[News] Flames Management Want to Create a "Black & Blue" Team

[hockey.modern]

We've heard it many times from both Brian Burke and Brad Treliving, they want to change the play style of the Flames from an off the rush, stretch pass team a more systematic possessing team. Combine that with truculence, skill, speed and you have the team that they want to accomplish. Teams that are similar to this are, STL, LA, ANA, WSH. What do your thoughts on changing the teams play style?


Brian Burke: Flames want to be a ‘black and blue’ team
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/b...ack-blue-team/

“I think it boils down to three or four basic points that (general manager Brad Treliving) outlined (in his press conference earlier on Tuesday),” Burke told co-hosts Bob McCown and John Shannon. “He wants a physical team. A big, aggressive team. And a truculent team. I hate to use that term because it’ll make everyone laugh but our vision is that we want that kind of team. We like that kind of hockey. Our fans like it and we think it’s essential to winning in the West.

"We want to be a black and blue team," Burke added. "A top six, bottom six type (of) team that likes it rough. A puck possession team. So plenty of skill in the top six. We think we have that core group here."

"We think puck possession is hard to come by and we prefer puck possession play to what we played, which was chip it in and go get it," he said. "We didn't have a big enough (team) to back it up. The third thing would be special teams. You got to average somewhere around 15 on your special teams. You can be 30th overall on your penalty kill but you better be first on the power play. We were in the bottom five on both. You're not going to win in this league if you're not league average or up."

[browna]

Been missing far too long is a Flames team that won't get pushed around. Treliving has to do his part but Hartley scared the players he did have that could play a physical game, into not taking penalties at any cost even if it was retribution.

How else do you explain Lee Stempniak, who hadn't fought for 4 years, suckered into a fight against Dillon, and then a few days later, Ference jumped him like a coward. Both at home.

Did the Flames come to his aid at the time? No. Take a run at Dillon or Ference next game? Nope. Or any of their teammates later that game? Nope, just continued on, making sure that they stayed in for 40 seconds and didn't get in the coaches doghouse. It was pathetic. Examples this past year of getting pushed around as well.

And whens the last time the Flames had a third line that could dominate the cycle? Been a while. Nevermind a power line.

As long as the Ducks and Kings, and Sharks too, with a young roster, remain the size that they are, Flames are going to be in tough to get into the playoffs within the divison if they can be shoved around easily.

[Point Blank]

Totally for it. While Hartley's system can be pretty entertaining at times, I find myself either super entertained or super frustrated. It's painful to watch when the team can't seem to enter the offensive zone, making bad stretch passes leading to multiple icing calls, and getting hemmed in the defensive zone shot blocking for an entire game.

[ricosuave]

Makes sense. The west is tough.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Good to hear. Our lack of size, strength and power is apparent every time we play the good teams in the Pacific..

[FlamesNation23]

Agree with it completely. If we can add a big guy like backes or lucic this summer it would really help. I still hope they dont try to reach for size with the 6th overall (Brown) unless they truly believe he has a higher ceiling than some of the other players in that range like Nylander or Jost. Can't wait for this offseason to start so we can start making some moves finally!

[calgaryblood]

So they need to acquire a new team pretty much.

[Da_Chief]

Welcome back Iginla. Bring in Seth Jones, Subban, Big Buff, Joel Ward, Chris Stewart, Wayne Simmonds, Johnny Oduya, Darnell Nurse, Kyle Okposo, Anthony DuClair.

Then get the Calgary Police to tryout and fill out the rest of the team.

[Mass_nerder]

We have lots of grittier guys in our system, but outside of Bennett, we don't have anyone who brings the physicality with enough skill to consistently play in the top 6.
Although he isn't a big guy, Tkatchuk would fit this need nicely.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by browna

Been missing far too long is a Flames team that won't get pushed around. Treliving has to do his part but Hartley scared the players he did have that could play a physical game, into not taking penalties at any cost even if it was retribution.

How else do you explain Lee Stempniak, who hadn't fought for 4 years, suckered into a fight against Dillon, and then a few days later, Ference jumped him like a coward. Both at home.

Did the Flames come to his aid at the time? No. Take a run at Dillon or Ference next game? Nope. Or any of their teammates later that game? Nope, just continued on, making sure that they stayed in for 40 seconds and didn't get in the coaches doghouse. It was pathetic. Examples this past year of getting pushed around as well.

And whens the last time the Flames had a third line that could dominate the cycle? Been a while. Nevermind a power line.

As long as the Ducks and Kings, and Sharks too, with a young roster, remain the size that they are, Flames are going to be in tough to get into the playoffs within the divison if they can be shoved around easily.

Th Sharks don't play a physical style at all. they play a speed/skill game more like the Star/Preds/Hawks.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

So they need to acquire a new team pretty much.

Not really. In an ideal world we need 2 more powerforwards and 1 more physical defensive defenseman to fill the holes. After that the makeup of the team is just fine.

We actually might be fine on defense with Jokipakka/Engelland but Deryk is UFA after this year. Probably need 1 power forward in this draft ideally and then 1 power forward through UFA/trade.

[dissentowner]

We are still missing another high end skill guy in the top 6. That has always been what Burke has preached, high end skill in the top 6, bruisers in the bottom 6. That is why I am good with drafting Nylander, he would fill that other top 6 skill forward.

[Parallex]

That's stupid. It's the promotion of style over substance and reinforces every single misgiving I've had about Burke. Namely, that he's the kind of guy that values subjective truthiness over objective quantifiable data.

Blah. Ken King... screwing up executive hires along with real estate development plans really is his jam.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Damn. Colton Orr just retired. If only he'd hung on a few more weeks.

I love the theory, but 3 years into Burke the toughest player who isn't a pylon or a rookie is .. Giordano? If Burke is just pumping air then whatever. If he's serious then his management team has been spectacularly bad at delivering over the last few years. The flames are a long long way from a black and blue team.

[Vinny01]

Bennett might not be the biggest guy but he embodies how the Flames want to play. Landing Tkachuk would be huge for the organization. Monahan is a big body and I think he can play a little more physical.

I am excited for the summer. I have a feeling there will be a fair bit of change to the roster

[Roof-Daddy]

I am 100% in favor of having a big, nasty "black and blue" team, just so long they also have skill and can make plays with the puck. Oh yeah, and they need to win way more hockey games than they lose. That about sums it up for me.

[the_only_turek_fan]

All talk. Their actions contradict their rhetoric.

Re-sign Stajan
Sign Raymond
Re-sign Russell
Trade for Shinkaruk
Re-sign Backlund
Sign Frolik

Now I like Backs and Frolik, and the Shinkaruk trade was for nothing, but there is no evidence that backs up their rhetoric so far.

MF and MB are good players and I don't want to move them, but I hate it when they talk about black and blue hockey and truculence when there actions contradict their statements.

[Trailer Fire]

So in betting they aren't drafting Nylander. Tkachuk isn't much of a bruiser... Brown? Can he add a physical edge to his game?

Hopefully they draft Tage Thompson in the second. Hell, if Dallas makes the CF and end up with #27 I say take him there.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

All talk. Their actions contradict their rhetoric.

Re-sign Stajan
Sign Raymond
Re-sign Russell
Trade for Shinkaruk
Re-sign Backlund
Sign Frolik

Now I like Backs and Frolik, and the Shinkaruk trade was for nothing, but there is no evidence that backs up their rhetoric so far.

MF and MB are good players and I don't want to move them, but I hate it when they talk about black and blue hockey and truculence when there actions contradict their statements.

The thing is, they say they want to get big and tough, but Treliving has said many, many times that he doesn't want a big tough team that can't play hockey very well. Those type of players don't come along very often, so it's going to take time.

[FiveSeven]

Don't forget that because they state that the flames need to get bigger will not come at the expensive of skill.

You cannot just have big players who cannot play. Pretty sure they know this.
When they say we need to get bigger, this is true.
You cannot make a team all of a sudden play twice as truculent since you can't change a person.
You can add players that will be more truculent and then your teammates will back them up. Indirectly making the whole team more truculent.

Also hiding from retaliatory penalties because you're last in SH/PP also didn't help.

Previous moves were made because of lack of choice and a need that had to be filled.
I'm sure they would of signed Lucic instead of Raymond if it was an available option.
You cannot force something to happen. I have full faith in Brad and everytime he speaks I'm more reinsured he knows exactly what he is doing.
Things will only get better and the vision only more clear. People are just being over critical for the sake of discussion it seems.