[PGT] Sens Score 5 to the Flames' 1

[Calgary4LIfe]

This team is not good offensively any longer for some reason.
This team is not good defensively any longer for some reason.


If this was a playoff series against Ottawa, Calgary would be losing.


This team should be in the 'challenging for the cup' part of the cycle, but the "still in the rebuild" Sens are looking like the better team right now. They aren't the better team - at least they aren't on paper - but they sure have been playing like one, and the head-to-head results say they are right now.


At what point in the season do you make some sort of change? I think there has been enough rope given for a move - coach, roster, whatever. The Flames have officially played 41% of the season. Still time to get back in the race, but I am of the opinion that it is no longer with the same group that we saw play tonight.


Vancouver is only 2 points back of the Flames (if they close out tonight's game in which they are leading 3-0). Sure, the Flames have 2 games in hand on them, but who here is confident about that any longer? These were the 'easiest games' of the schedule so far, and the Flames not only lost 2 out of the three so far, but got blown-out doing so.


Time for some change. Just an embarrassment of a season thus far IMO, especially considering the Markstrom signing which was supposed to fix the biggest hole on what should have been a very competitive team.


It is past due for a change. 41% over.

[nixon45]

Is anyone at all surprised this is how this game went?

You could call it from a mile away.

[Burning Beard]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

What I don't want is any player moves to try and save the season. Need to look to the future now. Whether that be a re-tool or re-build, but this is a dangerous time when bad deals get made to try and "save a season".
The season is d-o-n-e.
Fire the coach as the one thing I suppose.

Totally agree. Hire a new coach who isn't buddy buddy with the players and have him evaluate who needs to go.

[-TC-]

I’m glad I missed it.

On the upside, I made Chicken Tortilla Soup for dinner and it was brilliant.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

It says something about the leadership of this group that Milan Lucic is the one speaking up.

Where’s Backlund? Where’s Monahan? Where’s Giordano?

This leadership group, this coach, this management - it’s all garbage.

Well, TBF, those guys don’t decide who the team sends out for press availability. The show requests the guy, and they wanted the guy who scored.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

As long as those swaps are not to save the season sure.
Moreover, they shouldn't be thinking about how not waste Gaudreau's contract, but rather how to leverage it to maximize return on the asset.
No player for player deal is going to save this season - and could just do more long-term damage.

Well obviously they can't be thinking about making the most out of Gaudreau's contract at this point because they've already wasted it. And they've never made a single meaningful in-season adjustment during Gaudreau/Treliving's entire tenure, unless you count swapping Wideman for Michael Stone.

They've stood pat and watched the years tick on by while the teams around them have made moves to address deficiencies in their lineup.

It seems like the Flames have been justifying standing pat by waiting for their window to open up to do it? But it hasn't opened because they've always been flawed and they have let the games roll off of the Gaudreau/Monahan window without doing a thing to try and give their lineup a spark or a new face. They've never gotten to that point. And now we're past that point.

It's been a massive failure of this managerial group, IMO. Constantly standing by and letting things play out instead of adapting to combat obvious weaknesses in their lineup.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Is this a team of rookies? Not ready for games. Can get rattled. Too high then too low. Same mistakes over and over. Can't stick with a game that works.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

If you do a big player trade it’s to send a message to this complacent core. ID a slacker (but a big name) and punt them. I think if you change the coach you should also trade at least one guy.

At this point you have to look at the core forwards: Johnny, Backlund, Monahan, Tkachuk. I would leave Lindholm off that list.

Excluding Backlund you can't move those guys to send a message. You have to maximize return.

[troutman]

Even if another coach could get an extra 10-20 % out of this team it would not be enough. There are problems from top to bottom.

[Infinit47]

This is exactly what Ward coaches teams to be. Go look at his AHL record, even after taking a team over that was practically unbeatable under Julien.

He is a terrible coach who is blowing this team up. They look worse and worse under him. After we play a team 2 or 3 games they have completely neutralized his crap "system".

I can't recall seeing this team so disjointed and out of sync.

Leave this guy in Ottawa and give his seat to Julien.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by nik-

Do you think he should be the one to do it? Personally I don't. Someone divorced from this build needs to come in, assess and move pieces. Enough with the Treliving era imo. Blow out the entire front office.

I think Treliving is too close to some of these players. We have been talking for a over a year now that big moves needed to be made and he's just not been able to pull the trigger and it's led us to where we are today.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I like BT as the GM. I realize many don't. And that's valid.
I would still move forward with him.
I'm also not really keen to argue with a bunch of people about it. I've stated my reasons in the past and those still hold for me.
But I get why others want to move him out.
And if you are going to change him make damn sure it's an upgrade and not a promotion from within the current management team.

This I agree 100%. No one in this management team has done anything to deserve the reins. Fresh start, a true fresh start.

[Winsor_Pilates]

First this season made me mad, then sad, then apathetic. Now I'm just...what come after apathy?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Well obviously they can't be thinking about making the most out of Gaudreau's contract at this point because they've already wasted it. And they've never made a single meaningful in-season adjustment during Gaudreau/Treliving's entire tenure, unless you count swapping Wideman for Michael Stone.

They've stood pat and watched the years tick on by while the teams around them have made moves to address deficiencies in their lineup.

It seems like the Flames have been justifying standing pat by waiting for their window to open up to do it? But it hasn't opened because they've always been flawed and they have let the games roll off of the Gaudreau/Monahan window without doing a thing to try and give their lineup a spark or a new face. They've never gotten to that point. And now we're past that point.

It's been a massive failure of this managerial group, IMO. Constantly standing by and letting things play out instead of adapting to combat obvious weaknesses in their lineup.

I think they've been slow to change the forward group, but they've made significant changes elsewhere.

I would stop trying to surround that forward group with better talent. You aren't winning with them. They are the one constant. That's where the change needs to happen.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by SeanCharles

Call me crazy but I still like Brad.

The coaching BS is on the owners cheeping out on that front IMO.

Aside from Brouwer, Neal and Hamonic I’ve liked his body of work.

Is that a fact? Why would you have that opinion? You know something we don't? Honest question.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Based on the effort and production this season, I'd trade Tkachuk.

Come at me bro.

[SuperMatt18]

Hell I don’t even need them to fire the coach at this point, I’ve resigned myself that the team is too cheap for that.

1) Play a different system. Don’t care what it is, just try something different because whatever they are trying to do isn’t working.

2) Bring up some youth. Monahan, Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Lindholm, Backlund, Mangiapane, Dube. Those 7 are the only guys that should be locks in the lineup. I don’t care who comes out but bring up Ruzicka and Phillips.

3) Play Oliver Kylington. Don’t care. Let’s see what we have in this guy once and for all. He’s better than Nikita Nesterov IMO, let him play with all the other Swedes.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

At this point you have to look at the core forwards: Johnny, Backlund, Monahan, Tkachuk. I would leave Lindholm off that list.

Excluding Backlund you can't move those guys to send a message. You have to maximize return.

Well, I wasn’t suggesting moving them for nothing. I would hold Lindholm, but only because he is on a great contract. I thought he was the weakest of that list tonight, and has rarely been engaged all year.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

First this season made me mad, then sad, then apathetic. Now I'm just...what come after apathy?

Drinking. Copious amounts of drinking.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by -TC-

On the upside, I made Chicken Tortilla Soup for dinner and it was brilliant.

Me too! With a grilled cheese on the side.