Flames year in review

[yave1964]

PRESEASON OUTLOOK The West appeared wide open among half a dozen teams, Talbot was brought in to push Rittich in net, a slew of young talented forwards and defenders a year older and hungrier, the Flames thought rightly that they would be right in the thick of things.

 

FINAL RECORD 36-26-7 3rd in the Pacific. Knocked Winnipeg out in four games before losing to Dallas in six.

 

STRANGE STAT OF THE YEAR Some strange splits, the fisticuff duo of Rasmus Andersson and Milan Lucic were near angelic at home with an anemic combined 34 PIMs but on the road the two of them were pugulistic, at least by current NHL standards with 77 PIMs. Brodie was plus 11 at home but minus 4 at home. Guadreau had 13 goals on the road and only a paltry 5 at home. And finally this, both goalies inexplicably were much better periphrally on the road, Talbot (2.06 goals against .941 save pct) and Rittich (2.81 and .914) on the road were damn good, at home Talbot (3.00 and .904) and Rittich (3.20 and .895) were barely servicable.

 

HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR Beating Winnipeg in four relatively easy but fun games. They looked ready for what came next.

 

LOW POINT OF THE YEAR Dallas took them out in six, the finale was embarrassing, they were up 3-0 in the first and then it all fell apart, Dallas scored one late in the first to close the gap and then put up a five spot in the second. Game. Set. Match. Final score 7-3 in a game in which they led 3-0.

  Regular season wise, the Bill Peters fiasco and eventual replacing him has to rank way up there for a low point.

 

WHAT WENT RIGHT Matthew Tkachuk established himself as the games premier power forward including anyone, period, bar none. Gaudreau and Lindholm were very solid (although Gaudreau didnt score as many goals as they would have liked). Monahan was down a bit but is a premier two way forward who doesnt get the recognition deserved. Backlund continues to be a top 2nd line center. Mangiapane came from nowhere to contribute 17 goals. Derek Ryan was a brilliant addition playing up and down all the lines. Gio was solid, so were Hanifan and Brodie on the back end. In net, Rittich and Talbot did more right than wrong.

 

  Here is the problem with what went right, with few exceptions, Tkachuk, Mangiapane) even the players you can say did a bunch right all had glaring weaknesses as well. Gaudreau couldnt score, especially at home. Lindholm was good but not as good as the year before. Monahan by his own standards was good but not as good as he should have been. In short, yeah a lot went right but not that right.

 

WHAT WENT WRONG Lucic for Neal looks really bad now.Sam Bennett took a big step back. Zac Rinaldo appeared in 19 games. Really. This team had a lot of guys who seem to be playing out the string on careers, Hamonic, Lucic, Stone, Reider and Talbot are all guys who at times throughout the year looked like they werent playing with both oars in the water.

 

FREE AGENTS A LOT of pruning of the tree, Hamonic, Rinaldo, Talbot, Forbort, Stone, Reider and Gustafsson are all UFA's and all likely gone. Gustafsson was a late addition with a lot of holes in his defensive game but can move the puck and if they can get him back on a decent deal they would like to, the rest are gone like a cool breeze.

 

OFFSEASON QUESTIONS No more excuses, Peters and that distraction is gone, the team has skill, it has ruggedness, every year lately they seem to be in the conversation but then fizzle out early. The question is what needs done? Do you replace Rittich? Do you trade one of the skilled guys for someone elses skilled player?

  I like this team, i really do, Monahan is one of my favorite players even but the ingredients seem wrong here somehow. Not sure what needs done.

[OccamsRazor]

1 hour ago, yave1964 said:

Monahan is one of my favorite players even but the ingredients seem wrong here somehow

 

Monahan is suspect in his own end and isn't very physical those are not good traits for a top line center.

 

I wouldn't be shocked if they moved him and Johnny.

 

It's time those two need a change of scenery and Monahan needs to go somewhere he can at least be a 2nd line center.

 

He just isn't top line material when the going gets tough come playoff time.

[yave1964]

31 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

Monahan is suspect in his own end and isn't very physical those are not good traits for a top line center.

 

I wouldn't be shocked if they moved him and Johnny.

 

It's time those two need a change of scenery and Monahan needs to go somewhere he can at least be a 2nd line center.

 

He just isn't top line material when the going gets tough come playoff time.

Monahan, IMHO owes his career to Bob Hartley. He came in the league very raw, Hartley threw him out as a 19 year old playing top line minutes in a sink or swim situation. I remember when it happened, i was so damn impressed with Hartley, he might have won a few more games with the more experienced backlund at 1C but he made Monahan a faceoff winning mahcine and made him work his tail off.

  Then they had an incident where Hartley suspended him as well as Gaudreau for showing up late for practice. Obviously Hartley lost the room. His prized pupil decided he was bigger than the coach and Hartley was goneshortly thereafter.

 

  Every year, Monahan loses it a little bit. Truth is, i think Gaudreau might be a bad influence, or the other way around but one of them should probably go. I personally think that at his worst Monahan is duchene which isnt a bad player, but i think he has more than that in the right situation. I do question his desire he is at an age when he should be improving every year and instead he slips a bit here, a bit there. I still think he has 1C written all over him but someone needs to kick his asS a bit. I dont know what Torts would do with him but i would love to find out.

[Brewin Flames]

On 8/23/2020 at 6:50 PM, OccamsRazor said:

 

Monahan is suspect in his own end and isn't very physical those are not good traits for a top line center.

 

I wouldn't be shocked if they moved him and Johnny.

 

It's time those two need a change of scenery and Monahan needs to go somewhere he can at least be a 2nd line center.

 

He just isn't top line material when the going gets tough come playoff time.

 

Egg-smacked-ly

 

Keep hearing the JG to jersey rumor, and at this point, offer him up and see what jersey is willing to send in return.

 

As for mony, a team looking for center depth may be willing to overpay.

 

I'd hate to see them moved, but it wouldn't break my hear either.

[thegx.ca]

I hope we keep them both, under Sutter the whole team playing better consistently and getting better with each game - Calgary will be better for sure next year and has to keep players to keep going with Sutter system.