If Calgary Flames Lose, Major Changes Incoming?

Stopsight

Registered User
Oct 9, 2013
3,541
1,407
Hawaii
No one who knows the game saw Calgary advancing. I've said it multiple times this year. For one, their goaltending is near the bottom of all playoff teams Additionally, their core doesn't show up in the playoffs. Last series they got swept, and now they might only win 1 game.

trending up then, stay the course
 
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McFlyingV

Registered User
Feb 22, 2013
22,442
12,858
Edmonton, Alberta
No one who knows the game saw Calgary advancing. I've said it multiple times this year. For one, their goaltending is near the bottom of all playoff teams Additionally, their core doesn't show up in the playoffs. Last series they got swept, and now they might only win 1 game.
Kind of odd to reference their goaltending when Smith has likely been the best goalie in these NHL playoffs so far. It was a major question mark entering the playoffs, but he has silenced everyone.
 

Turning Mangiapanese

Registered User
Jun 18, 2011
1,551
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He never tried to get MacKinnon, at the draft, he made some proposals to the Avs but they were all rejected.

I think he went after Ryan O'Reilly and there was some **** up.
That ROR offer sheet was of course complete negligence from Feaster and a fireable offense, but if it somehow had gone through it would have been great for the Flames. The compensation pick was the one we ended up picking Monahan with and I sure would prefer ROR over Monahan this time of the year.

I think Feaster also tried to plug that #1C hole by signing Brad Richards long term but luckily he picked NYR...
 
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BossyMVP

Die SABRES die
Jun 27, 2011
2,015
421
Long Island
I sometimes think we spend so much time saying how bad a team is playing and choking...maybe calagary is playing good hockey but colorado is just playing better? Flames have too much talent to say they are bad. I've seen them play and am in awe of how good they are. Couple different pieces maybe and they have a cup. Stay the course.
 
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PuckSeparator

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May 18, 2014
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Check Republik
I sometimes think we spend so much time saying how bad a team is playing and choking...maybe calagary is playing good hockey but colorado is just playing better? Flames have too much talent to say they are bad. I've seen them play and am in awe of how good they are. Couple different pieces maybe and they have a cup. Stay the course.
They are terrible these playoffs, look completely overmatched. Even though Pitts and TBL got swept, I'd argue that the Flames are putting up the stinkiest performance of round 1 so far. They simply don't belong on the same ice surface as the Avs, and that's really pathetic considering this is a #1 vs a #8 matchup.
 
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serp

Registered User
Jan 17, 2016
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They need to move James Neal but after the season he had that probably costs assets or brings back something awful. Terrible free agent signing.
 

DJJones

Registered User
Nov 18, 2014
10,205
3,513
Calgary
Monahan is disappointing. Just isn't good enough to control tighter games. No idea how we are going to improve that situation.

Even as Gio ages our defense looks set for the next 5 years so that's nice. Valimaki and Andersson look like players, very excited for them.

Core will stay the same, just need faster replacements for Frolik and Neal. No reason to hit the panic button, top line just went flat at the same time we are facing MacKinnon playing on god mode. MacKinnon and McDavid are probably the two players in the league that for some reason our defense falls apart on. We'll be better next year.
 
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GodPucker

Registered User
Sep 27, 2017
7,092
3,689
The Monahan haters and Gaudreau love affair posters will come in flocks, but Gaudreau has been 10x worse this and the last 2 playoff series than Monahan has.

Come playoff time Gaudreau is one of the least effective players in the league. He doesn't have the 'it' factor that Patrick Kane has or the no fear attitude of a guy like Paul Byron.

I think Tre gives this core 1 more year, if we get similar results next year then Gaudreau is done as a Flame.

Skittles Trademark has like 3 assists in his last 8 or 9 playoff games and is a minus player.

Hey, this could be good news for him and "Chucky"

They could put more attention into T-Shirt lines in the summer. Promote that business.

RatKing and JHONNAY HACKKKEY coming at ya!
 

SjMilhouse

Registered User
Jul 18, 2012
2,118
2,437
Young team that was incredibly over hyped. And by that I mean they are really good and deserve to finish where they did, but the lack of playoff experience was never really talked about. They remind me a lot of Colorado a few years ago when they made the playoffs. Sometimes teams like this need to go through these types of series to get the experience they need to take the next step. It's why I never really bought into the "are they a contender??" talk that flooded these boards for the whole 2nd half of the year.

No knock on the flames if they flame out early, they had a hell of a season and will learn a lot from it in the years to come

Dont really see a need to make more changes after the offseason they had. Just be patient with the talent you have and maybe make some minor tweaks
 
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PattyLafontaine

Registered User
Apr 5, 2006
2,618
904
Somewhat weird to insist on major changes when the Flames as a whole are fairly inexperienced in the playoffs.

Being inexperienced usually goes one of two ways:

1) Great because you are just playing and not knowing any better about the pressure

2) Poorly, because inexperience costs you.
 

madmike77

Registered User
Jan 9, 2009
6,586
570
Major changes after this year? No.

Dube will be on the team somewhere next year. So will Valimaki. They’ll also need a new goaltender, although Smith has been great in the playoffs.

The only big changes I could see would be Brodie being dealt, as he’s kind of superfluous at this point. And something happening with Neal.

If they fail again next year, then I could see bigger changes - like Gaudreau and Monahan. They’re good players, but so far in their careers they’ve faded down the stretch. Their contracts will also be getting closer to the end and if they can’t take their game to the next level the Flames may decide it’s just easier to say goodbye.
 

tucker3434

HFBoards Sponsor
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Apr 7, 2007
19,792
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Atlanta, GA
It isn’t like the flames are the sharks or (prior to last year) capitals. The missed the playoffs just last year. This season was progress regardless what happens in the playoffs. Sure, they need to make improvements, but that doesn’t need to involve trading major pieces.
 

madmike77

Registered User
Jan 9, 2009
6,586
570
He's not getting the easy calls he's used to in the regular season. You could see him screaming at the ref last night and smashing his stick as he went to the bench, he's not ready for playoffs.

To be fair there was a pretty blatant hook on him - more blatant than the one that was called on Backlund. Colorado has certainly been the better team, but the refs haven’t exactly been consistent.
 
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McFlyingV

Registered User
Feb 22, 2013
22,442
12,858
Edmonton, Alberta
He's not getting the easy calls he's used to in the regular season. You could see him screaming at the ref last night and smashing his stick as he went to the bench, he's not ready for playoffs.
He's done this for a couple seasons now, and I think the refs are honestly just tired of it. I dare anyone to find me a player who complains and reacts to the refs as much as he does. You can't because it is embarrassing how often he does it.
 

Foppberg

Registered User
Nov 20, 2016
24,089
26,539
Summerside, PEI
The Monahan haters and Gaudreau love affair posters will come in flocks, but Gaudreau has been 10x worse this and the last 2 playoff series than Monahan has.

Come playoff time Gaudreau is one of the least effective players in the league. He doesn't have the 'it' factor that Patrick Kane has or the no fear attitude of a guy like Paul Byron.

I think Tre gives this core 1 more year, if we get similar results next year then Gaudreau is done as a Flame.
I dunno.. I mean yes both Gaudreau and Monahan have been underwhelming this series, to say the least, but Gaudreau's been much more dangerous than Monahan. I haven't noticed Monahan once outside of a flukey goal in game 2.
 

Eltuna

Registered User
Nov 12, 2017
2,240
1,913
I had a thought today that Calgary has built maybe a too “gentlemanly” team. Building a team around a Lady Byng winner in Gaudreau and an at least finalist in Monahan maybe isn’t conductive to building a team ready for the grind of the playoffs. Top it off with another Lady Byng-esque core forward in Lindholm and dmen like Brodie and Hanifin and you have a team that’s just too easy to play against. Peters isn’t the most intense coach either, he probably has the least bite to him out of any head coach. Colorado is just walking all over the Flames and none of them seem to fight back other than Bennett and Tkachuk.
 

Oak

Registered User
Apr 22, 2012
3,931
691
MA
This is not true at all.
Sebastian Aho is pretty much the same size as Marner. I can list several other players smaller in stature than Marner who are having a good run so far.
The success of the Jackets can be contributed to smallish players in Cam Atkinson and Panarin.
What about Eberle and Zuccarello?
I wouldnt say Duchene is all that big either. And Jonathan Marchessault is playing well.

Yes you're right I was wrong not to mention those guys. Guess I was focusing on the weak links on Tampa and Toronto and forgot those guys.
 

Oak

Registered User
Apr 22, 2012
3,931
691
MA
Barzal has 5 points and has handled himself well.

I don't consider Barzal a midget, figure skater but other posters have mentioned guys like Atkinson and Zuuc which are definitely midget sized but playing like big boys.
 

Tofveve

Registered User
Mar 10, 2013
26,837
10,492
The West
I can't count how many three game winning streaks we had this year. And I don't think we won a single game in a shoot-out and yet we ended up 2nd in the NHL.

Also, the last game went to OT after it was tied up by Colorado in the third.

We still have a legit chance, one game at a time, to take this series. It's game one for us tonight.

*Additionally, this core hasn't been to many playoffs yet. Johnny was great in the first round in 2015, maybe our best player alongside Ferland. He was decent in the second round and probably the only player to show up.

The whole team has had issues since the All-Star Break, looking like a shell of the team that we iced for two months prior to the break. Yet somehow they continued to win.

So let's see what happens. I think we win tonight and win the series still.
 

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