It's actually pretty amazing how results-oriented the general fanbase's interpretations and reactions of a game can be. For example, on messageboards and elsewhere there was a lot of post-Shark-rationalization in light of the Flames improbable victory that suggested the game wasn't that terribly lop-sided and, in fact, perhaps Calgary actually "deserved" the win. Of course, on many other nights where Kipper isn't inhuman or neither of the Flames first two low-percentage plays don't go in the net, a very similar match would result in a 7-2 ass-whooping and much hand wringing and wailing afterwards.
So let's not fool ourselves here. The Flames were out-shot more than 2-1 and probably out-chanced by the same ratio. They won by the grace of the hockey gods. It was their 3rd piss poor performance in the last 6 games and it's getting harder and harder to predict how this club is going to play on a nightly basis.
As such, Im not sure what to say about tonight. The opponent is the abysmal LA Kings, against whom the Flames have had a lot of success this year, thankfully. Of course, thanks to the incessant yo-yoing by Calgary since the start of the new calender, it's equally possibly they'll come out and crush the Kings 6-1 or completely and totally shit the bed and get crushed 5-0. So, flip a coin for the prediction.
One thing that might just be a certainty though: Miikka Kiprusoff won't get a shut-out while Anders Eriksson is playing top 4 minutes. Bubba's presence besides Phaneuf against anyone besides scrubs pretty much assures a number of quality scoring chances against every game. I can't imagine why this state of affairs persists, besides, perhaps, the possibility that an Eriksson/Hale duo just makes Keenan way too nervous...
Anyways, enough humbug. Here's a speculative exercise to distract you from the above depressing post:
Assuming a deal involving one of the Flames key UFAs (Langkow, Huselius) is mediated by the nature of the return, what do YOU think Sutter would need to get in a trade for a.) Langkow or b.) Huselius in order to make the transaction "worth it" from a Flames perspective? All budgetary concerns for next year considered, of course.
