GDT: Flames @ Sharks, November 11, 7:00 PM SNET360

[Turning Mangiapanese]

When you bench players, other players have to come into the game. You're aware right?
A broken Backlund is still 100000x the player Anthony Peluso is, or 10000x the player someone like Mangiapane is.

Dressing an injured player is just risking further injury. I can get doing that during the playoffs but not in November. Shut him down, get him some surgery if needed and have him fresh back on the ice in April.

 

[The Gnome]

So...What is wrong with Backlund, was not aware of an injury...???

 

[The Gnome]

Pending Backlund's health, I'd like to see:

Gaudreau-Lindholm-Neal
Tkachuk-Monahan-Frolik
Bennett-Backlund-Czarnik
Hathaway-Janko-Ryan

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Pending Backlund's health, I'd like to see:

Gaudreau-Lindholm-Neal
Tkachuk-Monahan-Frolik
Bennett-Backlund-Czarnik
Hathaway-Janko-Ryan

I'd prefer to see Czarnik's speed on the 2nd line. Bennett-Backlund-Frolik also did well in the Hartley era.

 

[Janks]

So...What is wrong with Backlund, was not aware of an injury...???

Rumour has it, it’s a hand thing. He was apparently at a charity event before Halloween shaking peoples hands with his left hand.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

I have to say Smith played quite well overall. The first goal was stoppable but not an awful goal to allow. He needs to keep that up.

If the Flames ever get their goaltending and offence/defence to align, they will win their division.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

So...What is wrong with Backlund, was not aware of an injury...???

Wrist or hand.

He was observed at an event (2-3 weeks ago now) not shaking hands with his right hand.

 

[SKRusty]

My notes on the game:

Smith played his most complete game of the season. Contrary to many peoples complaints here the first goal was caused by Backlund not attending to clearing the zone and instead was looking for the breakout. Kane then with one of the best shots in the league placed the a perfect shot about 16 inches of the ice just inside the post making a save almost impossible.

The only reason the Flames were in this game was the play of Mike Smith. It was evident in the second period that this was a back-to-back in that other than the 4th line the Flames got owned in the second. Jankowski and Hathaway were playing some great inspired hockey.

Monahan's goal was a direct result of Jankowski bumping the pass to Mony and then making himself as big as possible holding off the Sharks players in the process.

The Flames put on some good pressure in the third period where the Flames got very unlucky with 4-5 questionable non calls especially considering the Sharks had 3 power plays to Calgary's zero.

Sam pulled a Sam both on the initial break-away and then again on the penalty shot where he is his own worst enemy. The kid simply does not have the chops to finish in this league. I have seen few penalty shots done that poorly.

All said and done the boys kept it close right until the end. If the right call of delay-of-game was made on Kane this game could have been pulled out. The point total on the Californian road trip was very underwhelming but the team was in every game. Rittich definitely is doing all he can to create a goaltending controversy in Calgary and Smith responded with a game in the shades of last year early on.

A couple more games like what we got out of our goaltenders and maybe the whining will stop.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

I should add regarding the Bennett penalty shot, Sam thought he had the 5 hole. That’s why he left off such a weak shot, he was trying to slip it through there.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

First goal was also caused by the referees missing a blatant high stick.

maybe the whining will stop

 

[SKRusty]

I should add regarding the Bennett penalty shot, Sam thought he had the 5 hole. That’s why he left off such a weak shot, he was trying to slip it through there.

Sam just needs to stop thinking when he is in a scoring position. His hesitations and stumbles make his finish horrid. I love that he is practicing tip-ins. There is a game Sam may be good at but it has only taken him 2 years of watching Chucky to get serious about adding this to his repertoire.

First goal was also caused by the referees missing a blatant high stick.

Wasn't a high stick as it was follow through on the shot... That has never been called a penalty. ask Bryan Berard.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Wasn't a high stick as it was follow through on the shot... That has never been called a penalty. ask Bryan Berard.

I see it called often but yes, incidental contact is considered okay. (If the Flames player did it, it'd have been called)

It is one of the most consistently inconsistent application of the rules.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

Sam just needs to stop thinking when he is in a scoring position. His hesitations and stumbles make his finish horrid. I love that he is practicing tip-ins. There is a game Sam may be good at but it has only taken him 2 years of watching Chucky to get serious about adding this to his repertoire.

 

[JGaudreau]

I wonder how much attendance has to go down before the NHL wonders to itself, "hey maybe we do have an officiating problem"

I know I'm not the only one that watches a game like last night and decides there's no way in hell the NHL gets a penny from me. I'm not saying it's just a Flames issue, I'm saying the NHL is the worst officiated pro league in the world and by the end of the season that's going to catch up. It's not like there's even a ray of hope, every single game has the same BS.

Hook, slash, interfere dozens of times in a game and no calls. Ok, goodbye NHL.

 

[Kranix]

Tkatchuk-Backlund-Bennett. More of it.
Neal can sit in the press box.

 

[Dack]

It's a little concerning that the bottom 6 has been almost entirely changed and still doesn't produce anything.

I like Czarnik and Bennett has been good but everyone else has been pretty bad with good stretches (Jankowskis last 3 or 4 games for example)

 

[Anglesmith]

I'm going to see if I can fix the server issues with this post.

 

[SKRusty]

I wonder how much attendance has to go down before the NHL wonders to itself, "hey maybe we do have an officiating problem"

I know I'm not the only one that watches a game like last night and decides there's no way in hell the NHL gets a penny from me. I'm not saying it's just a Flames issue, I'm saying the NHL is the worst officiated pro league in the world and by the end of the season that's going to catch up. It's not like there's even a ray of hope, every single game has the same BS.

Hook, slash, interfere dozens of times in a game and no calls. Ok, goodbye NHL.

The best way of driving home officiating problems is likely creating and hi-lighting the questionable officiating calls on Twitter and Facebook. It would take the league a decade or better to figure out their calls were affecting their bottom line.

One of the keys is to make sure you cover calls from many teams not just the Flames.

Sportsnet and the other sports networks are suppressing stories on the poor officiating (Likely in their broadcast rights contracts and access to the players for interviews.) The only way the masses will start tracking the missed and wrong calls is to bring attention to all of them.

I believe retribution for the Wideman debacle has been levied with poor officiating and here we are still looking at really bad officiating calls. It has been over 18 months and even with the player, president (Burke) and coach long gone Calgary has been consistently punished.