
- Awesome first game from Noah Hanifin. A sign of things to come?

[Frank MetaMusil]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

My concerns about his commitment level date back well before this single game.
And your description of my opinion is an exaggeration of it. Not sure why that's needed.

Just an observation, but why are your concerns always with one of the team's best players?

[nik-]

Originally Posted by united

I typically give teams 20 or so games before being confident in judging the direction they are heading, and 25 or so for teams with new head coaches. So taking that into account, it's difficult to draw conclusions on the team as whole but you can start to pick out certain aspects. Adding to the difficulty is how poor judging tactics on TV is, especially with defencemen. With that out of the way:

- Great job by Hamonic stepping up a weight class in Dube's defence. Problem is he shouldn't even have had to if the referees do their job properly there. Hope he's okay.
- What is the point of Michael Stone, who struggled immensely last night? Rasmus Andersson is a clear upgrade but the Flames want more physicality back there and want Andersson getting all the minutes in the minors. Okay then so why not Dalton Prout, who plays even more physical, actually sticks up for his teammates, and is better in the room? Stone has the big shot that he gets off twice a game from 50 feet out? Neither is quick or good at moving the puck so go with the guy who makes life tougher on the opposition.
- The powerplay is so frustrating again. No one-timer options, no ability to cause rotation among the penalty-killers, everything is predictable and telegraphed. Why Brodie, who has shown he isn't good or comfortable playing the role? The drop pass is fine for causing false gaps, but when you do it every god damn time it is ineffective - you need a dual threat to cause uncertainty. Wasting a +6 differential against a ####ty team is a tough one.
- Please take my pre-season advice and keep Czarnik with Tkachuk and Backlund - his fore-checking ability and offensive creativity compliments them perfectly.
-Colborne to Hartley, Brouwer to Gulutzan, Ryan to Peters? Let's hope not, but can't say we weren't warned.
- Mike Smith can't let the fourth goal in. With Gio's angle and Vertanin having one hand on his stick, on his backhand, his only option is fivehole.
- Awesome first game from Noah Hanifin. A sign of things to come?

This team always gets its 20 game built in excuse from the fanbase because Peter Maher said it takes 20 games to figure out what a team is once way back.

In the meantime the other teams in the league are making hay and getting solidly into playoff position. This franchise doesn't deserve any more excuses. It's time for results.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

Just an observation, but why are your concerns always with one of the team's best players?

Because in the nhl teams win largely on the basis of if your best player is better than the other teams best players
And because I think he can be better

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by nik-

Like I've said before, Johnny is a great sidekick. A team can't be legit if he's your top gun though.

God dammit Bennett.

Gaudreau was #2 in league scoring at several points last season and even as late as around the Trade Deadline before the bottom fell out for the whole team.

In what world is being one of the elite of the elite scorers in the NHL a sidekick? Scoring is the hardest thing to do in this league and having one of the NHL’s top point producers is luck. We should be counting our blessings that he’s coming at such a cheap price on top of it all.

It’s hard to believe why Gaudreau gets so much flack around here. This market has always had problems ragging on their superstars and it clearly hasn’t changed one bit.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by united

- The powerplay is so frustrating again. No one-timer options, no ability to cause rotation among the penalty-killers, everything is predictable and telegraphed. Why Brodie, who has shown he isn't good or comfortable playing the role? The drop pass is fine for causing false gaps, but when you do it every god damn time it is ineffective - you need a dual threat to cause uncertainty. Wasting a +6 differential against a ####ty team is a tough one.

So about the drop pass. They really didn’t actually even use it much last night for zone entries, didn’t generally have trouble gaining the zone, but the PP was terrible nor in the zone.

(There was one really dumb drop on the first penalty in the Flames zone after which they gained the zone and it promptky lost possession, but most PPs they carried it in, chipped or dumped)

[Frank MetaMusil]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Because in the nhl teams win largely on the basis of if your best player is better than the other teams best players
And because I think he can be better

To me it just comes across like the "Monahan doesn't care about winning" statement from you know who. Then its discovered he needs four surgeries.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

Gaudreau was #2 in league scoring at several points last season and even as late as around the Trade Deadline before the bottom fell out for the whole team.

In what world is being one of the elite of the elite scorers in the NHL a sidekick? Scoring is the hardest thing to do in this league and having one of the NHL’s top point producers is luck. We should be counting our blessings that he’s coming at such a cheap price on top of it all.

It’s hard to believe why Gaudreau gets so much flack around here. This market has always had problems ragging on their superstars and it clearly hasn’t changed one bit.

He's not a sidekick on this team, and that's why we won't be contenders. You can absolutely win with him, but you'd better have some other forwards that are better and more impactful. It's not his fault, the team just isn't good enough.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by nik-

He's not a sidekick on this team, and that's why we won't be contenders. You can absolutely win with him, but you'd better have some other forwards that are better and more impactful. It's not his fault, the team just isn't good enough.

Wow. I’ll say it. This is a bloody good group of forwards. I think the team is good enough.

Smith is questionable. Peters is tbd

And I will say this and don’t really care what anyone thinks.

Bob Hartley, given this lineup, would make the playoffs and would go deep.

[nik-]

I guess we'll see.

[MisterJoji]

Originally Posted by nik-

He's not a sidekick on this team, and that's why we won't be contenders. You can absolutely win with him, but you'd better have some other forwards that are better and more impactful. It's not his fault, the team just isn't good enough.

I don’t know, the Blackhawks won a cup with Kane scoring 88 points and Toews 68. Last year Johnny had 84 and Monahan 64. Seems like a winning duo to me. We just need a goaltender who is top 15 in GAA and Sv% and need Brodano to play like Keith/Seabrook. And a half decent power play. I feel like we have adequate secondary scoring.

[chummer]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Wow. I’ll say it. This is a bloody good group of forwards. I think the team is good enough.

Smith is questionable. Peters is tbd

And I will say this and don’t really care what anyone thinks.

Bob Hartley, given this lineup, would make the playoffs and would go deep.

If he was that good he would have a job in the NHL. 31 GM's disagree with you.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by MisterJoji

I don’t know, the Blackhawks won a cup with Kane scoring 88 points and Toews 68. Last year Johnny had 84 and Monahan 64. Seems like a winning duo to me. We just need a goaltender who is top 15 in GAA and Sv% and need Brodano to play like Keith/Seabrook. And a half decent power play. I feel like we have adequate secondary scoring.

Toews has fallen off, but he was a lot more than just his points when they were winning Cups.

[dammage79]

Given how atrocious the end of last season was. I guess I am not shocked at the angst in here today. But man, it's game 1. Game 1!

To be honest, I am a bit bummed at the idea of a new coach grace period. These guys needs to grasp this system quickly and execute it ASAP. I don't think we can afford 20 games of leeway this year in the Pacific.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by chummer

If he was that good he would have a job in the NHL. 31 GM's disagree with you.

Pfft. 15 of those GMs have coaches that won’t even make the playoffs.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Because in the nhl teams win largely on the basis of if your best player is better than the other teams best players
And because I think he can be better

Questioning his commitment is different than questioning if he is good enough to carry the team to a championship.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by nik-

He's not a sidekick on this team, and that's why we won't be contenders. You can absolutely win with him, but you'd better have some other forwards that are better and more impactful. It's not his fault, the team just isn't good enough.

Why are you even here then? If you have determined after one game the team isn't good enough and won't ever be find something else to do with your time.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Why are you even here then? If you have determined after one game the team isn't good enough and won't ever be find something else to do with your time.

If people left if the Calgary Flames weren't good enough to win it all, this forum would be empty.

I've determined we're not cup contenders, and it was way before this game. But I'll still watch, your opinions aside.

[dammage79]

I guess johnny is kind of a modern throw back to the old school players like Lafleur who'd be chuffing darts up and down the ice scoring goals. except today johnny mowing down skittles and other junk diet crap and putting up points.

Part of me wonders if he commited to being a Marty St.louis type Athlete if he could actually become better than he already is or if his slender form with a bit of diabetic chub protecting him is the best player he will ever be.

Either way. He's going to hit an age where all that bad diets gonna catch up to him and he'll have a shortened NHL career.