[PGT] Oilers 5 - Flames 3 - EDM leads 3 -1

[Manhattanboy]

I don’t know about those questioning Sutter.

Maybe they’re right. Or not.

[OldDutch]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

Edmonton just wants it more. Their forwards are winning all the battles. Their defense is blocking shots. Smith is playing out of his mind. Every single guy on their team wants to win. Our guys just don’t have the heart that their guys do. We’re a better team on paper but for whatever reason the Oilers just look way more motivated than the Flames.

Uhh I think getting scored on from the other end of the rink, and the lone Calgary goal, and game 1 and first 5 of game 2 says otherwise on out worldly Smith.

He’s played well enough at the right times, contrasted with the Markstrom dumpster fire.

[EVERLAST]

Time for a whole bunch of people to go buy oilers jerseys and go away.
Please .....don't let the door hit you in the ____on the way out.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Flames haven’t been at there best and really the series should likely be 2-2 but Smith has been better than Markstrom.

Through 4 games:

Shots: 153-135 Flames
Scoring Chances: 138-118 Flames
High Danger: 55-48 Flames
Expected Goals: 14.8 - 13.4 Flames
Goals: 20-16 Edmonton.
Save Percentage: .892 - .852 Edmonton.

Flames could win either Game 2 or Game 4 if Markstrom has a good game, instead they lost both and are now down 3-1 because of it.

When you get to the Final 8 teams in the playoffs the margins are that thin.

Panthers fans are mad at Bobrovsky and he had a .897 save percentage in the sweep…Markstrom is rocking the .850 right now.

The team can play better in front of him, and hopefully tonight was a step in the right direction. But Markstrom needs to really get his act together because he’s the reason they are down right now.

This is pretty balanced.

I don't put it all on Markstrom but if you can't win the goalie battle vs. Mike Smith and the Oilers, good chance you're losing.

[keenan87]

The worst thing about this. They won a round so the Flames will come back with the exact same core next year. Sutter will talk about playoff experience and how this year was just practice. Fans will eat it up and Treliving gets to keep his job.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by home_sweet_dome

Enough with the Markstrom hate, the only bad goal on him tonight was the 1st one. Smith's 3rd goal against was just as bad if not worse.

3rd one was a flukey deflection and he made some huge stops after that to give the guys a chance.

Fingers should really be pointed at the forwards other than Backlund for generating not nearly enough and our depth on D has really been exposed with the Tanev injury.

If you take the blinders off we are legit getting outplayed and outchanced by the Oil in this series.

You're emotionally conflating two separate issues. We need more from our secondary scorers, we need more out of Sutter in terms of strategy and line matching....but Markstrom is not playing anywhere near well enough this series, full stop, and it's costing us huge.

[Flames_Gimp]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

Your posting after a loss is embarrassing.

im not allowed to be upset, gotcha

[Dion]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

Tanev was awesome, for a clearly injured player.

How does anyone question him, at all? Just weird.

Best d man on the ice for the Flames. He seemed to get the d group settled down.

[GullFoss]

Sutter isn't even worried lol

[Flamenfame]

Heartbreaking , and Tanev should not have been playing, but huge effort on his part

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Problem is this was a huge year for the team, as September may be minus a superstar or two.

Yup. This is why drafting well is so important.

[FlamesAreOne]

Originally Posted by keenan87

The worst thing about this. They won a round so the Flames will come back with the exact same core next year. Sutter will talk about playoff experience and how this year was just practice. Fans will eat it up and Treliving gets to keep his job.

Nah, we're losing a major piece or two imo.

[CroFlames]

I freaking appreciate the positive fans here.

I’m feeling down and out, but shine on you crazy diamonds.

I want to be in your camps.

[Manhattanboy]

Originally Posted by keenan87

The worst thing about this. They won a round so the Flames will come back with the exact same core next year. Sutter will talk about playoff experience and how this year was just practice. Fans will eat it up and Treliving gets to keep his job.

No guarantee of that. Who knows what Johnny will do.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

I don’t know about those questioning Sutter.

Maybe they’re right. Or not.

The players have let him down.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by keenan87

The worst thing about this. They won a round so the Flames will come back with the exact same core next year. Sutter will talk about playoff experience and how this year was just practice. Fans will eat it up and Treliving gets to keep his job.

Well it's true though. Look at the Avs. The second round is their poison. It looks like they're finally breaking through.

[TheSquatch]

Backlund had a great game, like, the kind of game where you say "Wow, that guy really showed up." And basically no other Flame did. Total pass for Tanev who is clearly duct-taped together.

So I mean, if that's the "next level" for this team, which is to say, basically there isn't one... and another way to say this is Sutter got maximum out of the team all season and there isn't another gear... the team isn't good enough.

Now, maybe a bunch of guys are hurt, gutting out something awful. I don't feel, for example, like Gudbranson is at 100%. He hasn't creamed anyone like he did all season.

But mostly, what I see, is guys like Tkachuk learning that being angry isn't the same as being a leader. And that's cool for the young guys. Hanifin, Kylington, Mangiapane, Dube.. these guys gotta learn about being in the playoffs. But the older core of the team... I'm not impressed with the effort, the decision making, the determination, or the finish.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Dion

The players have let him down.

Well he is the coach. The players letting him down kind of falls under his department.

[CroCop]

A huge gift from Markstrom in the first shift but both Mang and then Backlund had opportunities to skate/move the puck out easily and both cratered. Markstrom ends up the bad guy but the entire shift was a comedy of errors by a very nervous group to start the game.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

Edmonton just wants it more. Their forwards are winning all the battles. Their defense is blocking shots. Smith is playing out of his mind. Every single guy on their team wants to win. Our guys just don’t have the heart that their guys do. We’re a better team on paper but for whatever reason the Oilers just look way more motivated than the Flames.

I don't think I agree. It just feels like the oilers just know that they can win. They are playing bend but don't break, and no matter what, that they can win back momentum against the flames.

The flames don't seem to have that mind set. It's like even they aren't convinced that they can do this. Hence, the immediate dumb plays after getting momentum. They haven't been able to take momentum to carry them to victory.