Series Discussion: Week 9 - Oh No Not The Weak Teams

[Volica]

Thank @Janks
In fact I was contemplating not 15 minutes ago if I was contributing something that people valued.

I like these, it gives space to talk about the week ahead; where we really didn't do that on this board.
Pretty much GDT, PGT and rumours are the only thing we really do.

 

[Mr Snrub]

The fact that we can win games against teams we should be winning against is a big difference between this year and last year's Flames. Last year's consistently underperformed against basement teams and as a result missed out on a lot of points that should've been easy to pick up. This year's team is still prone to their faults but on the whole can get it done against teams behind them in the standings. That doesn't sound like a big deal, but I think it is.

tl;dr this was a good week and characteristic of why the Flames are better this year

 

[DCDM]

The fact that we can win games against teams we should be winning against is a big difference between this year and last year's Flames. Last year's consistently underperformed against basement teams and as a result missed out on a lot of points that should've been easy to pick up. This year's team is still prone to their faults but on the whole can get it done against teams behind them in the standings. That doesn't sound like a big deal, but I think it is.

tl;dr this was a good week and characteristic of why the Flames are better this year

Agreed with this. Like I said, outside of the Dallas game where the Flames were just flat for whatever reason, they've been beating the teams they should be beating. This next week with games against Columbus, Minnesota, and Nashville should be pretty telling about what we're looking like going forward. Big measuring stick games with a BOA showdown at the end of the week.

 

[Janks]

Thank @Janks
In fact I was contemplating not 15 minutes ago if I was contributing something that people valued.

Definitely think it’s a value add on my end. It’s a good place to get a gauge for the week and have somewhat of a debrief after to recap what happened. Plus it’s a nice way to check if we’ve kept track of what we should be doing as a club or any areas we have dropped points that we shouldn’t have.

 

[SKRusty]

The fact that we can win games against teams we should be winning against is a big difference between this year and last year's Flames. Last year's consistently underperformed against basement teams and as a result missed out on a lot of points that should've been easy to pick up. This year's team is still prone to their faults but on the whole can get it done against teams behind them in the standings. That doesn't sound like a big deal, but I think it is.

tl;dr this was a good week and characteristic of why the Flames are better this year

I agree wholeheartedly. For the past 2-3 seasons Calgary's largest problem was sinking to the level of their competition. They fared well against the league leaders then laid eggs against the mediocre.

Thanks @Volica

 

[SKRusty]

@Volica , @Janks

My goal with the weekly analysis was to take a broader look at the teams performance and keys to success. Too many times I find that people are too focused on 1 play, 1 save, 1 mistake, or 1 goal rather than looking at the broader picture.

With the weekly threads I focus on the trend the team is on as well as some perspective where they are relative to the competition.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

I think Calgary is winning this year for the below reasons.

• Depth. We have depth to roll with the best teams in the league and are able to try different combinations in game which gives the opposition different looks which makes us very hard to defend against.
• Key players. Our best players are playing like it. We’ve seen consistent production from Gaudreau, then Monahan is on pace for a career year as well. Lindholm has come into picture and playing to what his pre-draft expectations were. Tkachuk is becoming a superstar before our eyes and we’ve seen Bennett emerge finally this year and has been a spark plug for us all season.
• Defence. Our D has been a massive key, maybe the biggest reason for our high level of play. We don’t talk about this enough because our forwards get a ton of hype. But Gio has been the best Dman in the league and Brodie has been flat sensational. Hanifin and Hamonic have damn solid as well. Hammer is such a pillar back there and Hanifin is quietly having a breakout year and should hit 40pts on the “2nd pairing”. Then add in our young studs that have all really added a dynamic we have been missing and our defence really is a top unit this season.
• Goaltending. The last month or so, either Rittich and most recently Smith has been doing their job. When you add this to all the points listed above, you see the formula as to why we’re winning.
• Summary - this team should win the division if we can keep this play up. Peters has been the master conductor and has all the pieces playing their role.

 

[SKRusty]

I think Calgary is winning this year for the below reasons.

• Summary - this team should win the division if we can keep this play up. Peters has been the master conductor and has all the pieces playing their role.

Totally agree with everything you have said but I don't think you take this far enough. The Flames have yet to even come close to where they will be 2 months from now. The Vegas, Winnipeg, and Arizona games were good examples of how explosive this team can become. Neal was off the hook good in Chicago and where will this team be when the third line starts clicking. The more Peters massages this team the more capable it will become. Even if the Flames are two thirds of the way there their potential is insane.

IMO no team has more upside right now than the Flames for 2 reasons.

1. There are no holes on defense or in the forwards. In fact we have 1-2 players in the AHL that may end up factoring in.
2. Peters has only spent 3 months with the guys and he is still building the teams game, chemistry and confidence.