If You Could Name One Thing That's Different From Last Year?

[Jaybo]

The Flames are clearly struggling compared to last year - currently out of a playoff spot and on a four game losing streak.

Last year, they seemed to score at will (I think I remember a graphic at one point the season saying the Flames had as many 5 goal games as the rest of the NHL combined?) and obviously winning the Western Conference was an amazing accomplishment.

We can't know all the behind-the-scenes dynamics and decisions but if you were to name one thing that's caused the change from last year to this year, what would it be?

[bludawg]

Other teams adapted to our style, and the Flames haven't adjusted. That's on the coaching, at least to some degree.

[kyuss275]

JOhnny Hockey. His game is off and its not because of the coaching.

[Erick Estrada]

Well it was as bad an offseason as a team coming off a conference championship could have. The big trade that needed to happen fell through and the one trade that went through was to send out a player where winning followed (don't care what anyone says about Neal it's true about winning following him as the Oilers are further proof) for one for the worst contract in the league and the stench of losing. The owners should forever ban their GM from making trades with the Oilers. No bottom six forwards have improved and the top six forwards have declined. Norris winning defenseman from last year is having a bad season. Head coach doesn't seem to have a lot of answers outside of his line blender. There are lots of issues.

It has to be said that going back to 2014 there is a cycle of good season/bad season and this is the scheduled bad season. Not sure why that is the trend but it's hard to ignore.

[J79]

Originally Posted by Jaybo

Last year, they seemed to score at will (I think I remember a graphic at one point the season saying the Flames had as many 5 goal games as the rest of the NHL combined?)

It was 5 goals in 1 period.

To me it seems they are not having fun out there. No passion, no determination. No dedication at all.
I know it's a lot easier to have fun when you're winning but they look like a bunch of guys that have a boring office job.

I don't think it's a coaching thing. I don't think it's their individual quality. I don't think it's because the roster is not good enough.
All they need is a mirror.

[Steve Bozek]

It’s not one thing, but as Craig Button said last night, they’re basically a 2 line team, and 2 line teams don’t win consistently. They’ve got a bottom five or six forwards that are playing at AHL level. Some are badly under-achieving (Bennet, Jankowski), some are just not NHLers any more (e.g. Lucic, Frolik, Reider). None of the additions this season are as good as the departed Hathaway, but the others have obviously deteriorated.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Gaudreau confidence level. To me his woes are all confidence related. Hes not putting pressure on defenders when he has the puck like he did last year and all too often is willing to avoid defenders or pass the puck rather than aggressively take it to the slot or the net.

[getbak]

Johnny almost seems afraid of the "home plate" area this season. He's staying on the perimeter and that's not where he's at his best. Also, a side effect of that is he isn't giving Monahan the "garbage" to pick up either.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Confidence.

I really don't need to say anything else. It's incredibly obvious.

[TheSquatch]

I think it's more than confidence, although that to me looks like a prime factor.

They got smashed in the playoffs, had no answer for the Avs. First game of the season, they got smashed again, again had no answer. So that sets an awful tone, like, what are we even doing here?

Not much confidence in the coach and not much confidence in each other.

Add the failed trades in, you know Brodie, Frolik, and Jankowski feel "gone". Add in other stuff - the Kadri trade is a vote of non-confidence in Backlund's ability as a 2nd C, for example, and he's looked just terrible this year too.

I don't like the forward roster, I hate all the Edmonton recycling, and while getting rid of Neal maybe needed to happen, when you look at Lucic, Rieder, Dube, Frolik, Janko, etc our bottom 6 is not good at all. And that's what is showing - it's ALL on Johnny and Monny and that's a ton of pressure, but the rest of the team is not going to get it done for goals.

So I think last year they believed they could win and did a bunch, and this year they realize that they are too slow, too small, too wimpy, and don't have a coach who can cook up a winning plan for the teams that are beating the Flames. Hard to be "up" for that night after night.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Confidence.

I really don't need to say anything else. It's incredibly obvious.

Yep.

Weak second half to last season, got their doors blown off in the playoffs, didn't make major changes to the team and what changes they did make were bringing in guys who themselves are all dealing with confidence issues.

[gilligans_off]

They’re not winning as many games

[ricardodw]

The Flames were able to overcome mediocre goal tending last season and this year it is just too much.

Rittich is 20th in sv % and 23rd in GA average. Maybe Riitich is a better goalie on a team that is not so nice to play against but he is not good enough for the Flames small soft lineup.

Almost all of the top winning teams have a goalie that they can count on to win games by themselves.

Calgary's lineup has to be significantly better than Chicago, Dallas Winnipeg, Vegas, St. L and Arizona as as Lehner Bishop, Hellebuyck, MAF, Binnington and Kuempner/Raattana are that much better than Rittich.

Flames are using the most important position to save cap space.


When the Flames have an off game they lose and the finger pointing and confidence stuff comes into play. When the other good teams have an off game they win half of them and everyone is happy.

[kermitology]

They're not having fun, which means that they're not fun to watch. I don't see an end to that coming - so I'm considering this season a loss.

[EM11]

They used to be good and now they are terrible. Tough pill to swallow for a fragile core group.

[Stanley]

passing.

They can barely make/take an nhl caliber pass lately.

Last season it was fast/effective tape-to-tape passes, this season it's in the skates/behind a guy/hopping over sticks, etc...

[Puppet Guy]

Too many ex-Oilers.

[FiveSeven]

Breakouts or Johnny losing his magic.

[8sPOT]

Originally Posted by Stanley

passing.

They can barely make/take an nhl caliber pass lately.

Last season it was fast/effective tape-to-tape passes, this season it's in the skates/behind a guy/hopping over sticks, etc...

Yup this is it for me too. I haven't seen two consecutive tape-to-tape passes much at all this season. Which is really strange.

[Samonadreau]

Goaltending is better