I had a few other titles in mind, but chose this one in order to stay within the bounds of good taste.
So after allowing circumstance and fate to determine the outcome of their last game against Edmonton, the Flames decided to take matters into their own hands against Nashville. Yup, there was no flukey bounces and broken sticks handing Calgary the loss. Just terrible, terrible hockey.
To be fair, I didn't (couldn't) watch the game. By all accounts, though, there wasn't an aspect of Calgary's defensive game that was even partially decent against the Preds last night.
Boucher allowed more goals in a single game than Kipper allows in 4. He didn't get much help, however, since the Flames managed to allow 47 shots against (the most this year). As a team, the Flames were a collective -30 on the night. The only bright spot, the powerplay (and Phaneuf), was drastically overshadowed by the worst defeat suffered by the club in recent memory.
And with the defeat, Calgary officially becomes a bad road team. All of the Flames worst losses have come away from the Dome this year (6-3 vs. Minny, 6-3 vs. Detroit, 7-3/7-4 vs. Colorado, 9-4 vs. Nashville). In addition, the set-back to the Predators plunges the Flames below the .500 mark on the road (13-14-5). Considering that Calgary didn't give up 7 goals even once last season (to my recollection) and the fact that the Flames defensive corps is arguable better than it was last year, it's hard to fathom how Calgary can be such a drastically inferior team (defensively speaking) when they're the visitors this season. The most worrisome part is the Flames have Colorado and Edmonton breathing down their necks and 5 more games left on this road trip. Lets hope Calgary uses last nights embarrassment as a rallying point to improve going forward. Otherwise, the Flames are in for a very difficult stretch run...
Positives:
- The Powerplay, which has been ineffective of late, accounts for all 4 Flames goals.
- Dion Phaneuf. I bemoan his lack of production and he promptly scores a couple of goals, including a beauty of a break-away. Two more tallies will give him the club record for goals in a season by a rookie d-man.
Negatives...(hmmm, where to begin):
- Brian Boucher. Is it exagerating to call his performance last night a "career killer"? Probably not.
- Terrible defense. Calgary plays like a Junior team in their own end, giving up numerous quality chances and 47 shots. Pitiful.
- Undisciplined. Hand Nashville 9 powerplays over the course of the contest, many of them being of the needless variety (Im looking at you, Chris Simon).
- Penalty Kill. Allows 3 goals against.
- Lose to Nashville again. Preds are to the Flames what the Blues are to the Canucks.
- Jarome Iginla. Another mailed in performance. On a night where his team is getting thrashed, Iginla turns in a -2, 1 shot performance. This despite enjoying 25 minutes of ice-time, more than 8 of which was on the powerplay. Seems to be working to cement his reputation as one of the most overpaid and overrated players in the league this season.
- Robyn Regehr and Jordan Leopold. I didn't see their play, but when you're the top d pairing and you end the night -3 and your team is shelled for 9 goals against, it's a safe bet you played poorly.
- Drop to below .500 on the road.
- Suffer worse loss in the last 2 seasons.
The Flames have a chance to bounce back against the Wild tonight. It'll be very interesting to see how this team responds to this kind of adversity. Will they fold their tents in humiliation? Or will they pull a Sabres (remember their horrible 10-4 defeat at the hands of the Senators early in the season?) and use this loss to rally around as group. Let's hope it's the latter...
