GDT: The Flames play the Panthers in ~3.5 hours (7:30MT)

[Master Bill]

Coleman probably saying "thank god he tripped me"

 

[Unlimited Chequing]

 

[Tofveve]

We did it! Good win

 

[flames23]

Bennett stoned like 7 x. Gotta love it.

 

[Boomstick]

Way to go Flames, well done.

 

[TheHudlinator]

Welp trade won

 

[joescores]

Just makes sense waking up at 02:30am to watch this team 3 times a week.

 

[Tofveve]

Gotta hit the hay everyone, it was a fun night - have a good one til next time!

 

[Lunatik]

Was in the bathroom dropping the Oilers off at the pool and missed the Coleman goal, was it an EN?

 

[Mobiandi]

Markstrom is one of those goalies that only thrives under chaos. So odd

 

[Unlimited Chequing]

Hanifan sure looks like he's been having fun here recently.

 

[Bounces R Way]

atta boy boys
Markstrom built the wall

 

[Felidae]

Sigh... GGs.

Good to see Pospisil with a goal. Backlund played great. Markstrom was excellent on his 1st game back, definitely 1st star of the game.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Excellent game for the Flames. Marky was awesome, team looked solid. Nice work buys. Stupid sexy Backlund with his backhand.

 

[Lunatik]

Excellent game for the Flames. Marky was awesome, team looked solid. Nice work buys. Stupid sexy Backlund with his backhand.

Backhandlund

 

[Rubi]

.971 save% for Markstrom tonight.

 

[JurassicTunga]

Hilarious how much more offensively effective our PK is compared to the PP.

Markstrom with a great first game back. Wins are fun. Smell ya later, Chucky.

 

[Rubi]

Was in the bathroom dropping the Oilers off at the pool and missed the Coleman goal, was it an EN?

Coleman had a breakaway on an empty net and was tripped from behind... and was awarded a goal.

 

[Khrox]

Is Coleman leading the team in goals? Wowzers.

Rango is, Coleman is one behind him, and then Weegar and Kadri are tied for third. So of those top 4 goalscorers on the team, only one (Kadri) would have been the "expected" name on the list. But a lot of the expected names (Mangi, Lindy and Hubes) aren't doing so hot (Lindy isn't too far off, but still kind of not doing as well as expected given his desire for a 9 mil contract)

 

[Bounces R Way]

3-0 vs the Panthers since the trade
Suck on that Matty

Thought the Flames played a good counterpunch game, something they've not been able to do in years past. Florida had maybe the run of possession zone time but NST had the Flames ahead in high danger chances.

Good - Hanifin was really strong in this one I thought. Zary and Pospisil just keep the legs churning, several great shifts. Pospisil back to playing like a man possessed. Backlund was pretty bad before his goal tbh but nice to see him finally bury one of his breakaway chances. I actually thought the Flames did a decent job of keeping the Panthers to the outside for Markstrom but he was great when they did get it into the crease area. PK won us the game.

Pretty good - Kadri, another quality dive to draw a penalty. Little all over the place defensively but made some good outlets. Sharongovich scoring streak sadly ends but had some nice shifts. Coleman cpl bad passes but the rest of it looked quality.

Not bad - Lindy and Bread seems like every game they make 2 or 3 plays that almost work. Eventually something has to go in for them. DeSimone and Gilbert, no issue with the 3rd pair tonight. Greer effective in his limited ice time.

Not good - Ras had a cpl good looks but mostly was chasing guys around his own zone. Same with Weegar. Bent but didn't break at least. Ruzicka not sure if he touched the puck, threw a hit, or made a pass. Hemmed in a lot.

Bad - Huberdeau sucked, just taking way too long to make decisions. If you're not fast in this league you at least have to think fast. Beginning to worry vintage Huberdeau isn't just lost but is in fact dead. Dube also did nothing positive, can't take a pass, can't make a pass, can't do shit. PP managed maybe 1 or 2 shots on goal in 4 opportunities? trash

 

[Tofveve]

I have to say (as maybe his biggest defender and proponent) Ruz has been pretty invisible for most of this season and even moreso the last while. I do think part of that is being relegated to the 4th line (he's more skilled than that IMO, not a bang-and-crash shut down opposition and dump the puck kinda guy), but at the same time I wish he'd find the gumpshkin to prove himself again. Sigh I think as I've said before it might be time to set him free. I hate to think management played such a role in his demise but he may have a pretty short career in the NHL at this rate. Maybe ultimately that was the fight Sutter and others were trying to get out of him. Whatever it still pisses me off as he did have several torid point stints in the first few years and would be rewarded with a trip back the AHL or the press box, eventually regular time on the 4th line. Again a lot of this seems the result of mismanagement and ruined confidence and manhood (yikes). Wish he could work himself back to what I (and many of us saw), but again maybe he did that and was rewarded the opposite so many times he's kind of a shell player a lot of the time now. Sad. I feel he's being given some leash on the 4th line now but it feels that could run out any day. Sigh again. So yeah, maybe just trade him and set him free.

Also I'm probably feeling it more because I've championed him and defended him so much. I hope there's something left to believe in there.

 

[Kahvi]

Hilarious how much more offensively effective our PK is compared to the PP.

I posted this to the HoH thread of random stats

After 32 games this season, the Flames best PP goal scorer has more SH goals than PP goals.

Spoiler: Stats

Yegor Sharangovich has 1 PP goal, and is tied with 10 other Flames for PP goal scoring. He has 2 SH goals.

 

[Kahvi]

Second game this season I watched a part of. The Nordic owner of NHL rights raised the price to stupid level before the start of the season, because they had lost subscriptions and money. And because they raised prices, even more people left. Bankruptcy might not be far away, so maybe I get a reasonable deal for end of the season.

 

[Yepthatsme]

I have to say (as maybe his biggest defender and proponent) Ruz has been pretty invisible for most of this season and even moreso the last while. I do think part of that is being relegated to the 4th line (he's more skilled than that IMO, not a bang-and-crash shut down opposition and dump the puck kinda guy), but at the same time I wish he'd find the gumpshkin to prove himself again. Sigh I think as I've said before it might be time to set him free. I hate to think management played such a role in his demise but he may have a pretty short career in the NHL at this rate. Maybe ultimately that was the fight Sutter and others were trying to get out of him. Whatever it still pisses me off as he did have several torid point stints in the first few years and would be rewarded with a trip back the AHL or the press box, eventually regular time on the 4th line. Again a lot of this seems the result of mismanagement and ruined confidence and manhood (yikes). Wish he could work himself back to what I (and many of us saw), but again maybe he did that and was rewarded the opposite so many times he's kind of a shell player a lot of the time now. Sad. I feel he's being given some leash on the 4th line now but it feels that could run out any day. Sigh again. So yeah, maybe just trade him and set him free.

Also I'm probably feeling it more because I've championed him and defended him so much. I hope there's something left to believe in there.

Don’t think it’s as much of a management problem as much as a Ruzicka problem, here’s his pre-draft scouting report and it outlines everything we are still seeing to this day.

Adam Ruzicka Scouting Report: 2017 NHL Draft #62

Taken by the Sarnia Sting in the second round of the 2016 CHL Import Draft, there were big expectations for Slovakian centre Adam Ruzicka.

lastwordonsports.com

Pretty much says he has the skills, but lacks the will to use them on anything close to a consistent basis. How we’ve managed him seems like a far lesser cause when this appears to just be a long standing Ruzicka problem. Shame too, because with a better attitude Ruzicka really could’ve been something in the NHL.

 

[Deen]

A win is a win. We might just pick 16th after all.