Western Canada

[crazyfisherman]

Right now it is the secondary scoring that is carrying the Oilers and not McDavid. I kind of think he was run downed a bit after playing 27+ minutes a game while the team figured itself out. Do not get me wrong, McDavid is still helping with the play making but people are seriously under estimating how much better the entire team is playing. Even with this improvement I am still highly critical of Todd as I personally believe he only made some changes after he was 1 loss away from being fired. Being stubborn as a mule is not a quality I want in a head coach.

Is gully next in line if todd gets fired tho, cuz gully refuses to make any changes as well

 

[General Disarray]

When will Flames go on their annual 10 game win streak?

 

[voxel]

It's also Nov 1st. Vancouver will not be a playoff team going forward. The Jets are the Jets though. Calgary is on a hot streak but before it they were god awful (need a bigger sample size there).

Oilers I am not sure. McDavid isn't going to score 2 PPG this entire year and the other two guys behind him both get the majority of their points with McDavid. I think that if McDavid slows down a bit (riding a high shooting% right now) the team will normalize. Once that happens we will see the two big questions.

1. Can secondary scoring win games without McDavid?

2. Can Talbot stay consistent when the team isn't playing well. He's been outstanding so far in my viewings for them but he has a history of inconsistency.

Either way, there should be a few playoff teams out there this year.

Koskinen has played better than Talbot and won the last two games.

And the 2nd (Draisaitl) and 4th line (Brodziak) are providing most of the scoring lately.

Who knows how long this will last. At least the Oilers are often dominating majority of games (with some lapses). The forecheck has been awesome and the defensive play solid. The breakout still is garbage but it's improving.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

It's also Nov 1st. Vancouver will not be a playoff team going forward. The Jets are the Jets though. Calgary is on a hot streak but before it they were god awful (need a bigger sample size there).

Oilers I am not sure. McDavid isn't going to score 2 PPG this entire year and the other two guys behind him both get the majority of their points with McDavid. I think that if McDavid slows down a bit (riding a high shooting% right now) the team will normalize. Once that happens we will see the two big questions.

1. Can secondary scoring win games without McDavid?

2. Can Talbot stay consistent when the team isn't playing well. He's been outstanding so far in my viewings for them but he has a history of inconsistency.

Either way, there should be a few playoff teams out there this year.

It's also Nov 1st. Vancouver will not be a playoff team going forward. The Jets are the Jets though. Calgary is on a hot streak but before it they were god awful (need a bigger sample size there).

Oilers I am not sure. McDavid isn't going to score 2 PPG this entire year and the other two guys behind him both get the majority of their points with McDavid. I think that if McDavid slows down a bit (riding a high shooting% right now) the team will normalize. Once that happens we will see the two big questions.

1. Can secondary scoring win games without McDavid?

2. Can Talbot stay consistent when the team isn't playing well. He's been outstanding so far in my viewings for them but he has a history of inconsistency.

Either way, there should be a few playoff teams out there this year.

Connor's production is already slowing down a bit and other players are picking up the pace. That said, with the improved powerplay, 120-135 points isn't out of the question for Connor, so don't expect his production to waiver too much if at all.

A big part of Edmonton looking like they're back to form from 2 seasons ago (and being completely overlooked) is the steady bounceback play of Klef and Larsson together.

 

[bandwagonesque]

I mentioned on the Flames board, that this narrative would start soon with uneducated posters on this forum.

Flames also have two games that had a combined 16 goals against. Flames also have more games than the majority of the NHL, even with those two absolute stinkers, they're outside the bottom 10 GA.

There's also nothing miraculous about their third period comebacks. Essentially they're only 'comebacks' because their goaltending has been miserable (again). Here's some stats for the uneducated:

Since the Pittsburgh game (in which this team got absolutely pumped); they've played: Washington, Toronto, Sabres, Avs, Hawks. 3 playoff teams, 1 rising team and 1 bubble team.

There are their stats 5v5:
CF%: 60%
Scoring Chance %: 60%
High Danger Scoring Chances %: 59%
Shooting percentage: 7.12
Save Percentage: .918
PDO: 0.989
PP%: 21.1
PK: 71.4

Essentially, there's no number that pops out of that list as 'well, that's unsustainable'. They're simply the better team almost every night. This Flames team is ugly to deal with. They can barn burn like they did against Colorado and Chicago. They can play a tight affair like they did with Washington (probably our most 'even' game of the year). They can make life miserable on the forecheck/defence like they did against Toronto (who had a hard time getting anything through the Neutral zone, and essentially only scored that entire game when they were gifted an 'interference' 5v3 PP late in game. Or they can simply outplay teams from the start to finish like they did against Buffalo.

Or they can get completely destroyed like they did against two other teams. Your entire post is full of statistics that deliberately exclude certain events.

 

[bandwagonesque]

They played 3 stinkers this season (not including the season opener, because that happens). NY, MTL and Pittsburgh; in which they actually won one. Outside of those three games, they've been a top team in the league to be honest. If you take out those three games, the Flames are:
8-3-1
49 goals forward, 36 GA.

I knew the narrative of them being these huge comeback stars, or that this is just a hotstreak would definitely be started on board.

And if you don't exclude games where they've played poorly, then it appears they regularly play poorly.

 

[GOilers88]

It's the cycle of life in the salary cap era. Even Edmonton couldn't suck forever and it's time for us Western Can teams to get revenge on Cali.

Don't tell us what we can and can't do!

 

[karnige]

Oilers were terrible - TERRIBLE - the first two games of the season (Sweden and first game back)

We’re 8-2-1 since. Far from perfect but so far when one aspect of the team has faltered someone else has stepped up to pick up the slack.

crazy thing is they deserved the 2 points against the pens and wild but Talbot was brutal.

 

[Saltcreek]

crazy thing is they deserved the 2 points against the pens and wild but Talbot was brutal.

Yep, Talbot cost us those games and that is why we are happy that there is a glimmer in hope with our backup. I really think Talbot needs some competition to drive his performance.

 

[Tage2Tuch]

They were swept by he sabres last season. Outscored them 15-1 or 15-2? or something along those lines. That was the 31st placed sabres who scored a league low 198 goals.

Some teams come to western Canada and either dominate or get swept it’s weird. I think Vancouver gets a lot of teams on back to backs or playing their third game in four nights a lot. I think they do this for van to balance out the crazy amount of travel they do.

As for western Canada...They’re better this year, I predicted the oilers and flames to be in the playoffs This year, not Vancouver and I don’t think Vancouver will make it. That goalie duo and defense and secondary scoring is not enough over an 82 game sched they’ve won a bunch of close ones I think they fall back but they have a bright future.

 

[DL44]

They played 3 stinkers this season (not including the season opener, because that happens). NY, MTL and Pittsburgh; in which they actually won one. Outside of those three games, they've been a top team in the league to be honest. If you take out those three games, the Flames are:
8-3-1
49 goals forward, 36 GA.

I knew the narrative of them being these huge comeback stars, or that this is just a hotstreak would definitely be started on board.

I know what you mean..

Same with Vancouver... if you remove our regulation losses, we are 9-0... elite team and undefeated on the season.

 

[Cellee]

Winnipeg is considered Western Canada.

 

[Jason316]

Winnipeg is considered Western Canada.

They are technically but for me they are in the central Canada plus in a different division and 2 time zones away from Vancouver

 

[Volica]

And if you don't exclude games where they've played poorly, then it appears they regularly play poorly.

So, of 15 games, 3 games have been poor. That's consider regular poor play in your books?
Sure. Yeah. That checks out.

Or is it more a 3 game stretch that was more an anomaly?

Here's the answer:
Flames 12 games of the season:
CF%: 55.8%
SF%: 54.3%
GF: 54%
SCF%: 55%
HDSC%: 51.5%
SH%: 8.23
SV%: 90.32
PDO: 0.986

Flames 3 'streak' blip (which includes a WIN):
CF%: 49.42%
SF%: 40.9%
GF: 59.7%
SCF: 42.9%
HDSC%: 38.29
SH%: 10.7
SV%: 90.9
PDO: 1.017

What does that tell us, for those that can't actually read numbers.

In 12 games this season, Calgary has owned play, creating more chances and goals than their opponents (this includes games with lopsided outcomes, for example, the Stanley cup champs had a GF% of 53% 5v5 last year). Their 'luck' stat would be outside of the top 20 teams (meaning their luck in games is actually pretty below average), and their Save Percentage would have them in the bottom 5 on the NHL (which points to what Flames fans have mentioned about goaltending, context, remember folks). This team isn't winning games by fluke, in fact, games are closer than they should be in most cases due to goaltending.

Now what do the 3 games where clearly something was wrong with this team (as mentioned by their coach, players, etc)? They were getting outplayed heavily. They were bleeding shots, chances... but their goaltending stole them a game (maintain a team 0.909 save percentage where 33% of the data comes from a 9-1 blowout is all you need to know). Their luck stat would put them in the middle of the league during that stretch too. Essentially they played three games that were miserable. They won one, they were in one until the last second and they got pumped in one. Every Flame fan could tell you that all three were by far the worse games for this team this season.

This has been a very positive team, a deep team and a team with a strong backend for 80% of the season so far. The eyes tell it, the stats tell it.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

Oilers I am not sure. McDavid isn't going to score 2 PPG this entire year and the other two guys behind him both get the majority of their points with McDavid. I think that if McDavid slows down a bit (riding a high shooting% right now) the team will normalize. Once that happens we will see the two big questions.

Shooting percentage will normalize but his on ice shooting percentage is below his career average. These things balance out. McDavid also really hasn't turned on the jets yet like we know he can so it's only a matter of time until he throws together a stretch riddled with multiple point games.

Draisaitl is driving a line with Reider and Chiasson. The line has been superb since they've been put together.

1. Can secondary scoring win games without McDavid?

Already been happening.

2. Can Talbot stay consistent when the team isn't playing well. He's been outstanding so far in my viewings for them but he has a history of inconsistency.

Talbot has been outstanding in one game. We have won more games with him being merely average, not the opposite. His play has also cost us at least 2 games.

 

[snipes]

Honestly would bet a limb that McDavid bellowed at the team following those two games. I saw both and a few since, night and day difference. Lord knows McLellan isn't doing anything.

I think so too, I think he finally yelled at the guys to get them going, he was pissed off after the first two games and since then it’s been an entirely different team

 

[Mobiandi]

Vancouver reminds me of a high end 14-15 Flames team.

The Flames are playing good stuff on the whole but the defense does need to tighten up a bit.

 

[Volica]

I know what you mean..

Same with Vancouver... if you remove our regulation losses, we are 9-0... elite team and undefeated on the season.

IF you put back those three games, Calgary's 9-5-1.
I'm not removing losses, I'm removing statistical anomalies, I'm removing a win, and a loss that the Flames almost won. I'd be removing 2 wins under other circumstances .

The point was someone saying 'they've been garbage', which is completely misguided. This isn't some 'hot streak' this is just a return to form from the first 7 games of the season; in which they also beat Nashville, the Avs and Boston. What my point is, this team has been good for all outside of a three game stretch.

 

[Captain Bowie]

Western Canada is the new California

.... I mean it's snowing out right now, but you get my point

Not in Vancouver. 15* and sun is shining.

 

[Saltcreek]

I actually hope that McDavid did chew out the team after the first two games because the Oilers were a complete embarrassment. I hope they can keep up playing well but I want a larger sample size before I will "relax".

 

[JianYang]

Western Canada is the new California

.... I mean it's snowing out right now, but you get my point

Vancouver is not part of western canada?

 

[Satire]

Connor's production is already slowing down a bit and other players are picking up the pace. That said, with the improved powerplay, 120-135 points isn't out of the question for Connor, so don't expect his production to waiver too much if at all.

A big part of Edmonton looking like they're back to form from 2 seasons ago (and being completely overlooked) is the steady bounceback play of Klef and Larsson together.

McDavid has 10 points in his last 7 games. He hasn't had to carry the team like he was earlier in the season and has not looked as good as usual in the last 3-4 games but he is definitely still producing. He's also tied for 2nd in points in the league atm and has been steadily climbing up that ladder relative to his peers. I think you might be overselling the slowed production point.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

McDavid has 10 points in his last 7 games. He hasn't had to carry the team like he was earlier in the season and has not looked as good as usual in the last 3-4 games but he is definitely still producing. He's also tied for 2nd in points in the league atm and has been steadily climbing up that ladder relative to his peers. I think you might be overselling the slowed production point.

He's been moving a bit slower the last couple games. Rumour that he has a cold? Who knows. But yeah, I think he'll keep bring a threat every night, which gives the rest of the team a chance to win if they do their part.

 

[BigTruzz]

Western Canada is the new California

.... I mean it's snowing out right now, but you get my point

Not in Vancouver tho!

 

[Satire]

He's been moving a bit slower the last couple games. Rumour that he has a cold? Who knows. But yeah, I think he'll keep bring a threat every night, which gives the rest of the team a chance to win if they do their part.

Totally agree. It is nice the rest of the team is scoring right now. Hopefully they can keep it up.