Hot Off The Press...

[Glenn-Philadelphia]

I think the uniforms themselves are fine. My thought is the logo makes it seem a little fuzzy

[Owen-Moncton]

Oct 14, 2016 17:48:11 GMT -5 Glenn-Philadelphia said:

I think the uniforms themselves are fine. My thought is the logo makes it seem a little fuzzy

Re-sent with a new sharper crest...

[Owen-Moncton]

Flames Playing .500 hockey After Four

After winning the first two games of the season, your Moncton Flames dropped the next two consecutive decisions to even out their record at two and two. Coach Huntley opines:

"All about matchups... we didn't get it right in terms of special teams against Montreal...their power play won that one for them, and last night's game with Milwaukee could have gone either way...we did OK shutting down the Seguin line but our second line didn't contain the opposition well enough, and all in all, we didn't generate enough to win...twenty shots against a pro GHL goalie doesn't often spell victory".

The subtle message there is that the Flames' shooters need to start lighting the lamp if they are to bank any early-season points:
"Guys are getting decent looks and coming close, but there hasn't been nearly enough finish to get us the wins we could be getting, and that's on us as a coaching staff first and foremost...we need to try and get some chemistry going...I believe once these guys start getting a few bounces, things will start rolling and we'll be on the right side of these one-goal affairs...in terms of special teams, we're trying different combinations as well there, to see if we can make something stick...it's early still, but we don't wanna give up any points without a fight here".

In a surprising move, newly-acquired ace pivot Ryan Getzlaf has been demoted to the second line alongside Leo Komarov and Cal Clutterbuck, pushing Peter Holland to the top line.
"Holly's earned the one-hole gig at this point, no question", said Huntley. "He's got what - six assists and a goal in four games"? "That works for me".

"I'm just happy to be contributing, doing the things I'm relied on to do out there", said the team's top point-producer. "I'm here to distribute the puck, initiate the forecheck and get the cycle going...create space for guys to finish...hopefully, we can get it going again and put some W's up".

Holland skated in practice today with the team's most skilled wingers; Louie Ericsson and Mike Hoffman. While Hoffman has produced above a point-per-game clip, Ericsson has yet to make much of an appearance on the scoresheet, with just one assist: "It's still early, but you want to get that handled sooner than later, before it becomes a problem", said EriKsson. "I've been getting some looks and some good chances, but not the results...I'm not worried...I'm all around the puck and I'm doing things the way I need to, it's just a matter of finding the back of the net".
Ericsson leads the team in shots with fourteen, and for that reason, will stay on the top line.

The trio looked good and loose in practice, working on set-plays at top speed, and it appears they have a sense of where each other are on the ice. If that can translate to some much-needed offence in game situations, there could be reason to celebrate in Moncton this season.

[Owen-Moncton]

Flames Game Day Report

It's just a half hour before the puck drops at the Firehouse in Moncton and it looks to be a great night for GHL hockey as the home team hosts the Halifax Huskies in the fifth game of the young 2016-17 season.

Halifax has a decided advantage in terms of offensive depth, but coach RJ Huntley feels his line combinations may offer enough push-back to keep it close:
"We got the blender out after last week, no question...the boys responded well all week in practice and we like the balance we got...let's see how we look after sixty".

King Hank will start for the Flames tonight; his fourth of five games. He has one win and two losses to date with an impressive .918 save percentage and a sparkling goals-against average of 2.33

More after tonight's action from Moncton...

[Owen-Moncton]

Flames Post-Game Review

Moncton moves into third in the Smythe, picking up two points in a shutout win versus a talented Halifax team in front of a capacity home crowd.

Feisty winger Leo Komarov netted a pair of goals - the only goals of the night - to secure the victory in a game where Moncton outshot its opponent by a wide margin. Despite four opportunities, the visitors were unable to leverage their offensive superiority on the powerplay, with star netminder Henrik Lundqvist making 29 saves on the night for the shutout.

"Obviously, I got help from the guys out there; and we seemed to control possession most of the night...everyone's working hard out there, supporting each other, whether it be by throwing a hit, battling on the wall, or taking the shot; it's a group effort and a group win when we stick to our system and commit to doing the hard work that it takes, especially against a tough team with so much skill".

The game's only goal scorer echoed the sentiment: "We're getting guys on the first line, second line, third line - all up and down the roster generating chances and offensive zone time and that's how you win games in the GHL; you control the flow of play and make the most of every shift and that's how you give yourself a chance to win".
Komarov's first goal of the game came at the mid-way mark in the second from the top of the face off circle; a half-clapper that Huskies goalie John Gibson was unable to track. In the dying minutes of the third, the pesky forward found himself alone in the slot where he shovelled a rebound off of a Cal Clutterbuck blast past the sprawling Gibson to put the contest out of reach.

Coach Huntley liked what he saw from his top two lines: "You got Holly, Louie, and Hoff generating fourteen shots and generating zone-time, and what that does is it opens up space for Getzy, Uncle Leo and Cal to maybe cash in and that's what you saw tonight". "Your'e forcing their second pairing, which is maybe not as polished as their top pairing to work harder and maybe make a mistake or break away from their structure a little bit...bury your chances and jump on their mistakes and you're up by one or two, and when your goalie battles like Hank did tonight, you're probably gonna win more than you lose".

Will the Flames bench boss leave the lineup intact for their next opponent?

"I really liked our compete and the balance i saw in terms of good scoring chances, so yeah, we'll leave things as-is and ride this for as long as we get that kind of effort from our group".

Moncton faces Detroit on Tuesday, where they'll look to improve their wins record to four of six.

[Owen-Moncton]

Eriksson Lights the Lamp, Flames Torch Mustangs

While he was outshone by several of his teammates, Flames winger Loui Eriksson was all smiles last night, in celebration of his first goal of the 2016-17 campaign.

"The boys stacked up in front in the slot to set up a layered screen and I just let it go...luckily, it found the net...nice to get the first one out of the way, for sure". Eriksson leads the team in shots with 24 after six.

His third period marker pulled the Flames within one after falling behind 3-1 after two, and the visitors struck another three times to secure the win.

"We put ourselves behind by a couple, but our shot suppression was good all night - I don't think they hit double digits in any single period - then, we got to work...Loui was effective; he generated four shots and a goal, obviously, so that's real good for him and his confidence, and our top line had themselves a night, so yup, it was a good night of hockey", said Coach RJ Huntley.

Gritty winger Cal Clutterbuck led the charge with a goal and a pair of assists along with four hits and a blocked shot to earn first star honours. Mike Hoffman lit the lamp twice, adding a pair of helpers, while Flames points leader Peter Holland scored, adding three helpers.

It will be something of a litmus test as the Flames attempt to make it three straight against a Powerful Colorado club Friday night.

[Owen-Moncton]

Colorado Wins by a Landslide

The Pioneers beat the Moncton Flames in commanding fashion, but that's not how a visibly frustrated RJ Huntley viewed it post-game:
"Did they beat us, or did we beat ourselves"? Full marks to Colorado", the Flames coach continued, "but let's look at the shot clock...we held an offensively superior club to twenty three shots...in fact, we matched them....we didn't give them a ton of opportunities with the man advantage...we owned them in the dot, and it wasn't close, and they tripled our goal output, so, did they beat us, or did we do it to ourselves"?

The obvious implication here is that backup goalie Jimmy Howard cost the Flames two points. Howard took it on the chin post-game: "I gotta be better...when I get the start, I need to be prepared and give us a chance and I didn't get it done tonight...no excuses...you own it, then you park it and get back to work".

"Howie's gotta be better than that...he is better than that, no question...he's a pro, so he'll have to have amnesia about this one and hit the reset".

Were there positives to take away from the night?

"I liked our shot suppression once again, and we showed some push-back with a strong middle period after falling behind early in the first".

Captain Ryan Getzlaf (1A/3SH) had a strong game once again, going 11 for 17 in faceoffs but he had strong words for the group:
"Any time you spot your opponent four goals, it's clear you didn't come ready and that doesn't cut it".

GM Owen Durkin also opined on the loss:

"We can blame goaltending, but we also gave them 12 shots in the first and all-told,  they scored five goals from high-percentage areas, so that says we didn't support the D or take care of the puck in our end...giving them a five-on-three in the third when you're trying to get some momentum going doesn't help your cause either".

Moncton will get a chance to rebound when they face St. Paul on Sunday night.

[Owen-Moncton]

Moncton Shuts out St. Paul on the Road

In keeping with Flames fashion, winger Mike Hoffman claimed the prestigious Fire Chief's helmet (Moncton's player of the game award) after a three-point night in which he generated two goals and an assist en route to a 5-0 rout of their Minnesota hosts.

Cal Clutterbuck, Leo Komarov and Loui Eriksson also netted goals - the final two coming within 34 seconds of each other - for the Flames' second five-goal game of the young season.

Henrik Lundqvist becomes the league-leader in shutouts with two in just six starts, posting a sparkling 1.67 goals-against average and an equally impressive .940 save percentage.

"Hank was awesome back there for us", said Hoffman post-game, "the guy just never gives up on a shot...29 saves tonight...that says it all right there".

When asked how it feels to be leading the team in goals, Hoffman showed that he's an all-in kind of guy and not just looking to pad his stats:

"Of course, you get paid like a top six player to produce, so whether that means setting 'em up or finishing, I really don't care as long as we are getting it done and giving ourselves a chance to win".

Coach Huntley liked what he saw across the board: "We're getting contributions from the whole group out there, and it's good to see, no question...we're physical, we're shooting more, and we're playing to our strengths and it's paying off".

"All five goals game tonight from the slot; some from further out, so we set up that layered screen and the high forward rips it through...Loui's (Eriksson) got that kind of seeing-eye shot that he can get through traffic and he knows how to be patient with it and wait for us to stack up in front of the net and take the goalie's eyes away...it either makes it through or it gets tipped and the strong-side D pinches and keeps it in play". "You saw a lot of that tonight...we work on it daily...tough play to defend".

It's been a red-hot start for the Flames who, historically, haven't hit double digits in points within the first month of action. They're a deep, skilled team capable of going toe-to-toe with the best teams in the GHL on any given night. Let's hope the fire continues to burn all season.

[Owen-Moncton]

Strike Two for Howard

Flames coach RJ Huntley was red-hot after tonight's blowout.

"Here's the deal: you got twenty-one guys on the roster, nineteen out there working hard and competing... shots are even and under thirty, the PK is perfect, and you lose seven to one...what do you do"? ""You're getting paid to work hard, practice hard, live right and come prepared, and you get destroyed...again...if you're not gonna compete, we'll find someone who will and move on here, if that's what we gotta do".

"I don't have an answer...if I did, I'd give it to you", said a deflated Jimmy Howard post-game. "I don't wanna let the guys down...I don't know what's going on right now".

"We did a good job boxing-out, keeping guys out of lanes and containing their offense...seven goals on twenty nine shots doesn't cut it...let's leave it at that for now", said Coach Huntley, abruptly ending the post-game presser.

Is Howard's time as a Flame over? It looks like it could be heading that way...

[Owen-Moncton]

Hot Off the Press: Hank Blanks the 'Stangs

Coming off an embarrassing 7-1 drubbing two nights previous, Moncton had something to prove in front of a sold-out home crowd as they hosted the 1-9-1 Detroit Mustangs. The 3-0 shutout victory saw scrappy winger Leo Komarov score twice, with Tomas Fleischmann picking up his second goal of the season. Henrik Lundqvist now leads the "G" in shutouts with three.

Moncton fired 40 shots on net in what turned out to be a chippy affair that left both teams battered and bruised. Winger Mike Hoffman will spend the next 12 days on injured reserve while Mustangs pivot Patrik Berglund left on a stretcher with an undetermined but apparently serious injury. Berglund will miss at least the next 3 months and will likely undergo surgery pending evaluation.

In related news, Flames insider and former enforcer Fisty McKnuckles reports goaltender Jimmy Howard, who was seen in the press box this evening, may be leaving the Flames organization in exchange for Mustangs backup tendy Karri Ramo. Howard played three games for the Flames, winning one and losing two, posting a 5.33 GAA.

While agreeing in principle, the arrangement is pending formal announcement.


JUST IN: 

Pending league approval, defender Cameron Gaunce, along with the Adirondack 3rd round pick Moncton possesses have been acquired by New York in exchange for winger Josh Leivo. In light of the injury suffered by winger Mike Hoffman, Leivo will provide some needed secondary goal support. A strong shooter, the 6'1'' winger will report to Moncton immediately, provided the trade is rubber stamped. 

[Owen-Moncton]

Hot Off the Press: New Flames Suiting up vs Ottawa

The 6-4-0 Spartans pay a visit to the Firehouse in Moncton tonight with designs on leapfrogging the home team into 4th spot in the Smythe division. Currently deadlocked with 12 points each, the Flames and their opponents from Ottawa are evenly matched in terms of analytics, with Ottawa showing a slight advantage in the goals-against department.
GM Owen Durkin believes that issue has been addressed with the recent transaction that sent the beleaguered Jimmy Howard to Detroit for Karri Ramo.
"Jimmy is a character guy and a good teammate...he's a veteran guy, and we wish him well...we felt his recent struggles required a change of scenery for him, and we can't afford to throw away bankable points this early in the season".
Durkin sees Ramo as the answer: "Karri is a workhorse in the gym and in practice...he understands his role and we feel he's got the tools to spell Hank off when needed and give us a chance to win on any given night...you'll see him in the nets tonight, from what I understand from our coach (RJ Huntley)".

"Yup, he'll get the start...we're resting Hank so he'll be fresh against Hamilton", confirms Huntley.

"Excited to be a Flame, and thrilled to be jumping right in here with both feet", said Ramo after practice on Friday. "Tomorrow's going to be a big day and I'm honoured that the coaching and management staff have shown faith in me right from the start".

Also listed on the game sheet will be newly acquired winger Josh Leivo who slots in on the third line alongside veterans Alex Burrows and Brad Richards. While Burrows provides equal measures of fearless shot blocking and agitation qualities, both Richards and Leivo have the ability to get pucks on net and drive possession.

"We're not expecting Josh to do anything beyond what we know him to be capable of", said coach Huntley, "we're just asking him to give us solid minutes, generate some secondary offensive zone time, and use his size and shot to generate chances".

"It's awesome to get the chance to play right away, and I'm feeling really good about our line chemistry already", said Leivo. "Alex is a handful and he grinds it out every shift, and Ritchie is so skilled and poised, and he generates a lot of shots, so I think we're gonna be pretty effective as a unit".

The puck drops at 7 PM tonight.

[Owen-Moncton]

Flames Win Back to Back

After being shut out by Ottawa last Saturday, Moncton picked up four points in back-to-back victories versus Hamilton and Ottawa.

Loui Eriksson produced his fourth of the season against Ottawa to open the scoring, with newly-acquired winger Josh Leivo picking up his second of the campaign and his first with the Flames, earning first-star honours. Vernon Fiddler responded in the second for Ottawa, only to see Moncton's lunch bucket crew reach down into the bottom six for a contribution from fourth-liner Tom Khuhnackl to restore the two-goal lead. Top centre Peter Holland capped it at four in the third for his fourth of the campaign. Holland is having a season to remember thus far, and is presently leading the Flames in points with fourteen.
Flames star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist collected shutout number four the night previous in a 2-0 blanking of Hamilton, while surrendering just one goal versus Ottawa, and is perched second league-wide in goals-against average with a remarkable 1.22 across nine contests.

"When we keep the shots-against to a respectable rate of say thirty or under, we stand a pretty decent chance of winning on any given night", said coach Huntley.
"We got a strong group that works hard and does a good job of keeping the chances to a minimum in our end", offered Lundqvist, adding: "I know I can rely on the boys to generate enough goal support to give us a chance, and all I gotta do is make enough saves to keep us in the game". " If we can keep them to under thirty shots, with the way our guys are firing the puck and contributing all down the line, we're giving ourselves a chance here...it's an exciting time to be a Flame, no question".

Currently in second in the Smythe and sixth in the Campbell Division, the Flames host Washington Friday night.

[Owen-Moncton]

Coach's Starter Decision Questioned Following 3-1 Loss

Moncton Flames fans and local media questioned coach R.J. Huntley's decision to start backup goalie Karri Ramo against an arguably beatable Washington opponent last night.
Ramo's 3.25 goals-against average - while not altogether horrible - certainly puts him in a lower class than Henrik Lundqvist, who leads the league in shutouts with four, boasting a GAA of 1.22. "Why does Ramo get the nod when you have bankable points sitting right there in front of you", opined local radio show host Mickey McPhail. Huntley addressed the media this morning, prior to practice. Noticeably absent were both Flames tenders, while Keith Kincaid and Jeff Malcom of the Flame's minor league affiliate joined the big club for the day.

"Karri played fine", Huntley objected, adding: " three goals on twenty-five shots isn't great, but two of those goals came on the P-K and the first was a 5-on-3...besides, when you only generate thirteen shots in a game, I don't think it matters who's in net; you're not winning...if anything, Karri kept it from becoming a total embarrassment for us". Huntley continued. "I got no problem with Karri today, whatsoever...matter of fact he and Hank are taking a maintenance day while the rest of the group gets bag-skated, because as much as I hate to lose, I hate lack of effort and preparation even more...we weren't good enough and that lack of effort isn't acceptable to anyone in this organization".

It is suggested that the team may be a tad distracted as rumours are circulating regarding possible trades involving key players who have yet to live up to expectations. GM Owen Durkin addressed those rumours:

"Listen, there are always conversations happening all season and in the off season, and that's the nature of the business of hockey...I've heard the rumours..apparently, Loui (Eriksson), Getz and a few others are all carpooling to the airport en route to new cities...that's a bunch of bull...there are no significant conversations happening at this time". "I talk with other GM's all the time and all sorts of hypotheticals arise, but at this time, I have no genuine interest in trading anyone...is Loui producing as much as he could be? hell no, but he's generating shots and driving possession and he's a skilled guy and he'll find his touch, no question...if he wasn't getting touches, I'd be worried, but I'm not".

Regarding Ryan Getzlaf:

"Getz is our captain and our best centreman...you don't pay a boatload to acquire him only to panic after fourteen games.. he's gonna break out, and he's gonna be a leader for us for the foreseeable future, and then some".

It appears that Moncton will stay the course, and with injured winger Mike Hoffman soon to return, the Flames' offensive depth should carry them through the regular season and hopefully beyond.

[Owen-Moncton]

Hot Off The Press: Flames Take Three of Four Points

After tying the Federals 3-3 two nights previous, the Flames set a season-high record for shots with 38 last night versus the Pharaohs of Philly; four of which bulging the twine in a 4-2 win on home ice.

We can assume recent trade chatter concerning winger Loui Eriksson may be responsible at least in part for his two-goal performance that earned him third-star honours, but whatever the cause, the result is Eriksson now sits second in goals on the Moncton roster with six. He also leads the team in shots with 55.

"It's great to know coaching staff and management have faith in you when you hit a rough patch...we believe in ourselves out there, and we're getting our chances so it's always nice when you can finish and help the team".

Coach Huntley concurs: "He (Eriksson) has been getting looks and he's getting a ton of rubber on net, so you know that it's a matter of time when a skill guy like Loui is doing all the right things out there, so I'm real happy for him and we'll take the two points and keep 'er going".

Goals by Leo Komarov and Cal Clutterbuck came directly in the slot, while Erikksson's goals came from hard work down low on the cycle. Goal number one came as a result of Eriksson dropping back to cover the left point as pinching defender Ryan McDonagh threw the puck back to the blueline after drawing a winger and a defender to himself. Eriksson exploited the resulting shooting lane by floating a wrister at the net which Pharaohs keeper Jonathan Bernier struggled to track.

His second of the game came in the first fourty seconds of the final frame as he corralled a Peter Holland seam-pass and fired a short-side wrister, beating Bernier high-glove.

Henrik Lundqvist made 28 saves on 30 shots for his eighth win of the season, while centreman Peter Holland added three assists to his points total, bringing him to thirteen, with four goals for a team-leading seventeen points.

"...It's just down to focus and preparation, I think", opined the team's acting top-line pivot, adding:"Coach has us paying attention to the details, and making the little plays that lead to those little sequences that turn into chances...we're just sticking to our structure and making sure we don't cheat on assignments, and so far, we're getting some good puck-luck".

As luck would have it, injured winger Mike Hoffman will return to active duty in time for tomorrow's tilt versus Hamilton.

"I feel great...I was cleared for full-contact drills a few days ago and I'm looking forward to getting it going again". Despite missing twelve days, Hoffman has thirteen points and is tied with Komarov and Cal Clutterbuck in goals with seven.

[Owen-Moncton]

Hot Off The Press: Fames In it to Win it

Pending the league's rubber stamping of the trade, stalwart veteran defender Matt Hunwick will now call Hamilton home, with Tigers blueliner Niklas Hjalmarsson heading east along with promising prospect Michael Ferland, an overager with a nice blend of offensive acumen and physicality; something the Flames will need to replenish in the coming years with veterans like Alex Burrows and Leo Komarov approaching free agency.

GM Owen Durkin addressed the media this morning in Adirondack after the game day skate: "Hunny has been a valued veteran contributor who worked his butt off, and it's tough to part with that kind of a leader both on and off the ice...that said, he's a pending UFA and a senior guy in the league whom will require a commitment that might exceed what we're going to be comfortable with, and Nik (Hjalmarsson) is a near elite D-man with a 90-rating, whom is both under 30, and under contract at a ridiculously good number for the better part of three seasons...that's a deal I can feel good about all day long".

Clearly, the goal is not just to compete this season, but to retain valuable assets going forward, even at the expense of draft picks. "There'll be noise from the cheap seats, no question...couldn't care less though...Moncton fans and smart hockey people understand that organizational development is cyclical, and when I returned this Fall, I saw a team which had been able to come real close, and was now at the end of that cycle in terms of competitiveness...we had a choice to make - either 'tank it' and rebuild by collecting other team's draft picks, or build on the great work my predecessor did and go all-in while we had a chance to make some noise, and we felt we owed it to our brand and our fans to go hard after a playoff spot..recent activities are an extension of that mandate".

A D-core comprised of Ryan McDonagh, Jared Spurgeon, Andy Greene and now Niklas Hjalmarsson is nothing to sneeze at, and when they are being backstopped by a top goaltender like Henrik Lundqvist, chances are, your goals-against is going to be favourable. With depth defenders John Moore, David Schlemko and Lucas Sbisa rounding out the group, there appears sufficient depth to weather the injury storm that every team deals with. Michael Ferland is a big boy of 24 at 6'2'' and 215 pounds, who has been developing into a legitimate asset and will likely get an opportunity to step in at some point if injuries dictate.

Pending trade finalization at GHL HQ, Hjalmarsson will lace 'em up tonight in Adirondack versus the defending cup champs.