Ward let it slip that they’re trying to be something other than a scoring team. Hence the seemingly infinite number of dump ins and safe plays every night. It’s why the entire team’s offence has plummeted this year - simple reactionary coaching to a bad playoff series/slide at the end of last year.
Dump it into Gaudreau’s 100 times, and how many times do you think he’ll get it back?
Sure, he could be and should be competing harder - but the way the Flames are playing is not suited for Johnny’s game when he’s on. This team wants to grind and play a slow game. Johnny doesn’t fit - and pretty much no one else does either it would seem. Boring ass hockey, and incredibly ineffective on top of it.
Our breakout is so, so slow. How many odd man rushes do we generate thanks to a quick transition on a nightly basis? It seems low - very low.
Yep. People seem to ask a lot "how can this team look one way some nights, or how how could the PP be good some time and not the other, etc"
That's coaching. Players are soldiers. This is what they follow and try to execute. Uninspired play is the end result of uninspired design.
Well, it's been pretty well documented that Johnny's off ice activities include things that are not conducive to playing great hockey and staying in tip top shape.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BurningSteel
It pains me to say it but there is enough smoke around #2. I would think big ern would be all over it. I have heard similar stories from multiple sources that makes me think it's credible. Not sure it would necessarily explain the whole decline but probably playing some role.
Hope he gets it sorted before 20/21 season.
I posted this earlier this season, but I'll mention it again (mods can delete it if they think it's inappropriate); my buddy's girlfriend is best friends with one of the core player's girlfriends. She hangs with some of the players fairly regularly and I often hear stories about what these rich young men do on their time off. I won't mention names or what they do specifically, but I will say that the rumors about their being smoke are fairly accurate, and then some.
I also think that Johnny fits the bill of a player who is coasting along with just his talent alone. The league has been littered throughout the years with players who are immensely skilled, yet don't put in 100% work that a guy like Gio does. If those players ever put in maximum work off the ice, most could have played a couple levels or 2 above what they show most nights.
Unfortunately Johnny strikes me as that kind of player. Now years after being in the league, it's starting to catch up with him. The good news is that he's still young enough to turn it around and evolve his game. But does he really want to? Does he want to put in the effort off-ice to maximize his potential, when he knows he can simply rely on his skill most nights to get by?
A real shame because this franchise has been begging for a game-breaking player for years. We finally got one, and unfortunately he appears to have checked out this season. I hate trading star players with good contracts in the midst of their primes, but the reality is I can't see any way he sticks around past this season given how he plays when games tighten up. BT knows the team needs a massive shakeup.
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I am making sure I write this before reading anyone elses comments but to me he is sulking over the Tkachuck contract.
JG signed a contract and has been the highest scorer on this team for a number of seasons, he was the 'superstar' of the team, all eyes were on him. Chucky comes along and suddenly JG is no longer the golden boy, despite still being one of the top scorers. Chucky holds out after his RFA deal and gets a higher contract than JG.
'Fine' says JG, 'lets see how they do if they have to rely on Tkachuck to score, he is the highest paid player after all'. Effort level drops.
Now this is total specualtion by me, I have no idea if he is getting pressure from his girlfriend, for arguements sake, that he should be getting the most money as he is the star or what but you don't drop off to this degree when you are just 'having a off season' (which all players have from time to time). Like I said pure specualtion, it could be an injury or a poorly family memeber, who knows but something isn't right and I think it has a lot to do with Tkachuck.
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Top 25 goal scorers in the NHL. Only 6 minus players. McDolt and the German top 2. Then Ovechkin. Then three guys at -1 so barely count. The rest of the top 25 are all plus players.
Matt Tkachuk #58 in scoring and -16, Johhny #62 and -16 Lindholm #64 -12 Monohan #84 -19
Pretty hard to argue that taking care of the defensive side of the game means less offense. Clearly this team does not take care of the defensive side of the game and is terrible because of it. Until that is fixed, nothing else will get better.
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Yep. People seem to ask a lot "how can this team look one way some nights, or how how could the PP be good some time and not the other, etc"
That's coaching. Players are soldiers. This is what they follow and try to execute. Uninspired play is the end result of uninspired design.
I think this used to be true but is changing rapidly. Are you going to sit Johnny? apparently not as he should have been sat long before this but JG knows he can get away with not playing as there are no consequences as he has the power over the coach and there is no one in the room to tune him in. He knows he doesn't have to try because he is still getting paid, and can go party however he wants and there will be no consequences. Other than to his reputation, which he seems to not care about.
I also think that Johnny fits the bill of a player who is coasting along with just his talent alone...
Unfortunately Johnny strikes me as that kind of player. Now years after being in the league, it's starting to catch up with him...
I'm not disagreeing with you, but last year him coasting (and whatever else might be happening off the ice) resulted in him getting 99 points and finishing fourth in Hart voting. Yes, he cooled off after the All-start break, and struggled in the playoffs, but this is the first year since his rookie year that his results have been average (which, for his standards, is below average).
Whatever it is, I don't think it's something where you can simply flip the switch (i.e. the notion of "effort" or that he'll simply start caring or trying). The player isn't engaged like he used to be and there is probably several reasons contributing to this (not the least of which is the puck is not going into the net, which causes more frustration, and the cycle continues).
I thought he might have turned a corner with this goal on January 11 against Edmonton (starts at 3:08):
Most (positive) emotion he's shown all year. But pretty uninspired since then.
The other thing people should focus on, and I'm in no way excusing Johnny, is that this is an issue for the entire team. Everyone's production is massively down. If it was one player - like last year with Neal, it's a cut and dry player issue. When it's the entire damn roster? You can't tell me it's not a coach issue, that it's not a lack of belief in the system.
This roster doesn't seem to want to play the way the organization/coaches want them to play - and you know what? I don't want them playing that way either. I don't want slow, chip and chase garbage hockey.
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Last night and the previous game I've noticed a few brutal line changes from him demonstrating no situational awareness at all.
He's just not an engaged hockey player for this team anymore.
The brutal line changes isn't limited to him. Last night there were a ton of opportunities because players would coast into the bench from 30 or more feet out. Between that and questionable timing of changes, it leads to opportunities the other way. That attention to detail portion is no where to be seen.
Johnny is an amazing talent but does not deal well with adversity. He checks out when things are bad, and right now the team is bad. The wheels started to fall off last year after the All-Star break, they couldn't figure out how to fix it, and then Colorado took them to the wood shed and destroyed the team's confidence. That's on the players.
The second part of the problem is the abysmal off-season they had, and that's on the GM. Despite all the "almost trades", Treliving did not make the team better, and adding 3 ex-Oilers to the mix was about the last thing this team needed. Team culture is a real thing. I think the Flames' culture has been weak for a while - despite the results last year - and bringing in guys from that dumpster fire up north completely sewered it. Even though McDingleberry and Draiheave are having all-world seasons and giving that team an aura of respectability this year, that whole franchise is toxic. Losing like that sticks to a player for a while and I think that's a big part of what is happening in the room here. Not enough drive, not enough passion, and not enough belief. It's obvious that Johnny doesn't care anymore, and why should he? Half the team is floating out there.
I've had my doubts about a few of our core players for a while now, but I think it's time for Treliving to start looking at some dramatic changes.
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A true mystery. I think we'd need Hercule Poirot to figure this one out. The only few things my mind gravitates to is either..
Some serious or possibly permanent damage happened to him from previous hits and he was told you cant take many more hits or there could be career impacting problems?
Or, he lost his passion for hockey/doesnt want to play here anymore.
Or.. hes just having a bad year stemming from who knows what and rebounds next year into a 100 point player
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To me, it just looks like the kid just isn't having fun out there and it's contributing to his lack of confidence. His legs look heavier, his passes are off, he's fighting the puck more. It reminds me of 16-17 when he looked very ordinary. He had the career year, finished top 10 in scoring and then stunk for 2/3 of the season. Then the next 2 seasons he figured it out and went a ppg and then 99 points the season after.
I know people are really down on him right now and it's certainly fair. But I actually think most star players go through this. Blake Wheeler right now is going through the same thing. 2 straight 90+ point seasons and is on pace for 69 right now and doesn't look like the same player. Crosby went through something similar, Ovechkin had a couple bad seasons, Kane saw a big drop off between his 2 - 100 point seasons (17-18). This is not a problem exclusive to just him.
I will say this though, anyone who watched AC's Gaudreau's highlights of 18-19 will notice that the majority of his goals came in the form of turnovers. As we've all seen this year, his line hasn't created nearly as many turnovers this season in comparison, thus less goals. I do wonder if the Flames stuck 2 really fast and/or very puck hungry players on his line, if that would help Gaudreau's overall game. He still has elite offensive instincts and reactions, so turning it over and giving him more touches when the defense is chaotic might be the recipe he needs to get it going again.
When was the last time this team scored a goal off of the rush?
Not off a cycle or a weird bank-in "hope for the best by throwing it at the net from the side boards". Most of their goals lately are from clappers off the point... seemingly.
I am making sure I write this before reading anyone elses comments but to me he is sulking over the Tkachuck contract.
JG signed a contract and has been the highest scorer on this team for a number of seasons, he was the 'superstar' of the team, all eyes were on him. Chucky comes along and suddenly JG is no longer the golden boy, despite still being one of the top scorers. Chucky holds out after his RFA deal and gets a higher contract than JG.
'Fine' says JG, 'lets see how they do if they have to rely on Tkachuck to score, he is the highest paid player after all'. Effort level drops.
Now this is total specualtion by me, I have no idea if he is getting pressure from his girlfriend, for arguements sake, that he should be getting the most money as he is the star or what but you don't drop off to this degree when you are just 'having a off season' (which all players have from time to time). Like I said pure specualtion, it could be an injury or a poorly family memeber, who knows but something isn't right and I think it has a lot to do with Tkachuck.
I think that there is no chance this is correct.
Players salaries always get trumped by the next guy. That's reality. All Johnny would be doing is costing himself huge bucks when the next contract comes down the line. It's not like the Flames can re-negotiate his contract.
If he's a 99 point guy in a year he's looking at $10M+.
If he has another season like this, I wouldn't sign him at any price assuming his issues aren't injury related.
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I posted this earlier this season, but I'll mention it again (mods can delete it if they think it's inappropriate); my buddy's girlfriend is best friends with one of the core player's girlfriends. She hangs with some of the players fairly regularly and I often hear stories about what these rich young men do on their time off. I won't mention names or what they do specifically, but I will say that the rumors about their being smoke are fairly accurate, and then some.
I also think that Johnny fits the bill of a player who is coasting along with just his talent alone. The league has been littered throughout the years with players who are immensely skilled, yet don't put in 100% work that a guy like Gio does. If those players ever put in maximum work off the ice, most could have played a couple levels or 2 above what they show most nights.
Unfortunately Johnny strikes me as that kind of player. Now years after being in the league, it's starting to catch up with him. The good news is that he's still young enough to turn it around and evolve his game. But does he really want to? Does he want to put in the effort off-ice to maximize his potential, when he knows he can simply rely on his skill most nights to get by?
A real shame because this franchise has been begging for a game-breaking player for years. We finally got one, and unfortunately he appears to have checked out this season. I hate trading star players with good contracts in the midst of their primes, but the reality is I can't see any way he sticks around past this season given how he plays when games tighten up. BT knows the team needs a massive shakeup.
Trade away all of Johnny's friends on the team then so he has no one left to party with.
The brutal line changes isn't limited to him. Last night there were a ton of opportunities because players would coast into the bench from 30 or more feet out. Between that and questionable timing of changes, it leads to opportunities the other way. That attention to detail portion is no where to be seen.
This is on coaching to tighten up. If they aren't sending that (very basic) message, its an indication of what they're getting
