What do we know about the Flames nine games in?

[Dutchess]

http://twopadstack.net/nine-games-know-calgary-flames/

Click to read more...

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

Pretty good assessment of our season so far, thanks for sharing.

I'll just add, the "dead weight" we have right now, should just be considered "place holders" until our insurgence of young players are ready to take those spots from them. I think we are witnessing that happen right before our eyes with Jooris. To me it's pretty clear that if he keeps up his level of play that he is superior in every way to David Jones. I can't say with any certainty that any of our other prospects have proven as such, and this is coming from a huge supporter of Sven Baertschi. The next in line IMO should be Granlund to come up.

 

[CraigsList]

I like it. Good article.

I do have to say though that we are overachieving expectations thus far, much like we did in our first 5 games last year. But, we look so much better out there than year 1 of the rebuild. We are definitely better because:

1) Hiller is a huge upgrade to Berra, one who lost us quite a bit of games last year (though, we should thank Reto, he got us Bennett and Hunter Smith
2) Although Mark/TJ are playing excellent hockey, but also the chemistry with Russell/Wideman is looking outstanding now.
3) Everyone is buying into Hartley's system. And it's working.

 

[DCDM]

>On pace for 101 points
>Rebuild over!



No seriously. It's been a good start for the Flames. Whether they can maintain this kind of play is the question mark. Then again, even if the team has an off night, it's very comforting to know that Hiller or Ramo can be lights out and give the team a chance.

 

[Skobel24]

The goaltending can't keep this up. However, I'm not surprised to see the Flames playing as well as they are.

 

[Ynnek]

They have been a pleasant surprise so far. We will know what kind of team we have once they start playing teams like Anaheim, LA, San Jose, Dallas. I have a feeling it will be similar to playing Chicago where goaltending won a game they should have been destroyed in.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

The goaltending can't keep this up. However, I'm not surprised to see the Flames playing as well as they are.

To keep up and improve upon the effort level that the Flames put forth last year, I think it's pretty clear management intended to motivate the players through competition. There's competition at every position so if one player has an off night (unless you're a core guy), you're probably sitting the next night or even being sent down. I don't expect our winning % to stay quite the same, but I've been very pleasantly surprised so far this year and my perception on this season is changing quite quickly.

 

[Turning Mangiapanese]

The goaltending can't keep this up. However, I'm not surprised to see the Flames playing as well as they are.

The goaltending just might be able to keep this up IMO. Obviously Hiller's numbers will come down a little bit eventually but the thing is we have two guys capable of stealing games. So when injuries and cold streaks start happening, the team does not instantly fall on to the shoulders of a Joey MacDonald. A trustworthy goalie does wonders to hockey team's overall game, we of all fanbases know this.

 

[CraigsList]

I think the goaltending can keep up. If Hiller starts to play poorly, Ramo gets the starts. The same thing goes for Ramo if he doesn't play as well.

We have one of the best goalie tandems in the league. It's been a long time since Flames' fans can say they do not care who is in net, because both Hiller and Ramo give us an opportunity to win each game. So for that, I think our goaltending will continue to play this well. They may be on a hot streak of some sort, they may start losing a few more games, but I guarantee we will have a better record than 35-40-7, the record of rebuild year 1.

 

[InfinityIggy]

I kind of keep waiting for the other shoe to drop with this team where we faulter and fall down the standings. So far, no shoe.

 

[Kipper933]

No mention of Greek god Joe Colborne.

 

[Anglesmith]

I kind of keep waiting for the other shoe to drop with this team where we faulter and fall down the standings. So far, no shoe.

Well, there are other ways to look at it though. We've beaten:

-Edmonton while they were in disarray (and they looked better than us in the game)
-Winnipeg while they were in disarray (and probably still are)
-Carolina while they are in disarray
-Chicago (but we looked terrible and won through sheer luck)
-Nashville

Nashville was the one win that I think we can really be truly proud of, because at the very least it was an even game. Though still, we only won in a shootout.

So there is still a lot to be seen in this young season. I'm looking forward to the Washington game, because I think it will be a better judge of where we're at. Washington is a skilled team and if we outplay them, I think we can be proud of ourselves. It certainly does seem like our team is playing the system better right now (looking at the Tampa game especially) and shouldn't be dominated too much like in the St. Louis and Chicago games.

 

[InfinityIggy]

Well, there are other ways to look at it though. We've beaten:

-Edmonton while they were in disarray (and they looked better than us in the game)
-Winnipeg while they were in disarray (and probably still are)
-Carolina while they are in disarray
-Chicago (but we looked terrible and won through sheer luck)
-Nashville

Nashville was the one win that I think we can really be truly proud of, because at the very least it was an even game. Though still, we only won in a shootout.

So there is still a lot to be seen in this young season. I'm looking forward to the Washington game, because I think it will be a better judge of where we're at. Washington is a skilled team and if we outplay them, I think we can be proud of ourselves. It certainly does seem like our team is playing the system better right now (looking at the Tampa game especially) and shouldn't be dominated too much like in the St. Louis and Chicago games.

The thing that is intriguing to me is even in the games we lose, we have been 'in' the game for the most part. We should of beat Tampa, just no puck luck that night. We lost to the Blues but we were competitive, same with the Vancouver game.

 

[herashak]

The thing that is intriguing to me is even in the games we lose, we have been 'in' the game for the most part. We should of beat Tampa, just no puck luck that night. We lost to the Blues but we were competitive, same with the Vancouver game.

Competitive with St. Louis? I thought we got dismantled with Brodie being the bright spot

 

[Anglesmith]

The thing that is intriguing to me is even in the games we lose, we have been 'in' the game for the most part. We should of beat Tampa, just no puck luck that night. We lost to the Blues but we were competitive, same with the Vancouver game.

We weren't particularly competitive against the Blues, though. They ran us over, then took their foot off the gas. Vancouver and Columbus (at least with their injuries) aren't the cream of the crop either, so while it was good to be competitive with them, a win would be more convincing.

However, I am just being Devil's advocate here. There are lots of signs within the last few games aside from not losing in regulation which point to progress with our team and that we're playing more effective hockey. I just don't think we've proven much because of the circumstances of our victories.

 

[Yung Rotini]

I've learned that the rebuild is over

No, I've learned that if our goaltending keeps up and Brodano continues to be GOAT, we can contend for a wild card spot. Still is very unlikely though and I am waiting for the wheels to come off.

 

[CraigsList]

Man, it's been so hard to temper expectations for this team (which is a good thing). They keep excelling in everything.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

Like I said in the other thread, I'm not predicting playoffs but I know we shouldn't be writing this team off saying there's no chance. Before the season, I thought there was zero chance, now I just don't know.

Here's what I know:

Right now I know this team is getting as good of goaltending as anyone.

We have an amazing top pairing on defence that can play against anyone. Russell has played like a top #3 and even Wideman has been filling his role of generating offence from the blueline. All 4 of our top 4 guys have been scoring really. Smid and Engelland also look to be a very steady presence on the bottom pairing. If this team can get a high level of goaltending and our defence keeps this up, we at the very least should be .500 because we will be in almost every game.

Our forwards is the problem. We have no top end guys, plain and simple. Backlund, Hudler, Monahan and Gaudreau are the only guys that can create offence, now is that enough? We have added size down the middle which great in Mony and Colborne, but they are both sophomores. Monahan down the stretch may get in over his head playing top 6 minutes against the elite centermen in the Western conference. Now we do have Backlund who is a possession specialist and probably is the key to all this. If Backlund can continue to evolve and match up and shut down guys like Kopitar and Getzlaf, and if Monahan can continue to play like a vet and continues to improve, then maybe we have a chance.

The thing is, we obviously have no idea how the season will play out. We have no clue what injuries we will suffer and for how long. We don't know how our young players will continue to grow and who will push the vets out the door from internal competition. There are many questions regarding this group but I have already seen enough that I won't write our boys off completely. I know that from watching Kipper for so many years, that top goaltending paired with playing a good team game can take you quite a ways, Hartley deserves a ton of credit for the job he's doing.

 

[mustange70]

Goaltending this year has been the best for the flames in a number of years. Two already good tenders having to fight for top spot will push one, if not both, into great goalies. The smile on Hiller's face after yesterday game said a lot. I don't believe either Hiller or Ramo will lose their compete level, and in turn we will have good goaltending all year. This is the biggest improvement I see over last year, which will help us win more of those one goal games we lost last year and push us to at a +.500 record if nothing else from last year changes.

Russel and Wideman are starting to look really good together, as are smid and engleland. I can't say anything else that hasn't already been said about Brodie and Gio. When we compare to last year, the defensive lapses and liabilities we had are from what I have watched are much improved, and only getting better. Talent wise there is a marginal improvement, experience wise is where we have gained on the back end and it shows, especially with Gio, Brodie, & Russel. We need to be careful not to overwork the top two though, so that if/when injuries occur we don't take a dive.

My concern right now is our scoring pace and special teams. Can we keep scoring goals? Can we improve on the special teams? If we want playoffs (I always do, screw this tanking BS for top picks, creative trades and good scouting is the better way IMO) these answers have to be yes, along with the back end keeping what they are doing currently through till the end. Based on the effort put in through all of last year and the fact it has continued through to where we are now, this is something I will not question if they can keep it up, and big props to the coaching staff.

 

[Calculon]

I expect they'll finish with roughly the same record as they did last year, give or take a few points pending injuries. I still think they'll finish between 4th and 6th last. Playoffs, even wildcard contention are a pipe dream.

The goaltending situation is interesting though. Do they try to bring back Ramo and keep the 1A/1B tandem going while potentially risk losing Ortio to waivers or do they trade one of the three goalies at the deadline/draft for other assets? Does Ramo want to re-sign and stay in a tandem or does want to go elsewhere to try and be a full fledged number?

 

[Skobel24]

My thoughts on the players so far:

Backlund: Grossly underrated. He may never be that 50-60 point center, but he's become an exceptional two way guy. He's creating chances, moving the puck, and holding his own against top competition.

Bollig: I think we may have seen what could be called the end of McGrattan. He may not fight as well, but he does everything else much better than Brian. I questioned this acquisition at first, but he's growing on me.

Bouma: Again, he's improved so much. He was a beast against Winnipeg. While he's an amazing bottom 6 guy, I hope we don't see him in the top 6 again.

Colborne: He's showing top 6 potential. He's showing a lot of confidence, and he's becoming more and more physical. I hope he starts shooting more, but I can't complain with 8 assists.

Gaudreau: He's been having a quietly great start. I've noticed teams are keeping a close eye on him, and trying to limit the room he gets. Regardless, he's made some amazing plays. He's only going to get better.

Glencross: Honestly, I haven't noticed him much. He's been sound defensively, but I'm starting to wonder if these injuries are catching up with him. As it stands, I'd lean towards dealing him at the deadline. As someone else has already mentioned, Reinhart could be ready to fill his spot by next year.

Hudler: He's been good so far. Keeps creating chances, great at moving the puck. Not really much else I could ask from him.

Jones: What can I say? He's done. If he were a UFA, I'm sure there would be a few teams signing him to be a 13th guy or bottom line winger. He doesn't make many mistakes, but offensively, he's just about dried up.

Jooris: He's been one of the biggest surprises this year. The definition of effort/heart. I hope he sticks this year.

McGrattan: Meh.

Monahan: He had a slow start, but he's still been consistent. I'm sure he'll pick up the pace.

Raymond: Yet another big surprise. He's contributing a lot of chances, and he's capitalized often. I am a bit concerned he'll drop off out of nowhere, as he has a past of doing so.

Setoguchi: Another meh. Raymond worked out well so far, but the same can't be said for Seto.

Stajan: He's had a slow start, but he can still be relied on for what he's best at. Being a serviceable 2nd/3rd line center with a strong two way game. I'm not sure how effective he'll be in the next few years, but it's still early.

Brodie: My god, what the **** happened to him? Last year, he was a decent #2. Now, he's looking like a legitimate #1. IMO, he's been better than Giordano so far. Possibly the best Flame this year.

Diaz: Was he really a better option than Brookbank?

Engelland: He's been... okay. Decent bottom pairing guy, and he's another physical threat who can bash a few skulls if need be.

Giordano: A lot of people thought he might drop off again. They were clearly wrong. I hope this doesn't wind up being taken the wrong way, but I really wonder if Iggy was actually as good of a leader as he is made out to be. Once Gio became Captain, it seemed everyone came together last year.

Russell: He's been great as well, especially with Wideman. Looking like a decent #3. Seems he's quite the leader as well, I'd never have guessed he'd get an A on his jersey.

Smid: Slow (okay, very slow), but effective. I hope we see him paired with Wotherspoon again this year. He showed some excellent chemistry with him.

Wideman: Every year, we have a whipping boy. For a while, it was Stajan, but he pulled himself out of it. I didn't expect Wideman to have that title removed. However, it seems he just might. Ever since he was a scratch, he's been exceptional.

Hiller/Ramo: Both have been great, but Hiller has been stellar. He may wind up being one of the better signings in the NHL this past summer.

 

[CraigsList]

Great thoughts Skobel.

 

[Anglesmith]

I feel like you may be underselling Engelland a little bit, to be honest, and I disagree that Brodie has been better than Gio, though they are both clearly playing some fantastic hockey right now.

As for Gio and the leadership, again it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. During the latter part of Iggy's captaincy, he was the captain of a room full of egos. Gio is the captain of a room full of hard-working, humble vets and bright-eyed youngsters. When Iggy was part of a similar environment (2004) we saw the same kind of cohesiveness.

 

[MonahanTheMan]

I feel like you may be underselling Engelland a little bit, to be honest, and I disagree that Brodie has been better than Gio, though they are both clearly playing some fantastic hockey right now.

As for Gio and the leadership, again it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. During the latter part of Iggy's captaincy, he was the captain of a room full of egos. Gio is the captain of a room full of hard-working, humble vets and bright-eyed youngsters. When Iggy was part of a similar environment (2004) we saw the same kind of cohesiveness.

From start to finish, this is the most objectively accurate post on HFBoards.

 

[Anglesmith]

From start to finish, this is the most objectively accurate post on HFBoards.