1st Shootout Win of 06/07...YEAH BABY!!!!!!

*Note the rally helmet, it was instrumental in the Victory!

Calgary Vs Wild Preview

I'm slacking big time today boys and girls. I guess I'm too busy basking in the warm, golden afterglow of yesterday. The Smyth trade, the Oilers losing to the woeful Coyotes, the Canucks bowing to the Guerin-less Blues and Raycroft getting pulled for the second straight night. I've broken out in girlish giggles more than once today just thinking about it all.

Speaking of giggles, have you heard this one yet:

"Sure, it's cold and crappy in Calgary these days, but it could be worse: Edmonton is -94".

(Thanks for that one MadMac).

Tonight we all know what's at stake: win, and tie the Canucks atop the NW Division. Lose, and fall behind both Minnesota and Vancouver and remain in 8th in the WC. I would really rather that 2nd thing didn't happen so let's go ahead and win this one boys mmmmkay?

Kipper in net, almost everyone healthy, Hale in uniform (maybe) and the Wild haven't won in Calgary in a long time. Let's go with a 4-2 victory. Langkow, Tanguay, Phaneuf and Amonte for the Flames. Gaborik and Walz for the Wild

GO FLAMES!

Pinpoint the Second

As soon as I heard about the Ryan Smyth deal this classic Simpson's moment ran through my head.

Can't imagine why...

Meet David Hale

Side-stepping the Oiler melodrama for a second, we might as well talk a bit about the newest addition to the Flames roster.

According to TSN, Sutter acquired David Hale and a 5th rounder from NJ Devils for 3rd rounder.

The fact that the Flames got a pick and a player for a slightly higher pick makes me wonder what's wrong with this guy. According to his scouting report, he's pretty big and can hit. He also has the offensive upside of a lamp post, but that doesn't matter much. He basically looks like a Rhett Warrener insurance policy to me. And considering the frequency with which Rhett gets hurt these days, it's probably not a bad strategy.

The question now is does this bump Giordano down to the farm, or will there be a functioning rotation of 6th d-men for the forseeable future? Calgary now has 2 healthy 7th d-men sitting idle on the sidelines. Does Hale bump someone permanently or will he have to jockey with Zyuzin and Gio on a nightly basis? Hard to say, since I haven't seen the former play at all.

Clearly, though, Sutter plans on having a long and fruitful play-off run. No doubt he remembers the bevy of injuries the Flames suffered in the 03/04 trip to the finals and this is his way of ensuring there won't be a Montador/Commodore 3rd pairing repeat.

Anyways, seems like a good deal to me. Didn't give up much and got yet another former 1st rounder to solidify the back-end (although, Zyuzin was a 1st rounder too, so...).

My Extremely Biased One Run-on Sentence Opinion of Some of the Recent Trades

With the last of the NHL trades coming out, I thought I would take this opportunity to have a little review of what has occurred over the past couple of days. A review tainted by my dislike nearly for all teams not Calgary, my extremely dislike of the Losers from up the QE2, and several other non-specific biases.

- Keith Tkachuck leaves the comfort and security of the Blues for the gangsta rap and uncertainly that lies in Atlanta.

My Take: Surrounded by traditional southern cooking, Fatchuk cannot control himself and his weight balloons at an inverse ratio to the Thrasher’s playoff hopes.

- Richard Zednik goes from the where George W. Bush lives to where Donald Trump’s hair lives.

My Take: Despite Ovi-one’s use of the force, Washington still sucks and if I were Zednik, I would be thankful I got out of the Murder Capital of the world and onto a team where flashings of greatness are rewarded with 15 year contracts.

- Brent Sopel goes back to the Canucks after a stint in La-La land.

My Take: The entire population of Vancouver sighed in disappointment as they were removed from the 50 most beautiful places to live thanks to Sopel’s hideous mug and greasy mullet.

Gary Roberts goes to play with his childhood idle Sidney Crosby.

My Take: The often smiling Roberts will do nothing but improve the Penguins, after all, he won a Stanley cup when the Penguins current best player was 2 years old and still filling his diapers on a daily basis.

- Martin Biron leaves the Buffalslugs to live and work in Rocky Balboa’s home town.

My Take: Best team in the league to consistently terrible year in and year out; Martin will learn very quickly that being an NHL starter is not quite what he thought it was going to be.

- One of the greats of all time, Ty Conklin goes from Columbus to Buffalo.

My take: BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…...Buffalo is apparently the source of some really good hallucinogenic drugs.

- Georges Laraque is now a Penguin.

My Take: Pittsburg thinks they have aquired a 250lb penguin that can beat the crap out of you and play hockey, but bad news, he can’t play hockey. (Seriously, just imagine a 250lb penguin fighting…hahahahaha!)

- Bill Guerin goes to San Jose and is now a Shark.

My Take: BOOOOOO! Ville is a hard core agitator, an in-your-face guy, the kind of lad that will willingly cheap shot and injure the opposition’s best player, and San Jose thinks they can replace him with an aging goal scorer? BOOOOOOO!!!

- Oleg Saprykin leaves the desert to join the Sens.

My Take: A prediction - Oleg crying himself to sleep when he finds out that he really isn’t the most talented player on the team and actually has to try once in a while.

- Todd Bertuzzi leaves Sunny Florida to join up with the Wings.

My Take: Another prediction - Seeing that Todd, the gutless coward, is now in a position to possibly have his name added to Lord Stanley’s Cup, Gordie Howe comes out of retirement just long enough to lay the beating of a lifetime on the big dumb criminal…in practice.

- Ryan Smyth leaves Stinktown and goes to an Island once traded for some beads.

My Take: Oh my goodness thank you MacT! The Oil give up their only quasi-superstar for some draft picks. My only regret is that I don’t have enough time to leave my desk and watch all the chumps that cheer for the Oiler’s cry like babies at the loss of the mulletted leader! (This trade is so awesome it required three sentences).

To steal a line from a fantastic movie;

"I believe in the ruling class, especially since I rule!"

Trade Deadline Day

Enough guys are doing the "live blogging" thing, so I think I'll leave it to them. Especially since Im certain it's going to be a quiet day on the Flames front.

However, if you're itching for some interesting coverage, amble over to Onrait's liveblog at TSN. More for the humorous asides than anything else:

10:31 - Duthie lists the Maple Leafs needs. "Gritty winger, Second line centre." He says Nik Antropov is for rent. Wow. I'll bet John Ferguson Jr.'s phone is ringing off the hook!

Heh. Good stuff.

EDIT - Breaking news at 1:20pm. Calgary's apparently made a deal with the Devils for a forward. Details to come...

EDIT THE SECOND - Rumor has it the Flames grabbed David Hale for a prospect or pick from NJ. Not yet confirmed.

Flaming Yotes - Postgame

Finally the Flames show a 2-game consistency, and destroy the hapless Coyotes. Yes, that’s right, the same Coyotes that beat them LAST WEEK.

The big C finally found their defensive consistency, developed a 4-line attack, and had very good goaltending. A game against a conference leader would have been much closer, but you can’t beat the flames when all three elements are firing.

One thing should be noted, that the game from ice-level is very much different than the press-box view. Being on the same surface, it is really impressive how small the margin for error is regarding passes through seams, and one-touch passing on the power-play. As a player who delves into 1 MPH lunch-hour shinny, even the worst 4th liner has great vision. Calgary effectively thwarted a very aggressive Phoenix PK through lightning puck-movement. It was incredible to watch. Result? Phoenix relegated back to the passive-box, and got subsequently dismantled for the rest of the night.

As an aside, I believe that I have found the virtue in Warrener. Public opinion on the big Saskatchewanite and his decision-making has been parallel with Britney Spears’ ability to resist eating glue and swallowing crayons. I.e. Not good. All focus seems to be when star players are allowed to score their ‘highlight’ goals and when, unfortunately, the defenseman they walk around is good ol’ Rhett…nevertheless

There are some things that I feel have really been over-looked, and thus why Zyuzin and Giordano have been left out of the line-up when an injured RW has been left in…

1. Active-Stick, and Herding to the Boards
This natural farm-boy seems to bring this philosophy onto the ice, and applies it well. When a sheep…er…skilled forward comes barreling down the ice, Warrener uses his long pole to herd the carrier towards the boards and crush the poor Slovak. Why is this forgotten? Ask yourself, how would this play make Sportscentre? I guess you could say if he was using….nevermind.

2. On-ice Communication
RW is ALWAYS yelling and screaming on-ice…warning his goalie, advising his forwards, letting his defensive partner that he’s going to get a bunch of minuses, and letting know opponents on the other team that they would be best suited for the minors…none of it eloquently, but the message definitely gets across.

3. “Your wife’s a dyke!” – Reg Dunlop
RW is very important to helping the Flames re-discover their tough-as-nails identity. He always hits his man in the corner, he is always jawing at the opposition, he is serving as a rugged on-ice player-coach. He plays the mental game we want out of our veteran D-men.

As for the performance of other players last night, the second star should have been the first…Amonte was strong on the forecheck all night, and his effort on sometimes BOTH Pheonix D-men led to Primeau’s sniping. Amonte was taking the body all night, hitting much larger Coyotes D with no abandon, and always moving his feet. He was the best energy forward (right ahead of Moss), and created a tonne of chances. Great job Tony.

All in all, solid performance by Noodles, a 2 goals-against defensive effort, 2 PP goals, and 5 goal offensive output and 2 Flames Firsts.

Calgary VS Coyotes Preview

Like most Flames fans (see MM's post below) I am in the unenviable position of anticipating with dread each impending Flames game. Largely because I'm not too certain what club is going to take to the ice. The offense is top 5 in the league. The defense is Young Guns bad. This group is nothing like the one that gave me fits of a different sort the previous couple of seasons.

Goals are great. I would've gladly sacrificed a bus load of mewling kittens last season if there had been even a remote possibility of it effecting an increase in offensive output. But, this year, with the goals has come the baffling predilection towards defensive zone boobery. Soft clearing passes. Panic. Shoddy board work. A marked inability to challenge shooters or block shots. At least one soft goal against per game. Shudder.

To be certain, this hasn't been true all season. Calgary was amongst the very best in the league at ES goals against up until mid-January. Kipper, aside from October, ranged from solid to spectacular. Everything besides the deplorable PK was on the defensive side of things was going swimmingly.

Then - the swoon.

And, make no mistake about it, the Flames still haven't figured things out. When Mike Grier is single-handedly orchestrating a 4 goal 2nd period against you in your own barn, then you still have problems. Particularly when your blueline includes Regehr, Phaneuf, Hamrlik and Stuart. This isn't Atanta and I don't cheer for the Thrashers. Calgary should be more balanced than this.

Tonight, the Coyotes come calling and one can only hope to see a modicum of the defensive prowess that once lurked within this team not-too-long ago. Sand is slipping through the hour-glass and the Wild and Vancouver are both rabidly grabbing points. The time to sort this crap out is now. An 8th place finish and a date with the Nashville Predators in the post-season is probably the worst possible play-off scenario for this team...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Noodles gets the start this evening in place of a tired and befuddled Kipper. Hopefully the rest will do him some good.

Moss will also be making his return, meaning one of the bottom 6 will be sitting the press-box. Bet on it being Godard. I'm not sure if this means Lombo will be back at center on the 3rd unit or not, but I think he's been great the last few games, so it may not matter either way. After struggling a bit in Conroy's shadow it looks like he's returned to pre-Craig trade form. Yay!

Let's go with a 3-1 Flames victory. Phoenix with less than 25 shots on net. Iginla, Moss and Giordano for Calgary. Nolan for the Coyotes.

GO FLAMES!

Confusion around our Huge Win

I have to admit, I am completely confused by our boys in Red. On Hockey Night in Canada, they played the NHL's toughest road team, and handed them a 7-4 loss. I know that too much has been made of Calgary's recent road woes, but despite that, I am continuously surprised by the Flames.

At home, we just don't seem to lose. It doesn't really matter who we play. On the road, we just cannot find a way to close the door. Even when it's a MUST have game against a terrible team and yours truly guarantees a victory. So rather than attempt to explain this, (because no one, not even the Flames themselves can seem to), I will offer my humble opinion on what was done well, and what needs improvement.

Positives:
I thought that Jarome continued to play some of his best hockey of the season. He was skating hard, making plays, and pulling the trigger when his chances came around. He was easily the best Flame on the ice, something that has been tough to do lately if your nickname isn't Juice.

Speaking of which, although he only accounted for 2 assists, I thought that Kristian played another solid game. As anyone who reads this blog knows, I am extremely biased towards my Flames, and although I acknowledge this, can anyone show me a player with better vision in the league that Juice? That pass across for Dion's goal was simply fantastic.

Although he had to sit for 2 penalties, I would still rank Tanguay's play as particularly good. He chipped in with three assists, and got jobbed on one penalty and sat for too many man on the other. His hustle caused several key turnovers including a goal at a key point in the game.

Lombo was flying around the ice, and his goal kept the momentum from changing hands. What can you say about Langkow? Here is a guy that never gets any credit, and consistently plays solid hockey at both ends of the ice. He is closing in on 30 goals, plays tough 'D', and is one of the Flames most underrated creative players. Primeau had another solid night, his recent energy has been sparking the Flames. He doesn't get the ice time of anyone else mentioned here, and he makes the most of it.

Lastly, I would like to acknowledge a member of the opposing team, something which I pretty much never do; Mark Bell, you are a class act. After devastating Primeau with an uppercut in their tilt, he backed off, looked at the linesmen, and pretty much called an end to a fight that could have gotten out of hand pretty quickly. Bell had no problem with Primeau, he needed to get his team a spark, and recognized that Wayne was doing the same thing. There was no reason to potentially injury someone that was just doing his job. Bell is a dying breed in the NHL, a tough guy that commands the respect of his peers through his consistent play, and his code of honour. It may be a cliche to say it, but it needs saying. Good job Mark.

Negatives:
Our whole defensive core. Once again we were soft in our own zone, and I hate to place the blame on our 'D' men, but that is where it rests. Now, don't get me wrong, I understand that the Sharks aren't exactly the average NHL team, in fact, the first line of the PP reads like an all-star line up, but guys, we have got to be tougher. There was a play mid-way through the first period that pretty much summed up how we have been playing in our own zone lately. Joe Thorton came down on the fore check and basically threw Regher out of the way and took the puck. Sort of a like when you were six playing against your dad and he decided to try all of a sudden; 'Sorry lad, I think I'll take that'.

One thing I did notice was how often we battled for the puck with one hand on our sticks. In my humble opinion, this is the one of the key reasons that we fail to clear the puck from our own zone when we are in trouble. The boys take one hand off the stick to win the battle, but when they do, the only option to 'head-man' the puck, is a feeble one handed push that never gets the job done.

I hate to pick on one guy in particular, but Rhett my man, you gotta take a break or something. It's clear your hurt, and while I cannot imagine the toughness it takes to go out there and battle on game nights, it's clear your not 100%.

Lastly, please, please give Kipper tomorrow night off. He looks tired out there as I have said before, and he needs a night or two to recover.

Next up, the drooling dogs from sandland.

Go Flames Go!

A Metaphor

Secret Matrimony - Dynasty Explained

"Check out those bedroom eyes! It looks like the picture was taken on the courthouse steps, minutes after their were married in a low key civil ceremony." - Kyle Duncan, Alberta-boy

Not that there is anything wrong with it, I am just curious as to why the NHL All time #1 and #2 scorers still choose to remain silent?

I guess it drove Janet to gambling.

Disappointment and Apologies

Wow, I don’t think I could have been more wrong if I tried. I guess I do owe you pizza Hockeygirl.

I admit, I was way out in left field on this one. My mind was in the clouds. In fact, I would go as far as to say that yesterday I was a different person than today. Yesterday, I looked at the situation that the Flames were in, and I thought to myself:

“Self, there is no way that they can lose this one. They have a tough game against the Sharks on Saturday night, and they need a road win. The Coyotes are currently basement dwellers, they are injured, and their back-up goalie is playing. Looks like everything is all lined up for a big Calgary win. In fact, I think I will do something stupid to show my belief that my team will mop the floor with these chumps. I know, I will make a guarantee! Why not? It worked for Broadway Joe.”

So with these thoughts in mind I started typing away feverously, so eager was I to show the world that among the doubters, there was one fan that still believed in his team. For anyone that didn’t get a chance to watch the catastrophic sh*tting of the bed, I will do my best to sum it up in one sentence.

The Flames have No Heart.

In a game where we clearly had more talent than the other team, we were simply outworked, something that shouldn’t happen to our boys. Oh sure, once in a while we might have a bad night, or the bounces don’t go our way, but that’s not what happened last night. Nope, last night Kipper was soft, our defense looked like frightened penguins, our fore-check was terrible, Iggy had 8 or 9 shots and no goals, we took bad penalties and the overtime display was probably the worst coaching I have ever seen in my entire life. 3 forwards and one offensive defenseman who, by the way, looked confused and lazy all night? Good job Jim. Seriously, that was awesome. Oh, and by the way, I would get my resume together if I was you.

Do I sound bitter? I friggin hope so, because I sure as hell am, and it’s not because of how stupid the Flames made me look after my guarantee. I’m not worried about that. There will be plenty of times I look stupid in the years to come, and more than likely, most if not all of them will have little to do with hockey. No, today I am bitter because in a game that they need to win, a game that they should win, they just didn’t seem to care. You may notice that I have quit using the pronoun ‘we’.

Like the rest of Calgary, the Flames seem to be caught up in the booming economic lifestyle. They forgot what it’s like to work for what you want. As much as I hate them, the Oiler’s and the city of Edmonton don’t ever forget it. They are a working class city, and if you ask them, they are proud of that. You know why? When you earn what you get, everything takes on more value. Lately, we haven’t earned a damn thing. We have more talent than 95% of teams in this league, and with a couple of notable exceptions, we haven’t been working hard enough lately.

I know it’s a cliché, but in ’04 the Flames showed that with some talent, and miles of heart, you can get within one missed call of hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup. Right now, they are showed that with all the talent in the world, you don’t go anywhere with the effort.

Tonight we Win; I Guarantee it

Before I look at tonight’s game, lets have a little remedial review of how the NHL in March works.

As we draw closer to the end of the regular season, unless you’re an Edmonton Oiler fan, every game becomes more important. Of course, games matter little to Edmonton, because they aren’t going to make the playoffs. I am well aware that everyone knows this, but I just like seeing it in writing. So, now that we have the obligatory ‘trash the losers from Garbagetown’ out of the way, let’s go back to the NHL near the end of the season.

Basically, it breaks down as a pretty simple equation:

Making the playoffs = Teams need points.
Points = Wins

So, what have we learned boys and girls? Teams need to win more games than they lose in order to be among the teams blessed with a chance to make a run for Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Now that we have completed ‘How to make the playoffs 101’ let’s have a look at tonight’s game. The Flames are in desperate need of a road win, and tonight is the night - I guarantee it. Why am I so confident you may ask? Well, if you keep reading, I will tell you...

Tonight the Flames are in Phoenix to play the abysmal Coyotes. The Desert Dogs are currently in 12th in the West, and they aren’t going to make the playoff this year. Just like Edmonton. This information can be translated into two important facts;

1. The Coyotes aren’t that good. If they were, they would in a position to make the playoffs. Wayne and the boys now have license to give some new ideas and players a whirl. They aren’t in it, so why not give some young lads a chance to show what they can do? Why not try some new things on the PP, see if you can improve on 28th overall?

2. Now I know guys like Doan are going to compete hard every-night, but let’s face facts; the Coyotes are a team that has nothing to gain out of tonight’s game, nothing except a paycheck. For our home-town heros however, tonight’s game is MASSIVE.

We need to win on the road, and it has to start tonight. I figure that in order to win a hockey game there are at least three things that need to happen and today, when the Flames do these three things, it will mean victory for us (and another confused angry look from Wayne).

1. Have an energetic, consistent forecheck. In the last couple of games, 90% of our forecheck looked like my aunt Mildred racing my 2 year old nephew for the last of the Chewy Chips A’hoy. We were always represented by aunt Mildred. Our team is one that survives and thrives on feisty play and finishing our checks. If we can set the tone in the offensive zone, it will go a long way for us winning tonight’s contest.

2. Give Mighty Miikka a rest. Now don’t get me wrong, Kipper is the best goalie in the world, but everyone needs some time off now and then. Lately, he has looked downright normal, and that does not bode well for the Flames. Give him tonight off, let him sit on the bench and smoke hundreds of cigarettes until he can refocus and find his confidence once again.

3. Actually play defense in our own zone. Lately, we have looked like a bunch of middle aged, out-of-shape bankers 5 minutes from the end of a shinny game in our end. Too tired to put in an effort to get the puck, and when by luck it ends up on one of our sticks, we make a weak-ass clearing attempt. We actually have to fight for, and win a puck battle in our zone. Then, we need to make a smart pass and start a break out. We simply cannot afford to have the puck stay in our zone for minutes at a time.

3 Recent Positives and 3 Predictions:

Jarome’s last game was as well as I have seen him play this year, and tonight, I have a feeling that he is going to go over the 30 goal mark. In fact, no Flame has recorded a hat-trick yet this season, and tonight is going to be Iggy’s night. As a side note, for the first time in what seems like forever, someone is actually challenging Iggy for the Flames lead in goals; his name is Beetlejuice (sort of). Juice seems to be working his way back into his point streak form, and I think he will have a solid game this evening, setting up at least one of Iggy’s goals. Last game he took more shots than I can ever remember, and I think he is good for another goal in the upcoming game. Juice has had flashes of brilliance, and against a weak Coyotes defense, I think he will have lots of room on the ice to make people look stupid.

I have also been pleasantly surprised with the solid play of Primeau. Two games ago he drew three different penalties, and has been a much needed spark on our third line. Tonight not only will he provide some jump to the game, but he will drop the gloves for the second time as a Flame.

As I have said, I guarantee we defeat the flea infested puppies from Arizona. In fact, it’s not even going to be close.

Final score tonight is 6-2 Flames. Iggy (3), Huselius, Langkow and Regehr for Calgary. Doan (2) for the Coyotes.

The Power of Sutter Compels You

He's just banishing an evil spirit from this lady. Honest!

Bag-skates and brow-beating haven't helped.

Public call-outs and private discussions haven't helped.

Liberal mixing of linemates and blockbuster trades haven't made a dent.

Badgering reporters, fan angst, precious points and play-off position - all useless before the might of the indomitable Road Demon that possesses the Calgary Flames outside of the comfy confines of the Saddledome. He slows legs and numbs minds. He infects the team with an un-thwartable malaise. pucks dumped in are irretrievable. Penalties against are un-killable.

It's high time for this fiend to be exorcised I say.

With a view to accomplishing this feat I dove head first into the unfathomably deep ocean of useless information that is our glorious interweb and found this helpful little article.

The devil may, in fact, be present if a person begins speaking unknown languages, has an utter revulsion to holy symbols such as a crucifix or baptismal oils, or displays super-human strength.

- Speaks unknown languages - Ever listen to Rich (mumbles) Preston pre and post game interviews? Check.

- Revulsion of holy symbols - the possessed "Road Flames" seem deathly allergic to the holiest of hockey symbols; that being the sacred "W". Check.

- Displays super-human strength. Hmmm...maybe if you consider the super-human amount of sucking they do. Semi-check.

Now that we've established the Flames are possessed beyond all reasonable doubt, next comes the actual ritual:

Says Father Giulio Savoldi, who has been Milan's official exorcist for more than two decades:

"I would include the supernatural force--the presence of God--and then suggest that the man picked to do this kind of work be wise and that he should know how to gather strength not just from within himself but from God."

Right. I think I can summon the strength of God. Why not? And I'm irrefutably wise.

(The components of the exorcism) include, according to the Rite:

Making the sign of the cross
Sprinkling holy water
Ordering the devil to leave the possessed person

I don't think the sign of the cross would help in this circumstance, so I'm going to go with humming the theme to "Hockey Night In Canada" while diving through the air Bobby Orr style. The sprinkling of Holy Water is a problem since I don't have any close at hand and it tends to burn me whenever I touch it anyways. Champagne from the Holy Grail (Stanley Cup) would no doubt be appropriate but, alas, I'm fresh out of that. Guess I'll settle for some "Xtremo - Mango Electrico" Gatorade. I can see the marketing slogan now: "quenches thirst AND battles the Dark Lord! - Is IT in you?...if so, get it out with holy Extremo Gatorade!"



Ordering the Devil to leave will probably be the easiest part. I would suggest, if any of you are trying this at home prior to tonight's contest, invoking the name of the Savior Sutter while demanding the Demon's exit. He conjured Kipper from nothing, brought healing and happiness to an ailing franchise and lead our team back to the Holy Land. If any presence will help drive the evil from the Road Flames, it's his.

So that's it! Starting tonight the Road Flames will no longer be tormented by the mediocrity Demon. Wins shall once again rain upon us and quench our thirst as a storm in the desert. Children will laugh and play, couples will happily copulate and Britney Spears will once and for all fade from our collective memories. Rejoice all you faithful. Rejoice and sing and frolic in the Red Sea...

(*other interesting tid-bits from the linked article - apparently the Devil speaks Italian and Hitler was influenced by evil spirits. Very charismatic ones it would seem).

Bourbon with a Whiskey Chaser

Let's get this out there right now - I have no friggen clue what's wrong with this team currently. The road woes are ludicrous and inexplicable and the defense is looking "Young Guns" porous. However, in an effort to preserve my own sanity, Im going to present a list of complaints yielded from yesterday's contest. I don't know if the team will fix them and I don't even know if they'd win if they did. But...whatever.

Principally, I have to say that Kiprusoff is playing some of his worst hockey as a Calgary Flame. He has been a contributing factor in the last 3 Flames losses (Detroit, Colorado, Colorado), and last night he wasn't just mediocre; he was dreadful. His rebound control was as bad as I've ever seen it: long range shots frequently resulted in juicy scoring chances thanks to the puck being kicked back into traffic areas. He frequently over-commited on plays; I can recall at least 3 instances where Kipper was out of the crease fruitlessly flopping around on the ice. Not to mention the fact that he allowed a harmless, fluttering back-hand to beat him near the end of the first or telegraphed his poke-check on the Savtos GWG.

The objective measures speak to Kipper's recent struggles. In Detroit, he allowed 3 goals on 14 shots before being pulled. That's a 0.786 SV%. Cumulatively, Kipper has only managed to stop 84% of the shots against him in the last 3 losses. That's nearly 10% below his 06/07 figure of .920 SV%.

While a significant argument can be made that Kiprusoff is worn out, I would venture to say it's more about confidence than stamina right now. The manner in which he was manically scrambling around the ice last night suggested "panic" rather than "fatigue" to me. He looks like a guy who is overcompensating for imagined faults and second-guessing his instincts. I would venture to guess that the road losses and the S/O issues are starting to get into his head, which is not insignificant given his usual stoic nature. For the Flames to get out of this funk, Kipper is going to have to become the implacable puck magnet we all got so used to the last few seasons.

Another loss, another Regehr miscue during a tied game in the third period. Not taking anything away from the Liles pass (which was great), but just how does Svatos get behind the Flames defense when they are sitting back on the blueline during the PK? In that situation, with that personel on the ice, it just simply shouldn't happen.

Speaking of the Flames PK - it makes me want to punch strangers in the throat and insult new parent's babies. It is a foul, repugnant, abortion of a special team for this club. I've said it before this year and I guess I'll have to say it again: I despise the "passive box" the Flames seem to favor. It is very, very obviously ineffective. It hasn't worked all year. It hasn't. It doesn't. It won't.

There isn't much about the Oilers that evokes envy in me, but their PK is one such thing. They pressure the puck carrier mercilessly all over the ice. Opposition point men are harassed and their shots are blocked. The bad guys are rarely given much room to breathe at all. The Flames, on the other hand, are content to give the other team the point, the sideboards and behind the net. Every Flame on the ice is just waiting to collapse like a teetering house of cards back to Kiprusoff. puck battles are fought to waste time, not to win possession. And can anyone explain to me why Calgary can't seem to line-up on the blueline and effectively dissuade zone penetration? I mean, this isn't prom night and the Flames aren't an ego-compromised cheerleader - for godssakes, close your legs fellas!

Does anyone else think Rhett Warrener is finished? He played a grand total of 10 soft minutes last night and still managed to get abused while he was on the ice. To be fair to him, Kipper should have stopped the Hejduk backhand. To be fair to Kiprusoff, Hejduk shouldn't have been allowed to shoot at all. Mark Giordano in Phoenix please!

It might be just me, but the Flames haven't looked very good at offering defensive zone puck support to each other the last few weeks. When the Avs were in Calgary's end of the rink last night, for instance, it almost invariably seemed to be 2 Colorado players vs. 1 Calgary player along boards and behind the net. That was also true of the 7-5 loss last week and the 7-4 shelling at the hands of the Red Wings. I don't know if it's a systemic issue or just lack of execution by the guys but it sure does suck.

Whew...Okay, I'm done. that's all the vitriol I got right now. Some guys deserved praise last night - Iginla, Juice, Langkow, Phaneuf, Hamrlik and Primeau - but I'm jut not in the mood. With Vancouver now 4 points clear of the Flames after another goddamn OT win and with Calgary reverting back to Sucktoberfest hockey of months gone by (at precisly the wrong time in the season), I'm simply not inclined to be handing out kudos at the moment...

R.I.P. cantaloupehalves

Out: cantaloupehalves
In: s0undwave

The reason? Perhaps a name change will spark the Oilers to go on a 17-6 run in their final 23 games and nab the 8th and final playoff spot. Dare to dream. And with the departure of Frodo, it may not be as far-fetched as it sounds. Actually, this has been my online handle for a long while. Might as well kick it old school.

Colorado is Burning!!! (Round 3)

Coincidentally, NHL GM's met today to discuss the instigator rule...I wonder if conversation was sparked when Darryl Sutter casually strolled to Francois Giguere's dinner table, methodically bouncing on his Swiss ball and chatting with Garth Snow about a back-up opportunity, and said:
"Do you mind playing Vaananen a lot today? Because we REALLY want to kill him. Err...I mean amicably engage in traditional fisticuffs..."

It is somewhat stunning that a hit from behind on Moss didn't warrant a single game suspension. It would become extremely relevant since suspensions usually benefit whoever plays the offender NEXT...but in this case it would have been a very appropriate sentencing seeing as the Flames are in the midst of a 3 game war with the Avalunch.

The discussion on rescinding of the severity of the instigator penalty is groomed for situations like this. Read "Run our player, and get ready for a war....a legal war"

Emery got 3 games for hitting a player in the FACE with his stick. He was FACING him. If you look at this hit from the angle of Vaananen wheeling into Moss's backside, it's just as, if not more, vicious. Jerk-face.

Well, the past is the past, and I only hope that the injury to one of our best energy forwards creates the spark and motivation they require to win away from home.

We have seen both Flames teams in the first 2 matches so far....and it really remains to be seen which team shows up for the game tonight....if it is the team that played in Detroit, and the team that appeared to be wearing broom-ball shoes in Round 1 shows up tonight...disregard all analysis after this period. <---that one right there Shut down sakic - nope

While Sakic has decimated Flames teams in the last 2 decades, and has inflated his totals on the scoresheet, its actually a 4-line rolling that makes Colorado dangerous. Fourth liners like #28 Guite and #12 Richardson perform well against our backend on the forecheck, crashing into them, wearing them down, and winning face-offs.

By doing this, they aren't tiring Old Man Joe out with 24 minutes plus a game, and allowing him to find his space in the slot and behind the net...carving up our defensemen like a mushy turkey.

Not one Colorado forward played over 20 minutes in Round 2, and Sakic only played 2 shifts more than that mark in Round 1.

Seeing that we are on the road for this match, and Colorado has the advantage of line-matching, Colorado's depth players may have a more 'significant' role than we would expect.

Defend against Liles, he's slick and dreeeeeammy - WRONG and YUCK

Quennenville doesn't like to play this offensive d-man against our squad. He actually garners the least amount of minutes (other than Vaananjerk) of all the back enders. D-men entrusted with the role of shutting down our offense include Clark (22 minutes +) and Skratkins (25-26 minutes). Strangely enough, these two also prevent the least amount of shots to go past their below-average goalie tandem by sacrificing their looks and ability to walk straight.

Besides these keys to the Avalanche performance....there are a number of reasons why we should destroy them.

1. We beat them in Colorado already. Meaning: It can be done, we CAN win on the road.

2. I haven't seen a Calgary Flame, in a LONG time, that gives me the sensation that he will score every time he touches the puck like Juice. Huselius is burying the biscuit from impossible angles, which has an interesting trickle effect:

- It creates competition, and job uncertainty for underperformers (what a non-scoring squad DIDN'T have last year) forcing the top line and all lines under his own to start producing.

- It creates a true 1-2 threat. I don't believe that Iginla is back to form (he is looking a little soft, actually) but is still putting the puck in the net making those road-matchups a little more difficult.

3. Bad Blood and Emotion - The Avalanche aren't a team that feeds off fierce competition and fiestiness like calgary does. While the Sakic-leadership promotes an even-keeled approach to competition (ex-Lapperierre), the Flames elevate their game and play when it's personal. Moss is the new Kobasew, he's important.

I think the flames will pull out a win for Moss like they did for Ritchie when he had his knee blown out by Spacek last year. The next game result? A 1-0 win over Toronto. I hope this is a trend for the flaming C.

As far as the rest of the roster...

I actually think that Stuart will have a great game tonight. His play has drastically improved since the first game. He reminds me of Regehr a few years ago + offense. He's MEAN in the corners, his first pass out of the zone is always on the tape, and he can unload a monster shot. That actually creates a big shot in all 3 d-men pairings (if Zyuzin is in the lineup).

Other interesting line-up changes include moving Lombo up to Langkow and Juice's line. I am interested to see how Lombo likes the right side, and I do like the prospect of Lombo getting 18 minutes +. I think by putting him on the side, and removing concern for Centerman Defensive-zone Responsibility, there is a great opportunity for the afterburners to clear slug-feet Dmen like Sauer tonight. If the D-can get their break-outs to normal, avoid pesky fore-checking, and hit a streaking #18 with a crisp pass it will be a sexy advantage over the Avs. Look for Hammer and Stuart to try it (because they are the only ones that can do it well).

Result: 4-3. 7 PIM for Godard.

Inquiring Minds and Unsolved Mysteries

"We hate you guys asking us the same question," sighed the captain. "We hate being asked the same question:

" 'Why can't you win on the road? Why can't you win on the road?' But, really, what can we expect when our record is what it is?

"We can't blame it on bad breaks or bad calls or bad anything. We can't blame anybody but ourselves. Why can't we win on the road?

"It's still an issue only because we continue to make it one."

- Jarome Iginla

Tonight, Jarome and company can take a step towards arresting that annoying reporter (and fan) inquiry by taking out the Avs. With the Canucks holding top spot in the NW division and the Wild merely one point behind (and 8th in the conference), there couldn't be a better time for the Flames to take their road issues by the throat.

Course, that has been true, to varying degrees, throughout the season thus far and they've almost always failed to get the job done. The lone bright shining moment for the Calgary road crew this year no doubt came against these same Avs while Iginla was laid up by his wonky knee. Whilst I was competing for cancer rays with the infirm and the elderly south of Florida, the Flames beat up on Colorado to the tune of 7-3 in the latter's own barn. At the time, the convincing victory seemed to indicate a reversal of fortunes for the much maligned away efforts.

Alas. A couple weeks later, the return of Jarome and a strengthening of the line-up through trades and the Flames still languish amongst the league's very worst road clubs.

Not to belabour the point unduly, but if they're so wise to the problems, why not ... fix 'em?! Ah, but that remains shrouded in mystery, along with Stonehenge, crop circles and the sudden, inexplicable cultural relevance of Anna Nicole Smith.

Says Johnson in the linked article. And, not to besmirch the education of the writer, but, crop circles are currently far, far less mysterious than the Flames ineptitude away from the 'Dome (I will concede the Anna Nicole Smith point, however).

Tonight we may well have the answer. Or an answers first glimmer, at least. With the regular season winding down and the possibility of losing the NW division crown to the Vancouver Canucks (gag) looming large, will necessity finally - finally - inspire the Flames to an actual, honest-to-god, decent road effort?

Here's hoping...

GO FLAMES!

2nd!

Let me cherish this moment, for it won't last long and the season is still long....

Click for larger image

An Ultimatum

I didn't want it to come to this, but you've forced my hand:

Flames - win tonight or I will arrange it so you must all watch countless hours of "The Simple Life" re-runs. A thing I consider to be the modern, non-fiction equivalent of Vogon Poetry.

That is all.

Of course, I Could Be Mistaken...

Calgary on, the other hand, is likely on the bright side of their most recent slump...

AHAHAHA! Good one.

Calgary did their best to prove me wrong yesterday, twice blowing 2 goal leads and once again bowing out to an inferior team in the 3rd period. The defense was only marginally more effective than it was against Detroit and Kipper looked like the Kiprusoff of Octobers past.

The most disturbing - and baffling - component of this recent string of futility is the Flames incomprehensible penchant for standing around and watching their opponents in the defensive zone. And I mean, quite literally, they become nigh immobile in their own end. I think Millions ruefully exclaimed "and the Flame are caught standing around!" at least half a dozen times last night. Any Avs player who had the puck beyond Calgary's blueline suddenly became an unstoppable force. Despite boasting a formidable group of physical defensemen (Phaneuf, Hammer, Regehr, Stuart and Warrener) it may as well have been Rico Fata battling Cam Neely in the corners all game.

I can't let this latter point pass without bringing up Robyn Regehr's continued struggles. Not only was he relatively ineffective down low, but his incredibly stupid gaffe lead to Hejduk's game winner in the third...

on the play, Regehr lugged the puck back into Flames territory. Instead of head-manning it, or carrying it to safer ground behind the net, he decided to circle towards the boards where he was immediately accosted by an Avs player. A give-away ensued. To make up for his give-away, Regehr proceeded to chase the puck into the opposite corner (where it had been moved), despite the fact that his partner, Dion Phaneuf, was already on puck pursuit duty. The result was a quick pass back to the point, a shot on net and an easy tip-in hat-trick GWG for a totally unconvered Milan Hejduk.

DUH! Fuck. That is just a bad play to make at any given time. But, to make it in the 3rd period of a tied game? Indefensible. When did Cory Cross make the Flames and what has he done with Reggie?

Of course, Regehr wasn't alone. Warrener struggled all night as well. I don't think there was a forward on the ice that was better than "bad" on his own side of the redline.

Then there's Tony Amonte. Three steps right of useless. He can't seem to handle the puck to save his life. His shots are invariably from long range and wide. And yet, there he was during the last minute of play, in lieu of guys like Conroy and Juice, giving the puck away at the opposition's blueline multiple times...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mr. Playfair;

Im glad the team is scoring a lot. And they're in first place (sort of) in the NW, and that's great. Now, can you please stop benching useful players when we're down a goal? Also, scratching Amonte was a good idea. Please dress Ritchie next game in his stead. And WTF is up with that road record?

Sincerely,
D.S.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I guess it would be reticent of me to overlook the few positives that last night yielded. Tanguay and Iginla were dynamite in Colorado's end of the rink. And Lombardi burst out of his struggles with a convincing bang! as well, which is encouraging. And while the Flames allowed 7 goals against (5 ES), Hamrlik and Phaneuf managed to be a combined +5. So not everyone was completely useless at defense yesterday - just mostly everyone.

*Sigh* So clearly the slump continues, the Atlanta game being a mere minor aberration. The Flames in general, and Kipper in particular, will need to figure out what is plaguing their defensive proficiencies sooner rather than later if they wish to stay in the hunt for top spot in the NW. Like, by this Saturday, for instance.

Forsberg to Nashville

Ahhh crap. As if we didn't have enough problems beating the Preds already.

Calgary Vs Colorado - First of Three

Today begins a baseball style (back-to-back-to-back) series against the slowly sinking Colorado Avalanche. The Flames could well solidify their grip atop the NW Division with a couple of wins, while the Avs are just looking to keep their meager post-season hopes alive (as well as further complicate the lives of the Kevin Lowe and Craig MacTavish).

With all due respect, it doesn't look good for Colorado. The first two meetings between these clubs went to the Flames, including a 7-3 dismantling that occurred at the hands of Calgary's road team sans Iginla. Ouch. Two of the next three games are in Calgary, where the Flames are an NHL best 23-5-1; not good news for a mediocre road team like Colorado (11-12-1). They are last in the NW division, 10 points back of the Flames, 4-5-1 in their last 10 and have a GD of +5...

Not to mention, very average goaltending. Peter Budaj has been forced to grab the reins in Colorado this year in response to Theodore's continued descent into Jim-Carey-like netminder purgatory. Budaj's numbers through 35 games aren't terrible, but they certainly aren't good either. One of his 2 shut-outs came in the Av's last outing (against the suddenly hapless Ducks) so one can safely infer a repeat performance of that type is unlikely tonight. Not to mention the fact that Budaj has surrendered 19 goals to the Flames in only 311 minutes of play so far in his career. Fair to say he hasn't fared well.

Calgary on, the other hand, is likely on the bright side of their most recent slump. The odd thing about the 4 game losing streak was the improvement of their special teams, in particular their PP, despite all the other suckage. In fact, the Flames are now somehow 13th in the league with the man advantage. The goal now is to put together their earlier ES dominance with their new found PP production. If Calgary can find a way to combine both consistently going forward, it might not matter that the PK is in the bottom 3rd of the league...

Other stuff:

• Kristian Huselius was at his dangling best against the Thrashers on Tuesday. If you watched the game, you may have noticed a couple of instances where he casually stepped outside of the offensive zone during his patented "sweep high near the blueline" arc. it occurred to me, when he did it the second time, that he has likely been coached to do this. Not in any "please put us offside Juice! The defense won't know what hit 'em!", but more of a "if you think you're in trouble near the blueline, don't try to force the play. Feel free to step outside the zone and regroup." This way, Playfair doesn't stifle Huselius' creativity in the offensive zone while managing to assuage some of the risk that comes with that creativity. Sure the price is an occasional relinquishing of pressure, but the reward - Juice's continued confidence and production - is more than worth it.

• Lombo still seems to be amidst the struggles that began when Conroy arrived. And I think it has as much to do with his own psychology as it does with opportunity. Recently I've noticed Lombardi is trying to do too much on the ice. Against the Blue Jackets last week, he made at least 3 overly fancy back-hand passes in the BJ's zone that went to no one in particular. Against Atlanta, Lombardi had an opportunity to ice the puck during the PK - instead, he tried to step around the Thrashers defender and create an odd-man rush. The result was a stick check and continued Atlanta pressure in the Flames zone. The problem for Lombardi now is a self-perpetuating cycle - he can't get back among the top 6 if he continues to struggle. However, he might just continue to struggle if he can't get back among the top 6. ARGGH! Here's hoping Lombardi simplifies and finds a way to excel the next few games. His continued performance and growth are important for the Flames. This year and in the future.

As for tonight, let's go with a 5-2 Calgary victory. Moss, Iginla, Huselius, Phaneuf and Lombardi for Calgary. Wolski and Sakic for the Avs.

GO FLAMES GO!

Burning Trash

I was lucky enough to attend last night’s drubbing of the somewhat emotionless Atlanta Thrashers at the hands of ALL 4 LINES of the Calgary Flames.

Here are the following interesting observations on the Atlanta T(h)rash:

Marian Hossa – Huge powerful strides and a fantastic skater. His prowess at 2-way play seems to be based on his ability to chase down rushing forwards/defensemen on the back check. His size on the ice can’t be emphasized enough, he’s a huge guy.

The Trash have developed a cute vaulting play where they dump the puck behind the opposing team’s d-man and let him skate under it. Almost worked when they were short-handed, and it gave him a break-away later in the game. Other than a few noticeable penalty kills, and 2 vaulting plays, he was invisible for the rest of the night.

Ilya Kovalchuk – Plays in his own world. His linemates and D-men don’t exist when he has the puck. Constantly putting the puck in spots where his doppleganger should have been. Problem is, he doesn’t have a doppelganger, he has crappy linemates.

He does play with a lot of emotion though, it was good to see him and Phaneuf jostling in the very boring 3rd period.

Garnet Exelby – A very surly d-man. Threw his body around a lot, and was yapping at Phaneuf from the bench all game. Logged over 20:00, and had 5 hits. All of them earned.

Now onto our bubble-gum chewing, non-slumping, home-record-wrecking ball Flames:

Wayne Primeau – Huge. Great checking line center, and very strong on the forecheck. AND dropped the gloves. A definite Sutter guy. I wouldn’t be surprised, IF he can keep playing this, that our wily GM makes an offer to keep him.

The 4th line with Friesen, Primeau and Godard (when he got a shift) actually played really well. The Trash could not handle their size, and BOTH their ‘tough’ guys had their lunch fed to them by God-Hard and Prime-Time.

Godard did not use a spoon.

Primeau did not make a cute airplane noise.

If you were going to give out the obligatory ‘New-guy’ 3rd star, it should have been Primeau.

Jeff Friesen - Another solid effort in his own back end, created a good cycle down low. Mr. Freeze made up for his linemates' lack of speed by whirling all over the ice when Primeau and Godard were crashing. I think he’s found a great niche as a checking forward and penalty killer.
Interesting note, heading into the contest Friesen had as many points as Conroy over the last 7 games (2g 3a). Selke candidate? heheeh...

Calgary's top 2 lines – Phenomenal. Absolutely dominated an average Atlanta back-end. Iginla was spinning in the corners like he was pre-injury. Huselius has been given a creative license that allows him to go in-and out of the attacking zone (making his line offside) at will. Proof that his confidence with the puck was unshakable.

There was an accidental delayed line change that left Huselius and Langkow with Iginla on the ice, they danced in Atlanta’s zone making them look like 9 year old drunk monkey-pigs. Unfortunately, it didn't stick for the rest of the night.

Lombo – I am worried that he is getting lost in the folds. He is not getting serious ice-time, and rarely plays with anyone from the top 2 lines. If only he could play right-wing.

The best comedic part of the game happened during a TV-time out after Calgary’s 4th goal. Lehtonen went to the bench and started flooding his eyes with drops from a bottle, then started talking to Hedberg.

The conversation, probably had snippets that went like this:

"Man is it dry in here, no seriously...no I am NOT crying. Shut-up JOHAN"

"Hey, put that tent away, I am still the #1 guy. Seriously, Mr. Hartley told me that in a Valentine. Any pointers?"

All-in-all, it was a valiant team effort. The D weren't on the mainstage because Calgary's offense, board-work and forechecking occupied Atlanta all game. Stuart absolutely leveled Slater (you know, the guy that would hit Primeau, but wouldn't let him kick his ass) which was a great highlight.

Other than the clown-play that resulted in Atlanta's goal, the Thrashers did NOT have a chance.

First period was amazing.
Second period was a little more tense, and a lot more feisty.
Third period couldn’t end soon enough.

Go Flames Go!

The Big Bone

Scenario:

Although small, you hold incredible talent in the game you love.

Skill aside, you are disadvantaged by a sport that favours the strong, large and mean.

Even still, you were drafted in the VERY late rounds of the NHL draft and received a rare opportunity to play on the biggest stage for your sport.

You were picked up for spare change from a struggling team on the East Coast.

Returning to your home province, you join a strong Canadian franchise with rocketing talent and huge winning potential.

You play a depth role, but get to grow a beard in the spring. You join the ride to the Stanley Cup finals. Your boyhood dream is nearly fulfilled.

You get meaner.
You play better defense.
You get to beat the crap out of Cory Stillman.

The following season, you continue the winning ride to the top of your division, with the same core group that you shared the last year’s success with.

The game changes, and your value increases. Your leadership is established and important.

You become fast friends with the team’s franchise talent, and get to pair up with Robyn Regehr to take on Shaun Donovan and Jarome playing Age of Empires III on the charter flights between cities (true story).

As defacto local royalty, you embrace the role, taking a public life and large involvement in charities and fundraising activities. You are given the label of being the most ‘cerebral’ in a sport that lives off clichés and the words ‘um’.

The fans love you for who you are off the ice.

Most of the fans love you for who you are on the ice.

You have a chance to sign an extension, and stay in this same city for 3 more years.

The catch: You have to take a home-town discount.

The other catch: The Team GM doesn’t believe in no-trade clauses

So, is there an unwritten agreement that this new extension keeps you in this city?

Is it understood without speaking that while you provided your team with valuable cap room and important defensive depth but simultaneously made yourself incredibly vulnerable in a trade scenario, that loyalty dictates that you stay with the team for a little while longer?

Apparently not.

This, in brief, is the boning of Andrew Ference.

I understand that hockey is business, and winning is everything.

But it involves people.

These ‘people’ while professional athletes, and earning millions of dollars make decisions based on the ‘softer stats’ just as often as they do for the ‘dollar bills’. Andrew Ference based his decision on the former.

Now, Andrew is a tough character and he will get over the trade, but this situation begets another question:

Will this damage the reputation of the Calgary Flames when trying to attract talent into their organization?

Maybe not in the depth department, i.e. guys fighting for jobs, but instead the high-priced talent that can take you all the way?

Is it even important to worry about ‘feelings’ in a game based on winning?

Edit: Ference pretty much sums up the 'unwritten' loyalty thing here

Calgary Vs. Atlanta Pregame

A couple of slumping division leaders meet tonight. Atlanta has lost 5 of 6 and Calgary has lost it's last 4 (2 of which were against Chicago and Columbus. EWW!).

The true key to tonight's game may just end up being Jarome Iginla. If the captain can right the ship in terms of his own performance, I don't think the rest of the team will be too far behind.

As Matt notes in his pregame, Atlanta probably has the most one dimensional attack in the league. Hossa and Kovalchuk are bona fide superstars (I got them both in my hockey pool), and Kozlov is a decent support player, but the rest...? Consider that Ilya was playing on a line with Jon Sim and Glen Metropolit against the Oil. That's a 40 goal scorer with 2 players that can't even make Calgary's roster. Then Hartley had Hossa with Belanger and...uh...

you get the idea. The best method to beat Atlanta is, simply, stop Kovalchuk and Hossa. No more, no less. Their defence isn't going to win them games nor is their goaltending. And they have worse special teams than Calgary. If you can adequately contain 2 players, you can prevail.

Course, the Flames couldn't have contained a comatose sloth on Sunday, so it all depends if we actually see the "real" Calgary Flames or not. My bet is - yes. Surely they can't be that bad twice in a row. Especially now that they're back home. Surely?

4-2 Calgary victory. Iginla, Langkow, Lombo and Amonte for the Flames. Hossa (2) for Atlanta.

GO FLAMES!

New Hockey Forum

Christian, or our own Mr. CantaloupeHavles, has a added a messageboard to his wildly popular site "nhlnumbers.com". Topic areas on the forum include "general discussion", "trade proposals" "player salaries" and "CBA talk". I encourage you to swing by and bring a friend...after all, a forum's only as good as it's members.

EDIT - I've just been made a MOD. So, if you get banned...it was probably me.

Stuart Stays Home?

On the heels of one of the biggest trades for Calgary in the last few years, the next big question-mark still remains: Will Brad Stuart sign with the Flames?

Undeniably, Brad Stuart fits into all things Calgary Flames. There is an obvious roster spot for him in the top 4 (arguably top 2) D-men spots and he also fits the stereotypical “Sutter Requirements”

A. Must have played for a Sutter at one point in his career
B. Must be a hard-nosed Alberta Boy

Sutter also seems to have a soft-spot for talented defensemen and a team built around sound defensive play, which only amplifies Stuart’s value to Mr. Sutter.

Those in favour of Stuart signing a deal in Calgary read below

1. Stuart fits into a large portion of the “Sutter Requirements”
Being coached by Sutter in his formative rookie years establishes a strong working-relationship with the Flames GM as well as the current assistant coach Rich Preston. There is a nice fit for Stuart in Calgary, and he has the opportunity to stick with a ‘contender’ and some familiar faces for potentially as many years as he wishes.

2. Stuart has played in Calgary before (therefore will not have his family surprised by how junky his teams’ town is in the Winter i.e. Edmonchunk.)
Stuart, of the Hitmen Alumni, split his final year in the ‘dub before vaulting into the big league under Sutter’s coaching umbrella. Having some familiarity with the city will give Stuart an important answer when deciding on signing, an advantage over signing in a new city.

3. Stuart has Family in Alberta
Albeit a soft stat, nevertheless a very important one when deciding on where to stay for the next 2-3 years. In the salary-cap era, a player has more choice on where to hang his hat since dollars are equal in all markets and this is an advantage Calgary has over other teams Free Agent shopping. This may satiate his home-sick Californian wife.

4. The Proverbial “Blank Check”
I am sure that Sutter did not give up 2 roster players, correction, 2 very popular roster players for a 4th round draft pick. Sutter brought in Stuart for this season’s playoff push, and because he believes that he can sign him in the off-season. Assuming that one side is already shored up their decision for a long-term commitment, all that is left is for Stuart to decide he wants to stay. I believe that Stuart will command at LEAST Hamrlik’s salary to remain a flame…and I don’t expect to see Hamrlik in a Big Red C come July 1, unless it is for a 1-year extension.

5. All Hail Sutter
Sutter has never mortgaged the future for short term gains, furthermore seemed abhor the idea of the ‘rental player’. So, unless Sutter believes that time is limited and this is the last year in a while that they can make a solid run for the Cup, expect that Sutter already has the inside track on a long-term deal. If this trade can remain in progress behind the scenes for over a month, have faith that the idea of a re-signing has already been covered.

That being said….

Those here against Stuart signing in Calgary, and going back to the West Coast read the following:

1. CALIFORRRNNIIAAAA

Brad Stuart is Corey (Fred Savage), and his wife is Jimmy (Luke Edwards). With Jimmy possessing a burning desire to travel to California, Corey (Brad) is drawn into his adventures that lead him to compete in a Nintendo Competition. While in the movie, Jimmy was successful at uncovering the warp pipe and catapulting himself to victory, Stuart has come up empty in his quest for the Nintendo Championship. While the Power Glove will play no role in Stuart signing with the Flames, his wife being from California, and the pair not selling their home in California when he was traded to Boston definitely will.

Tied in with this is the Flames’ competition come UFA season….

2. Ye Old Pacific Division
The Sharks have been looking for an offensive defenseman all year, attempting to fill the spot that Stuart left behind when he was traded to Boston. San Jose has the cap room to acquire said D-man, and I would suspect that they would make a push to get him back into the fold.

GM Dean Lombardi drafted Mr. Stuart when he was with San Jose, and if the Kings unload at the deadline, they would create the cap space that they would undoubtedly love to use signing a young stud D-man like Stuart to anchor their blue line. Although there could be some bad blood here with a 15 game hold-out in 2002 before Stuart was signed to a 3 year deal.

So there seems to be an unspoken desire to remain on the West Coast, as well as the opportunity to help him stay there, which may prove to be a large obstacle signing Stuart into a new slimming Reebok jersey with Flames colours. This desire to return to a team ‘closer to home’ could be the source of stalled talks between Stuart and Boston, which resulted in his trade to Calgary. Coupled with this is the X-Factor as to whether or not Stuart enjoys playing in a hockey-obsessed market, or prefers to remain off-stage when the game is done.

That being said, Calgary is a hockey market many players love playing in. I don’t suspect Stuart to be any different…

Prediction: Stuart convinces his eccentric brother Jimmy to stay in Calgary for 3 years.

The Hotel Curse

It happens at least once a season to almost every team. The humiliating blow-out loss. This year, the Sharks bowed to the Coyotes 8-0. Anaheim got smacked around by Philly. Last season, the Flames were humbled by Nashville to the tune of 9-4. The only real consolation for the Flames is that their last 2 bouts of degradation came at the hands of very good opponents.

Of course, the true unmitigated disaster isn't the Detroit debacle from yesterday. That's merely the exclamation point. The real train-wreck is the roadtrip as a whole - 0-2-1 - one point out of a possible 6. Prior to leaving the Dome, it looked like the Flames had the all the pieces coming together (ref assisted loss to the Hawks notwithstanding). Everyone was scoring and Kipper was unbeatable. Conroy and Iggy had returned and the team was alone in first place.

Cue the collapse.

A rueful performance in Columbus was followed up by a fairly decent, yet ultimately vain, effort in Buffalo. By the end of the game against the Sabres, the Flames had squandered no less than 3 straight 3rd period leads. The big guns had been silent since the 'Hawk contest and were playing so poorly as to be detrimental to the cause. And then a big trade, a disruption in the dressing room, an away game less than 24 hours later to a strong opponent and the painful, "un-lubed" assault that resulted.

On one hand, this recent spate of ineptitude seems like a natural and inevitable regression - the Flames had been riding high through January despite various obstacles and had been an excellent team in general since the end of October. Speaking in strictly probabilistic terms, a slump was bound to happen sooner or later. It doesn't seem to make intuitive sense, given the fact the team's roster is arguably stronger than it has been at any other given point in the season, but there it is.

What isn't simply probabilistic of course, and thereby more of a concern, is the road record. Calgary is approaching honest-to-god laughable levels of buffoonery away from home. The unerring and marked difference between the team's performance and effort in the Dome vs. other rinks is becoming a fascinating case-study in group dynamics and sport psychology, as well as a horribly vexing sticking point for coach and fans alike. Should this continue, I half expect someone to find Jimmy Playfair purple and prostrate in his home one day, a glass of Jack on the table, an empty bottle of Valium clutched in his dead hand, and a half-burnt copy of Kerouac's "On the Road" still smoldering on the floor nearby.

The road woes have been perpetuated by various issues so far this season. First, there was the now annual Flames slow start (almost as equally inexplicable). Then, there was the lack of quality minutes from the supporting staff such as Friesen, Nilson, Lundmark, McCarty, Zyuzin and the like, making line matching on the road an interesting adventure. Further complicating issues, Kipper struggled in mid-December, leading to a week or two of increased goals against.

And now, after dominating the competition and almost faultlessly carrying the mail for the majority of the year, the Flames big guns have fallen into a funk. Langkow, Iginla, Tanguay and to a lesser extent Lombardi, Huselius and Conroy have all been rather ordinary or worse over the last 4 games. The first 2 in particular have struggled mightily as compared to their earlier work this year. Iginla may still be getting up to game speed thanks to his month-long lay-off, but Im not sure what the deal is with Langkow. Lombardi's struggles began when Conroy was brought into the fold, and he has yet to completely break-out of them. The Huselius inclusion may be a tad unfair, considering he managed to extend his scoring streak to an NHL best 15 games despite the black-hole like suckage of some of his teammates. He's probably been the best of the top 6. Tanguay had a decent enough game yesterday (as much as that is possible to say about any Flame from yesterday) but was bordering on "dreadful" in the 3 games prior.

The good news, I suppose, is that Iginla and co. cannot simply be this bad for too much longer. The Flames now have a fairly strong supporting cast with the additions of Primeau and Conroy and a formidable top 4 defense corps with acquisition of Stuart. If Iginla can rediscover his form again (and, really, that's all it'll take), the Flames should get back to their winning ways again. At least, at home. Whether this all equates to some measure of road success before the end of the season is, at this point, a total fucking mystery. but here's hoping, I guess.

Calgary @ Detroit - A Pictorial Summation

Stuart Comes Home

Dozens of tangential issues sprouted in my mind upon hearing the news of the trade last night. The timing, the reasons, the impact on the ice, the salary cap and the implications for the Flames beyond this season.

I'll start, however, by stating Im somewhat sorry to see Ference go. As a player, I think he'd made significant strides this season towards being a solid and consistent defender. He almost always gave 100% and was very durable. I will admit, had this deal been announced at this time last season, I would have bought anyone nearby a drink in order to toast his departure. He was my favorite Flames whipping boy last season, owing to his penchant for comitting baffling, defensive-zone gaffes at inopportune times. For example; remember when he passed the puck into the side of the Flames night last night for no apparent reason? He did that kind of stuff a lot last year.

Not so much this year though. Freed of Warrener (which may be a not insignificant point) Ference has been surprisingly stout and relatively dumb-mistake free all year. He was never going to be a top four guy, but was swiftly rounding into an almost equally valuable commodity - the relatively cheap but ultimately effective depth defenseman.

Ference - the person - also has other qualities ouside of the rink. He was always good for a quote on a substantive issue. He went to the mat for his teammates and was, no doubt, a good dressing room presence. He seemed to genuinely love Calgary. And he wasn't above "mingling with the commoners" - in fact, he would frequently contribute to the Calgarypuck community under the alias "Okotoker". His farewell, posted shortly after he discovered he'd been traded, can be found here. The subsequent responses and reactions to his departure will give you the sense of his impact on team and fans alike.

For his part, Charles "Shazam!" Kobasew basically played himself into obsolesence this year. I like Chuck - his gumption, his work ethic and his potential - but, for whatever reason, he couldn't seem to put it altogether in Flames colors. He struggled mightily this season, managing less goals than David Moss in more games. In fact, the contrast between the two players efficacy in similar roles no doubt rendered Kobasew expendable.

So long Chuck! I'll miss your Kamikaze attitude and rare hat-trick. I won't miss your inability to dodge checks or play well for more than a game at a time.

Of course, Brad Stuart, he of prior Calgary Hitmen fame, is the centerpiece in this deal. I think, like many of the more attuned fans, Sutter had grown weary of the big, obvious "4th d-man" void that loomed large every evening beside Robyn Regehr. At this point, I think a sizable portion of the big guy's issues this season can be associated with his lack of a capable partner. None of Warrener, Ference or Zyuzin were able to get the job done consistently, all being of the 5th-7th d-man pedigree. Giordano is a revelation, but still not top-4 capable. The enduring and fruitful synthesis of Phaneuf and Hamrlik meant a rotating tie-rack of less than top-notch partners for Regehr all season, and his play frequently suffered for it. My hope, and no doubts Sutter's as well, is that Stuart can step in and effectively solidify Calgary's top 4 (and allow guys like Warrener and Zyuzin to comfortably slide back to 15-18 minutes/night). In addition, Stuart apparently has a booming shot and an ability to contribute offensively from time to time, which means the Flames may finally have someone else that can play the point on the PP besides Phaneuf (which was one of my laments back in the All-Star Break Data Dump post).

Wayne Primeau - the "throw-in" player - is a big guy that can win face-offs and crash in the corners. He seems somewhat redundant, considering the mess of 3rd/4th line players the Flames possess (Yelle, Ritchie, Godard, Friesen, Amonte, Nilson, Conroy) three of whom are already centers, but...he's big, he's mean and he can actually win a draw. All of these are qualities the Flames can use, especially come play-off time. I wouldn't expect him to be re-signed by Calgary in the off-season, however.

The latter point, in terms of Stuart, may be the most important one when it comes to the deal in the long-run. If Sutter is unable to re-sign the 27 year-old defenseman, which, Im assuming is his ultimate goal here, then the Flames basically dealt away two relatively young, cheap and capable roster players for 30+ games of Brad Stuart. I've no doubt that the message from Sutter here is "let's win now!", but it would still surprise me if Darryl didn't make this swap with some kind of eye to the future.

As it stands, Calgary has all of their d-corps signed through next year with the exception of Hamrlik (UFA), Giordano (RFA) and now Stuart (UFA). Both Stuart and Hamrlik could probably command in the $4 million+ range for their next contract, meaning one but not both could be potentially re-signed by the club. With all due respect to Hammer and what he's accomplished here, Stuart is probably the preferable choice. He's 27 to Hamrlik's 33 and is more likely to contribute offensively. I guess the hope is Stuart likes his time here during the remainder of this season and is willing to entertain contract negotations with Calgary come summer.

So, overall, I like the trade. It shores up the Flames blueline (even more) and makes it one of (if not the most) fearsome collection of defenders in the league. It communicates to players and fans alike that the Flames are putting the pedal to the metal in the stretch drive AND it garnered valuable commodities from what were previously a spare part from Pittsburgh (Ference) and an unknown Flames draft pick (Kobasew). Naturally, the proof will be in the pudding, so if Stuart somehow turns out to be another Zyuzin misstep, or if he walks in the off-season, my perception of the swap may be less rosy in the near future. Till then, color me satisfied.

(PS - It can't be overstated how perversly amused I am that Sutter snatched Stuart away from KLowe and the Edmonton Oilers. How galling it must be for some of our neighbours to the North to see Calgary swap a guy who could play in their top 4 for a guy who could play in their top 2. "The rich get richer", that old, envious sentiment, is no doubt making the rounds amongst many of the unfortunate stinktowners today.)

Buh Bye....

I'm sure everyone has heard by now about the trade that was made with the Bruins right after the Buffalo/Calgary game last night. For those who haven't, Sutter has traded Andrew Ference and Chuck Kobasew for Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau. You can read the story here.

Personally I don't much like the trade myself. One reason is I don't like it when Sutter goes out and grabs old Sharks players he has coached (with the exception of Kipper). Second reason is I thought Andrew Ference was actually one of our more solid d-men of late. As for Chuck though, I was getting fed up of watching his inconsistent play and his tendency to fall down when someone breathed on him. But replacing him with W. Primeau wouldn't have been my first choice.

I guess we'll see tonight vs. Detroit how these two will help our team out.

P.S. Too bad it wasn't B. Ference that we got rid of.

Joy and Dread

Were I not a not among the Flames faithful, I would be a Sabres fan.

Not due to any prior youthful influence or geographical proximity. I just flat out enjoy watching them play.

As such, I've been looking forward to this particular match-up all year. By that I mean - anticipating it with joy as a hockey fan and with dread as Flames fan. Make no mistake about it, the Sabres are a legitimate Stanley Cup contender this season. They have a strong, mobile blueline, mountains of offense and 2 quality goaltenders. four of their forwards - Drury, Briere, Afinogenov and Vanek - are genuine gamebreaker talents. All five have already eclipsed the 20 goal mark, while Ales Kotalik and Jochen Hecht are knocking on the door with 14 each. They have allowed 25 more goals than the Flames this season (159-134), but still have a GD of +42 thanks to their league leading 201 GF.

The only real weaknesses I can detect in the Sabres is their special teams and, perhaps, lack of grit. The Sabres currently rank 15 on the PP and 18 on the PK - which is odd especially in terms of the PP number given their propensity to generate offense. However, that doesn't help the Flames much since they are actually worse than the Buffaslugs in both measures. Sigh.

So "lack of grit" is all we're left with. Buffalo doesn't have a single, punishing defenseman or brutish stalwart on the back-end, nor would I classify most of their front-enders as "power forwards". Guys like Briere, Drury and Pominville are certainly "fiesty", but hardly conjure fear in the hearts of their opponents (from a "physically punishing" perspective). Kotalik, Vanek and Afinogenov are all rangy, crafty, offensively gifted players that are also relatively soft. I would suggest only Paul Gaustad and Andrew Peters are players of the truly "greasy" variety.

For their part, then, the Flames will have to play a smart but physical road game in order to taste any measure of success this evening. Apparently, in an effort to shake the team from the dissociative fugure that seems to grip them in hotels, Playfair has re-shuffled the lines for tonight's contest. During practice, Iginla skated on a line with Langkow and Friesen, while Lombo moved back up between Tanguay and Amonte. Conroy was placed with Nilson and Moss while the final trio was some combination of Juice, Yelle, Ritchie and Godard.

The only sense I can make of the above troikas is, perhaps, Playfair's wish to match the Sabres line for line, since they tend to roll all 4 pretty consistently. What it looks like to me, though, is the neutralization of offensive production. Huselius with Yelle and Ritchie? Tanguay with Lombo is nice, but Amonte can't hit the net from 3 feet out anymore. The Conroy combo looks like a decent 3rd line, but I wouldn't expect them to score much either. I guess the first trio could pot a couple, but that's only because of Iginla and Langks and in spite of Friesen.

Perhaps it's foolish to expect Playfair to be stoic and steadfast in his line combinations anyways. I've no doubt that, as the game progresses, the wheat will seperate from the chaffe, resulting in some more familiar threesomes up front.

In conclusion, I say the Flames shake off some of their road woes tonight and come out fast and hard. 4-3 Calgary victory with Jarome (2 - he can't be that bad 3 games in a row), Lombardi and Phaneuf scoring for the Flames and Briere, Afinogenov and Campbell (all in my pool, heh) for the Sabres.

GO FLAMES!

For a view from the other side, visit Sabre Rattling.