How do you feel about this team?

[DCDM]

I feel despondent, mostly. Doesn't seem to matter how well they played last game, I still feel a lack of confidence that they will carry that over into next game.

 

[DFF]

I feel despondent, mostly. Doesn't seem to matter how well they played last game, I still feel a lack of confidence that they will carry that over into next game.

Very true but trend is up I think...but of course I am prepared to be disappointed...being a flames fan for over 30 years, I am well conditioned...

 

[SKRusty]

40 year Flames fan here and Calgary is in just as good a spot fighting through Edmonton in the 80's or the long shot in 2004.

We won't know anything until we see the first round of the playoffs. Go Flames Go

 

[Bounces R Way]

I feel nothing

 

[Mobiandi]

At this point in the season, it probably doesn't help to look at individual games in isolation. We're going to lose some... that's inevitable.

But if we can finish off the season with at least 9 wins in our last 15, then I think we're golden.

We also have some 4-pointers coming up that would give us a valuable boost in the standings if we win:

WPG 2x
ARI
VGK 2x
VAN (only road game out of all of them)
EDM

 

[Rubi]

Last year at this time I was estatic and I felt the Flames had as good a chance as any to make it to the SC finals. This year I'm not even sure if they'll make it into the playoffs.
Well, we all know what happened last year. Who knows.. maybe the Flames will go on an end of the season hot streak and do like last year's St Louis Blues did.
Strange things happen in the playoffs.... if they get there.

 

[Rubi]

At this point in the season, it probably doesn't help to look at individual games in isolation. We're going to lose some... that's inevitable.

But if we can finish off the season with at least 9 wins in our last 15, then I think we're golden.

We also have some 4-pointers coming up that would give us a valuable boost in the standings if we win:

WPG 2x
ARI
VGK 2x
VAN (only road game out of all of them)
EDM

9 wins only gives the Flames 93 pts. I doubt that will be enough unless they have 3 or 4 OT losses mixed into the next 15 games.

 

[Mobiandi]

9 wins only gives the Flames 93 pts. I doubt that will be enough unless they have 3 or 4 OT losses mixed into the next 15 games.

If we get 9 wins, then Winnipeg and Arizona need 10 and an OTL in their last 15 to overtake us. I don't see that happening.

The Wild and Preds are still in the thick of it but I don't see both making it.

 

[Oil Dood]

If we get 9 wins, then Winnipeg and Arizona need 10 and an OTL in their last 15 to overtake us. I don't see that happening.

The Wild and Preds are still in the thick of it but I don't see both making it.

They don't need to overtake you, a tie would put them in.

 

[DCDM]

I feel nothing

 

[FlamerForLife]

They don't need to overtake you, a tie would put them in.

if you bothered to do the math instead of coming in here and running your mouth you'd realize that's exactly what @Mobiandi implied.
9 wins is 18 points takes Calgary to 93
10 wins and an OTL is 21 points and would take Winnipeg and Arizona to 93 and them having the tiebreaker would allow them to "overtake" the Flames.

 

[Oil Dood]

if you bothered to do the math instead of coming in here and running your mouth you'd realize that's exactly what @Mobiandi implied.
9 wins is 18 points takes Calgary to 93
10 wins and an OTL is 21 points and would take Winnipeg and Arizona to 93 and them having the tiebreaker would allow them to "overtake" the Flames.

Easy there, not stirring up anything or "running my mouth". Pretty aggresive response there.
I was mearly responding to the overtake us response and throwing out a reminder that a tie does you guys no good.
I WANT TO PLAY YOU IN THE PLAYOFFS so my intent is not to trash talk...that is for the playoffs.

 

[Body Checker]

I just don’t think we are fast enough up front 1 through 12 like teams like Vegas and Colorado.

 

[Turning Mangiapanese]

 

[sonic92]

They can compete with any team in the league if everyone is on the same page. The problem though is that they're just not consistent enough.

 

[DFF]

They can compete with any team in the league if everyone is on the same page. The problem though is that they're just not consistent enough.

Are they lazy or coaching issue?

I think both

They were not ready to start the game last night

 

[sonic92]

Are they lazy or coaching issue?

I think both

Even though Geoff Ward has been an assistant with a few teams in the NHL, I honestly would've given Ryan Huska the head coaching job after they had to dump Peters.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Flames fandom is nihilism.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

All depends on if the wonder duo decide to play playoff hockey.
Even with that we'd need hot goaltending.

 

[SKRusty]

Even though Geoff Ward has been an assistant with a few teams in the NHL, I honestly would've given Ryan Huska the head coaching job after they had to dump Peters.

Ward may end up turning this team into a contender by seasons end but what a hell of a hand to be given in your first head coaching gig. For the most part Ward had to incorporate much of the Flames game plan to start rather than implementing his own from the get go. While things have changed a great deal since Bill was forced out, much of what has happened hasn't been on Wards terms.

That said there are some really good coaches on the market with others that likely will become available in the off-season. Ducharme in Montreal is one of the most progressive coaches in the NHL today. If Calgary does make a change it should be for either Gallant or Ducharme.

 

[Volica]

All depends on if the wonder duo decide to play playoff hockey.
Even with that we'd need hot goaltending.

I mean, every single Stanley cup winner from the modern NHL has needed hot goaltending.
There hasn't been a winner where you were like... man... they won that one despite of _____.

This team is sort of funny. You look at the lineup and it's like... boy you have a top 12 that can just come down on you so hard; a top 7/8D who are playing exactly in their spot. Like, this team should be an annual 100 point team, it's crazy that this year has been so bad.

 

[SKRusty]

I mean, every single Stanley cup winner from the modern NHL has needed hot goaltending.
There hasn't been a winner where you were like... man... they won that one despite of _____.

This team is sort of funny. You look at the lineup and it's like... boy you have a top 12 that can just come down on you so hard; a top 7/8D who are playing exactly in their spot. Like, this team should be an annual 100 point team, it's crazy that this year has been so bad.

From day 1 of this season the entire team has played a different game from zone exits to offensive zone entries. Johnny now chips in 80-90% of the time. The Monahan line has been working on fore checking and offensive zone possession. The D has had less discretion in pinching.

Exiting the defensive zone the players are expected to be grouped closer with more chipping up the boards. Part of the reason the Flames have come back in the third in many games is the shackles are taken off a little.

The only line I don't like how it is playing right now is the Ryan line. Many criticize Looch but come the playoffs the game outside the top unit slows with more clutching grabbing and interference allowed. This plays into his game and his play could play a large role.

 

[Calculon]

Things are looking pretty bleak to be honest, both in the short term and longterm. Now it's not utterly hopeless because there's always a chance the organization somehow conjures up a franchise centre from somewhere while at the same time, ownership ponies up for a high end coach all without foolish reactionary changes.

So just mostly hopeless.

 

[Fig]

/RANT

Flames are constantly shaking things up or dealing with some weird instability. Off the top of my head (hopefully I don't mix up a few years):

2016-2017: Hartley out, Gulutzan in. Medium shake up of roster (New goalies). Dennis Wideman debacle.

2017-2018: HC unchanged. Major shake up of roster (roster and goalies). Gulutzan completely redesigns system to play around a puck moving goalie in Mike Smith (might as well have been a new HC).

2018-2019: Gulutzan out, Peters in. Major shake up of roster (Roster mainly, goalies unchanged). Playoff collapse which seemed to start around the All Star break (Players don't escape criticism, but I think Peters also tried getting cute and messed up his relationship with the team). Treliving extended, as part of his extension negotiations, he specifically demands more autonomy.

2019-2020: Quiet off season, roster essentially unchanged (back up and Neal/Lucic and quiet TDL). HC change mid season as Peters resigns due to racism debacle. Ward thrown in the hot set with no time to prep. Brodie collapses during practice. Reports that Lucic was so unhappy he considered retiring. Flames AGM diagnosed with ALS. Gaudreau's grandpa passes away...


Also we Flames fans have been having much more serious discussions about ownership meddling. There's a ton of rumblings that Treliving had deals in place to acquire Ben Bishop twice and combinations of ownership being unavailable and vetoing made that fall through twice. It is also reported that a trade was in place for Zucker last year TDL that was essentially a fleecing (Frolik + super late 1st) but smoke is showing up that essentially stated that ownership vetoed the deal because they didn't want to pay the cash salary.

Flames ownership also is willing to spend to the cap, doesn't seem to want to pay for management. TBH, I'd rather a situation like Anaheim where they have an internal budget below the cap and allows the GM to do things as he sees fit as long as he's within that internal budget. The opposite seems to be true for the Flames. Treliving can suggest whatever he wants, but ownership seems to always want to have input on exactly how that unfolds. For quite a while, an ownership representative had to review every single transaction and approve it.

This shows up in things like: Refusing to pay a reasonable amount for both coaching and GM. This has manifested in Sutter/Feaster/Burke*/Treliving as GM in the last 14 years and IIRC, all guys were kinda underpaid per league average. Sutter was GM/Coach. Coaching wise, they also refuse to pay. This manifested as D.Sutter dual role/Playfair/Keenan/B.Sutter/Hartley/Gulutzan/Peters/Ward in the last 14 years. Flames fans would desperately love someone respectable like Lavi, Galant, Boudreau etc. but we aren't confident that ownership will be willing to pay them at all (Rumors were that Gulutzan made $700K as a HC and Peters 1.5 Mil).

Ownership also refuses to pay for players not on the NHL roster and they'd rather give away assets rather than pay real cash. This ended up as things like giving away Regehr for a pittance to get rid of Kotalik were the past. Salary retention has not been done by the Flames for... ever. Before Treliving, we hadn't even seen buyout occur for at least up to Sutter as GM (though we always were confused why buyouts over salary retention was allowed by Treliving).

I mean, everyone laughs at Vancouver, Phoenix, Edmonton and Ottawa for having some of the worst management/ownership handicaps out there. But seriously speaking, Calgary is right up there, but somehow the ownership group is very good avoiding criticism. It's like a Scooby Doo meddling kids situation. I think the Calgary situation is on par with the Phoenix situation back when Maloney and Treliving were the GM/AGM in Phoenix. But at least they had the freedom to choose how to do things, even if they knew they were essentially playing money ball with essentially one of the lowest internal budgets in the league. Speaking of moneyball, why the frick did we try and compete in 2015 instead of rebuild that season and aim for CMD/Eichel? What was the reasoning for ownership for that type of mandate??? I loved 2015... but was it the best way to approach the move away from the old core?

I honestly don't know if the Flames can win anything at all unless ownership mandate changes. It to me seems like combinations of too much off ice distractions behind the scenes that most fans will never notice and putting together a really damn nice machine, but cheaping out on the crew to maintain and fine tune it. It's really frustrating.

This is the best Flames roster we have seen since 2015. But I honestly don't feel any confidence in it. I think a bunch of Flames fans aren't too sure about things right now and some of the opinions are either the core is highly flawed and rotten OR the core somehow doesn't have the proper support to play to its full potential and thus is playing well below its potential. We've seen insane fluctuations of what this team/players plays like with the same core but different coaches and different surges and slumps over several years now with the most jarring examples in the play from guys like Gio and Brodie. That's super weird and crazy. I think this is a coaching and mandate situation. It's not the core and the first season under Peters should be an indication it's not a pure talent or players fitting issue. It's outside of that.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

/RANT

Flames are constantly shaking things up or dealing with some weird instability. Off the top of my head (hopefully I don't mix up a few years):

2016-2017: Hartley out, Gulutzan in. Medium shake up of roster (New goalies). Dennis Wideman debacle.

2017-2018: HC unchanged. Major shake up of roster (roster and goalies). Gulutzan completely redesigns system to play around a puck moving goalie in Mike Smith (might as well have been a new HC).

2018-2019: Gulutzan out, Peters in. Major shake up of roster (Roster mainly, goalies unchanged). Playoff collapse which seemed to start around the All Star break (Players don't escape criticism, but I think Peters also tried getting cute and messed up his relationship with the team). Treliving extended, as part of his extension negotiations, he specifically demands more autonomy.

2019-2020: Quiet off season, roster essentially unchanged (back up and Neal/Lucic and quiet TDL). HC change mid season as Peters resigns due to racism debacle. Ward thrown in the hot set with no time to prep. Brodie collapses during practice. Reports that Lucic was so unhappy he considered retiring. Flames AGM diagnosed with ALS. Gaudreau's grandpa passes away...


Also we Flames fans have been having much more serious discussions about ownership meddling. There's a ton of rumblings that Treliving had deals in place to acquire Ben Bishop twice and combinations of ownership being unavailable and vetoing made that fall through twice. It is also reported that a trade was in place for Zucker last year TDL that was essentially a fleecing (Frolik + super late 1st) but smoke is showing up that essentially stated that ownership vetoed the deal because they didn't want to pay the cash salary.

Flames ownership also is willing to spend to the cap, doesn't seem to want to pay for management. TBH, I'd rather a situation like Anaheim where they have an internal budget below the cap and allows the GM to do things as he sees fit as long as he's within that internal budget. The opposite seems to be true for the Flames. Treliving can suggest whatever he wants, but ownership seems to always want to have input on exactly how that unfolds. For quite a while, an ownership representative had to review every single transaction and approve it.

This shows up in things like: Refusing to pay a reasonable amount for both coaching and GM. This has manifested in Sutter/Feaster/Burke*/Treliving as GM in the last 14 years and IIRC, all guys were kinda underpaid per league average. Sutter was GM/Coach. Coaching wise, they also refuse to pay. This manifested as D.Sutter dual role/Playfair/Keenan/B.Sutter/Hartley/Gulutzan/Peters/Ward in the last 14 years. Flames fans would desperately love someone respectable like Lavi, Galant, Boudreau etc. but we aren't confident that ownership will be willing to pay them at all (Rumors were that Gulutzan made $700K as a HC and Peters 1.5 Mil).

Ownership also refuses to pay for players not on the NHL roster and they'd rather give away assets rather than pay real cash. This ended up as things like giving away Regehr for a pittance to get rid of Kotalik were the past. Salary retention has not been done by the Flames for... ever. Before Treliving, we hadn't even seen buyout occur for at least up to Sutter as GM (though we always were confused why buyouts over salary retention was allowed by Treliving).

I mean, everyone laughs at Vancouver, Phoenix, Edmonton and Ottawa for having some of the worst management/ownership handicaps out there. But seriously speaking, Calgary is right up there, but somehow the ownership group is very good avoiding criticism. It's like a Scooby Doo meddling kids situation. I think the Calgary situation is on par with the Phoenix situation back when Maloney and Treliving were the GM/AGM in Phoenix. But at least they had the freedom to choose how to do things, even if they knew they were essentially playing money ball with essentially one of the lowest internal budgets in the league. Speaking of moneyball, why the frick did we try and compete in 2015 instead of rebuild that season and aim for CMD/Eichel? What was the reasoning for ownership for that type of mandate??? I loved 2015... but was it the best way to approach the move away from the old core?

I honestly don't know if the Flames can win anything at all unless ownership mandate changes. It to me seems like combinations of too much off ice distractions behind the scenes that most fans will never notice and putting together a really damn nice machine, but cheaping out on the crew to maintain and fine tune it. It's really frustrating.

This is the best Flames roster we have seen since 2015. But I honestly don't feel any confidence in it. I think a bunch of Flames fans aren't too sure about things right now and some of the opinions are either the core is highly flawed and rotten OR the core somehow doesn't have the proper support to play to its full potential and thus is playing well below its potential. We've seen insane fluctuations of what this team/players plays like with the same core but different coaches and different surges and slumps over several years now with the most jarring examples in the play from guys like Gio and Brodie. That's super weird and crazy. I think this is a coaching and mandate situation. It's not the core and the first season under Peters should be an indication it's not a pure talent or players fitting issue. It's outside of that.

Legit did not read your post due to length, but liked for the cool gif's.