Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Calgary Flames: Bob Hartley - What to do, What to do

August 30, 2013, 11:47 AM ET [50 Comments]
Colin Dambrauskas
Calgary Flames Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Follow Colin on Twitter!: @ColinDJD

I thought that before we all took off for the long weekend, I’d provide a few thoughts and comments about the Flames for us all to mull over and discuss.

I was recently asked to write a few comments with respect to the Flames and, without going into specifics, they brought about some key thoughts of mine which I feel still haven’t been accepted by the masses - the Calgary Flames will not be pretty, but they won’t necessarily be anyone’s prey.

The Flames and their management are going into a season without a whole lot of top end talent which one would expect to see from an NHL team. They’re rebuilding, this kind of goes hand in hand. With that being said, the Flames coaching staff have a new challenge this upcoming season than previous years may have warranted; creative systems which may allow for “hiccups” which might be expected from a young team. Head coach Bob Hartley wasn’t really given a fair shake with last year’s team, in my opinion.

For starters, he had a group of guys to try and work with during a shortened season and no exhibition/training period to speak of. Secondly, the guys in the locker room who were supposed to be the “go to guys” (Iginla, Kiprusoff, Tanguay) were for the most part checked out and didn’t have a whole lot to offer to the team.

With a fresh new start, a few fresh faces and proper time to condition and prepare for the new season, I expect some different results from the head coach and players. Hartley is known to be a coach who emphasizes hard work and strong, smart hockey. Last year we didn’t really see a lot of it. Despite having a relatively young and somewhat inexperienced roster to work with, I feel that Hartley will rise to the occasion and apply a strong defensive system.

While many feel that the Flames will have a hard time scoring, I for one am not convinced. Where they will likely struggle this year will be defensively both in their own end and in between the pipes. With Karri Ramo looking to remake his NHL debut since last playing four years ago, the team will be looking to him to provide at the very least average goaltending. If the likes of Ramo, Macdonald, or Berra are unable to yield average at worst goaltending, the Flames will be in a lot of trouble. The coaching staff is likely very much aware of this and we should expect them to employ a strong defensive system as a result.

As mentioned, while the Flames will not likely be a very pretty team to watch this year, I wholeheartedly expect to see a lot of character and hard work from them as they work through this rebuild. Notwithstanding the fact that they are expected to lose more games than win, many fans should find much excitement over the next few years as they follow the development of many young players who will each be given chances to shine.

Additionally, there are many returning players who are expected to take the next step in their professional careers such as Backlund, Stajan, Baertschi, and Brodie.

That’s all for today folks, hope you enjoyed!
Join the Discussion: » 50 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Colin Dambrauskas
» My Final Blog - Calgary Flames 2014-15 Season
» Farewell, Hockeybuzz; Flames vs Ducks, Game 4!
» Playing Little Spoon to Andersen's Big Spoon
» David vs Goliath Series? Flames Still In It...
» Flames Taking Early Beat Down; Should We Count Them Out!?