QC info request

[Metro Gnome]

I tried a thread like this last year and it worked out pretty well (due in large part to dobble's contributions), so I figured I'd try again...

Since Im unable to watch the QC Flames, it'd be nice to hear some first hand accounts on the club.

Questions that occur to me:

- Who is playing against whom? Do the coaches have a shut-down line/defensive pair? Do they match lines a lot or just roll all four?

- How are the special teams? Who plays on them?

- How's the goaltending looking?

- Have any of the "vets" taken a sizable step forward? Any notable rookies?

- Any glaring weaknesses on the club in general? Are there any players that make you cringe whenever they step on the ice?

- What's happening with Ryder? Is he *rusty* or simply not that good?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can fill in the blanks.

[dobbles]

i will give what info i can based on what i have seen...

the top line of chucko-lundmark-greentree has been fairly consistent, but many other lines and defensive pairings have fluctuated due to both injuries and coach mcgill changing lines every 2 or 3 minutes. there are lots of guy you typically see together, like cunning and vandermeer, but they will have totally different 3rd players.

special teams... once again, at home the PP generally is awful. generally it is accompanied by a general lack of goal scoring, but once again, when we get on the PP we often look worse than when its even strength. we are 27th out of the 29 teams, and i would not have been surprised to see we were last. on the road, we are somehow ranked 8th. i only listen to road games on the radio, so i can't really comment on how they look on the road. as for who plays, we generally do see that first line of chucko-lundmark-greentree out there. cracknell and van der gulik see time but i cant think of their 3rd linemate. germyn sees a lot of time as a point man, as does wilson and spang.

the penalty kill started off the year pretty piss poor, but has picked up as of late.
we are up to 6th in the league at home and 14th on the road. surprisingly chucko sees a decent amount of PK time. sutter is always a good PK forward and peters gets lots of minutes too.

goaltending has been hotly debated among qc fans. if asked to describe it in one word, i would say streaky. keetley played some lights out games and was ahl player of the week a few weeks back. but he has also looked pretty bad at times. irving started off the season with a couple of games with 4+ goals against, but has improved and won like 4 starts in a row. personally, i have not thought either looked particularly sharp. keetley definitely made a lot more big saves last year. and unfortunately a lot of his lights out games were on the road and i didn't get to see them.

for vets - chucko started the year really great. he was a totally different player. played really aggressive and hit everything in sight. recently, he has really regressed IMO. he has been able to put up decent point totals playing on the top line and top PP unit. so he is at least progressing in that area. but when i see him afraid to battle and afraid to hit, i do NOT think he is a power forward in the making. (though i once again would love to be proven wrong.) peters started the year with some quick goals and has stepped up his physical game. not sure i would pick him as the first guy to get called up due to a calgary injury, but he's certainly doing what he can to get that chance. van der gulik has been a personal disappointment, he has seemed invisible to me out there. for rookies, armstrong has looked pretty good. wilson has played really good IMO. seitsonen has been pretty meh. though he has actually looked good on the PK, but not as good even strength.

players that make me cringe: dan spang. it has been said by some he is just a whipping boy, but personally, i just cry when he's out there. he was a late pickup and played last year for worchester (i think) so he may not even be in calgarys long term plans. but he plays crap for defense. he pinches way too much, rarely does he actually play in his own zone, and he shoots all the time but it goes either into the shinguard of the forward in front of him, or the goalies chest. regarding weaknesses of the team, i just think we lack finishers. we lack the go to guy that can score on a regular basis. greentree has not been that guy and lundmark is a setup man. so too often we just cycle with no end.

ryder looked good when he played i thought. he had some great dangles and certainly didn't appear to have lost a lot of those skills. though i am not sure why he's not playing. i will leave that to someone else with more info.


i hope my information helps you guys out. i am always happy to answer questions myself and hopefully my opinions seem level headed. i can only speak for myself, and other qc fans may disagree with my opinions.

[PIMking]

pp unit one

Lundmark Greentree Chucko Eriksson Germyn (carsen on point)

Pk Unit 1

Peters and Sutter (good 100% heart line) with palin and Wilson.

pk2

Lundmark and chucko Spang and cole

Ryder hasnt played much since Armstrong coming back but I think he would serve better on the wing. He can do a better job with McGills lets play keep away on the boards with two players the whole time in the offensive zone play.

Irving and Armstrong and Wilson stand out in a good way

I love Irving, Everyone down here were calling for his head and to be sent to Vegas as soon as Lelande was heathly. It was his first game and his first shot was a break away (thanks spang) and they scored (at iowa former portland pirates and anahiems team) everyone thinks keets is hot stuff. He has a slow blocker side which is were the normal glove side ( keets is a right hand glove) and he also gives up monster rebounds that contribute to alot of goals.

[Metro Gnome]

Thanks for the in-depth first hand info guys.

Im disappointed with VDG's results to far. Im also surprised he isn't on the PK - from past reports, that's where he excelled.

[Drunk Skunk]

VDG has been on the PK quite a bit. I don't have time to give a whole run down right now, but I will when I get home from work

[dobbles]

Originally Posted by PIMking

I love Irving, Everyone down here were calling for his head and to be sent to Vegas as soon as Lelande was heathly. It was his first game and his first shot was a break away (thanks spang) and they scored (at iowa former portland pirates and anahiems team) everyone thinks keets is hot stuff. He has a slow blocker side which is were the normal glove side ( keets is a right hand glove) and he also gives up monster rebounds that contribute to alot of goals.

if irving plays well, it will be hard to send him down, but i personally felt that lalande proved himeself in vegas last year and deserved a shot at ahl hockey. additionally, irving spending the year in vegas being the #1 guy would still hold developmental value.

i guess it really boils down to how much the flames see lalande in their plans and what they feel is developmentally best for irving. they still have a couple more weeks to decide and see how everyone plays though.

[PIMking]

Irving being a 1st round pick and Lelande being a 5th round pic (128 overall).
Keets another 5th round pick being (158th overall)
I would think that they would want to get Irving the most time. He has proven himself in juniors and will be the started by the end of the year. With Keets being so ungodly slow on blocker side and giving up HUGE rebounds for goals.

Irving has more promise and Leland has allready been hurt this season.
Lelande is going to be another Chris Beckford-Tsu.

I just dont see much for Kevin to get a shot unless injury. who knows maybe keets might see some ECHL time yet this year.

[PIMking]

Lelande isnt playing super in vegas yet either

38Kevin Lalande gm2 mins100 w 0 L1 OTL 0 SOL 0 GA 5 GAA 3.00 Saves30 Save % 0.857

I know hes coming off injury but jeesh

37J.D. Watt GP13 G 4 A 6 PTS10 +/- -1 PIMs 40

Not bad for a tough guy

Hugo is a -3 in four games and has only one assist.

[SparkyOne]

This was in today's paper regarding Pelech....

Burning question

Why was Matt Pelech at forward?

The Flames last week played second-year defenseman Matt Pelech at forward, a move coach Ryan McGill said was made to try and help the 2005 Calgary first-round draft pick shake an early-season defensive slump. “To just try and get him to understand it is a simple game,’’ said the coach.

Pelech, whose biggest offensive contributions were some glass-rattling hits, thinks the mission was accomplished. “It was such a different change,’’ he said. “I really had to focus on systems. It kind of made me forget my struggles and kind of play.’’

He’ll be back on D tonight.

It actually was fun seeing him at forward....he had some monster hits!!

[SparkyOne]

Originally Posted by PIMking

Lelande isnt playing super in vegas yet either

38Kevin Lalande gm2 mins100 w 0 L1 OTL 0 SOL 0 GA 5 GAA 3.00 Saves30 Save % 0.857

I know hes coming off injury but jeesh

He may have been playing before he was altogether ready....had to go in for DeCaro when DeCaro was injured during a game. The Wranglers are struggling in more than one area...Krahn hasn't been stellar in net there, either.

And now Krahn's out for bereavement and DeCaro is injured....looks like Kevin will be getting tested full time!