GDT: Frustrated Flames (34-15-6) @ Frightening Lightning (41-11-4) - Feb 12 | 5:30PM MST | SNET-W

Status
Not open for further replies.

Lunatik

Normal is an illusion.
Oct 12, 2012
56,176
8,336
Padded Room
Agreed on all of this. Defense has been ****, and goalies aren't doing enough anymore. Add Backlund to the list of "too many penalties" as well. When your two best pkers are in the box all the time, this team suffers. Peters needs to reel these guys in before these habits spread.
Backlund and Gaudreau are also taking too many. But, Giordano has as many as them combined (or at least did last I checked, which was a couple games ago)
 

Volica

Papa Shango
May 15, 2012
21,390
11,074
We are in a slump, which is not good but it gives the team some adversity.

Would you guys say that this would be a good time to make a move? This changes things up a bit.

Remember those Caps teams that would walk into the playoffs after having their 105+ point seasons (some 120+) and get bounced in the second round of the playoffs once games started getting harder?

Teams need some adversity. Right now everything Calgary does seems to go into their own net. They'll create these major chances only to have the goalie make some unbelievable stops; then they'll come back the other way and a little screen in front of the net will find the back of ours. Just the way it goes. The boys need to dig in; and re-motivate themselves. Don't look for outside help at this time, look for some consistent play.

The big thing for me, is to stop shooting themselves in the foot. These little bump-back turn overs that happen 4-5 times a game in our own zone need to stop. Make the smart play and just get it outside the zone. Making the easy/simple play is sometimes the best thing. I can think of at least 3 goals from the past few games that were a result of a 'cute' play in our own zone.

It's worth noting that Tampa is the best team in the league, and very much the cup favourite. That scoring ability, depth, grit, goaltending... it's unmatched in the NHL. Flames should look at them as the model of how to continue to improve. Remember, the Lightning were tinkering for a few years before they found this ridiculous combo.
 

DCDM

Da Rink Cats
Mar 24, 2008
38,094
6,426
Calgary
Remember those Caps teams that would walk into the playoffs after having their 105+ point seasons (some 120+) and get bounced in the second round of the playoffs once games started getting harder?

Teams need some adversity. Right now everything Calgary does seems to go into their own net. They'll create these major chances only to have the goalie make some unbelievable stops; then they'll come back the other way and a little screen in front of the net will find the back of ours. Just the way it goes. The boys need to dig in; and re-motivate themselves. Don't look for outside help at this time, look for some consistent play.

The big thing for me, is to stop shooting themselves in the foot. These little bump-back turn overs that happen 4-5 times a game in our own zone need to stop. Make the smart play and just get it outside the zone. Making the easy/simple play is sometimes the best thing. I can think of at least 3 goals from the past few games that were a result of a 'cute' play in our own zone.

It's worth noting that Tampa is the best team in the league, and very much the cup favourite. That scoring ability, depth, grit, goaltending... it's unmatched in the NHL. Flames should look at them as the model of how to continue to improve. Remember, the Lightning were tinkering for a few years before they found this ridiculous combo.
Agreed with you on a lot of this. The adversity is a good thing IMO but they need to get back on track before this slump becomes something worse. I myself have found that lately the Flames are victims of trying to do too much. They'll have odd man rushes and instead of ensuring at least a shot on goal they'll pass it around and lose the opportunity. Or they'll do those aforementioned bump-backs with the puck and it results in a turnover. It's the little things that they're doing that might normally work because they're such a talented group, but right now they need to get back to the basics. Not much of a comparable but I have this conversation with my beer league team a lot - stop being pretty with passes; make the other goalie work for it. Put everything on net, you never know how a bounce will go. They were doing that against Vancouver and San Jose. Felt like last night they were more interested in trying to prove that they were on the same level as Tampa but they just ended up looking silly.

With the next three games being against Florida, Pittsburgh, and Arizona, I have to think there's a good opportunity to break this slump. Florida is a bit of a sleeper with all that talent up front IMO but their goaltending is among the worst in the league. The boys should be fired up to take on the Penguins considering how the last game went between them. And Arizona at home should be a recipe for success.
 

SlickShot

Registered User
Feb 8, 2019
249
43
Great game by the Lightning, not so much by the Flames. You can easily tell how much better the Lightning are. The Flames couldn't keep up with them and they started taking dumb penalties in the third.
The Flames are definitely in a slump these days (it was bound to happen at some point) hopefully they can get out of this slump soon.
They made it close for a few moments when they scored to make it 3-2 Tampa and then Tampa took over. Stamkos has a great one timer shot.
 

flamesforcup

Registered User
Sep 5, 2017
3,026
3,539
Idk where else to put it so im gonna say it here. I think our recent struggle is overblown its a very minor bump in the road we will get back. However i am concerned that if we don't catch San Jose again we might be in trouble. Vegas in the first round is going to be insanely hard considering their run last year and Fluery we can easily see this amazing season go to a first round exit. We really need to overtake San Jose to avoid Vegas and get the easy wild card matchup.
 

crackdown44

Cold milk cools down hot food
Dec 1, 2017
4,493
5,517
Idk where else to put it so im gonna say it here. I think our recent struggle is overblown its a very minor bump in the road we will get back. However i am concerned that if we don't catch San Jose again we might be in trouble. Vegas in the first round is going to be insanely hard considering their run last year and Fluery we can easily see this amazing season go to a first round exit. We really need to overtake San Jose to avoid Vegas and get the easy wild card matchup.

For me it depends if we pass San Jose who we play in the first round. I’d take Vegas over St Louis and Dallas but I’d much rather play Minnesota or Colorado over Vegas.

There’s no real way of knowing who will get the wild card spot so I’d agree it’s best to finish as high as possible to guarantee home ice deeper into the playoffs
 
  • Like
Reactions: Johnny Hoxville

flamesforcup

Registered User
Sep 5, 2017
3,026
3,539
For me it depends if we pass San Jose who we play in the first round. I’d take Vegas over St Louis and Dallas but I’d much rather play Minnesota or Colorado over Vegas.

There’s no real way of knowing who will get the wild card spot so I’d agree it’s best to finish as high as possible to guarantee home ice deeper into the playoffs
Yea i think St Louis and VGK are the 2 we need to try avoiding. If we finish 1st in the conference i think we wont have to play St Louis. Im fine with playing Dallas the playoffs are a whole different thing from regular season we can take them.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->