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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2018 15:48:11 GMT
New Look Flames Begin Season The Calgary Flames have begun season 5 in PTPHL after a crazy and wild offseason. The Flames have been a top team in the west for 4 straight years, but have yet to make an appearance in the finals. After another early first round exit in season 4 the management team began an overhaul of the roster. The biggest move was sending longtime superstar Johnny Gaudreau back home to New Jersey in return for a large package, which later turned into Oscar Klefbom, Owen Tippett, Noah Juulsen, Lucas Raymond, and top 10 pick Cameron Whynot. The team pulled off many other deals with Edmonton, Detroit, Florida, Los Angeles and Chicago. The team kept their core in tact, which appears to be Sean Monahan, Matthew Tkachuk, Michael Matheson, Kieffer Bellows, Oliver Kylington, and Sam Bennett. The Flames parted ways with TJ Brodie (CHI), Michael Stone (CHI), Jusso Valimaki (EDM), Johnny Gaudreau (NJ), Emile Poirier (DET), Luke Tuch (LAK), Adam Gaudette (FLA), Tyler Parsons (LAK), 2nd Round 2022 (DET), Mark Jankowski (RFA), and 2021 1st rounder (CHI). Ultimately parting ways with 3 of their better defenceman, their top winger, as well as, 3 of their bottom 6 pieces. The team also lost veteran starter Marc-Andre Fleury to retirement, which leaves a vacancy in the nets the team hopes Antti Raanta and Jon Gillies can bridge the gap.
After all the moves the team has added an elite blueliner in Klefbom who replaces TJ Brodie on the top pair, as well as Ryan Pulock and Noah Juulsen to the backend. The Flames also added Nikita Tryamkin from Detroit to add a big shut down presence. The team appears to have improved their backend and also took some big swings in the draft to add to the backend. Adding a guy like Whynot, who projects to be a similar player to Matheson, it will be a huge addition for the roster long term.
What remains to be seen is how the offence will play after subtracting Gaudreau. Will Tippett, Raymond, and Granlund be able to replace the offence the team will be missing from Poirier, Gaudreau, and Gaudette? Time will tell, but so far the team looks to be adjusting alright, but the lines are still in a blender as the team searches for continuity.
Hope to see you at the Dome!
Flames MP: 10+4=14
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2018 14:58:33 GMT
Calgary Flames Add Future Blueliners
The Flames were very busy this past offseason as entering the draft the team owned the 26th overall pick and the 56th overall pick in the 1st and 2nd round respectively. The team never made a selection at 26th, but they did at 56th, keeping that pick and selecting Viktor Pohorsky. The team added the 10th overall pick via the Red wings, the 52nd overall pick, and the 41st overall pick. The management clearlyhad a mandate going into the draft, and that was add to the blueline of this team, simply. The Flames had already made moves to bring in Klefbom and Pulock who added pieces to their current core, but the future looks bright and here is why.
Cameron Whynot... He was selected 10th overall by the Flames in the entry draft, and is currently improving his game for the Stockton Heat. Cameron was the 3rd highest ranked defender in the draft and projects to being a top pair guy long term for the team. The worst case for the team is the end up with a solid #3, but it is more likely Whynot could become this teams most sound 2way defender in the near future.
Anton Olsson was selected 41st overall, Olsson is a bit further away from making an impact then guys like Whynot or Pohorsky who are in the AHL. Olsson is a swedish native defenceman who brings a solid 2 way game, like most swedes he will add some skill to the backend, but bring some excellent defensive positioning with good checking as well. Olsson maybe the teams second best defender in the organization, the team feels they have a gem in the rough in Olsson here.
Viktor Pohorsky was selected 52nd overall, currently in the AHL and pushing for a chance on the big team, but still has lots of work to do before he is ready. Pohorsky does not appear to be a top end guy in the future, but looks to project as a solid puck moving 2 way defender who can chip in and move up into the top 4 if need be. Pohorsky is a guy that could find his way onto the teams bottom pair in the near future.
Vyacheslav Revnik was taken 56th overall at the Flames original pick, Revnik is a bit more of a project for the team, but has a chance to boost beyond his current Pot, but time will tell on that. Right now Revnik projects to be a solid defence first guy that can add a physical dimension to the teams backend, but Revnik is going to need development to reach that level. Time will tell how this plays out for the team.
Hope to see you at the dome!
CAL GMP: 6+8=14
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2018 15:24:25 GMT
Flames Go 3-0 Last week The Flames had a really good week as they were able to go 3-0 scoring 13 goals and giving up 8. Raanta picked up a shutout against the Blackhawks, 12 saves is not the biggest work load, but a good sign the veteran is finding his game more and more, as the Flames need him if they plan to make any noise this year. The team is sorely missing Marc-Andre who added a much needed dimension to this roster, stopping the puck. The Flames have struck gold it appears with Ferland/Ho-Sang/Tkachuk as the 3rd line, the top line is similar to last year as well in Bennett/Monahan/Bellows, both appear to be elite lines in the league.
The Flames will look to continue to find the right fit on the blueline as the team has done an overhaul, the 3rd pair appears to be the most stable for the time being, but the second pairing is starting to shape up better. The top pair is looking alright, but Klefbom appears to still be adjusting to the changes he has taken upon since joining the team. Overall the team is looking to find consistency amongst the lineup as the team looks to maintain that lead on top of the division.
Overall it looks like the Flames are starting to gel and play to their level they can, time will tell if they can continue to be division leaders and a top team as they have been, but the moments of truth will come in the playoffs, if this younger roster can get there....
Hope to see you at the Dome!
CAL GMP: 14+8=22
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2018 15:01:58 GMT
Flames Go 2-1-1 The Flames had an alright sim going 2-1-1, the team saw 2 shootouts, one they were successful in one, against the Avalanche, but failed to beat the Penguins in the skills competition. The Flames started off the month of November with a big 4-2 win against their Alberta rival Oilers. The team followed that game up with back to back road games in Pittsburgh and Colorado. The team played well both games, but failed to beat the Penguins in the shootout as we addressed earlier. The week was good outside of a putrid start from Raanta against Colorado on home ice as he gave up 6 goals on 25 shots, not a great night for the teams goaltender. Coming off a long road trip, it is not a surprise the team had a bit of a let down, ending their 9 game point streak. Overall in the last 10 things are looking good as the team went 7-1-2, leaving on 4 of a possible 20 points on the board. If the team can maintain a high level of play like this for the whole season, it is more than likely the team will repeat again as Division champions. The Flames have been scoring by committee and defending by committee, this team does not have a single player without a goal so far, as the team the management team has built a roster that will keep coming in waves. The separation between lines 1-3 is very little, which allows for the Flames to create many mismatches in game, hence the depth over taking games. The biggest question still remains in between the pipes for the team as Raanta, has failed to take the reins thus far, but Gillies is pushing hard. Jon looks like he is finally taking a step to being a full time NHL goalie, currently boasting a 5-1-1 record with a 2.54 GAA and .894 Save percentage, not elite, but the win/loss ratio is impressive....
Hope to see you at the Dome!
CALGMP: 22+8=30
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2018 15:17:37 GMT
What Do the Flames Do to Improve?
The Calgary Flames have built a strong roster as it sits right now, they got younger in the offseason by moving some veterans along, which likely means this team will continue to improve and compete as it is right now, but how they get better? The team currently has a deep group up the middle in Sean Monahan, Jeff Skinner, Josh Ho-Sang, Mikael Granlund and Hunter Shinkaruk. The team could look to attempt to improve up the middle, but finding a piece that fits the age and cap of the team is hard to fathom, especially given Ho-Sang is in line for a large pay raise from his current 3.5M salary. Sam Bennett, Lucas Raymond, and Michael Ferland make up the teams left wingers, Bennett is an excellent top 6 winger, Raymond has continued to improve more and more as he has begun to settle into a role for the team. On the right side the Flames have great depth in Kieffer Bellows, Matthew Tkachuk, Owen Tippett, Gabriel Gagne and Craig Smith, the depth on the teams right side is impressive, with one future NHL forward in Aimo Pellopanaa it appears there is not a ton of future help coming in the forward ranks at all....
Could the Flames look to upgrade on Raymond later as the season wears on, or will Raymond develop into a solid top 6 offensive guy for this team? The team would have to be creative to find an addition that fits in long term, it is more than likely the team stands pat with a guy like Raymond and invest long term. The wildcard is a guy like Pellopnaa who could be a top 6 or top 9 guy, as he continues to grow maybe he can squeeze his way into the lineup. We will look at the defending side of the puck tomorrow and see where the team may look to make some moves.....
Hope to see you at the Dome!
CALGMP: 30-25=5+8=13
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2018 23:13:30 GMT
Hows the Defence? As we discussed earlier in our previous article we wanted to look at how we can look to improve the defence. The flames really shook up their blueline past off season by changing 4 of their 6 defenders heading into the season 5 of PTPHL. The team added a top pair guy in Oscar Klefbom as well as a pair of 4/5 guys in Noah Juulsen and Ryan Pulock. As it sits right now the team is eagerly awaiting the arrival of young prospect Cameron Whynot, who continues to improve and may make a defender expendable in the future, but what about right now? As it sits Michael Mathseon, Oliver Kylington, Oscar Klefbom and Ryan Pulock make up the teams top 4 defenders, while that it is a good blueline there is a good chance Backtrack may look to improve on the defensive side if he can, as all 4 provide similar 2 way games. Noah Juulsen and Noah Tryamkin make up an excellent third pair right now as both are having good starts to their season, the Flames are hoping Noah can still find that extra gear to push Pulock down the lineup sooner or later.
There are some rumours out there that Oscar Klefbom might be able to be had, which does not necessarily surprise anyone involved with the team as they have continued to try and get the guy a solid partner, and that just does not seem to be happening. On the other hand maybe the team looks to part ways with Ryan Pulock, but with the lack of Right handed shots, that may not happen. For the time being perhaps the team might look to make a hockey deal, or may continue as the team is not far away from first in the NHL.
Hope to see you at the Dome!
CALGMP: 13+8=21
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2018 15:08:45 GMT
The Goaltenders The Flames lost veteran starter Marc-Andre Fleury last offseason as the longtime starting goalie finished his excellent career, leaving the team searching for a solution in the offseason. The Flames went out and added another veteran goalie in Antti Raanta from the Detroit Red Wings, the team also extended Jon Gillies. Now we are 23 games into the season and so far Raanta has started 13 games, going: 7-4-2 while having a more disappointing save percentage of .872, which is not the greatest, but passable for the time being. One of the more subtle surprises to this season thus far has been Gillies, who had very limited work under Fleury, but is now being given a chance to play. Jon has not disappointed the coach in his 12 games he has posted a 6-2-2, relieving Raanta twice this season as well. Jon also is boasting a .906 Save percentage, which is amongst one of the best in the NHL. Given the strong play of Jon Gillies, do not be surprised to see him getting more of the workload, but unlike year's past it looks like this a tandem of goalies who will both have their chances. The interesting thing will be as the team heads into the trade deadline, does a starter become available? Does Raanta move? Do the Flames draft a goalie? Trade for one? Sign one? Its tough to say where the team will go, but the team is hoping Gillies can keep up his strong play as this team continues to push for the chance to win it all.
Hope to see you at the Dome!
CALGMP:21+8=29
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2018 15:27:17 GMT
Flames Future, Who is here for the Long Haul? The Flames have seen some major changes over the past 4 seasons, as only a few players remain from the original roster: Sean Monahan, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Oliver Kylington, Jon Gillies, Michael Ferland, Hunter Shinkaruk, and Rasmus Andersson are the players that have remained for the tenure, and it is not a surprise that guys like Monahan, Tkachuk, Bennett and Kylington have emerged as core pieces for the current incarnation of management and rightfully so as they are all younger players that bring a lot to the table. The Flames made major deals in their first season trading Dougie Hamilton and also acquiring another core piece in Michael Matheson from the Panthers, who continued to grow into the teams most important defender, a great deal by BT. The deal that saw Hamilton head to long island brought the team two of their key young forwards in Kieffer Bellows and Josh Ho-Sang who both came in raw prospects and by season 2 took on big roles and now are key cogs in this team. All in all the forward core as it sits right now looks to be: Sean Monahan, Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk, Kieffer Bellows, Josh Ho-Sang, Jeff Skinner are the big 6 right now up front, but guys like Lucas Raymond and Owen Tippett are really trying to push their way into that core group, given that both are controllable it would not surprise anyone if they grew into core pieces long term. The defence right now consists of Michael Matheson and Oliver Kylington as the two core pieces, with new guys in Oscar Klefbom, Noah Juulsen, Ryan Pulock and Nikita Tryamkin, the team is looking for one of these guys to grab the bull by the horns and earn their way into the core. The team is also eagerly awaiting the arrival of 10th overall Cameron Whynot who will push into that core group with ease, leaving the team searching for that top right handed pair defender they desire. The defence is something to watch as Backtrack has been seen scouting around the league, perhaps Klefbom might be a guy on the outside looking in?
Hope to see you at the Dome!
CALGMP:29+8=37
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2018 14:04:25 GMT
Flames Seeking Consistency in Net The Flames gave Antti Raanta a 4 straight game start to see if he could take over the reins, but failed to produce a better record that 1-2-1, which gave up some ground to the Avalanche who now trail the flames by 3 points with a game in hand, not good for a team that has high aspirations like Calgary. The Flames will have to rely on Jon Gillies to help carry the load, as Raanta does not seem to be a fit, the team has seen the red light turn on more this season then any of the previous 5 thus far. The team can not hang on the blame on Raanta as the defence is still looking to find some continuity amongst the pairs.
The team has been searching for that top pairing D for a while and they are not easy to come by in the league as there is very few of them out there, a guy like Whynot might have the chance to develop into a top pair guy, but there is not guarantee of that. The team may have to work the phones and try to swing a blockbuster, it is more likely an offseason deal given the fact the team is competing for a playoff stop right now. Overall the team has 3 solid #2 guys in Matheson, Klefbom and Kylington. The wildcard is Juulsen who could grow his way into the top 4, but that seems more like a long shot. The real long shot is probably Rasmus Andersson who is currently holding down the fort in the AHL, he may get a shot if an injury arises and push his way onto the roster. The previous sim saw saw Klefbom and Matheson working out well as a top pair, that might be a big key for the team going forward, if these 2 work together. If that is the case look for Juulsen to partner up with Kylington here as the team will want to give Noah a bit of a greater chance.
Hope to see you at the Dome!
CALGMP: 32+8=40
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2018 14:31:46 GMT
Flames Looking for Big December
The Flames are headed into December looking to stretch out their lead over the Avalanche for the division title and home ice for the playoffs, but the team will need to push harder then they have been, the team has been decent in games, but needs to find that level of elite play they are capable of. The team has not had anyone emerge as the goto goal scorer, but continues to produce well as a collective group, although last sim was tough, a lot of the team is slumping. Given the fact that a lot of the Flames key guys are slumping, it is only a matter of time till the team explodes. The GM must feel positive about the top line having a strong sim at both ends of the ice, but can Monahan and Skinner find some magic? Perhaps if they do this team will be hard to stop, Sean had a slow start but is coming on more and more.
Another positive for the Flames is that Matheson and Klefbom seem to be evolving into that top pair this team has been looking for this season, but can they maintain that? It does seem likely that the team will be able to build around a top pair like this, which allows a guy like Kylington to focus on the offensive side of things more, which is his strength rather than checking. The Flames will also look at Noah Juulsen in a more impactful role on the Powerplay as well as a promotion to the second pair and the team shuffles Pulock down the lineup a bit. Pulock has had a decent season thus far, but is still trying to work on learning the teams inns and outs a bit more it appears. The Flames third line can be dominate and adding in Pulock's offensive prowess to that third pair might allow him to expose some matchups and increase his points a bit more.
Hope to see you at the Dome!
CALGMP: 40+8=48
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2018 19:25:44 GMT
Flames Pull off Block Buster
The Calgary Flames shook the hockey world yesterday along with the Florida Panthers, who were involved in a 6 player swap that featured some elite names, including the a recent 1st overall pick. The trade alone is one that is a rarity to happen, as the Panthers felt confident enough to deal a great defender in Rasmus Dahlin. The whole trade broke down to this: To FLA:
Ryan Pulock D 27 1980000 1 82 77 75 77 78 78 71 79 78 75 70 62 77 76 75 75 Antti Raanta G 32 4000000 2 35 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 55 77 78 65 75 78 78 75 Oscar Klefbom D 28 4167000 2 61 76 76 78 78 78 76 78 78 88 80 71 78 76 77 80 Anton Olsson D 18 100000 0 65 42 38 34 59 58 57 67 59 67 34 61 52 38 58 60
To CAL: Sergei Bobrovsky G 33 4500000 2 14 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 58 78 79 63 74 79 79 76 Rasmus Dahlin D 21 7000000 1 88 82 81 87 81 81 78 90 90 78 98 56 74 83 80 82
The Flames dealt two top 4 defenders and one top pair guy in Oscar Klefbom, the Flames also parted with Antti Raanta, who simply could not get going in Calgary, but the gem might, Anton Olsson, who is a little bit a of a project, but has a chance to be a top pair guy if everything goes right. The Flames had to pay a steep price, but to bring in two excellent pieces, you have to give to get. It will be exciting for fans to get a look at Bobrovsky now who looks like he has to battle with Gillies, who is playing well.
Hope to see you at the dome!
CALGMP: 20+8=28
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2018 14:03:22 GMT
Flames Have 2-1 Week The Flames had a pretty good week, not perfect as Sergei Bobrovsky's debut did not go all that well in Montreal where he gave up 5 goals on 23 shots, not quite the performance Bob was looking for, despite his poor game, Gillies played really well and continues his hot play improving his record to 8-2-3 along with a .908 SVP and 2.29 GAA, which puts Jon amongst best in the NHL right. Jon is no slouch as him and Fleury were Jenning's trophy champions. Rookie Lucas Raymond, who was acquired in the Johnny Gaudreau deal, was named player of the week and continuing his strong play this season posting 19 points in 30 games; finding a home beside Monahan and Skinner, pretty hard to not score with those two elite players. The Flames are pleasantly surprised the chemistry between Skinner and Monahan appears to be strong, a great bonus for the team. The team has had the same 3rd line for 2 years now and it continues to perform at a high level as Tkachuk and Ho-Sang have had phenomenal seasons thus far both posting 20 points in 30 games, but they combine for a +22, which is remarkable for any line. The team will continue to find its game, but the early returns of Rasmus Dahlin have been outstanding, as well as Adam Fox, who has quietly made his NHL debut and missing very little out there. Foxy is being given every chance to improve to his potential as he is finding himself part of the 2nd PP unit as well as being partnered with the Russian Tower in Nikita Tryamkin, who seems to be a great fit for Foxy.
Hope to see you at the Dome!
CALGMP: 28+8=36
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2018 14:13:53 GMT
Flames May Look for Veteran Help The Flames have built a solid team, but are not the best team in the league, that might be the Tampa Bay Lightning or the Winnipeg Jets, but don't sleep on the Flames as they have all the pieces to be a Cup team, although they could use some more leadership. Given that the Flames have gone through a heavy retool, moving out veteran pieces to bring in younger NHL pieces, the teams oldest player is in the nets, followed by Jeff SKinner who is 29, yes, 29 is the oldest core player right now. The teams average age is 26, which is right in the 'prime' window, although their key players are all under 25 outside of Monahan, Skinner and Matheson. The Flames are going to be competitive for the next few seasons, and getting better with future additions coming down the pipe quickly. Given the fact that Matheson is the most veteran presence on the blueline, do not be surprised if the team goes out to add a veteran defender who could replace Fox perhaps in the lineup, although the team has a good defender in Andersson awaiting the chance to join the big club, along with top prospect Cameron Whynot. The Flames also have Pellopnaa and Pohorsky who both will add to the current roster, in turn improving the team, Pellopnaa might even be an upgrade right now on Smith or Gagne, but there is no need to rush him into the lineup, as Aimo is getting stronger every week, once he's steaming it is time to recall him, look for him to make his presence known sooner rather than later. This could be a busy trade deadline coming up as we know Backtrack is driven to make it to the finals this year and win it all, but will the lack of leadership hold the team back? Will the goaltending hold them back? It is hard to find holes on the roster other than the 6th defender, so time will tell what backtrack does to push this tea over the edge, Dahlin was a great start.
Hope to see you at the Dome!
CALGMP: 36+8=44
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2018 21:34:24 GMT
CALGMP from Tapatalk =30 CALGMP: 36+30=66
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2018 13:31:28 GMT
Flames Win 5 in a row, Will it be 6?
The Flames seem to have really caught fire since that blockbuster with the Florida Panthers, going 8-1-1 since the deal came to completion. The Flames are really firing on all cylinders right now, after Bobrovsky's poor start against Montreal, only regulation loss of December, responded with a big win in his next start against the Ducks and Oilers. Overall Sergei has gone 3-1 since joining the team, playing 2 excellent games for the team. Jon Gillies is hot and continues to be as he has won his last 7 starts in a row, yes 7. The concern management had about goaltending looks to have been patched. Rasmus Dahlin has been playing lights out as well, he picked up his first goal of the season and a couple more assists, Rasmus has been averaging 28 minutes a night and playing outstanding at both ends, the Flames seem to have found a good fit with him and their current D-core. On the same note, Adam Fox has continued to play well in his first 10 NHL games as he has picked up 5 points thus far and is not hurting the team. The Flames will have to continue playing a strong 200 foot game like they have been and perhaps they can keep their winning streak alive.
Hope to see you at the Dome!
CALGMP:51+4=55
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