Two games in and the Flames still look like the loser team that ended the season last year. They find ways to end each game on a low note. They snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Anyone unfortunate enough to watch them in the pre-season saw this coming. The boys just aren't on the same page and the difference makers look a step behind and out of sync with each other. I estimate it'll take a few weeks at least for the Flames to hit their stride (for the third season in a row).
To counter my strident melancholy, I've decided to balance the good with the bad. While there are ample and apparent reasons for fear and trembling in Flames town (3 wins in the last 21 games, 3 or less GF in all of them), not all is doom and gloom...
Notes of Optimism:
The bounces have been decidedly one-sided thus far this season. While the Flames hit posts and miss nets by mere inches, the opposition is getting dying-second, double-deflection overtime winners. Eventually, stuff like that tends to balance out.
Miikka Kiprusoff won't play this badly for much longer.
Dion Phaneuf and Cory Sarich have been terrific thus far. In fact, Phaneuf hasn't been on the ice for a GA yet, something he struggled with last year. In contrast, Adrian Aucoin has played 19 less minutes than Dion and been on for 4 GA.
Matthew Lombardi has played decently thus far and is getting rewarded with ice-time amongst the top 6, which is a good sign. Craig Conroy is back to 3rd line type duty, an even better sign.
Damond Langkow is doing his damndest to prove his career season last year was not a fluke.
David Moss is back in the line-up, meaning we'll see less of Eric "The Glacier" Godard.
Notes of Pessimism:
That pungent stench on the wind is the Flames Penalty Killing. It was appalling last year and, thus far, it's appalling this year (5 PP goals against in 2 games). It's overly passive and way too willing to collapse towards the net. The odd thing is, the Flames rarely seem able to win those goal-mouth scrambles (which are inevitable because the Flames defenders deter point-shots about as effectively as anti-doping ads deter marijuana consumption).
The bottom half of the Flames roster still looks highly exploitable to me. Eriksson, Aucoin and Warrener all make me really nervous when they're on the ice (particularly the first two). The "4th liners" (Primeau, Smith, Godard, Nilson) are all in the red, despite playing fewer, and softer, minutes on home ice.
Jarome has looked at lot like "Jarmoe" so far.
The upcoming road trip is ugly: Detroit, Dallas, Nashville, Colorado. The Red Wings, Stars and Predators have all been Flame killers the last couple seasons. I can't remember the last time Calgary won a game in any of those locations, in fact. If the team doesn't get their act together quickly, a 0-5-1 start to the season is distinct possibility.
Curtis McElhinney was injured in the warm-ups last game and will be out at least a week with a knee-injury. Im really starting to think the back-up position behind Kipper is cursed.
The "Pessimism" list could obviously longer, but I'll restrain myself to avoid comparisons to Chicken Little. It's too early, and the sample size too small, to get overly bent out of shape about anything. That said, I feel little more than dread and apprehension heading into Detroit tomorrow night. The Flames haven't measurably improved since being bitch-slapped by the Red Wings last Spring and we all know how painful those games were to watch...
