Wednesday, May 03, 2006

 

Flames Game Day

This is Joe Mullen, from New York City, NY. His hockey career started in the street, on roller skates, with a roll of electrical tape for a puck. He was never drafted, and spent his early adult years racking up points and awards with the Boston College Eagles.

He was signed as a free agent by the St. Louis Blues, and was instantly a solid pro (CHL Rookie of the Year, followed by 117 pts in the CHL, followed by 59 pts in 45 games in his first partial season with the Blues). Not long before the 1986 playoffs, Cliff Fletcher acquired him (along with Rik Wilson and Terry Johnson) for Eddy Beers, Gino Cavallini, and the lovable but plodding Charlie Bourgeois.

Mullen was, in short, an awesome Flame. He helped the team to defeat the Oilers that year and to win the Cup in '89; he was also a key member of both Cup-winning Penguins teams. As a fun bonus, he was also tremendously weird to listen to. He had the thick Hell's Kitchen accent, but furthermore, his mouth was hamburgerized by a high stick early in his Flames career, and the injury & reconstruction affected his speech as well, giving him the rare combination NYC/Bit-my-Tongue accent.

I bring up Joe for two reasons. First, Lowetide had tremendous luck using old Oilers as charms for playoff wins. So, like a typical hockey person, I'm mimicking success rather than trying to come up with something better on my own.

Second, if Chuck Kobasew ends up having a good pro career, it'll be because he played a lot like Mullen. Kobasew is bigger and faster than Joey Mullen ever was, with a better shot to boot, but he doesn't have Joey's game yet. Joey never proved his toughness by giving out punishment, always by putting himself in positions to take some. We know Chuck has the ability to score goals, but can he start scoring more of them, or more important ones? If the Flames need a big goal tonight, and the odds are that they will, can Chuck get himself into that position where he bangs one in a split second before being hammered? I think he's ready, but the bigger question is, does he...

Game 7 of Flames-Ducks goes at 7PM MDT tonight. Before the series, I thought the Flames' key advantage was their consistent strength on home ice, and again, I think that still holds true. When I go back through the list of home games this season, I'm hard pressed to find any weak performances in big home games. The list probably begins and ends with a loss to Vancouver in early February; you might include the opener against Dallas, too. Past that, whenever the Flames have really needed a home win to turn things around, or to stomp on a key foe, they've gotten one.

Other Keys to the Game:
I expect the lads to play a very good game tonight; really, there's absolutely no reason to expect anything else. 2-0 Final, with maybe an empty-netter to top it off and send the C of Red flooding into the streets. Go Flames.

Comments:

Be comforted in the fact that us Oilers fans will be cheering extremely hard for Anaheim, not because we don't want a Battle of Alberta, but because the Flames just plain suck. They really do.

I pity the business owners on the Red Mile, tomorrow morning they shall have major clean-up to do for what surely will be a riot after Calgary loses. Flamers don't deal well with loss, although you'd think they'd be used to it after having 7 years out of the playoffs. Short memories I guess.
 


Besides, Steve Smith did the most to beat the Oilers that year. More so than any Flame at the time.
 


I think I'm just not going to watch the game. I can't cheer for the Flames, but I don't really want to cheer against them either.

While a Flames' loss would certainly be a joyous occasion, I think the euphoria would be short-lived.

I think Fenwick is right, the Hockey Gods wanted a BofA, and so do I.
 


Cheer for Anaheim all you like. After cheering for the Oilers for most of 1991-2006 I am sure you have become accustomed to cheering for hopeless causes.

The Red Mile will be rocking tonight and for a few more weeks yet I reckon. Once the Flames beat the Ducks tonight (which is inevitable) we not only get a Battle of Alberta, but are guaranteed an Alberta team (the Flames) in the Conference Final.

PS -- It always makes me laugh when Oilers fans say 'Steve Smith did the most to beat the Oilers in '86' or 'the Flames didn't beat us, we beat ourselves'. Which makes one wonder how the hugely favoured Oilers found themselves all tied up late in game 7 anyway? Some of the Flames not named Steve Smith helped get them to that point.
 


The Flames are gripping the twig way too tight and will leave Kipper alone too many times.

Anaheim will win and the red mile will run blue with the tears of Flames fans who were sure that they would sweep every series on the way to their second cup.
 


His face was on a tortilla!
 


Febreeze! Now with new Confidence scent!
 


I don't like to be an anonymous poster, but I'm too lazy to create an account here at work. I agree with the two goal cushon tonight, although I think it'll be a 3-1 win for the boys in red.

This summer I dreamt that the Flames/Oilers would meet in round 2, so the boys will accomplish this with a win tonight. I have hated the Oilers my whole life, but found myself jumping for joy after the Hemsky goal (at the Pond btw). I want a BofA so bad!!!

Basically, I'm asking Oiler fans to put your feelings aside for one night and support the Flames at least half-heartedly. Its the only way for either team to truely win the argument of whose the best, with a face-off in the playoffs and it'll make for an amazing 7 games of hockey. The regualr season games were amazing... imagining the playoffs is too much!!!
 


I disagree with this comment:

"Its the only way for either team to truely win the argument of whose the best"

Untrue. If the Flames lose tonight, they lost a series in which they had home ice advantage to a 6 seed with a shaky starting goalie. The Oilers, on the other hand, bounced the presidents trophy winning team in 6 games, therefore would definitively be the better team. End of story. You can enjoy the 5-3 record against the Oil and the 8 points you beat us by in the standings while you are on the golf course.
 


I concur, I will be happy with whoever wins tonight, it will be very strange to watch a game where whoever wins is good news, but I think and hope that the best team wins tonight. If it is Calgary, so be it.

I hope the officiating is solid, no sure goals are called off, and that the game isn't decided by a 5-on-3. Other than that, I hope the 2 teams kill each other out there, and maybe, just maybe Anaheim can injure Kiprusoff in the 3rd period.
 


"Not so great defense"

Lidstrom, Schneider, Chelios?? 2 of those guys are guaranteed hall of famers (although Chelli is playing on fumes). Did you ever stop to consider that the Oilers MADE the Wings look bad, not the Wings shooting themselves in the foot? As far as the Wings having shaky goaltending, I disagree. Legace got outduelled by Rollie, no quesion, but to pin the loss on him would be a cop out. Either way, if the Oil are playing in round 2 and the Flames aren't, the Oil are the better team.
 


I agree, saying Detroit doesn't have a great defence is like saying Calgary has a high-powered offence, it's just not true.

Detroit was outplayed in every aspect of their game, their premier players didn't elevate their game, and it showed how Detroit and Nashville came out of a weak division, while the Oilers have been playing "playoff" hockey for over a month now.
 


Whoa -- tuime for a perspective check. Look, I give the Oil full marks for their playoff win. But to say

Detroit was outplayed in every aspect of their game

is just not so. In fact, for the most part, the Oilers were outplayed in that series. If you watched a random 10 minute sequence chosen from any of theose games, you probably would nod and say, 'yup, the Wings seem to be carrying the play.' The Oilers got away with dominating for a period, or a half period here and there and that proved to be enough. For example, in Game 6, the Oilers were the better team in one of three periods. It was enough.

It is a funny way to win a series, but they give the game to the team that has the most goals, not to the one the Russian or French judge feels played a better game. So, the Oilers won. But to call it a dominating win is just wrong.

If you want to see a dominating win, tune in and see the Flames roast the Ducks tonight.

Go Flames.
 


It feels like I'm packing the karma equivalent of Thor's hammer lately, so I'd like to formally predict that Bryzgalov will stand on his head and the Ducks will get the winning goal on a Farnsworth screwup.

So let it be written, so let it be done.
 


Did Cosh just go biblical or did he go old school Metallica?

On the Kobesuck/Mullen comparison...I heard Lombardi plays like a a young Denis Savard.
 


Cosh, did you just steal my Mjolnir angle?

I'm with Sac; I won't be watching the game. While a BoA would be great, I would also like to taunt Fenwick for a year about the Flames losing to the Goof Troop.
 


I would also like to taunt Fenwick for a year about the Flames losing to the Goof Troop.

A year? After all the bytes he coded to say how terrific the Flames are this year, I'd think that a first round exit would get us a good half-decade of taunting material.
 


I went biblio-cinemo-Metallico-comic with a splash of subconscious Grabia-plagiarism. It makes for a delicious cocktail. But if you're looking for Metallica lyrics, you'll want to crack open your unheard copy of Load:

Keepers of the Flames
Can't you hear your names?
Can't you hear your babies crying?

But now the dreams and waking screams that ever last the night
So build a wall, behind it crawl
And hide until it's light
So can't you hear your babies crying now?

 


"Cheer for Anaheim all you like. After cheering for the Oilers for most of 1991-2006 I am sure you have become accustomed to cheering for hopeless causes."

1991-2006 Oiler Playoff Appearances: 8
1991-2006 Flames Playoffs Appearances: 6

Oilers times past 1st round: 4
Flames times past 1st round: 1

It was a nice try though, good effort.
 


i want the battle of alberta just for the hooliganism that will accompany it. i'm thinking of breaking into the calgary zoo and painting all those dinosaurs, and live animals, copper and blue. as a side bet, i say a fan knife fight in red deer prior to the series. who's down?
 


Interesting to see Le GG begging for a BoA. He figures he will get more ice time in a series like that, and I agree. To see him that excited for a BoA made me excited. Cut him loose, I say. Maybe Jarmoe will forget that Georges fights with the left hand, too. Not that it would matter, since the guy could barely handle Vinnie Lecavalier.
 


Boy, I have to admit the people who are hoping for the Small Gray Face to back in have a convincing case. Iggy has really gone to that "Look! The Captain Super Champion Leader is dropping the gloves!" well about ten times too often. You know what, Jarmoe? Calling out a French rookie who's smaller than you and getting snuffed in the ensuing fight doesn't really do dick to motivate anybody.
 


That Metallica doesn't sound too bad these days even though I hated it in those days. I'm old school so I didn't even like some of the tracks on the Black album, ie Nothing Else Matters.

On to Jarmoe...he also lost a decision to Kesler this year as well so he's sorta moving into Guerin territory, ie "I can fight but I'm not overly good at it."

And poor old BG....I'd imagine he'll have to take near the minimum to come back as an Oiler in '07.
 


Is somebody starting to get a wee bit stressed . . . ?
 


Dear God, please let this game go into triple overtime.
 


Congratulations to Anaheim for revealing the true spirit of Calgary. When the Oilers got down by two in what Detroit now calls the Punch In The Face Game, Rexall Place didn't give up. Salei just put the Lames ahead 2-0 and the Sad-dome is a motherfucking tomb. These people don't know whether to shit themselves or cry.

The Sea of Red is a fashion statement. GO DUCKS.
 


The Flames had one even strenght shot in the second period...and just two in total.

They're only down 2-0 and so were THE MIGHTY OIL on Monday night but at least Edmonton had played well in the first period. The Flames are just getting outhustled to nearly every puck. And the crowd is so dead that it's delicious.

McLean's gonna talk to Peplinski in the second int...this should be great:D
 


Peplinski looks and sounds like he got hit in the solar plexus with a seven-iron 20 seconds before the interview. Pure gold.
 


Man, it just does not get any sweeter right now. Although a Calgary comeback would be equally cool. I was hoping that Selanne might have figured Kiprusoff out after he caught him cheating on the game 6 goal. This game, exact same thing. The look across, then the fast shot to the inside.
 


Another highlight:

Ron MacLean: "Calgary looks frustrated or flat..."

Hrudey: "Nah, they're flat."

I don't even deserve to enjoy myself that much.
 


How about when McLean was saying the Flames could do what the Oilers did on Monday night and to this Hrudey replies, "The Flames had better have a Fernando Pisani in their lineup."

Wow...that's like kicking Sutter in the nuts...and then lighting his nuts on fire.

One last note..appearently MacT is in the house!
 


I don't think MacT smiled at any point on the ice during the Oilers' series, but I sure bet he's smiling right now. I hope he makes some Sutter-esque comments later about how the Flames were never the Oilers' competitors, it was the Ducks and Sharks all along.

Also, doesn't seem to be any commentary from the Flames fans in here. Maybe their keyboards are all broken.
 


I suggest reciting one element of the Flames Credo for each of the seven remaining minutes. "There's nothing wrong with our offence." "Sutter is a great motivator." "Iggy was worth every penny." "What do we need goals for? We've got Kiprusoff." "Hey, we were unbeatable at home all year."
 


Chinandler/Cosh: Chinandler, you suck because I beat you than in the very pool you designed. Cosh, you suck because....well...you suck...
 


Shut down Iggy and you shut down the team. Suddenly Jarome's antics in game 6 look even more stupid.
 


Oh, God, don't show the Red Mile. My ribs can't take it.
 


Just to be even more of an ass, I seem to recall mentioning that the Flames should be worried that Giguere might not be helping them out for games 6 and 7. Turns out, Bryz lets in 2 goals in 2 and a bit games. Nice, nice.
 


Remember when Matt said the lads would probably put forth a good effort?

Well the lads wound up playing like dicks;)

About nine forwards played like they normally play, ie meaning they couldn't put the puck in the ocean or past Tommy Salo..take your pick.

Hamrlik blew goats and Phaneuf turned out to be a post season pumpkin even with soft mintues.

Oh and Kipper couldn't play forward too;)
 


Yes. Enjoy the suck that is the Flames. Always have and always will.

On a sidenote, bryzgalov out-kippered the kippers.

On a sidenote, could a case be made that conroy made iggy a better player rather than the reverse? or at least they played off each other equally.

final sidenote, Brian Burke is classy. We know that because he has every right to give the big F-U to vancouver's media and doesn't
 

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