The honeymoon is over

The Flames are falling into the same bad habits as were evident when Peters was in charge. The team clearly got a boost with a new coach, and boom seven wins in a row.  Unfortunately, this honeymoon ultimately came to a crashing end. 

I don't want to go over why the Flames let Peters go. Everyone assumed that it was because of the system. But Coach Ward gave players more freedom, more say in the game. It worked for the first seven games. But when you let the inmates run the asylum, sooner or later you get anarchy, because sooner or later, a player does not get what he wants. That is what is happening now. Players are not happy. Ward can't please everyone, and right now, he is dying trying. So how many players are complaining?  No one knows, but I will tell you this; it only takes one. 

What makes this hard is that the Flames wanted the players to have a say. So how can they fix it? The Flames have probably told the players if they don't like what is going on, they should play themselves into the lineup.

When you have unhappy players, it affects their play. This team has to function as a team to succeed.

Unhappy players are not the only problem; the team is not working. The ones who are happy are still not doing what it takes to win. Either Coach Ward is not getting his message across, or the players don't care. Either way, there is a concern; the Flames are not putting in a full sixty minutes. 

Sam Bennett

One of the players who seems to get the message lately is Sam Bennett.

I see glimpses of what Sam can do. Bennett must continue to get in opponents' heads. He has to stop taking penalties.  Everyone takes penalties, but Sam has to limit the stupid mistakes. He can be an excellent pest. He can also be smart, which makes him a valuable asset.

T. J. Brodie

Another player that seems to be getting the message is T.J. Brodie.

Brodie has been one of the best Dman down the stretch of late. He is learning when to pinch and when to stay back. More importantly, he is getting his legs back. Brodie is playing like the young Brodie in his early years.

So there are some positive signs. The problem is inconsistency. Previously, they would take a vacation during the second period. Lately, it has been the first period. The Flames must get back to basics. The leaders have to lead by example. It's time to buckle down.

Randy