I don't want to pull out the pitchfork and torches on Huska, but I don't think we are too far off from needing them.
Also, where the hell is Brad Pascall in all of this? Adirondack is his responsibility and he's been invisible. Conroy did a far better job being visible within the Heat or at least talking about them.
Wow. This is embarrassing. I don't know what it is but this needs to change. From what it sounds like we are just playing consistently bad
It's not actually that bad.
The other teams have more veterans as well as better defense/goaltending.
The Flames are having a hard time with making passes, and getting the puck out of the zone. A lot of their mistakes unfortunately are ending up in their net. The game was relatively even (Merks were slightly better in the 2nd/3rd, but the Flames were better in the first).
Just can't seem to get everyone on the same page.
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I don't want to pull out the pitchfork and torches on Huska, but I don't think we are too far off from needing them.
Also, where the hell is Brad Pascall in all of this? Adirondack is his responsibility and he's been invisible. Conroy did a far better job being visible within the Heat or at least talking about them.
Adirondack's media coverage is far different than it was in Abbotsford. It's really not comparable. What do you want Pascal to say?
Currently, the Flames only have one defense pair that's consistently playing at a quality AHL level, and that's 'Spoon/Kulak. The rest of the guys have been at an average/below average AHL level or ECHL level. That's a big part of the problem.
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Adirondack's media coverage is far different than it was in Abbotsford. It's really not comparable. What do you want Pascal to say?
I want Pascal to actually show that he's paying attention to the team. How often was Conroy on Calgary media talking about the Heat? How often did he say something about them, how things are going, how the players are doing there and that sort of thing?
Aside from the hiring press conference, I have never seen or heard from Pascal in Calgary or Adirondack. I almost forgot he was an assistant GM. Guy is invisible.
They seem to be rotated out of the lineup to get Ramage and Culkin in. This has been ongoing since the start of the season. Too many D, not enough spots.
That's definitely one position we could afford to pull off a trade like what they did with Cundari last year to loan a player to another team to get a vet. Corey Locke was a great addition to the team and turned things around for the Heat. Another trade like that right now might do us some good.
Quickly looking through rosters, it looks like there are a couple of teams with ample veterans that might be interested in a deal to have a couple youth while we take a veteran off their hands.
Currently, the Flames only have one defense pair that's consistently playing at a quality AHL level, and that's 'Spoon/Kulak. The rest of the guys have been at an average/below average AHL level or ECHL level. That's a big part of the problem.
Agreed. Good puck moving D are essential to driving the play up ice. Here we see what happens if you don't have good puck movers on the back end, even with good forwards. It'll get better as the D gets more experience. Bottom line - it's a personnel problem, not coaching, and will likely sort itself out over time.
I read your guys excitement for kulak but could somebody tell me how he's playing in depth, is he following Brodie's footsteps. I'm not expecting this or last years version of Brodie but I think a Brodie that emerged in the shortened seasons ending could be what kulak becomes.
Besides the cream of the crop of our prospects (2011/13 guys, Bennett, gillies) him and ferland are my favourites. I'd really like anything to read about him and maybe ferland while you're at it.
I read your guys excitement for kulak but could somebody tell me how he's playing in depth, is he following Brodie's footsteps. I'm not expecting this or last years version of Brodie but I think a Brodie that emerged in the shortened seasons ending could be what kulak becomes.
Besides the cream of the crop of our prospects (2011/13 guys, Bennett, gillies) him and ferland are my favourites. I'd really like anything to read about him and maybe ferland while you're at it.
Comparing the two, Kulak is actually more composed defensively than Brodie was at the same age and it is more of an overall strength where Brodie was still trying to figure that out. Brodie's a bit faster, and more cerebral and dynamic offensively, while Kulak isn't bad in his own right and has Russell's slap shot. Overall, at the same ages, I might put Kulak ahead of where TJ was but only by a bit. It's fairly even though. Brodie also took several big leaps forward from age 20 to where he is now, so Kulak has a long ways to go still but he has also improved a lot compared to where he was even last year. To me, he is now in the same conversation as Wotherspoon and Sieloff in terms of ability. He's passed guys like Culkin that he was lumped with prior.
If Kulak continues on the same development curve, he could very well become a top 4 D-man. Just have to wait and see if he continues to progress in a positive direction or not.
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Comparing the two, Kulak is actually more composed defensively than Brodie was at the same age and it is more of an overall strength where Brodie was still trying to figure that out. Brodie's a bit faster, and more cerebral and dynamic offensively, while Kulak isn't bad in his own right and has Russell's slap shot. Overall, at the same ages, I might put Kulak ahead of where TJ was but only by a bit. It's fairly even though. Brodie also took several big leaps forward from age 20 to where he is now, so Kulak has a long ways to go still but he has also improved a lot compared to where he was even last year. To me, he is now in the same conversation as Wotherspoon and Sieloff in terms of ability. He's passed guys like Culkin that he was lumped with prior.
If Kulak continues on the same development curve, he could very well become a top 4 D-man. Just have to wait and see if he continues to progress in a positive direction or not.
Gotta disagree here. I watched more than a few games from Brodie's first season in abbotsford, and he was a force on the ice from game 1. Brodie was playing 25ish minutes a night and flying all over the ice playing the PK and PP. He was a game changer for the Heat his first season.
I like Kulak, but he is no where near where Brodie was at that age.
Kulaks shot is a hell of a lot better than Brodie's is/was though.
Gotta disagree here. I watched more than a few games from Brodie's first season in abbotsford, and he was a force on the ice from game 1. Brodie was playing 25ish minutes a night and flying all over the ice playing the PK and PP. He was a game changer for the Heat his first season.
I like Kulak, but he is no where near where Brodie was at that age.
Kulaks shot is a hell of a lot better than Brodie's is/was though.
My frame of reference with Brodie at that age is from watching him in the preseason of that year, with extremely limited viewings beyond that. That is not the same sample size or comparing like with like (Brodie against NHL talent VS Kulak against AHL talent).
So, as someone with more viewings of the player in the proper context (Brodie Vs AHLers), I will take your word for it.
As for Kulak being in the same conversation as Wotherspoon and Sieloff, I still think that's accurate from what I've watched of all three (Spoon is ahead though, but he is older as well)
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I read your guys excitement for kulak but could somebody tell me how he's playing in depth, is he following Brodie's footsteps. I'm not expecting this or last years version of Brodie but I think a Brodie that emerged in the shortened seasons ending could be what kulak becomes.
Besides the cream of the crop of our prospects (2011/13 guys, Bennett, gillies) him and ferland are my favourites. I'd really like anything to read about him and maybe ferland while you're at it.
The thing about Kulak is that he looked outstanding when guys like O'Brien, Billins and Smith were in the lineup at the end of last season. That's no coincidence.
Rather than say what Kulak is good at (which Caged Great outlined well), it'd be best to say what Kulak is bad at. Right now, his greatest weakness is he's overly confident. I know that sounds weird when you're talking about hockey players, but he tries to push the puck up the ice himself far far far too often. In Vancouver he was allowed because, heck, he was arguably the best player on his team. He's seriously got to learn to take it easy, survey the ice, see the lanes, see who's open and make the pass. If no one is open, then try and skate it up the ice.
Sometimes the guy doesn't even skate it up to the red line and dump in, he'll try and dangle through all five players to break into the zone. It's strange to watch and almost makes me wonder if he's developed a bit of a selfish streak.
In his own zone, he's not half bad. He tends to make good plays to get the puck out. I wouldn't mind if he was a bit meaner, especially in front of the net.
Clearly his greatest strengths are his skating and shooting. That goes without saying. He just really needs to work out the kinks and who better to teach him selflessness and meanness in his own zone than Wotherspoon?
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