Except game 2 was a coin flip.
They were 2 minutes from winning in regulation.
Frolik could have scored 10 seconds earlier if that puck was 4 inches higher, Grubs was lucky to be in the right place.
MacKinnon on a semi break is death.
So the Flames legitimately lost game 3. If they rebound and Smith plays exactly the same as games 1-3, they win.
It's not worth the panic, at least not yet.
I think the panic on here is ridiculous too. To often flames fans think their team is the only team that has a bad night.
Caps lots to Carolina 5 to 0 and shots at 1 point were 44 to 11. I think the 2nd and start of 3rd were like a 29 to 2 stretch. Caps are up 2 to 1 in series so maybe their fans aren't in panic mode but to think only the flames get steam rolled in the playoffs is ridiculous. It happens often to teams that win series or cups to have terrible nights
Ryan, though, says the Flames have a plan to counteract that in Game 4.
"We can be aggressive, but patient at the same time," he said. "To this point, all the rush chances they're getting, it's because we're giving it to them. Simple.
"Turnovers at the blueline, losing our guy in the neutral zone - it's all proven costly.
"But we know how to defend these guys. We want to have our third forward staying a bit higher, above them to not allow them any free ice, and also have the rest of us re-loading faster on the back-check.
"Just wait for the game to come to us. Their top guys are playing a lot and we can frustrate them by sitting back a little bit.
"They had too much fun last night. That's easy hockey for them.
"We need to get back to making it hard."
Easier said than done, but I like the quiet confidence as panicking is not going to help anyone play better.
If 2004 or 2015 were reffed with this standard the Flames would have lost in the first round. That being said they have to get back to playing the game that made them successful all season.
What's the point of even making these comments in public? Gives the opposition too much insight into what the coaches are saying. Better to just pretend like you don't know what's going on and throw out some lame cliches like "we have to give 110%" and "keep working harder".
I feel like the comments from Flames players, like "we have to take it to them" or "we are too soft", after Game 2 back fired and the refs used it to call everything against the Flames. The Flames really screwed themselves with those comments as the refs were just waiting for any excuse to call a penalty on them.
At the end of day, talk is cheap. Just do it.
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Calgary Flames, PLEASE GO TO THE NET! AND SHOOT THE PUCK! GENERATING OFFENSE IS NOT DIFFICULT! SKATE HARD, SHOOT HARD, CRASH THE NET HARD!
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If 2004 or 2015 were reffed with this standard the Flames would have lost in the first round. That being said they have to get back to playing the game that made them successful all season.
Infuriating.
One handed and stick on stick.
Just a soft as baby #### call to put them down 5 on 3 early. Really embarrassing officiating.
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Just a soft as baby #### call to put them down 5 on 3 early. Really embarrassing officiating.
It is a crap call no doubt about it, but it probably wasn't necessary to put the stick in there. If i'm Fantenberg in that situation, i'm looking more at driving Mackinnion hard into the crossbar after he cuts to the net. Smith is playing well and he's got the angle, i'd take my chances with the goalie in that situation. Of course, it's easy to say in slow motion.
The more infuriating thing is that Gaudreau won't get that same call. He basically has to have his hands broken before they call in his favour.
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Calgary Flames, PLEASE GO TO THE NET! AND SHOOT THE PUCK! GENERATING OFFENSE IS NOT DIFFICULT! SKATE HARD, SHOOT HARD, CRASH THE NET HARD!
It is a crap call no doubt about it, but it probably wasn't necessary to put the stick in there. If i'm Fantenberg in that situation, i'm looking more at driving Mackinnion hard into the crossbar after he cuts to the net. Smith is playing well and he's got the angle, i'd take my chances with the goalie in that situation. Of course, it's easy to say in slow motion.
The more infuriating thing is that Gaudreau won't get that same call. He basically has to have his hands broken before they call in his favour.
I think it was actually a great defensive play.
Fantenberg wasn't going to win that race and MacKinnon was about to speed around and to the net. Fantenberg lifts the stick just enough for MacKinnon to lose the puck, but he whines about it and draws a phantom call.
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It may have been a touch weak, but MacKinnon was blowing past Fantanberg with a great scoring chance and he hooked his hands causing him to lose the puck. If it wasn't essentially taking away a break away chance it might not get called. The too many men was just an unlucky sequence. Hard to complain about that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AC
Infuriating.
One handed and stick on stick.
Just a soft as baby #### call to put them down 5 on 3 early. Really embarrassing officiating.
What do you have to say to that, Weitz?
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They need to put the whistles the #### away and let the game find a rhythm organically, not by tilting it with freebie two minute two man advantages. Was so pissed at that. MacKinnon getting mcdavid treatment with being untouchable. We should be allowed to defend the guy with contact.
They're giving the avs the benefit of the doubt on all these dumb soccer level theatrics.
Just a soft as baby #### call to put them down 5 on 3 early. Really embarrassing officiating.
Flames played horribly last night but my god what an awful call. Stick underneath Mack’s and only one hand, how the #### is that a hook. Also for all the criticism gaudreau takes for embellishing, Mackinnon did a terrific job there raising a hand lmao.
This quote gives me more hope than anything that’s happened in this series to date. I didn’t like the way the team was playing from the 1st period of game 1 and out. I didn’t think there was anything sustainable about the style. The Avs got better and became more confident with every passing game.
Now that they have identified the problem, I hope the Avs start to lull themselves into a false sense of security and the Flames can start to dictate the series. Without speed on their side, the Flames can start to win the half court battle to steal a basketball term. I’m feeling a lot more confident in this team now then I did this morning that’s for darn sure.
It’s a weak call and MacKinnon sold it but generally speaking a horizontal stick in the opposing player’s hands is a penalty. Whether Fanta had 1 or 2 hands on his stick is irrelevant.
This one stung because of the other call, Mackinnon’s clear attempt to sell it and how brief/weak the hook was, especially considering its playoff hockey.
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It’s a weak call and MacKinnon sold it but generally speaking a horizontal stick in the opposing player’s hands is a penalty. Whether Fanta had 1 or 2 hands on his stick is irrelevant.
This one stung because of the other call, Mackinnon’s clear attempt to sell it and how brief/weak the hook was, especially considering its playoff hockey.
Yeah I have to admit that I thought it was a clear penalty in real time.
Flames played horribly last night but my god what an awful call. Stick underneath Mack’s and only one hand, how the #### is that a hook. Also for all the criticism gaudreau takes for embellishing, Mackinnon did a terrific job there raising a hand lmao.
Yet they called this embellishment:
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It’s a weak call and MacKinnon sold it but generally speaking a horizontal stick in the opposing player’s hands is a penalty. Whether Fanta had 1 or 2 hands on his stick is irrelevant.
This one stung because of the other call, Mackinnon’s clear attempt to sell it and how brief/weak the hook was, especially considering its playoff hockey.
That's the confusing part for me. I've watch tons of horizontal stick infractions, and they don't seem to be called very often in other series, but they seem to be very standard in this one.