Todd Cordell: G17 Calgary Flames vs Edmonton Oilers: Big Save Dave gets the nod

Tkachuk just needs to physically turn himself around, between 90 and 180 degrees.
In his own zone. he is facing the end boards with his back to the play and is constantly giving away the puck by passing back to his defensmen instead of winning a puck battle and just getting the puck the hell out of our defensive zone.

For that matter, the defensemen should be looking to sky the puck into the neutral zone instead of making those infuriating back passes or trying to pass cross-ice through 2 opposition players. It doesn't matter if the other team gets possession in the neutral zone and brings it back in, at least there's a chance they'll be offside instead of turning it over in front of our goal.

Winnipeg and Vancouver have both proven that a strong forecheck is the way to play the Flames. Clearing the zone as soon as possible needs to be priority one.

While I'm at it: If everyone in North America knows that we want Gaudreau to carry the puck to the o-zone on a powerplay, why do we need a bump back pass? Just leave it for Johnny behind the net and let him go from there. I f***ing hate the bump-back.

Tonight’s game is going to be ugly, No Save Dave, I’m expecting he will allow 5 plus goals.

Flames coach.

via GIPHY

Tonight’s game is going to be ugly, No Save Dave, I’m expecting he will allow 5 plus goals.
- FlamesFan1230

Yeah tossing in Dave against the best offence in the league to get his confidence back is a great move.

Sounds like a coach problem to me.

I know Todd doesn't watch the Flames play, but singling out Monahan for being invisible is a really bizarre choice. Monahan's looked better than he has in years. He's been much closer to the number one centre people expect him to be. His defence has been better, and his playmaking is way better. The only thing holding him back is a shooting percentage that's 9 points below his career average. A large part of Gaudreau's success has been Monahan's slick passes to a wide-open Gaudreau.

He also has the second-highest ixG on the team, ahead of Gaudreau, Lindholm, and Mangiapane. He's right between Svechnikov and MacKinnon. So yeah, keep singling him out for being invisible when there are so many other things going wrong right now.

There's a great chance the Flames are sitting in second after Saturday's game. Then what will people have to whine about?

I know Todd doesn't watch the Flames play, but singling out Monahan for being invisible is a really bizarre choice. Monahan's looked better than he has in years. He's been much closer to the number one centre people expect him to be. His defence has been better, and his playmaking is way better. The only thing holding him back is a shooting percentage that's 9 points below his career average. A large part of Gaudreau's success has been Monahan's slick passes to a wide-open Gaudreau.

He also has the second-highest ixG on the team, ahead of Gaudreau, Lindholm, and Mangiapane. He's right between Svechnikov and MacKinnon. So yeah, keep singling him out for being invisible when there are so many other things going wrong right now.

There's a great chance the Flames are sitting in second after Saturday's game. Then what will people have to whine about?
- Hunkulese

I agree!!

I know Todd doesn't watch the Flames play, but singling out Monahan for being invisible is a really bizarre choice. Monahan's looked better than he has in years. He's been much closer to the number one centre people expect him to be. His defence has been better, and his playmaking is way better. The only thing holding him back is a shooting percentage that's 9 points below his career average. A large part of Gaudreau's success has been Monahan's slick passes to a wide-open Gaudreau.

He also has the second-highest ixG on the team, ahead of Gaudreau, Lindholm, and Mangiapane. He's right between Svechnikov and MacKinnon. So yeah, keep singling him out for being invisible when there are so many other things going wrong right now.

There's a great chance the Flames are sitting in second after Saturday's game. Then what will people have to whine about?
- Hunkulese

I agree with yeah. Still will be whining about the coach.

Do you like his systems and line ups decisions? These guys nailed it for me...like this team isn’t horrible this year by any stretch but the system they play is.

https://twitter.com/inthe.../1362546547838251008?s=21

I agree with yeah. Still will be whining about the coach.

Do you like his systems and line ups decisions? These guys nailed it for me...like this team isn’t horrible this year by any stretch but the system they play is.

https://twitter.com/inthe.../1362546547838251008?s=21
- jessehub

I think Ward's fine. It's real easy to make the coach the scapegoat when things aren't going well, especially when they're not established. The only bafflingly bad thing is what he's doing with Bennett and Simon, but who knows what's going on behind the scenes with that. I wouldn't be surprised if Gaudreau doesn't have a pretty big say about who plays on his line.

I'd also be all about a coaching change if things aren't looking good by the end of February.

Being a Flame's fan is like being in an abusive relationship. Just when you think things are improving, they turn around and punch you in the gut. The problem is not the abuser's fault, but it's your fault because you keep coming back for more. Realizing that you are enabling the abuse is the most important and hardest step.

Being a Flame's fan is like being in an abusive relationship. Just when you think things are improving, they turn around and punch you in the gut. The problem is not the abuser's fault, but it's your fault because you keep coming back for more. Realizing that you are enabling the abuse is the most important and hardest step.
- Scooby Doo

Bring it in Scooby. Schwein is here for you.

Being a Flame's fan is like being in an abusive relationship. Just when you think things are improving, they turn around and punch you in the gut. The problem is not the abuser's fault, but it's your fault because you keep coming back for more. Realizing that you are enabling the abuse is the most important and hardest step.
- Scooby Doo

Yep, always great when idiots use something like abuse as an analogy for something meaningless like watching sports.

Yeah tossing in Dave against the best offence in the league to get his confidence back is a great move.
- DuranDuran

Big Save Dave is gonna shutout the Oilers.

*jinx*

Yep, always great when idiots use something like abuse as an analogy for something meaningless like watching sports.

- Hunkulese

Snowflake

Flames coach.

via GIPHY

- DuranDuran

Come on Duran... you have a better sense than this... deep inside, you know this is not an accurate representation of the Flames Coach... you can clearly see in this picture that the eyes are open

Sounds like a coach problem to me.
- jessehub

No way... I refuse to believe that

Big Save Dave is gonna shutout the Oilers.

*jinx*
- Wildschwein

Or it could be a 'reverse jinx' ... let's talk after the game

Tkachuck on Flames inconsistency.

"It's not like this is the first time that it's happened," Matthew Tkachuk said. "It seems like it's been a little bit of a common theme the past couple years, but we've been able to get out of it with some stretches. We need a stretch of good hockey, we have to play for one another and really set up the next line or the next defensive pairing and just try to come out of this stretch being the hardest team to play in this division."

Big Save Dave is gonna shutout the Oilers.

*jinx*
- Wildschwein

I actually believe he'll get a W tonight.

I think Ward's fine. It's real easy to make the coach the scapegoat when things aren't going well, especially when they're not established. The only bafflingly bad thing is what he's doing with Bennett and Simon, but who knows what's going on behind the scenes with that. I wouldn't be surprised if Gaudreau doesn't have a pretty big say about who plays on his line.

I'd also be all about a coaching change if things aren't looking good by the end of February.
- Hunkulese

Ya like JG is asking to play with Simon.. get franking serious!

I agree with yeah. Still will be whining about the coach.

Do you like his systems and line ups decisions? These guys nailed it for me...like this team isn’t horrible this year by any stretch but the system they play is.

https://twitter.com/inthe.../1362546547838251008?s=21
- jessehub

I used to listen to this podcast but the past two episodes have been them just female doging about how Bennett isn’t getting a fair shake and how inept Treliving (this has been going on since it started) and Ward are. Life is negative enough, I don’t need any more negativity.

Ya like JG is asking to play with Simon.. get franking serious!
- DEDDIE

Makes more sense than any other reason to put Simon on the top line. If Gaudreau was pushing for anyone besides Tkachuk and Lindholm to be on his line, don't you think it would be happening?

Monny out!

Monny out!
- Chuckywhip

Oh darn.