Blow it up

Not literally, of course, until our new arena is finished.  It is time to start rebuilding this team now. This core has never answered the bell. They have yet to prove they have what it takes to take it to the next level. Well, of course, we know the Flames will not do the rebuild. Ownership has no interest in the rebuild.  There is little doubt the Flames have been a colossal disappointment.  What has gone wrong? What would be an easier question is what has gone right?

The Flames players have no urgency; they don't seem to care if they win or lose. There is no energy; they are just taking the easy way out. The leaders have gone into hiding. I can't remember seeing any of them in a game of late. The followers are looking for the leaders to guide; instead, the Leaders are showing them where the vacationing spots are. The turnovers in the game are worrisome. If I ate a turnover for every turnover, I would have gained 50 pounds.

Blind passes seem to be the order of the day. Way too many of them.  Players are not looking where they are passing. There is no communication. The forwards not know where each other is and are panicking with the puck. They have to start looking to dump and chase. There is too much fancy-schmancy. Get back to the basics. Dump and chase. Enough with the Stupidity.

The defence is struggling with zone coverage. Too much time chasing the puck and not following the body.  Making mistakes that even rookies don't make. Not to pick on anyone, but the Hammer/Hannifin combo is not connecting. They seem to be losing track of each other. Neither has been bailing out each other. It might be time to think about splitting them up and letting them work it out with another partner.

Yes, I know the Flames are not going to blow it up. I also see the chance of finding partners for the core players might be pretty low.  Read the following statement carefully. They are willing to hear offers for Gaudreau. They are in no sense shopping him, but would be willing to see what they could get.  What that tells me is that they are looking to retool, not rebuild.  What they want for Gaudreau is a top-three player back who knows how to win come playoff time.  Draft picks or prospects will not do it. If the Flames don't make the playoffs, then come off-season, all bets are off.

Randy

The Return of the Battle of Alberta

So what is going on with the Flames? The battle of Alberta is back; I can tell you that much. Thanks especially go to Tkachuk for his issues with Kassian. And how about Gio for his run at McDavid? Well, let's discuss these issues first.

Matthew Tkachuk vs. Zack Kassian

Tkachuk getting into people's heads is nothing new. This time Tkachuk took it to another level with Kassian. Three nasty hits directed at Zack Kassian. Some say the body checks were attempts to injure; some say they were clean. Where the truth lies is probably somewhere in between. I do think the hits were borderline, which means Tkachuk might have gotten away with something. The NHL has real concerns with concussion issues. Hits to the head have to be dealt with correctly. That said, I don't believe that Matthew was out to injure Kassian; just trying to get into his head. 

We all know how Matthews plays. Find the line, then gets as close as possible without crossing it. But when you poke the bear, sometimes there are consequences. Zack Kassian is one big bear. Matthew had Zack so tied up in knots that he looked like a crazy man looking to hurt someone. When Tkachuk refused to fight Kassian, he crossed the line. When you play rough, sometimes you have to pay the piper. Instead, Tkachuk poked the piper and ran off.  If you play as Tkachuk plays, you have to back it up. In the next game, Tkachuk faced Kassian like a man and the issue was resolved.

The Flames had no problem with the way Tkachuk played. That is the reason he is a star. Getting into people's heads is his game. He draws teams into silly penalties when they let their emotions get the best of them.

Mark Giordano hit on Connor McDavid

Mark's hit on Connor might not be such a big deal if not for the history. We all know Giordano hit McDavid, sending him into a rough rehab all summer. What bothers me is Giordano sticking out his knee to stop McDavid from getting ahead of him. There may not have been intent, but Gio has a history of borderline hits. At worst, it should have been a penalty. He did put that knee out ever so slightly.  Maybe an interference minor. I give him the benefit of the doubt, but you can't blame the Oilers fan for being upset. Connor is their bread and butter, so to speak.

David Rittich

BSD, of course, is the most charismatic goalie in years. I love his antics. Dave puts his life and soul into this game and has instantly built a reputation as a man's man. So when the first two shots hit the post followed by a poke check on Leon Draisaitl, you had to know that Rittich had something special in store for his celebration to end the game. David Ritttich throwing his stick adds fuel to the Holy War known as the Battle of Alberta. 

Conclusion

The NHL would not have it any other way; they have wanted the rivalry  back for some time. They might have every official they could think of there making sure the game does not get out of line, but they're like a parent scolding their kid in public for beating up the bully, but in private jumping up and down celebrating it.

Randy

What to do a couple of million?

So everyone but the kitchen sink is wondering what the Flames are going to do. They sent Frolik to Buffalo to clear cap. So the Flames are obviously shopping for a forward to add some scoring punch. All I know is that the Flames are looking to add a top-6 forward. Secondarily, maybe a number 5 or 6 dman. So what are people guessing? I will give you my insight on the top three names I have heard suggested. 

1. Jean-Gabriel Pageau

A lot of people figure Pageau will be on the Flames watch list. Pageau makes a lot of sense because he is a sniper, which the Flames are in dire need of. I also feel the Flames are weak down the middle in the Centre position. Thirdly, Jean-Gabriel is versatile; he is also capable of playing wing.

The downside: Pageau would be a straight rental. The Flames would like to grab a player with cap left.

2. Tyler Toffoli 

Toffoli is a big forward who would be a perfect fit for Monahan and Gaudreau. He is a sniper that can find space for others to pass to him. Tyler can distribute the puck very nicely. He has a rep for his smarts, and finally, he could be the right winger the Flames have been missing. 

The downside: The major problem is that Toffoli is known as a selfish player. There is a worry about whether he will fit in with the Flames. Again, he would be a straight rental. 

3. Chris Kreider

A gifted winger, Chris would fit in nicely. Chris has one thing above the other two players, and that is grit. The Flames really need grit. Kreider has the hands to get the ugly goals. He is not bad defensively and will add character to the Flames line-up.

The downside: Last year, the Flames tried to acquire Kreider and were told he was on their no-trade list. The Flames would have to convince him to waive his no-trade clause. Another rental player.

Randy

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

Now what?

Now that the Flames have lost Hall and, even worse, they lost him to the Coyotes. What is the next step? The knee-jerk reaction would go ahead and bring in our own hired gun. But let me caution you on that move. Never trade in a response to a trade from another team.

We know the Flames were the "mystery team" that almost acquired Hall.  We know that if Hall had signed long-term, the deal would have gone through. The Flames are now asking questions on Kovalchuk. So we know the Flames are not happy and they're trying to change that.  And we know they are targeting the forwards. 

Does this mean the defence is off the hook? Not at all. I think our defensive play needs to improve too. The Flames are still too loose in their own end.  I saw signs of weak defence even in the seven-game winning streak. The Flames must play a full sixty minutes. No easy games.  I have preached this all season; the team cannot afford to take any nights off. It is going to be a dogfight to get into the playoffs.

Ward has given the responsibility to the players and let them run with it. The team is beginning to slip back into its old ways. The Flames can't take these brain farts anymore. Taking 10 minutes off in a game cannot be tolerated. This might be the very reason the Flames management are not standing idly by.  Whether or not they  make a trade is immaterial. They have the ability to make changes. Let the fight for a playoff spot begin.

The bad, the ugly, and the uglier

Yes, I have to keep a professional attitude while writing about this team. The Flames are very hard to watch right now. There are not very many things to be positive about right now. The forwards have sticks of stone. The defence is trying too much to pitch in, leaving their team vulnerable down at the other end. The Flames goalies are failing to make the big save when the team needs it the most.  Of course, the goalie tandem has all the pressure on their shoulders, due to the offence having gone dry. 

Everyone knows the Flames are having trouble scoring, including the goalies.  This leads to the goalies being afraid to make a mistake, and inevitably making mistakes because no one is perfect. When there is an awful goal, the team lacks the confidence to overcome the error.

It's easy to blame the top-six forwards. They are not doing their job.  Gaudreau, Lindholm, and Monahan look lost. The trio is struggling with the puck, fighting for control every time they touch it. The lack of communication is an issue. They don't know where the others are when passing the puck. Most concerning is their lack of effort to get back to the zone. In the second line, Tkachuck has no support. Backlund and Frolic are being asked to be what they are not. Backlund and Frolic are excellent third-line players. 

The coach's primary responsibility is to put the players at the best chance to be successful. Putting Backlund and Frolic as second-line forwards does not do that. That is the first problem. The second problem is there are no second-line centres or right-wing on this team.

It is partially the General Manager's fault for not bringing in the right personnel. The Flames do not have enough support on the second line to be successful. If the first line struggles, the second line is not good enough to get them out of it. Janko has not scored in his 22 games. He is struggling. Sending him down to Stockton to get his confidence back might be an option. Lucic has not been worth the acquisition. The two best bottom six have been Derek Ryan and Andrew Mangiapane, and their offensive totals are not great. 

There is not enough offensive depth unless the Flames change a system or make a trade. Peters has to mix this group of players somehow, add some blood and fire to them, or be burned at stake. (Not literally, of course, but you get my meaning.) The players don't seem to be getting any consequences for the way they are playing. There is no fear of repercussions whatsoever.

What is the definition of insanity?  Doing the same over and over and expecting different results.

The topsy turvy life of a Flames fan

If the Flames could manage to play a full 60 minutes, they could compete with any team in the League. On Twitter the other day, I hinted that there are problems in the dressing room. The Flames thought they had fixed the problem with the additions of Talbot and Lucic.

Both Lucic and Talbot are great character players, but as the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. What is my point? Lucic and Talbot can lead as much as they want, but if they don't have buy-in, nothing changes. The players have to start putting the team over themselves. Yes, I am pointing at the leadership. They have to lead by example. I see the interviews; the players are saying all the right things. The problem is, do they believe what they're saying?  If the leadership does not buy what the coach is selling, how do you expect the followers to? 

I don't know if this is a problem because the players are rebelling against the coach? Too many times, we see coaches trying to be friends with the players, but here comes Mr. Peters, and he is all business. I see the Flames as a dysfunctional family. 

How deep does this go? Until the players are willing to go into the corner to fight, there is no solution in sight. Which begs the question, where is the grit in this team? The Flames use to be known for hard work. Right now, all they are known for is a bunch of loafers collecting their paycheques. The players are not willing to go the brink for their coach. Do we have the wrong players or the wrong coach? We all know who usually wins these battles, and Coach Peters has already lost one fight in Raleigh.