[CP Story] First Look At New Look Flames

[Bingo]

https://www.calgarypuck.com/2018/09/...hina-game-one/

[Dion]

Agree about the gap control issue. Bruins were able to exploit this and created a lot of odd man rushes.

[fastpuck]

Good article, and I thought it was a fun game to watch, with increasing level of creativity. The other change that was noticeable, far more puck possession on line changes. I am praying that; gone is the throw the puck away, go for your line change and then hope you regain possession and move back up ice 60ft.

[heep223]

I’d rather have a tight gap system that is fast, and give up the odd rush, then have loose gap and get burned wide all the time.

The Flames historically have had terrible gap control and it came back with a vengeance with GG, as he was hell bent on the d men retrieving dump ins first and flipping them out of the zone or rimming them. Teams started carrying it in and going wide, and he never adjusted.

It drove me bonkers and I’m happy to hear that the gaps have been tightened up. Gap is one of those things that has a sneaky huge impact on flow.

[Kovaz]

I think playing a tight gap will be the right move even if we give up some odd mans the other way. Stylistically, I'd rather maximize how effective we are when we play well than minimize the damage when we play poorly. A tight gap might give up some chances when we're asleep at the wheel, but it really lets us dominate the puck when we're feeling it.

[killer_carlson]

I think your point that Ryan and Czarnik looking much better than Brouwer and Stajan cannot be over stated. It's a different world.

And while it's only one game isn't it great to see the internal pressure pushing up the depth chart within an actual game. If a line isn't going, there are going to be 3 others looking to pick up an extra shift or two.

That's awesome.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Bingo

https://www.calgarypuck.com/2018/09/...hina-game-one/

Your thoughts mirror mine.

I thought Hanifin showed a much stronger defensive game than Hamilton, and I expect that to be a trend I see throughout the year. This also frees up Brodie to play with Giordano, who looked more dangerous offensively because he didn't have to worry about Hamilton not taking care of his own end. Hamonic looks really good with Hanifin so far, and if you let him do the job he was brought in to do, he shouldn't disappoint.

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Your thoughts mirror mine.

I thought Hanifin showed a much stronger defensive game than Hamilton, and I expect that to be a trend I see throughout the year. This also frees up Brodie to play with Giordano, who looked more dangerous offensively because he didn't have to worry about Hamilton not taking care of his own end. Hamonic looks really good with Hanifin so far, and if you let him do the job he was brought in to do, he shouldn't disappoint.

I think Hanifin’s mobility is something that will be a big plus when comparing to Hamilton. He may not put up the points like Hamilton but his mobility is already substantially better than Hamilton’s, having his speed on a 6’3 frame just screams potential.

[FBI]

Brodie back with Gio, Gio scores 2 goals!

[dammage79]

Player thoughts.

Lindholm: In position the whole time. Strong down low afyer he got his feet under him. Has a Monahan level of anticipating where he needs to be to get a good shot off. His cerebrap game doesnt scream at you through flash but his on ice awareness is going to elevate any line he is on. Fantastic down low on the lwft side on the PP. If Johnny runs the left point Lindholm will be LW.

Hamonic: looks faster. Skated much better than he did last year. Also led a lot of rushes out of the Flames end. Eye test was better than 90% of his play last year.

Czarnik: Fast as heck. Smart player and has a nose for the net. Drives hard and can make some slick passes. Dynamic and a surprise he is signed so cheap.

Brodano: honestly, 1 preseason game in and it looks lile they havent missed a beat. Good sign. I donr know how they got it into Bordies head but his indecisivenesss disappeared. Looked great playimg the uptempo quick strike style theyre going for this year. Gio is gio, does his thing and is a rock.
Good omen for the top pairing.

Hanifin: Maybe the best skater out there? Also seemed to be playing a bit reserved or his game is refined. Was strong in the Flames end.

Monahan: dont think ive seen hom ever try one timers. Fun to see. Looked faster put there as well.

[DoubleK]

Ryan and Czarnik looked very good. Really happy with their addition. Flames now actually have a legit 3rd line. The top 9 look to be really good.

I know it's only the first preseason game, but Janko and Bennett need to start playing like they are fighting for their jobs. Hopefully the demotion to the 4th line wakes them up.

[Galakanokis]

Really happy with how Czarnik played, loved the level of creativity and puck movement. That is something the Flames have sorely lacked in the past number of years. Looked to have some chemistry with Ryan who also looked good out there. The others were as advertised but that is also good to see. I love that there is a lot of line combos that actually "make sense" no matter how you move the pieces around. If Bennett an find some sort of semblance of the game that got him drafted so high this will be a really well rounded lineup.

[jmerkel3d]

How did we do on draws? It felt like we won more than we usually do

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

[psyang]

One thing I noticed was a major reduction in D-to-D passes once we controlled the puck. It seemed like the first option for the D was to the forwards, and that seemed to really accentuate our speed, and put us in attack mode.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by psyang

One thing I noticed was a major reduction in D-to-D passes once we controlled the puck. It seemed like the first option for the D was to the forwards, and that seemed to really accentuate our speed, and put us in attack mode.

Didn't get to watch the game, but this observation may be my favourite of all posts thus far!

[Flames0910]

couple other observations:

- team seems way more disciplined. didn't see Bennet with the usual offensive zone infractions. potentially a benefit of closing the gap quick — makes it less likely for a chasing forward to overpressure?
- seemed better in the face-off dots and there were some very clean wins that had the team looking dangerous right away.
- team was quick and efficient getting out of the defensive zone. other than a few breakdowns, there was very little extended d-zone time like we saw all too frequently last year.
- Peters called a timeout!

[PugnaciousIntern]

Perhaps a player like Andersson had the upper hand in entering the lineup during GG's time. But after watching the game tape, perhaps Kylington's wheels will give him the opportunity to shine under Peters. I have been quite reserved about Kylington's prospects as an NHLer, but I do think that if this type of play is reflective of how the season is played, Kylington should have a real opportunity over the next few years to establish himself in the league.

[oldschoolcalgary]

looking forward to this new lineup under a new coaching philosophy; the NHL is about speed nowadays, so playing with tighter gap control makes sense if you have a roster that can execute that style.

I don't see it as an issue though...sure the bruins took advantage, but its the first game calgary played under Peters with a rebuilt roster versus the fourth best team in the NHL last year with 112 points...

i think people will be able to really see how the team is adjusting by the 20 game mark...hopefully, the Flames will still be within Friedman's maximum point separation at that point

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary

looking forward to this new lineup under a new coaching philosophy; the NHL is about speed nowadays, so playing with tighter gap control makes sense if you have a roster that can execute that style.

I don't see it as an issue though...sure the bruins took advantage, but its the first game calgary played under Peters with a rebuilt roster versus the fourth best team in the NHL last year with 112 points...

i think people will be able to really see how the team is adjusting by the 20 game mark...hopefully, the Flames will still be within Friedman's maximum point separation at that point

I think the key was the adjustment.

The first period they gave up a lot of odd man rushes, especially in a tight window towards the end of the period.

Then it stopped.

Every system gives you something and exposes you to something else. The key is to play a system that you think the coach thinks fits the team, and to a lesser extent the era.

Another interesting element to me is the Oiler/Flames games at home and how much Valimaki is already playing that tight style. I don't think he's been perfect so far, but down the road he looks like his mentality is right up Peter's wave length, or he's adjusted his own game heavily this fall to fit where the Flames are trying to go.

[Itse]

Good article.

Only thing I'd like to see in addition is the line combinations, as it's often one of the most difficult things to find afterwards.