It's back to the real deal for the Flames tonight. I, for one, am both happy and relieved the Olympics are done with: happy because they interruped one of the most interesting NHL seasons that has ever been for a Flames fan so far (top team in division, the Dion, new NHL rules, etc. etc.) and relieved because we managed to escape relatively unscathed, injury wise, from the Olympic grind.
The same can't be said, however, for the unfortunate Canucks. Saddled with fairly average back-end talent (beyond their top 3 defensemen) and combined with bad luck and a gun-shy GM, the Nucker blueline will look something like that failed CBC project "Making the Cut" roster for the contest tonight...observe:
No Jovo (nagging injury).
No Ohlund (bruised ribs)
No Salo (seperated shoulder)
Quesitonable Baumgartner (ankle)
That leaves Allen, suddenly thrust into the #1 defensman role, and...McCarthy? Brookbank? Butchenson?...err...others-yet-to-be-named??
(I bet Hulse would have been welcomed by the Canucks with open arms today. Oh well)
Here's the potential pairings for Vancouver tonight:
Allen - Baumer (if he's healthy)
McCarthy - Brookbank
Butchenson - ?
Ouch. Sucks to be considering that line-up if you're a Vancouver fan.
Further hampering the Canucks chances of victory tonight is the "Sedin Gold Medal" factor. That's right, the Sedin sisters decided to whoop it up in Sweden before returning to North America. Which means they are arriving in Calgary from Sweden on a flight TODAY. Anyone who has flown for over 8 hours from Europe can attest to the consequences; fatigue, jet-lag and generally irritable. While the Sedins may play tonight, I doubt they will be very effective. In light of Bertuzzi's performance in the Olympics (and average season overall), that's a bad thing for Vancouver (but good thing for us though).
Is there anything in the Canucks corner tonight? Rested Naslund, maybe...
So, I'd love to say that the Flames have this one in the bag. But, everytime I even HINT at making that kind of declaration, the Flames lose. See Calgary's last roadtrip. The main things going for the Canucks tonights are:
- Calgary doesn't score a lot anyways. Therefore they are less of a threat to light-up the hobbled Vancouver defense.
- Calgary seems to play horribly against lesser and weakened foes. Just ask Chicago, NY (Islanders), St. Louis, Edmonton (Sans Pronger and an NHL calibre goalie), etc.
That said, the Flames are relatively healthy (Hammer's still hurt, but that's it) and have a rested Kiprusoff. They also lead the season series against the Canucks with a 4-1-1 record. Overall, the Flames are heavily favored in almost everyway. I just hope that translates to a WIN this time.
Gameday Threat - "WIN FLAMES. OR YOU WILL BE BLAMED FOR TEAM CANADA'S OLYMPIC FAILURE."
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
WOOHOO! GOLD STAR
Looks like I'm (along with every other Canadian athlete who isn't on the men's Olympic hockey team...aside from Wotherspoon of course) earning gold these days too...
Anyways, before posting about the impending Calgary vs. Manitoba Moose game tonight, I figure I'd deal with the Flames latest wheelings and dealings...
as in, Sutter picked up ex-Flame (and born Calgarian) Cale Hulse this morning for minor leaguer Cam Severson (link).
So, once Hammer returns, Calgary will have 8 defensemen (including Mush and the recently recalled Giordano). What does that spell? L-E-O T-R-A-D-E. Yup, I figure Jordan's days as a Flame are numbered. Further, this raises my personal hopes that Sutter is gunning hard after Jokinen, probably with a Leopold-Kobasew-1st rounder type package.
Stay tuned folks, this could get interesting...
Anyways, before posting about the impending Calgary vs. Manitoba Moose game tonight, I figure I'd deal with the Flames latest wheelings and dealings...
as in, Sutter picked up ex-Flame (and born Calgarian) Cale Hulse this morning for minor leaguer Cam Severson (link).
So, once Hammer returns, Calgary will have 8 defensemen (including Mush and the recently recalled Giordano). What does that spell? L-E-O T-R-A-D-E. Yup, I figure Jordan's days as a Flame are numbered. Further, this raises my personal hopes that Sutter is gunning hard after Jokinen, probably with a Leopold-Kobasew-1st rounder type package.
Stay tuned folks, this could get interesting...
Monday, February 27, 2006
Thanks Metro.
I would just like to say Thank You to Metrognome for your constant dedication to this Blog and your great contributions that provide fun and informative reading. I believe I speak for everyone when I say that we cannot wait to see what you have in store for us after this olympic break.
Here's your gold star, enjoy!
As for all the other contributors of this blog I could not find a picture that accurately portrayed my thanks to you for your contributions and the ones that did come up on when I used Google image search were inappropriate for a public audience. I know, I know...pot, kettle.
Here's your gold star, enjoy!
As for all the other contributors of this blog I could not find a picture that accurately portrayed my thanks to you for your contributions and the ones that did come up on when I used Google image search were inappropriate for a public audience. I know, I know...pot, kettle.
NHL Fantasy Hockey Season 2
I extend and invitation to all the readers of this Blog to join me and the other contributors (some more than others *ahem* metro) of this Blog to play in Season 2 of Fantasy Hockey at http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/hockey/home.html.
The league is: Five Hole Fanatics
Password is : fhf
We usually play a game that is not money based (so we don't buy any trades).
Winner gets bragging rights, and a date with my sister.
Hurry up and get your team ready for tomorrow's deadline!
See you there!
P.S. I won season 1 of the 2005/2006 Fantasy Season. Go Bloody_Hoes!!!! Also I don't have a sister.
The league is: Five Hole Fanatics
Password is : fhf
We usually play a game that is not money based (so we don't buy any trades).
Winner gets bragging rights, and a date with my sister.
Hurry up and get your team ready for tomorrow's deadline!
See you there!
P.S. I won season 1 of the 2005/2006 Fantasy Season. Go Bloody_Hoes!!!! Also I don't have a sister.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
First (and Last) Olympic Post
Well, I was waiting for the medal round to start posting about the Olympics...
wait over.
Let me now add to the cocaphony of mutters and hair pulling and finger pointing now spilling over the Great White North in the aftermath of one the WORST Olympic hockey debacles the country's ever experienced...
Now, most of what Im going to say has probably already been said. In spades. But as a passionate hockey fan and amateur pundit, I simply can't help myself. So here goes:
After the selection of the Canadian team (and the subsequent replacements once Jovo and Neids were elminated), I had a rather lengthy "debate" with a friend of mine regarding Team Canada's roster.
I argued that Gretzky and co. didn't seem to have a single, overarching "theme" when creating the team - the principle I figure they should have followed was "the best Canadian players get chosen" (by "the best"I mean "those playing the best at the time"). This, of course, was not the case. During the debate, my acquaintence tried to enumerate and decipher the thinking behind each roster selection that I challenged. And each time we were faced with different premises and contradictions. For instance:
1.) I questioned the selection of players like Adam Foote and Kris Draper. My friend argued that they were picked based on experience and past performance (and to fill certain rolls on the team). I responded that both were having very poor years and were probably on the down slope of their careers. Canada is rife with defensive defensemen and PK specialists - some of which were having vastly superior years to Draper and Foote. He noted that they have both been on the international stage before. Fair enough. Canada is going with international experience, right?
Wrong...
2.) I questioned the inclusion of Todd Bertuzzi. Besides the Moore incident, Bertuzzi has been decidedly ordinary for the last 2 seasons. Just ask Vancouver fans about Bertuzzi's maddeningly inconsistent play this year. In addition, Bertuzzi has never really won anything and never been on the international stage. His stats were worse than half a dozen players left off the roster and he lacked any relevent experience. My friend argued that Gretzky and company liked to give "second chances" and opportunities for redemption a la Fleury in 2002. Hmmm...
3.) The selection of McCabe to the roster was doubly baffling. A powerplay specialist who is quesitonable (at best) in his own end, McCabe also lacked any sort of international experience (and downright stunk during significant contests in the previous season's play-offs). Was McCabe chosen as a role player, then? No...his role is a PP specialist. Canada already had Blake, Redden and Pronger on the point. For experience? Clearly, no. Strong defensive play and positioning? Haha. To deliver the big hit?? Errr...when I brought up McCabe to my friend, he noted it was probably to placate the Toronto media and fans. Uh-oh...
So this is how it came to be that players like Staal, Spezza, Crosby, Marleau, Cheechoo, Savard, Brindamor, Phaneuf and Boucher were left off of the roster. The selection process for Team Canada seemed to serve several masters and satsify none. Simply speaking, Gretzky and co. did not pick the best players for the job. Hell, they didn't even pick the best COACH for the job. Canada's roster was seemingly chosen through varying degrees of loyaty, status quo, hunches and placation. The result is 3 shut-out losses and not even a sniff at a medal.
------------------------------------------------------
Beyond some of the obvious blunders committed by the upper office, clearly some of the players have to shoulder some of the blame here. Players like Sakic and Iginla was merely adequate and hardly ever "great" or "dominating". Players like Nash and Thornton were invisible. Guys named McCabe and Pronger were downright horrible at times. It was odd to watch a team of superstars struggle so mightily and consistently over the course of the tournament. For Flame's fans, it was almost a case of deja vu - watching Canada struggle to score in 3 of 4 games was eerily similar to some of the stretches the Flames have endured this season...
speaking of deja vu, Flames fans were probably disappointed (but not surprised) to see Iginla flub two decent scoring chances in the quarter-final against Russia. Like so many of his NHL performance this year, Iginla was frequently decent, but never dazzling. On a key two-on-one with Sakic on a penalty-kill, Iggy managed a lame shot into Nabokov's right pad (one which look like it would have rung off the side of the net had Nabby decided to let it by). No screamer to the top corner, no shitfy pass across to Burnaby Joe and no slick wrister to the far side to provoke a rebound.
He had a similarly decent chance again in the 3rd. Thanks to a fantastic set-up by Heatley, Jarome was left alone briefly in front of the Russian net. And, again, he failed to make anything significant happen.
2002 Jarome buries one or both of those opportunities. 2004 play-off Jarome scores on both (and hits a post or two besides). But the squandering of valuable scoring chances is very much in line with this season's version of Iginla...
now, don't get me wrong. Im not blaming Jarome exclusively for Canada's struggles. Im not even saying he played that badly. But, in light of his game breaking performances previously (and considering the expectations for him going into this season) Jarome is clearly a disappointment. Except for a few flashes of fleeting brilliance, Iginla has not played like a top ten player all year. And Im starting to think that a return to form is no longer inevitable. If the Iginla of the Olympics and the regular season shows up in the post-season, Calgary's hopes for an extended play-off run are all but extinguished.
----------------------------------------------------------
On a positive note, Im secretly and selfishly relieved that Canada (and the US) were eliminated early. Now Regehr, Iginla and Leopold can have some rest time before gearing up for the Flame's upcoming stretch run in March and April. Considering the toll that the Olympics have had on the Canucks line-up (injuries to Salo AND Ohlund), Calgary has escaped relatively unscathed from the Olympic grind (aside from, perhaps, some hurt pride). Hopefully Iginla and friends can put this mess behind them and soldier forward, healthy and rested, into battle.
wait over.
Let me now add to the cocaphony of mutters and hair pulling and finger pointing now spilling over the Great White North in the aftermath of one the WORST Olympic hockey debacles the country's ever experienced...
Now, most of what Im going to say has probably already been said. In spades. But as a passionate hockey fan and amateur pundit, I simply can't help myself. So here goes:
After the selection of the Canadian team (and the subsequent replacements once Jovo and Neids were elminated), I had a rather lengthy "debate" with a friend of mine regarding Team Canada's roster.
I argued that Gretzky and co. didn't seem to have a single, overarching "theme" when creating the team - the principle I figure they should have followed was "the best Canadian players get chosen" (by "the best"I mean "those playing the best at the time"). This, of course, was not the case. During the debate, my acquaintence tried to enumerate and decipher the thinking behind each roster selection that I challenged. And each time we were faced with different premises and contradictions. For instance:
1.) I questioned the selection of players like Adam Foote and Kris Draper. My friend argued that they were picked based on experience and past performance (and to fill certain rolls on the team). I responded that both were having very poor years and were probably on the down slope of their careers. Canada is rife with defensive defensemen and PK specialists - some of which were having vastly superior years to Draper and Foote. He noted that they have both been on the international stage before. Fair enough. Canada is going with international experience, right?
Wrong...
2.) I questioned the inclusion of Todd Bertuzzi. Besides the Moore incident, Bertuzzi has been decidedly ordinary for the last 2 seasons. Just ask Vancouver fans about Bertuzzi's maddeningly inconsistent play this year. In addition, Bertuzzi has never really won anything and never been on the international stage. His stats were worse than half a dozen players left off the roster and he lacked any relevent experience. My friend argued that Gretzky and company liked to give "second chances" and opportunities for redemption a la Fleury in 2002. Hmmm...
3.) The selection of McCabe to the roster was doubly baffling. A powerplay specialist who is quesitonable (at best) in his own end, McCabe also lacked any sort of international experience (and downright stunk during significant contests in the previous season's play-offs). Was McCabe chosen as a role player, then? No...his role is a PP specialist. Canada already had Blake, Redden and Pronger on the point. For experience? Clearly, no. Strong defensive play and positioning? Haha. To deliver the big hit?? Errr...when I brought up McCabe to my friend, he noted it was probably to placate the Toronto media and fans. Uh-oh...
So this is how it came to be that players like Staal, Spezza, Crosby, Marleau, Cheechoo, Savard, Brindamor, Phaneuf and Boucher were left off of the roster. The selection process for Team Canada seemed to serve several masters and satsify none. Simply speaking, Gretzky and co. did not pick the best players for the job. Hell, they didn't even pick the best COACH for the job. Canada's roster was seemingly chosen through varying degrees of loyaty, status quo, hunches and placation. The result is 3 shut-out losses and not even a sniff at a medal.
------------------------------------------------------
Beyond some of the obvious blunders committed by the upper office, clearly some of the players have to shoulder some of the blame here. Players like Sakic and Iginla was merely adequate and hardly ever "great" or "dominating". Players like Nash and Thornton were invisible. Guys named McCabe and Pronger were downright horrible at times. It was odd to watch a team of superstars struggle so mightily and consistently over the course of the tournament. For Flame's fans, it was almost a case of deja vu - watching Canada struggle to score in 3 of 4 games was eerily similar to some of the stretches the Flames have endured this season...
speaking of deja vu, Flames fans were probably disappointed (but not surprised) to see Iginla flub two decent scoring chances in the quarter-final against Russia. Like so many of his NHL performance this year, Iginla was frequently decent, but never dazzling. On a key two-on-one with Sakic on a penalty-kill, Iggy managed a lame shot into Nabokov's right pad (one which look like it would have rung off the side of the net had Nabby decided to let it by). No screamer to the top corner, no shitfy pass across to Burnaby Joe and no slick wrister to the far side to provoke a rebound.
He had a similarly decent chance again in the 3rd. Thanks to a fantastic set-up by Heatley, Jarome was left alone briefly in front of the Russian net. And, again, he failed to make anything significant happen.
2002 Jarome buries one or both of those opportunities. 2004 play-off Jarome scores on both (and hits a post or two besides). But the squandering of valuable scoring chances is very much in line with this season's version of Iginla...
now, don't get me wrong. Im not blaming Jarome exclusively for Canada's struggles. Im not even saying he played that badly. But, in light of his game breaking performances previously (and considering the expectations for him going into this season) Jarome is clearly a disappointment. Except for a few flashes of fleeting brilliance, Iginla has not played like a top ten player all year. And Im starting to think that a return to form is no longer inevitable. If the Iginla of the Olympics and the regular season shows up in the post-season, Calgary's hopes for an extended play-off run are all but extinguished.
----------------------------------------------------------
On a positive note, Im secretly and selfishly relieved that Canada (and the US) were eliminated early. Now Regehr, Iginla and Leopold can have some rest time before gearing up for the Flame's upcoming stretch run in March and April. Considering the toll that the Olympics have had on the Canucks line-up (injuries to Salo AND Ohlund), Calgary has escaped relatively unscathed from the Olympic grind (aside from, perhaps, some hurt pride). Hopefully Iginla and friends can put this mess behind them and soldier forward, healthy and rested, into battle.
Monday, February 13, 2006
NorthWest #1
Great way for the Flames to enter the break - rolling with Edmonton stumbling. What's even sweeter was the Dion making the muck-e-mucks in charge of the Canadian Olympic team look stupid Friday night for not selecting him for Turin...
So the Flames secured the NW division lead at the break (which was their goal) with the win over the Blues. Just below them the dog-fight continues, with Vancouver 2 points back, Colorado 3 and Edmonton 5. The sprint to the finish this year will most likely prove to be the most interesting in a long time. Especially considering all of the post-Olympics deals that will probably be occuring. Look for the Flames to acquire that ever elusive #1 center, Vancouver to net some #5/#6 type defensemen and Edmonton to deal for a decent goaltender...
until then, I suppose I'll post occassionally about the Olympics. I'll be cheering on Team Canada, so expect the commentary to be pretty thin initially - in "group a", Canada's only real competition will be the Czechs...we'll probably have to wait for the medal round to start for any real games of note to be played...
bah well. Hopefully we win the gold (even without the Dion on the team)...
So the Flames secured the NW division lead at the break (which was their goal) with the win over the Blues. Just below them the dog-fight continues, with Vancouver 2 points back, Colorado 3 and Edmonton 5. The sprint to the finish this year will most likely prove to be the most interesting in a long time. Especially considering all of the post-Olympics deals that will probably be occuring. Look for the Flames to acquire that ever elusive #1 center, Vancouver to net some #5/#6 type defensemen and Edmonton to deal for a decent goaltender...
until then, I suppose I'll post occassionally about the Olympics. I'll be cheering on Team Canada, so expect the commentary to be pretty thin initially - in "group a", Canada's only real competition will be the Czechs...we'll probably have to wait for the medal round to start for any real games of note to be played...
bah well. Hopefully we win the gold (even without the Dion on the team)...
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Post By Numbers
Huzzah! Here's some double-plus-good numbers that resulted from last night's Flames win:
2 - Wins in a row.
2 - Points up on Vancouver for the NW division lead.
2 - Consecutive games in which Simon has scored. Unprecedented this season!
3 - Powerplay goals. The Flames went 3/5 on the PP.
7 - Game high hits by the Dion.
9:53 - Ice time for Kristian Huselius last night: the only Flame below the 10:00 mark. Seems like Sutter has lost some confidence in Beetlejuice recently.
31 - Saves by Kipper. Now tied with the league lead in wins with Turco.
71 - Points for the Flames, currently #1 in the NW division thanks to the Blues continued domination over Vancouver.
Yup, Calgary played spoiler last night by beating the Ducks and thereby making the Quacker's quest for a playoff spot that much tougher. I didn't manage to see the game, thanks to the total lack of TV coverage, so I can't really comment intelligently on the team's play. But...a win is a win is a win. If the Flames score three and allow less than two, it's typically a good performance.
On a "calder trophy"/"should-be-going-to-Turino" note, the Dion's hit total from last night's game got me curious as to how he ranks for season total hits by d-men so far...
the answer? 4th! In the league! Only Chara, Kasparaitis and Robidas are ahead of the 20 year old rookie. Wow. Just wow. Consider that Bouwmeester - he of the 0 goals on 100+ shots who was recently selected for Team Canada - isn't even in the top 30 in hits. Things that make you go HMMMMM....
(On a odd-stat note...Chara has apparently taken 19 face-offs so far this year. What's even stranger is that Murray is getting him to take draws even though he's terrible at them - 37% success rate.)
Next up is those baffling Blues. I'd hate them if they didn't keep beating the Canucks. As it is, one more St. Louis victory over Vancouver might just make them my second favorite team in the league...
2 - Wins in a row.
2 - Points up on Vancouver for the NW division lead.
2 - Consecutive games in which Simon has scored. Unprecedented this season!
3 - Powerplay goals. The Flames went 3/5 on the PP.
7 - Game high hits by the Dion.
9:53 - Ice time for Kristian Huselius last night: the only Flame below the 10:00 mark. Seems like Sutter has lost some confidence in Beetlejuice recently.
31 - Saves by Kipper. Now tied with the league lead in wins with Turco.
71 - Points for the Flames, currently #1 in the NW division thanks to the Blues continued domination over Vancouver.
Yup, Calgary played spoiler last night by beating the Ducks and thereby making the Quacker's quest for a playoff spot that much tougher. I didn't manage to see the game, thanks to the total lack of TV coverage, so I can't really comment intelligently on the team's play. But...a win is a win is a win. If the Flames score three and allow less than two, it's typically a good performance.
On a "calder trophy"/"should-be-going-to-Turino" note, the Dion's hit total from last night's game got me curious as to how he ranks for season total hits by d-men so far...
the answer? 4th! In the league! Only Chara, Kasparaitis and Robidas are ahead of the 20 year old rookie. Wow. Just wow. Consider that Bouwmeester - he of the 0 goals on 100+ shots who was recently selected for Team Canada - isn't even in the top 30 in hits. Things that make you go HMMMMM....
(On a odd-stat note...Chara has apparently taken 19 face-offs so far this year. What's even stranger is that Murray is getting him to take draws even though he's terrible at them - 37% success rate.)
Next up is those baffling Blues. I'd hate them if they didn't keep beating the Canucks. As it is, one more St. Louis victory over Vancouver might just make them my second favorite team in the league...
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Roast Duck on the Menu?
Flames look to continue they're winning (read: scoring) ways against the Ducks-O-Anaheim tonight. The cluckers have been playing well recently, largely riding on the shoulders of their newly formed #1 line - Kunitz, Mcdonald and Selanne. Who-and-who and Selanne you ask?
I don't really know either. What I DO know is they looked damn good when I watched them play Edmonton the other day. What I also know is that Selanne is enjoying a re-birth this season thanks to the chemistry he's found with the two relative unknowns. Check out his stats so far.
The Flames will have a fight on their hands tonight - the Ducks are battling for the last playoff spot in the west and are coming off a disappointing S/O loss in Edmonton. While Calgary has relatively little to gain from a victory this evening, aside from adding fuel to the top of the NW division fire, the Ducks will be looking to climb closer to the imploding LA Kings for 8th in the Western Division.
Calgary may be aided, however, by JS Giguere, should he turn in a performance similar to the ones we've seen against the Oil this year. Besides his outburt(s) that cause the Ducks the game earlier this month, JS was less than stellar in their most recent defeat at the hands of the Edmontonians. Of course, given Calgary's penchant for playing poorly against back-ups and 3rd stringers, one might expect Bryzgalov to get the start tonight...
In addition, there is the condition of Scott Niedermayer to consider. It was announced today that his worsening knee injury will keep him out of the Olympics this year. The question for Flames fans is whether it will affect his playing time or ability in the coming contest.
Either way, expect a hard fought game...which, unless you have tickets, most of us will be unable to enjoy. How annoyed I am that the last 3 Flames games before the Olympic break aren't getting any kind of TV coverage (except PPV)? Pretty annoyed. Not Muslims-at-Danish-Cartoonists annoyed. But still. Why am I sitting through 2 Edmonton games this week on Sportsnet and 0 Flames games??
For shame Canadian Sports Broadcasters. For shame.
Oh. And Go Flames Go.
I don't really know either. What I DO know is they looked damn good when I watched them play Edmonton the other day. What I also know is that Selanne is enjoying a re-birth this season thanks to the chemistry he's found with the two relative unknowns. Check out his stats so far.
The Flames will have a fight on their hands tonight - the Ducks are battling for the last playoff spot in the west and are coming off a disappointing S/O loss in Edmonton. While Calgary has relatively little to gain from a victory this evening, aside from adding fuel to the top of the NW division fire, the Ducks will be looking to climb closer to the imploding LA Kings for 8th in the Western Division.
Calgary may be aided, however, by JS Giguere, should he turn in a performance similar to the ones we've seen against the Oil this year. Besides his outburt(s) that cause the Ducks the game earlier this month, JS was less than stellar in their most recent defeat at the hands of the Edmontonians. Of course, given Calgary's penchant for playing poorly against back-ups and 3rd stringers, one might expect Bryzgalov to get the start tonight...
In addition, there is the condition of Scott Niedermayer to consider. It was announced today that his worsening knee injury will keep him out of the Olympics this year. The question for Flames fans is whether it will affect his playing time or ability in the coming contest.
Either way, expect a hard fought game...which, unless you have tickets, most of us will be unable to enjoy. How annoyed I am that the last 3 Flames games before the Olympic break aren't getting any kind of TV coverage (except PPV)? Pretty annoyed. Not Muslims-at-Danish-Cartoonists annoyed. But still. Why am I sitting through 2 Edmonton games this week on Sportsnet and 0 Flames games??
For shame Canadian Sports Broadcasters. For shame.
Oh. And Go Flames Go.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Pete Tocchet
The sneaky reference to Pete Rose in the compounding of the 2 names in the title above is a bit of a misnomer - Rose actually bet on his own sport (baseball) while Tocchet seems to have been involved with a Football (rather than hockey) gambling thing.
Either way..not what a pro league struggling to get back on it's feet really needs right now...
see the story here.
Any guesses as to who the other 12 NHL players are?
Either way..not what a pro league struggling to get back on it's feet really needs right now...
see the story here.
Any guesses as to who the other 12 NHL players are?
We scored More than Once! Yay!
Not having seen or heard the game last night, Im entirely ignorant as to how the Flames played. I know they won, of course. I also know they nearly flushed the 3 goal lead down the proverbial pooper, keeping in line with Calgary's "never beat teams by more than 2 goals" thing. But, a win is a win...
Of course, the Canucks and Oil both managed to win last night, creating another nightmarish logjam at the head of the NW Division. If Edmonton wins tonight, it'll create a 3-way tie for first between Calgary - Vancouver and the Oil. With Colorado 3 points back I think. What a mess.
(I wont point out that Calgary could have avoided this cluster-eff if they hadda played half decently during their recent roadtrip...)
Anyways, nice to see the Flames put 4 on the board last night. Especially from unlikely sources like Lombo and Simon. In terms of the latter, I think Calgary are something like 3-0 this year whenever Simon scores. Too bad it only happens every 19 games or so...
Also, congratulations to Robyn Regehr for a career high assist mark attained last night (3). It annoys me, however, that Robyn's personal milestone had to occur in concert with one of my fantasy pool rivals adding him to his roster. Boo!
But, Im glad the Flames are back in the win column and were able to rediscover the net. Next I'd like:
1.) Both the rest of the team AND Iginla to score in the same game.
2.) The Flames to win decidedly by several goals. No last minute heart-attack flurries or sudden comebacks by the opposition.
3.) The Oilers to either win or lose IN REGULATION. Damn these constant 3 point nights.
4.) San Jose and Florida to fall well out of playoff contention - so that they're more willing to trade their available centermen (Jokinen, Marleau) by the deadline.
5.) To see the film "Snakes on a Plane".
Now that San Jose has added some serious Salary to their pay-roll (Cheechoo and Nabokov), I think that #4(b) above becomes slightly more likely. I would argue that Marleau is most likely highly coveted by Sutter, and the Flames GM would pursue him aggresively should the Shark's forward become available.
And I wouldn't complain about that at all.
If it happens, look for the Sharks to ask for a defenseman (Leopold to replace the departed Stuart?) and a roster player + maybe a prospect or higher draft choice in return.
But...this is all rumor and wishful thinking right now. All will be answered after the Olympic break. Stay tuned...
Of course, the Canucks and Oil both managed to win last night, creating another nightmarish logjam at the head of the NW Division. If Edmonton wins tonight, it'll create a 3-way tie for first between Calgary - Vancouver and the Oil. With Colorado 3 points back I think. What a mess.
(I wont point out that Calgary could have avoided this cluster-eff if they hadda played half decently during their recent roadtrip...)
Anyways, nice to see the Flames put 4 on the board last night. Especially from unlikely sources like Lombo and Simon. In terms of the latter, I think Calgary are something like 3-0 this year whenever Simon scores. Too bad it only happens every 19 games or so...
Also, congratulations to Robyn Regehr for a career high assist mark attained last night (3). It annoys me, however, that Robyn's personal milestone had to occur in concert with one of my fantasy pool rivals adding him to his roster. Boo!
But, Im glad the Flames are back in the win column and were able to rediscover the net. Next I'd like:
1.) Both the rest of the team AND Iginla to score in the same game.
2.) The Flames to win decidedly by several goals. No last minute heart-attack flurries or sudden comebacks by the opposition.
3.) The Oilers to either win or lose IN REGULATION. Damn these constant 3 point nights.
4.) San Jose and Florida to fall well out of playoff contention - so that they're more willing to trade their available centermen (Jokinen, Marleau) by the deadline.
5.) To see the film "Snakes on a Plane".
Now that San Jose has added some serious Salary to their pay-roll (Cheechoo and Nabokov), I think that #4(b) above becomes slightly more likely. I would argue that Marleau is most likely highly coveted by Sutter, and the Flames GM would pursue him aggresively should the Shark's forward become available.
And I wouldn't complain about that at all.
If it happens, look for the Sharks to ask for a defenseman (Leopold to replace the departed Stuart?) and a roster player + maybe a prospect or higher draft choice in return.
But...this is all rumor and wishful thinking right now. All will be answered after the Olympic break. Stay tuned...
Monday, February 06, 2006
Snakes on a Plane
With the Flames laying another big, steaming turd on Friday night, I've decided to adopt the newest, catchiest, zen mantra I could find in order to cope - Snakes on a plane.
For an explanation, go here.
To briefly summarize, the link above leads to the blog of some anonymous screenwriter in California. In it, he discusses his almost unhealthy obsession with the upcoming feature film (absurdly titled) Snakes on a Plane.
"What's it about?" you ask? Snakes on a plane, man. Snakes on a plane.
So, think of it this way: pink is the new black just as "snakes on a plane" is the new "c'est la vie". It is the modern sigh and shrug, the Bertuzzi-esque "It is what it is".
Such is the manner in which I plan to approach the Flames current struggles. One win in the last five games. Four goals scored in 3 straight losses. One even-strength goal in the last 2. A total, team-wide malaise in the offensive zone. Relinquishing the NW Division lead to our biggest rival - not with a bang, but a whimper.
SIGH
Nope, not a lot of good news lately. Iginla's scored in 2 straight games, which is nice. Defense hasn't been overly shabby, 2 goals leads notewithstanding. We haven't fallen out of contention and the playoffs are still a reality...
...so with that I expect Calgary to limp to the Olympic break. The Flames are tired and have forgotten how to score. They're mediocre on the road and can't seem to beat sub-sub-0.500 opponents. There's probably nothing this team needs more than a big break to forget it's current struggles and offensive insecurities and rediscover a passion to win for the big push before the playoffs. Until then, I'd be surprised if we pull off even a single victory from the 3 games remaining before the Olympics...
Oh well...Snakes on a plane, man. Snakes on a plane.
For an explanation, go here.
To briefly summarize, the link above leads to the blog of some anonymous screenwriter in California. In it, he discusses his almost unhealthy obsession with the upcoming feature film (absurdly titled) Snakes on a Plane.
"What's it about?" you ask? Snakes on a plane, man. Snakes on a plane.
So, think of it this way: pink is the new black just as "snakes on a plane" is the new "c'est la vie". It is the modern sigh and shrug, the Bertuzzi-esque "It is what it is".
Such is the manner in which I plan to approach the Flames current struggles. One win in the last five games. Four goals scored in 3 straight losses. One even-strength goal in the last 2. A total, team-wide malaise in the offensive zone. Relinquishing the NW Division lead to our biggest rival - not with a bang, but a whimper.
SIGH
Nope, not a lot of good news lately. Iginla's scored in 2 straight games, which is nice. Defense hasn't been overly shabby, 2 goals leads notewithstanding. We haven't fallen out of contention and the playoffs are still a reality...
...so with that I expect Calgary to limp to the Olympic break. The Flames are tired and have forgotten how to score. They're mediocre on the road and can't seem to beat sub-sub-0.500 opponents. There's probably nothing this team needs more than a big break to forget it's current struggles and offensive insecurities and rediscover a passion to win for the big push before the playoffs. Until then, I'd be surprised if we pull off even a single victory from the 3 games remaining before the Olympics...
Oh well...Snakes on a plane, man. Snakes on a plane.
Friday, February 03, 2006
Time to Bust This Slump
If I could ever be relatively happy with a loss, then I was "happy" with the S/O set-back to Columbus on Wed. night. I think the team did almost everything right - except score some goals. While that tired old achilles heel reared it's ugly head again, it was nice to see the fast/tough/defensive Flames play re-appear from wherever they went during the prior roadtrip. Add a suddenly serious Jarome Iginla and it was - or what should have been - an ideal Flames victory. However, thanks to a slight lack of finish and some really bad bounces (Im looking at you, dual "delay of game penalties") and the result is another shoot-out loss to a basement dweller...
Oh well. Tonight's the night to bounce back. Calgary's regular "slump tonic" (ie; the Canucks) are visiting this evening, no doubt looking to knock the Flames off of their NW division perch. Aiding Calgary in their fight to remain the best in the NorthWest will be Mike Leclerc (and, to a much lesser extent, Boucher), newly arrived from Phoenix. I am seriously hoping for a draught of that "new player" energy that seems to infect teams after a deal or shake-up (see Sturm, Stuart - Boston, Thornton - San Jose, coaching change - NY Islanders/ Montreal Canadiens, etc...). Calgary has certainly been victimized by it a couple of times this season.
So now it's our turn.
A victory over Vancouver...I certainly can't think of a better way for the new addition(s) to start out their tenure here...
Go Flames Go
Oh well. Tonight's the night to bounce back. Calgary's regular "slump tonic" (ie; the Canucks) are visiting this evening, no doubt looking to knock the Flames off of their NW division perch. Aiding Calgary in their fight to remain the best in the NorthWest will be Mike Leclerc (and, to a much lesser extent, Boucher), newly arrived from Phoenix. I am seriously hoping for a draught of that "new player" energy that seems to infect teams after a deal or shake-up (see Sturm, Stuart - Boston, Thornton - San Jose, coaching change - NY Islanders/ Montreal Canadiens, etc...). Calgary has certainly been victimized by it a couple of times this season.
So now it's our turn.
A victory over Vancouver...I certainly can't think of a better way for the new addition(s) to start out their tenure here...
Go Flames Go
Thursday, February 02, 2006
In: Leclerc & Boucher, Out: Reinprecht & Sauve
http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=153298&hubname=nhl
My take?
Well, Mr. 5-Shutouts-In-A-Row is a more capable back up than Sauve ever will be. So that's not so bad.
As for the forwards, I guess we had to give up somebody for someone to take Sauve off our hands. I remember Leclerc from the 2003 Playoffs when he was in Anaheim. He didn't do much. This year, however, he started off pretty well but he has slowed down.
Meh.
My take?
Well, Mr. 5-Shutouts-In-A-Row is a more capable back up than Sauve ever will be. So that's not so bad.
As for the forwards, I guess we had to give up somebody for someone to take Sauve off our hands. I remember Leclerc from the 2003 Playoffs when he was in Anaheim. He didn't do much. This year, however, he started off pretty well but he has slowed down.
Meh.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
What's a "Blue Jacket" Anyways?
Just wondering if someone knows...
Anyways, does anyone think the Flames will return to the "November" version of the team at home tonight? Or will the Blue Jackets be faced with the rather timid lot we saw in St. Louis on Monday? Hard to say - Flames very-much-likey their 'dome home, but this visiting Columbus team has a lot of offensive weaponary: Vyborny, Nash, Zherdev, Federov and Bryan "find me a vein" Berard are nothing to sneeze at. The doper at the end there is the only other d-man in the league (as well as the Dion) to have 11 PP goals.
The flip side, is, of course, the BJ's shabby defense. None of their players are in the black in terms of plus/minus (Berard has the worst +/- in the league I believe) and both of their goaltenders have save percentages below 0.900.
Not that the Flames are into taking advantage of shabby defenses...
So it'll come down to whether Calgary decides to show up or not. Will it be the team that won 8 in row? Or the team that makes superstars out of 3rd string goalies? We can beat Ottawa and we can be shut out by Chicago...I guess we'll see tonight. Here's hoping we play nothing like we did 2 nights ago...
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On a seperate note - If anyone's baffled by the sudden nose-dive by the Thrashers, consider: I traded for Kari Lehtonen in my Hockey Pool shortly before their recent 5 game losing streak. I've learned my getting a goalie in fantasy hockey is the equivalent of washing a car on a sunny day - it guarantees rain.
Speaking of which, I've been staying away from Tim Thomas in Boston. His recent performance, which has almost single-handedly made Boston a respectable team again, is too much of a feel good story for me to screw up with my lousy luck.
Of course, I've considered using the "goalie curse" against Calgary's closest rivals (Vancouver, Edmoton)...but I figured that would be a waste - their goalies suck a bunch already...
Anyways, does anyone think the Flames will return to the "November" version of the team at home tonight? Or will the Blue Jackets be faced with the rather timid lot we saw in St. Louis on Monday? Hard to say - Flames very-much-likey their 'dome home, but this visiting Columbus team has a lot of offensive weaponary: Vyborny, Nash, Zherdev, Federov and Bryan "find me a vein" Berard are nothing to sneeze at. The doper at the end there is the only other d-man in the league (as well as the Dion) to have 11 PP goals.
The flip side, is, of course, the BJ's shabby defense. None of their players are in the black in terms of plus/minus (Berard has the worst +/- in the league I believe) and both of their goaltenders have save percentages below 0.900.
Not that the Flames are into taking advantage of shabby defenses...
So it'll come down to whether Calgary decides to show up or not. Will it be the team that won 8 in row? Or the team that makes superstars out of 3rd string goalies? We can beat Ottawa and we can be shut out by Chicago...I guess we'll see tonight. Here's hoping we play nothing like we did 2 nights ago...
-----------------------------------------------------
On a seperate note - If anyone's baffled by the sudden nose-dive by the Thrashers, consider: I traded for Kari Lehtonen in my Hockey Pool shortly before their recent 5 game losing streak. I've learned my getting a goalie in fantasy hockey is the equivalent of washing a car on a sunny day - it guarantees rain.
Speaking of which, I've been staying away from Tim Thomas in Boston. His recent performance, which has almost single-handedly made Boston a respectable team again, is too much of a feel good story for me to screw up with my lousy luck.
Of course, I've considered using the "goalie curse" against Calgary's closest rivals (Vancouver, Edmoton)...but I figured that would be a waste - their goalies suck a bunch already...
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
The Sky is Falling!
Okay, maybe not. The Flames are still in first place in the North West and in strong position to make the playoffs. They haven't lost 8 in a row and JF Jr. isn't the GM. That said, last night's bowel-knifing loss to a bunch of schmo's wearing Blues uniforms still really sucks. In fact, the Moday Blues debacle clearly hilighted many of Calgary's shortcomings this season:
- Poor Road Efforts. Despite being an impressive 14 games above .500 at home, the Flames are a mediocre even keel (.500) on the road so far (that's ignoring the SO losses). I can't name the source of this relative ineptitude away from the 'dome, but it's starting to grow rather tiresome. The Jekyl and Hyde act tends to showcase the "November" manifestation of the Flames at home and the "October" manifestation on the road. At home, Calgary is typically a fast, mean, tight-checking group who grind out wins (see: November). On the road, more often than not, Calgary is an un-focused, apparently weary and bleary-eyed group who waste opportunities, fall to inferior teams or lose large to more demanding foes (see: October). The most recent roadtrip is a fine example: 7-4 blow-out to Colorado, shut-out by Chicago, loss to the depleted Blues.
Proviso: The only time this DOESN'T seem to prove true is against close rivals like Vancouver and Edmonton. At least we can be thankful for that.
- The 2 goal lead curse. Starting in December, a team built on stingy defense and solid goaltending started to surrender 2 goal leads like Ralph mails out rebate checks. It happened against Edmonton. And Los Angeles. And Nashville. And Edmonton again (though we won that one). And Vancouver. And New York, New York. And now, against the Blues. After the mid-January 4 game-winning streak, I kinda thought that this lamentable penchant for bequeathing 2 goal advantages was behind us. Apparently not. On top of (and often in concert with) point #1 above, Calgary has this ugly psychological vulnerability to "keeping a lead" to deal with. Ugh...
- Sputtering Offense. Despite boasting names like Amonte, Iginla, Langkow, Huselius, Kobasew, Simon, Phanuef and Leopold, Calgary still languishes near the bottom of the league in offensive production. In fact, the Flames currently sit 26th overall in the NHL, with 139 goals in 52 games (2.67 GPG). Consider that several sub-.500 teams like Pittsburgh, Montreal and the New York Islanders are ahead of the Flames in the GPG category. In fact, the next lowest division leader, Dallas, has an average of 3,12 GPG - good for 13th in the league; a full 13 spots ahead of Calgary.
So, after getting shut-out by the lowly Blackhawks last Thursday, the Flames responded with a 5 goal performance Sunday afternoon. Was it too much to expect another 5 against an AHL quality squad last night? Apparently so. No wonder we have trouble with 2 goal leads. And Speaking of sputtering...
- An average Jarome Iginla. First it was the "slow start" thing. Then it was because he didn't play during the lock-out. Recently it's become the lack of a #1 center. The excuses for Jarome's mediocre season in light of his $7 million contract keep piling up, but none seem satisfactory. As of today, Iginla is 67th in league scoring in terms of points and 22nd in terms of goals. He goes for long stretches without registering a point and often disappears from contests altogether - it's not just a dominant player hitting posts or missing chances: Jarome is all too often completely MIA. For example, after being a nonfactor in Calgary's 3 previous contests, on Monday Iginla was faced with a team anchored by the likes of Christian Backman and backed by a goalie named Curtis Sanford. He responded by firing all of 2 shots on net in regulation. Two Shots! The two-time Rocket Richard winner and Olympian was on the ice for 22 minutes (6 PP minutes) against an AHL quality foe - and he gets as many shots as the 3rd line checking center. Had he carried the team through the majority of the roadtrip till then, it would be understandable. If he were a league leader in points and goals, it would be excusable. But neither are true. I keep hoping for the former to occur more regularly, even if the latter is now all but out of reach. Of course, there have been brief stretches of Iginla-like play this season - Mid-Janurary, Mid-November, a couple of games in December...however, by and large those stretches are few and far between. Yes, it's been a very ordinary Jarome (by Jarome's standards) this year. I've resigned myself to hoping he re-emerges as the Iggy of old in April...
Those are my complaints. The bright-side? We're #1 in the division, we're in prime play-off position, we're league leaders in goals against and Jarome does lead the team in points. So it's not all doom and gloom. Phaneuf is kicking some ass, and Kipper is a Vezina contender. Now, let's see if Sutter and the boys can address the above *ahem* issues and ascend into the leagues elite...
Game Positives and Negatives:
Positives:
- Perfect Penalty Killing.
- The Dion hammers former Calder-winning d-man Barrett Jackman...and then beats him up for good measure.
- Iginla finally gets on the scoresheet...albeit an assist.
Negatives:
- Pretty much everything else. (Another road loss to a terrible team, 1-9 PP, squandered 2 goal lead, average Jarome and Kipper...etc.)
- News that Hamrlik is sidelined for another month due to a broken hand. Talk about unlucky.
Side-note...how odd is it that Bosoton shut-out Ottawa again?
Next-up...the streaking Blue-Jackets.
- Poor Road Efforts. Despite being an impressive 14 games above .500 at home, the Flames are a mediocre even keel (.500) on the road so far (that's ignoring the SO losses). I can't name the source of this relative ineptitude away from the 'dome, but it's starting to grow rather tiresome. The Jekyl and Hyde act tends to showcase the "November" manifestation of the Flames at home and the "October" manifestation on the road. At home, Calgary is typically a fast, mean, tight-checking group who grind out wins (see: November). On the road, more often than not, Calgary is an un-focused, apparently weary and bleary-eyed group who waste opportunities, fall to inferior teams or lose large to more demanding foes (see: October). The most recent roadtrip is a fine example: 7-4 blow-out to Colorado, shut-out by Chicago, loss to the depleted Blues.
Proviso: The only time this DOESN'T seem to prove true is against close rivals like Vancouver and Edmonton. At least we can be thankful for that.
- The 2 goal lead curse. Starting in December, a team built on stingy defense and solid goaltending started to surrender 2 goal leads like Ralph mails out rebate checks. It happened against Edmonton. And Los Angeles. And Nashville. And Edmonton again (though we won that one). And Vancouver. And New York, New York. And now, against the Blues. After the mid-January 4 game-winning streak, I kinda thought that this lamentable penchant for bequeathing 2 goal advantages was behind us. Apparently not. On top of (and often in concert with) point #1 above, Calgary has this ugly psychological vulnerability to "keeping a lead" to deal with. Ugh...
- Sputtering Offense. Despite boasting names like Amonte, Iginla, Langkow, Huselius, Kobasew, Simon, Phanuef and Leopold, Calgary still languishes near the bottom of the league in offensive production. In fact, the Flames currently sit 26th overall in the NHL, with 139 goals in 52 games (2.67 GPG). Consider that several sub-.500 teams like Pittsburgh, Montreal and the New York Islanders are ahead of the Flames in the GPG category. In fact, the next lowest division leader, Dallas, has an average of 3,12 GPG - good for 13th in the league; a full 13 spots ahead of Calgary.
So, after getting shut-out by the lowly Blackhawks last Thursday, the Flames responded with a 5 goal performance Sunday afternoon. Was it too much to expect another 5 against an AHL quality squad last night? Apparently so. No wonder we have trouble with 2 goal leads. And Speaking of sputtering...
- An average Jarome Iginla. First it was the "slow start" thing. Then it was because he didn't play during the lock-out. Recently it's become the lack of a #1 center. The excuses for Jarome's mediocre season in light of his $7 million contract keep piling up, but none seem satisfactory. As of today, Iginla is 67th in league scoring in terms of points and 22nd in terms of goals. He goes for long stretches without registering a point and often disappears from contests altogether - it's not just a dominant player hitting posts or missing chances: Jarome is all too often completely MIA. For example, after being a nonfactor in Calgary's 3 previous contests, on Monday Iginla was faced with a team anchored by the likes of Christian Backman and backed by a goalie named Curtis Sanford. He responded by firing all of 2 shots on net in regulation. Two Shots! The two-time Rocket Richard winner and Olympian was on the ice for 22 minutes (6 PP minutes) against an AHL quality foe - and he gets as many shots as the 3rd line checking center. Had he carried the team through the majority of the roadtrip till then, it would be understandable. If he were a league leader in points and goals, it would be excusable. But neither are true. I keep hoping for the former to occur more regularly, even if the latter is now all but out of reach. Of course, there have been brief stretches of Iginla-like play this season - Mid-Janurary, Mid-November, a couple of games in December...however, by and large those stretches are few and far between. Yes, it's been a very ordinary Jarome (by Jarome's standards) this year. I've resigned myself to hoping he re-emerges as the Iggy of old in April...
Those are my complaints. The bright-side? We're #1 in the division, we're in prime play-off position, we're league leaders in goals against and Jarome does lead the team in points. So it's not all doom and gloom. Phaneuf is kicking some ass, and Kipper is a Vezina contender. Now, let's see if Sutter and the boys can address the above *ahem* issues and ascend into the leagues elite...
Game Positives and Negatives:
Positives:
- Perfect Penalty Killing.
- The Dion hammers former Calder-winning d-man Barrett Jackman...and then beats him up for good measure.
- Iginla finally gets on the scoresheet...albeit an assist.
Negatives:
- Pretty much everything else. (Another road loss to a terrible team, 1-9 PP, squandered 2 goal lead, average Jarome and Kipper...etc.)
- News that Hamrlik is sidelined for another month due to a broken hand. Talk about unlucky.
Side-note...how odd is it that Bosoton shut-out Ottawa again?
Next-up...the streaking Blue-Jackets.
Monday, January 30, 2006
BofA Blog Props!
Hello Hockey Fans was given some love by the incomparable Battle of Alberta Weblog recently. If you like hockey blogs and the Alberta rivalry thing, I suggest you check it out. Not only are the principle contributers (Matt and Sacamano) knowlegable, but their (and their readers) constant bickering is both witty and amusing. Give it a read and leave some comments if you get a chance...Matt definately needs some more Flames fans to aid him in his cause there.
Weightless Flames
Not too sure if anyone saw the Carolina-Weight situation coming until it actually happened. This trade effects (affects?) Calgary in two distinctly seperate ways:
1.) Calgary was a front-runner in the Doug Weight Sweepstakes, largely in hopes of solving their "#1-center-to-feed-Iginla-sweet-passes" issue. No dice. Considering that the Hurricanes gave up 3 players and 3 draft picks, including a 2006 first round pick, it's clear that the asking price was too high. Granted, the 3 players are largely fringe-types (Boulerice, Zigomanis, Kahnberg) and the Hurricanes got another player besides Weight in return (Rajamaki), it still sounds like too much future being traded for an aging play-off rental. I, personally, would have been distressed if Calgary had have traded their #1 draft pick for Weight...considering the unimpressive record of the Omaha Knights, the Flames need all the #1 draft picks they can get (or have). That said, Im somewhat glad Weight went to a team as far from Calgary as possible - he's still good enough to do some damage...
...oh well. The search for Calgary's #1 center continues...
2.) Calgary also happens to play the NHL-worst St. Louis Blues today, who are now less their two top centermen (Sillinger, Weight). While there is always the shake-up karma that seems to effect teams the day of/after big transactions like this, I dont expect it can possibly make enough of a difference tonight. St. Loo has gotten considerably worse than they were before - and they were really bad before. The fact that they acquired almost no one that can step in and make a difference from the Carolina deal further benefits Calgary...
Of course, the ever-present danger of "not taking thy foe seriously" a la the Canucks/Blues this year is always an issue. However, I can't see a Sutter-coached team making THAT same mistake twice in less than a week. I'd say tonight's 2 points are "MUST GETS": facing a gutted opponent in the midst of a fire-sale is as good an opportunity as there ever will be to close out a road-trip on a winning note. Hear that Jarome?? WORST TEAM IN NHL=SCORES SOME GOALS!
Gameday Threat - "WIN FLAMES. OR SUTTER WILL TRADE FOR BELFOUR."
1.) Calgary was a front-runner in the Doug Weight Sweepstakes, largely in hopes of solving their "#1-center-to-feed-Iginla-sweet-passes" issue. No dice. Considering that the Hurricanes gave up 3 players and 3 draft picks, including a 2006 first round pick, it's clear that the asking price was too high. Granted, the 3 players are largely fringe-types (Boulerice, Zigomanis, Kahnberg) and the Hurricanes got another player besides Weight in return (Rajamaki), it still sounds like too much future being traded for an aging play-off rental. I, personally, would have been distressed if Calgary had have traded their #1 draft pick for Weight...considering the unimpressive record of the Omaha Knights, the Flames need all the #1 draft picks they can get (or have). That said, Im somewhat glad Weight went to a team as far from Calgary as possible - he's still good enough to do some damage...
...oh well. The search for Calgary's #1 center continues...
2.) Calgary also happens to play the NHL-worst St. Louis Blues today, who are now less their two top centermen (Sillinger, Weight). While there is always the shake-up karma that seems to effect teams the day of/after big transactions like this, I dont expect it can possibly make enough of a difference tonight. St. Loo has gotten considerably worse than they were before - and they were really bad before. The fact that they acquired almost no one that can step in and make a difference from the Carolina deal further benefits Calgary...
Of course, the ever-present danger of "not taking thy foe seriously" a la the Canucks/Blues this year is always an issue. However, I can't see a Sutter-coached team making THAT same mistake twice in less than a week. I'd say tonight's 2 points are "MUST GETS": facing a gutted opponent in the midst of a fire-sale is as good an opportunity as there ever will be to close out a road-trip on a winning note. Hear that Jarome?? WORST TEAM IN NHL=SCORES SOME GOALS!
Gameday Threat - "WIN FLAMES. OR SUTTER WILL TRADE FOR BELFOUR."
Revenge!
Let's tackle Calgary's Sunday afternoon redemption...
I gotta admit, after the team managed to flush a lead down the toilet in no less than 30 seconds 3 minutes into the game, I was a bit worried. Not to mention the Warenner "own goal" that put the bad guys up 3-1 in the first. Of course, given that Calgary seemingly prefers to play catch-up, I shouldn't have been too worried.
It was an odd reveral of the previous match between the two teams. It took a mere period to score 5 goals in this contest, versus the 2 that were scored in the final ten minutes of the previous game. Not only did the Flames solve Munro 5 times, but they scored their first only 40 seconds in. Of course, Calgary's defensive game was technically (marginally) worse than Thursday's set-back...not that it mattered. Gotta say though - the Warenner and Ference duo still make me nervous (see 2nd Chicago goal).
In addition, the news was first very good and then very bad for Calgary and Hamrlik. Hammer scored 3 points, including an assist on the game winning goal - only to go down to injury again. This time the culprit is a swollen hand thanks to a blocked shot. No one knows how long he'll be out of the line-up...again. ARGH! On a related note, Calgary called up farm stand-out Mark Giordano to fill in while Roman's down. Should be interesting to see how he performs tonight against the Blues...
Positives and Negatives:
Positives:
- Reinprecht with a strong outting. Scores 3rd goal and draws 2 penalties that lead to the Dion Phaneuf GW PP goal. Speaking of which...
- Dion Phaneuf. Another PP GWG. I've heard some rumblings about The Dion being included in the Olympic roster AND some potential Norris nominations. Wow. Leads the team in assists and PP goals.
- Roman Hamrlik. 3 point night shows what we've been missing for 6 weeks...and will continue to miss, apprently.
- Kobasew. Scores his 4th in 3 games on a nifty "swat outta mid-air" kind of play. Tied for 2nd on the team with 15 goals.
- PP goes for an impressive 3for6.
- Chris Simon is back to 3rd and 4th line minutes, where he belongs.
Negatives:
- Ference and Warenner. Just plain stupid during the first period. Caused the 2nd and 3rd goals against.
- Jarome Iginla. That makes 3 straight games Jarome has been left off of the scoresheet. After his mid-January revival, he seems to be sinking back into the ineffectual play that has dogged him this whole season.
- First period. The Flames surrender 3 goals and 15 shots to the lowly Hawks. Hardly the best way to iniate revenge...
Next up - Blue(s) Monday.
I gotta admit, after the team managed to flush a lead down the toilet in no less than 30 seconds 3 minutes into the game, I was a bit worried. Not to mention the Warenner "own goal" that put the bad guys up 3-1 in the first. Of course, given that Calgary seemingly prefers to play catch-up, I shouldn't have been too worried.
It was an odd reveral of the previous match between the two teams. It took a mere period to score 5 goals in this contest, versus the 2 that were scored in the final ten minutes of the previous game. Not only did the Flames solve Munro 5 times, but they scored their first only 40 seconds in. Of course, Calgary's defensive game was technically (marginally) worse than Thursday's set-back...not that it mattered. Gotta say though - the Warenner and Ference duo still make me nervous (see 2nd Chicago goal).
In addition, the news was first very good and then very bad for Calgary and Hamrlik. Hammer scored 3 points, including an assist on the game winning goal - only to go down to injury again. This time the culprit is a swollen hand thanks to a blocked shot. No one knows how long he'll be out of the line-up...again. ARGH! On a related note, Calgary called up farm stand-out Mark Giordano to fill in while Roman's down. Should be interesting to see how he performs tonight against the Blues...
Positives and Negatives:
Positives:
- Reinprecht with a strong outting. Scores 3rd goal and draws 2 penalties that lead to the Dion Phaneuf GW PP goal. Speaking of which...
- Dion Phaneuf. Another PP GWG. I've heard some rumblings about The Dion being included in the Olympic roster AND some potential Norris nominations. Wow. Leads the team in assists and PP goals.
- Roman Hamrlik. 3 point night shows what we've been missing for 6 weeks...and will continue to miss, apprently.
- Kobasew. Scores his 4th in 3 games on a nifty "swat outta mid-air" kind of play. Tied for 2nd on the team with 15 goals.
- PP goes for an impressive 3for6.
- Chris Simon is back to 3rd and 4th line minutes, where he belongs.
Negatives:
- Ference and Warenner. Just plain stupid during the first period. Caused the 2nd and 3rd goals against.
- Jarome Iginla. That makes 3 straight games Jarome has been left off of the scoresheet. After his mid-January revival, he seems to be sinking back into the ineffectual play that has dogged him this whole season.
- First period. The Flames surrender 3 goals and 15 shots to the lowly Hawks. Hardly the best way to iniate revenge...
Next up - Blue(s) Monday.
Fantasy Pics
Since no one believes me that I said to pick Bulis before his 4 goal night against the Flyers I will put down who will be the big winner for tonight in Fantasy Points. Jozef Stumpel. Why you ask? I like his name. And he is due for a big game. I mean he hasn't had one all season so why not do it against the Leafs who suck nuts. That's all. And in goal, pick any goalie but Belfour.
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