Stole this comment from a Flames blog because it sums it up pretty well:
"Was at the game and here's a few observations, take them as you will.... Johnny looks like he is learning how to play with a 6.75m dollar hockey stick, and you can feel his frustration. Don't worry, it will come, and when it does it will be like a dam breaking. Monohan is NOT 100%, nowhere close. His play is stiff, and it wouldn't surprise me to learn he is still dealing with a bad back. Ferland/Stajan/Chiasson were a force in the first half of the game, to the point that I felt Chiasson especially, and to a lesser extent Ferland, should be on the ice more. Props to GG because in the third Chiasson was taking Versteeg's spot on the top line. Gio/Brodie are over-thinking the game right now. Makes sense because the whole team is learning a new defensive system. Versteeg: is NOT in game shape. He was consistently cutting his shifts 10-15 seconds shorter than his line mates, which made things extremely difficult for Johnny/Monny. They would be heading up ice with the puck looking for their line mate and he would be hopping over the boards gassed. He was bumped down the lines as the game went on if I recall correctly. Kulak is going to be tough to send down. He played a smart steady game, and was first man in to help MT after the clean hit on Ennis. Made smart timely jumps into the rush. Work to do, definitely, but a pretty solid upside there. Engelland is serviceable with a competent partner. Who is Dennis Wideman? And does he have a place on this, or any, team? The power play sucked. Full stop. No flow, no cohesion, little purpose that you could identify. The whole team is still learning the new system, and it is pretty evident. Hockey for the most part, despite all the structure and systems that have evolved, is still an instinctual game. The Flames are getting there, but aren't there yet. The ice, or the pucks, I'm not sure which, were horrendous. More bouncing pucks than I can remember seeing."