[PGT] Flames lose 3-2 in a shootout

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by zamler

Sigh. Good effort but sagged too much in the 3rd. Didn't like the shootout selections.

You don't like Monahan in the SO?

[bubbsy]

Going in, I felt the flames needed 4 out of 6 in these 3 games. Win tonight, and things immediately feel much better...

Lost in all this, is Rittich is looking like a legit nhl goalie through his first 5 starts. He's been extremely calm out there.

This team is built upon a game plan of winning low scoring games or stretching the game past regulation where they have an edge. It's not a good game plan, and definitely not one that a trajectory to being a strong playoff will be observed....

It's very Brent Sutter like where the strong offensive D we have is being wasted yet again.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

You don't like Monahan in the SO?

I will say this, all of a sudden Monahan looks like he has lost his confidence. His shot from the slot in the 3rd and him and Johnny going on a 2 on 1 and not even generating a shot and then that shot in the SO....all scream a guy that is fighting it.

So weird with how he was going for most of the year.

[EVERLAST]

Never watched the game but come here to read.....good effort, we tried and came up short, we got a point, woo hoo.....good times !!!!

Winning is all that matters. Let's keep handing out participation trophies because it's the closest we come to winning anything.

It's time to shake things up. We play like horseshirt. The Canadian jrs do not accept losing and play to win

Please fire GG wake this team up!!!! Bring back Darryl!!! He'll make them accountable because our current team doesn't know what that means.

Time is up on this team.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by DJones

Those three lighting it up covered for the system for two months. If Gaudreau wins the Art Ross we can score at a league average pace.

It is the exact same system Babcock uses. How in the world did Canada ever win Gold or Detroit ever win a SC with that system?

[Racki]

Originally Posted by browna

Bottom line for me is this. The team looks to be good enough roster wise, playing well in long stretches and consistently. Good defence, good goaltending. Forwards aren’t the most confident bunch game to game and within a game and that’s where the breakdowns are, and the lack of confidence comes from that drags the team down. When they look bad they look horrible.

GG is ok, nice guy, has a game plan, has them organized et. But GG also isn’t getting it done, results wise and behind that, his team doesn’t have that killer instinct and he doesn’t seem to be capable of really pushing his players for something extra.

I can’t believe Treliving wants this roster, which is good, to just tread water, when with the right kick in the pants from a coach who knows how and is experienced in pushing the motivational buttons of players to get that bit extra out of them, can get them 4 out of 4 points in these last two Sharks games, for example, instead of just 1. It’s a fine line, but makes all the difference.

Never mind not ever having beat the Oilers in his time here.

Excellent post. Sometimes someone puts things in black and white that perfectly articulates the thoughts that are in your own head and this post does it for me.

There are plenty of positives about Gulutzan as it relates to his system, game plan, communication, organization etc...

He appears to be missing those intangibles that make good coaches great-
the ability to affect the team emotionally and mentally is a huge one. Why are we always overwhelmed in big games on home ice? Why can't we compete against our biggest rival?

He also doesn't appear to have the feel for the "game within the game" as it's being played. Ice time distribution, personnel deployment, working refs, line matching...all the things that the Quenville's and (Darryl) Sutter's are so good at.

[Sample00]

Originally Posted by Racki

Excellent post. Sometimes someone puts things in black and white that perfectly articulates the thoughts that are in your own head and this post does it for me.

There are plenty of positives about Gulutzan as it relates to his system, game plan, communication, organization etc...

He appears to be missing those intangibles that make good coaches great-
the ability to affect the team emotionally and mentally is a huge one. Why are we always overwhelmed in big games on home ice? Why can't we compete against our biggest rival?

He also doesn't appear to have the feel for the "game within the game" as it's being played. Ice time distribution, personnel deployment, working refs, line matching...all the things that the Quenville's and (Darryl) Sutter's are so good at.

I have to agree with you.

Gulutzan would make a good assistant coach. Maybe someone that could take over the special teams for example.

But his game management just isnt up to the calibre of good coaches like the ones mentioned.

A season and a half into his tenure and you cant argue that the team is average at best. They should be challenging for the lead in the division if not the conference. I understand he's a players coach but sometimes the players need some tough love.

We're also carrying some players on this roster that shouldnt be on here anymore. I'm sure they are great guys and all but their abilities are not capable of keeping up with this team.

[Robbob]

I enjoyed the game. I thought it was a well played hockey game that was fun to watch. The talk about it being boring or unwatchable is a crock. I thought the team played well right off the hop. Just to bad they couldn't bury their chances to walk away with the extra point.

I do wish they would play 10 min of OT. The 5 min ot took around 6 minutes in real time to play. The shootout with only the 5 shooters took just over 4 minutes in real time. I would guess that a full 6 shooters would bring that closer to 5 minutes which is getting pretty close to another full 5 min 3 v3. As soon as a game goes to extra shooters I would imagine at that point you could have easily got another 5 min of 3v3 in.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Then make a trade if it is not on the coaches.

I would look at something like

2019 1st and 2020 2nd (and maybe a prospect) for Evander Kane. Gets you some scoring help for the top line and does not cost you anything. If it goes south, you could always recoup the picks at the deadline (Stajan, Brouwer, Lazar etc.)

Those guys aren’t going to recoup anything

[Rick M.]

It's very Brent Sutter like where the strong offensive D we have is being wasted yet again.[/QUOTE]

With all the attention Treliving has paid to building our defence, I expected to see us model our style of play on Nashville.

[Scorch]

Originally Posted by blender

The usual overreaction.

[Roof-Daddy]

The Calgary "also ran" Flames strike again.

What a symbol of mediocrity this franchise is.

Originally Posted by Racki

Ya wanna know when you'll really see an overreaction? When Garth Snow walks up to the podium and uses our pick to select Brady Tkachuk. That'll be one helluva reaction I tell ya.

Wouldn't that be just dandy...

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Wild GM

Cliche is a cliche

Tautology is a tautology.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by EVERLAST

Never watched the game but come here to read.....good effort, we tried and came up short, we got a point, woo hoo.....good times !!!!

Winning is all that matters. Let's keep handing out participation trophies because it's the closest we come to winning anything.

.

They lost in a freakin shootout. Pump the brakes.

While they should have got the two points given the looks in OT they got(the ones you didn't see because you didn't watch), they still got a result and over the course of 82 games, it's not always about winning.

Marathon, not sprint.

[Galakanokis]

Originally Posted by Karl

The 4th line.

Sure but how. Can one simply demote 3 or 4 players and call up the rest from the AHL? Would that honestly be an improvement at this point?

Only really two things possible to salvage this season, and yes, I think we are dangerously close to losing this season.

1. Major trade to shake up the roster and try and patch any holes.
2. Get a coach in to get a little more out of this roster.

I am not even in the fire Gulutzan camp and I think he is not doing enough with the roster we have.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

It is the exact same system Babcock uses. How in the world did Canada ever win Gold or Detroit ever win a SC with that system?

No it's not. You keep saying this, but it isn't true. They are similar in some ways, but they are not the same. Just watch his team play and compare it to the Flames.

Regardless, there is a lot more to coaching than systems. You need to match your style of play to your personnel. And you have to be able to get the most out of your players.

Even if we accept, for the sake of argument, that the systems are exactly the same, Gulutzan fails miserably at these two things.

Edit: also, when you're coaching TC, pretty much any system is going to be fine. Find some chemistry with your lines and send them out there.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

Sure but how. Can one simply demote 3 or 4 players and call up the rest from the AHL? Would that honestly be an improvement at this point?

Only really two things possible to salvage this season, and yes, I think we are dangerously close to losing this season.

1. Major trade to shake up the roster and try and patch any holes.
2. Get a coach in to get a little more out of this roster.

I am not even in the fire Gulutzan camp and I think he is not doing enough with the roster we have.

Hrivik & Klimchuk get called up.

Stajan & Brouwer to the pressbox.

Freddie & Lazar on waivers.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Karl

Hrivik & Klimchuk get called up.

Stajan & Brouwer to the pressbox.

Freddie & Lazar on waivers.

Some injection of energy from Stockton couldn't hurt. But remember, this organization found a reason to keep Jankowski on the farm at the start of the year so not sure what it would take to bring about a move like this.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Some injection of energy from Stockton couldn't hurt. But remember, this organization found a reason to keep Jankowski on the farm at the start of the year so not sure what it would take to bring about a move like this.

Everyone and their pet dog knows Stajan is done and there's no denying anymore that Brouwer is on a steep decline and is not getting much of anything productive done either.

That said, it's blindingly obvious that Freddie & Lazar are providing no upgrade on even a done Stajan so they can go to Stockton and try to find some semblance of whatever game it is they can.

Hrivik has apparently been doing very, very well in Stockton. Yeah, he may not turn out to be an upgrade either, but there's nothing to lose by trying him in place of Stajan at this point, especially since Lazar & Freddie have shown nothing as it is. And Kilmchuk can come up to play for Brouwer (or Jagr when necessary).

Wouldn't hurt to staple Stajan in the pressbox and Brouwer could spend more time in there as well.

[Enoch Root]

Some thoughts while watching what was a pretty good game last night...

1) it is amazing how much better the team looks on the road - more structure, better transition, more physical. It is difficult to figure out how their game can look this different.

2) I thought they played really well and deserved to win. But with 10 minutes left, and up 2-1, I KNEW they were going to find a way to lose. And that got me thinking about how many times this year I have felt the same way. And that's why I can't garner any positives from moral victories any more.

3) WAY too many times the D gives up the offensive blueline. Drives me insane. Over and over, the D just backs up and gives the other team 100 feet of ice. On one occasion, there was a battle for the puck at the offensive blueline (by the winger). The Sharks got the puck and moved it up to the lead forward at centre ice. Did our D pressure him? Nope. Both D were already behind the Flames blueline, at least 30 feet from the lead forward. Needless to say, he simply skated into the zone with the puck, unmarked, and it led to a full shift in the Flames' zone. I lost 2 years of my life watching that.

4) I hated the way they played the 3rd like they were trying not to lose.

5) they are so much better at OT than most teams, it's amazing. And they should have won it a few times. Some credit to Jones, who was fantastic.

In the end, many of the same thoughts and feelings that I have had all year: the team can be dominant, but they seem to play to not lose. And they spend way too much time in their own end because they simply gift the other team 100 feet of ice, over and over.

Such a frustrating year.