Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!
- Scooby Doo

I stopped watching during the Van series. It is obvious this team is not willing to play for each other or the fans. They interviewed Lucic last night and he was defending Ward but I imagine he is the only one.

As much as I think Ward is a poopty coach the problems with this team go beyond the coach. Tre's inability to fix this has been his downfall.

I stopped watching during the Van series. It is obvious this team is not willing to play for each other or the fans. They interviewed Lucic last night and he was defending Ward but I imagine he is the only one.

As much as I think Ward is a poopty coach the problems with this team go beyond the coach. Tre's inability to fix this has been his downfall.
- DuranDuran

They are a really frustrating team to watch. I've still been tuning in nightly, and they are so up and down, it's unreal. Someone described the Senators as fragile earlier this year, and that's what I see out of these guys. They get down early and you can see the body language change. In the event that they do start to rally a bit with a goal (Lucic's last night), they often have a bad shift right afterwards and surrender a goal the other way. Then all their fight just disappears.

Even when they are on their offensive game, they are surrendering 30+ shots a night and a lot of that is due to the lazy backchecks and weakness on the puck. They lose dozens of puck battles a night.

The fact that Lucic came out after the game and pinned this on "some players" tells me that there is a definite personnel issue in that room. It's time to start benching people that aren't giving 100% every shift every night. Sick of it.

They are a really frustrating team to watch. I've still been tuning in nightly, and they are so up and down, it's unreal. Someone described the Senators as fragile earlier this year, and that's what I see out of these guys. They get down early and you can see the body language change. In the event that they do start to rally a bit with a goal (Lucic's last night), they often have a bad shift right afterwards and surrender a goal the other way. Then all their fight just disappears.

Even when they are on their offensive game, they are surrendering 30+ shots a night and a lot of that is due to the lazy backchecks and weakness on the puck. They lose dozens of puck battles a night.

The fact that Lucic came out after the game and pinned this on "some players" tells me that there is a definite personnel issue in that room. It's time to start benching people that aren't giving 100% every shift every night. Sick of it.
- rmull905

Some simple (and obvious) observations:
The give-a-(frank) factor: Sens first goal, Lucic makes a soft pass but a pass literally an Atom player can receive, Bennett misses it and makes a half assed attempt to get back in the play. Deflected shot, 1-0. A simple backcheck???
-Rittich can not be allowed to play the puck, simple.
-Neutral zone turnovers, offensive zone turnovers, defensive zone turnovers
-Forecheck from the Hockey Canada Timbit coaches book... seriously?!?!
-Battles-besides Lucic, do we win battles on the boards?

SO lets assume a trade for whomever isn't possible, what now? If Ward gets fired who do you bring in and does it matter? Does Tre lose his job in the middle of this season? Sit Bennett, not that it matters at this stage but maybe a Monahan needs to be sat, Dube again, send a message of some sort that playing time is earned not a divine right, regardless of the contract...

Some simple (and obvious) observations:
The give-a-(frank) factor: Sens first goal, Lucic makes a soft pass but a pass literally an Atom player can receive, Bennett misses it and makes a half assed attempt to get back in the play. Deflected shot, 1-0. A simple backcheck???
-Rittich can not be allowed to play the puck, simple.
-Neutral zone turnovers, offensive zone turnovers, defensive zone turnovers
-Forecheck from the Hockey Canada Timbit coaches book... seriously?!?!
-Battles-besides Lucic, do we win battles on the boards?

SO lets assume a trade for whomever isn't possible, what now? If Ward gets fired who do you bring in and does it matter? Does Tre lose his job in the middle of this season? Sit Bennett, not that it matters at this stage but maybe a Monahan needs to be sat, Dube again, send a message of some sort that playing time is earned not a divine right, regardless of the contract...
- geta02it

Is there anyone in charge of Hockey Ops? Like what Burke used to do? Bring in someone that can take a good look at things from the top down for the rest of the year.

If a decent trade comes along than make it, if not play the kids and bench who does not want to skate.

Some simple (and obvious) observations:
The give-a-(frank) factor: Sens first goal, Lucic makes a soft pass but a pass literally an Atom player can receive, Bennett misses it and makes a half assed attempt to get back in the play. Deflected shot, 1-0. A simple backcheck???
-Rittich can not be allowed to play the puck, simple.
-Neutral zone turnovers, offensive zone turnovers, defensive zone turnovers
-Forecheck from the Hockey Canada Timbit coaches book... seriously?!?!
-Battles-besides Lucic, do we win battles on the boards?

SO lets assume a trade for whomever isn't possible, what now? If Ward gets fired who do you bring in and does it matter? Does Tre lose his job in the middle of this season? Sit Bennett, not that it matters at this stage but maybe a Monahan needs to be sat, Dube again, send a message of some sort that playing time is earned not a divine right, regardless of the contract...
- geta02it

I don't think there's a single trade out there that fixes the problems sadly (I don't even think one McDavid-esque player changes things). There's a culture problem that needs to be fixed.

I'd start in three places:

- Look at a benching or two. Hate benching guys when there is no good reason, or to run them out of town, but if there's no hustle, you sit. I think this team needs some ugliness exposed.
- Look at your captains and assistants. It might be time to either strip Gio of the C or challenge him to step it up. Looks like the latter might have already occurred given his effort and presence in the last couple of games.
- Start with a minor deal, see what that does in the room. Look to the big trade in the offseason.

I don't think they want to go through a full rebuild having just signed Markstrom and Tanev, and there might be some "on the fly" restructuring you can do with pure hockey deals, but I think it's gonna take more than one.

Rip it to shreds.

If you don't want to be here, then GTFO. Bennett? I'm sick of seeing that guy in a Flames Jersey. Move him for a bag of pucks for all I care. He's not worth much to a team that looks like they are going to miss the playoffs.

Treliving. He built this pos team. GTFO.

Ward. I might change my tune on this guy. Perhaps he knows our best "combinations" are still not good enough, perhaps that's why he waited so long to use them again. If not? GTFO.

Move Conroy to GM, Iggy to head coach.

Who am I kidding? We are probably stuck in mediocrity for the next 29 years, then I'll be dead so I won't care...

Guess I'll switch to Basketball full-time. Shut up Hunkelese, I don't want to hear it bud.

Is there anyone in charge of Hockey Ops? Like what Burke used to do? Bring in someone that can take a good look at things from the top down for the rest of the year.

If a decent trade comes along than make it, if not play the kids and bench who does not want to skate.
- DuranDuran

Speaking of trades, what's up with the Bennett situation ? It's kind of weird that he's still on the team. Unless there's literally nothing out there for him, he should be gone by now.

I wait for the next game every time to only get disappointed ... why do I do this to myself

Speaking of trades, what's up with the Bennett situation ? It's kind of weird that he's still on the team. Unless there's literally nothing out there for him, he should be gone by now.
- tincup

We can only hope someone wants him but has no cap space. He's on a mission to screw over Calgary that's for sure. He should get benched for the rest of games if he plays half a**

We can only hope someone wants him but has no cap space. He's on a mission to screw over Calgary that's for sure. He should get benched for the rest of games if he plays half a**
- eastcanadAREaholes

Meh, he's an RFA, so if anyone is going to get screwed in this situation, it's him. He's got no leverage.

Speaking of trades, what's up with the Bennett situation ? It's kind of weird that he's still on the team. Unless there's literally nothing out there for him, he should be gone by now.
- tincup

He has zero value and everyone in the North division knows it. I'm sure we'd like to get something for him so thus we wait...
If he gets sat, or actually traded for a bag of doritos, how does the lineup shift?

Anyone hear Versteeg on the Fan this morning? Hockey IQ, what a concept.

He has zero value and everyone in the North division knows it. I'm sure we'd like to get something for him so thus we wait...
If he gets sat, or actually traded for a bag of doritos, how does the lineup shift?

Anyone hear Versteeg on the Fan this morning? Hockey IQ, what a concept.
- geta02it

What did he say?

What did he say?
- DuranDuran

https://mobile.twitter.co...tatus/1367151900450320389

Our pace is horrible with the puck. We don’t push the tempo well at all.

The Flames aren’t by any means a fast team. We have fast players, but our system encourages slowing the play down. Which is bad. A lot of times the Flames will wait behind their net for the change and the other team will have set up their forecheck by then.

That’s on the players to some capacity, but coaching needs better systems and we need to encourage a much faster tempo.

Meh, he's an RFA, so if anyone is going to get screwed in this situation, it's him. He's got no leverage.
- rmull905

He does have arbitration rights.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Sportsnet960/status/1367151900450320389

Our pace is horrible with the puck. We don’t push the tempo well at all.

The Flames aren’t by any means a fast team. We have fast players, but our system encourages slowing the play down. Which is bad. A lot of times the Flames will wait behind their net for the change and the other team will have set up their forecheck by then.

That’s on the players to some capacity, but coaching needs better systems and we need to encourage a much faster tempo.
- fry

Timbits systems for a Timbit team.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Sportsnet960/status/1367151900450320389

Our pace is horrible with the puck. We don’t push the tempo well at all.

The Flames aren’t by any means a fast team. We have fast players, but our system encourages slowing the play down. Which is bad. A lot of times the Flames will wait behind their net for the change and the other team will have set up their forecheck by then.

That’s on the players to some capacity, but coaching needs better systems and we need to encourage a much faster tempo.
- fry

When teams cycle on us our forwards start to collapse back to the goalie & leave way too much time & space between them & the opposition D, so its easy to maintain possession against us & it eventually gets a decent scoring chance against. Combine that with weak on the puck & losing battles for the puck & voila, you have the sucky Flames. This is systems & getting players to execute these systems. Of which we are below average on both.

He does have arbitration rights.
- Kevin R

Yeah, but what's he gonna say, realistically, in an arb case that would do much of anything to screw the Flames? Treliving would destroy him. 4th overall pick, .3 PPG, -63 in his career... Arguably overpaid him in his last deal.

Listen to this video, Flames in the warm-up

https://www.tsn.ca/calgar...rek-ryan-clears-1.1601923

Yeah, but what's he gonna say, realistically, in an arb case that would do much of anything to screw the Flames? Treliving would destroy him. 4th overall pick, .3 PPG, -63 in his career... Arguably overpaid him in his last deal.
- rmull905

But he does require a certain percentage raise in his next qualifying offer. Already costs too much..

But he does require a certain percentage raise in his next qualifying offer. Already costs too much..
- fry

Flames might even walk away. Is he worth a raise over what he's making now ? The time to get anything for him is fading.

Flames might even walk away. Is he worth a raise over what he's making now ? The time to get anything for him is fading.
- tincup

Lets be honest... were not making the playoffs so going to arbitration with Bennett wont happen as he will be one of the first Flames moved at the deadline. With his grit and past playoff performances he is exactly the type of guy teams add if they feel they have a real shot at the cup. If Tre retains half Benny's salary we will get something decent for him.

Flames might even walk away. Is he worth a raise over what he's making now ? The time to get anything for him is fading.
- tincup

Has he just stopped trying? I thought he might try and show what is his worth as C on the 3rd line.

His game is all power and no smarts. He is just not good enough for the top 6.

But he does require a certain percentage raise in his next qualifying offer. Already costs too much..
- fry

Sure, but he's getting, what, an extra 10% maybe? If the club elects arbitration, he can actually take a pay cut, no?

Anyways, screwing the Flames I would have defined as demanding $5M and Flames being forced to accept that. No arbitrator would award that, not to Benny.

Has he just stopped trying? I thought he might try and show what is his worth as C on the 3rd line.

His game is all power and no smarts. He is just not good enough for the top 6.
- DuranDuran

Him and about a dozen others look like disinterested. Even Tkachuk is looking like his give a fck has dropped. I don't know what the answer is but Treliving is the only guy who can make a move.

Him and about a dozen others look like disinterested. Even Tkachuk is looking like his give a fck has dropped. I don't know what the answer is but Treliving is the only guy who can make a move.
- tincup

I'm tellin ya, that players only meeting (frank)ed the room right up.

It's my honest belief that Tkachuk has tried to put this team on his back in the past and then realized that the other guys (betting Mony and Johnny) didn't have his for whatever reason - probably didn't want to risk getting a smelly glove in the face - and he's dialed it so far back now that he's not recognizable as the player he was last year.