Monday, October 30, 2006
Flames Game Night
The Flames host the Washington Capitals tonight at 7PM MST (RSN West). (Sidebar: the Mighty Ducks always got the grief, but "Capitals" is an extremely lame and stupid name for a team that doesn't have a "50-100 years of history" excuse, e.g.).
Good on Sacamano for highlighting Eric Francis' chit-chat with Darryl Sutter today. (Sidebar2: Francis got a decent bit of cred back with me when he was the only guy who wondered aloud what the hell was going on during the Sauve-Reinprecht fiasco, even though events have essentially proven Sutter right in that Sauve's career has bombed to the point where he was Phoenix's 4th option in goal on Opening Night.)
Here's what I think (I can feel you all on the edge of your seats here): about scoring, I think Sutter is right. When I look at the lineup (and having watched 60 odd games over the past 1.1 seasons), I don't see any reason why the Flames forwards can't score with most of the teams in the league.
The strange thing is this. There are all sorts of people who will say quite matter-of-factly that (A) the Flames can't be successful in high-scoring games, or (B) the Flames aren't built that way, or (C) variations and combinations of A&B. There is no one, as far as I know, who has taken this opinion (i.e. criticism) to the next logical step, which is, Why Is That?
The Flames' defensive capabilities, real or overrated, are a bargain. Near-unanimous Vezina Trophy holder for $3.3M. Robyn Regehr for ~$1.9M; he would have gotten 5+ as a UFA this offseason. Phaneuf for <$1M. Zyuzin was a good deal in July. Even Rhett Warrener at $2.3M is basically earning his money (when he's healthy) put up against the Hal Gill/Willie Mitchell contracts. Only Hamrlik is overpaid. The Flames' cap number is about $41.3M. So the question is, or ought to be if you think they can't Score & Win, why aren't you tearing GM Sutter a new one for cocking up the forward lineup so bad? It's not for a lack of money, or cap space. If you think the Flames' forwards aren't good enough to win anything without flawless defensive play and heroic goaltending by Kipper, then you think Darryl Sutter has screwed up big -- there's no getting around that.
Maybe he has, but I don't think so. I think this is the best crew of Flames forwards since Gilmour got traded. What I would like is for the Flames (coaching staff?) to remember that the "identity" that made them successful 2-3 years ago was not perfect defensive play and positioning, but speed and an physical, attacking mentality. You have a top 3 NHL goalie and a deep and solid defensive corps: the forwards should not be afraid to make a mistake. YAAWWWP.
Things are bad enough in FlamesLand that at least two people on the radio today were worried that the Flames would be in trouble with the Capitals -- the Washington Freaking Capitals -- if they didn't play their game to a Tee. Nonsense. The Flames can beat the Caps playing absolutely any style of game, and unless Kipper gets outplayed, they will. Call it 4-1 for the good guys (Lombardi x2, Kobasew, Hamrlik). Go Flames.
Good on Sacamano for highlighting Eric Francis' chit-chat with Darryl Sutter today. (Sidebar2: Francis got a decent bit of cred back with me when he was the only guy who wondered aloud what the hell was going on during the Sauve-Reinprecht fiasco, even though events have essentially proven Sutter right in that Sauve's career has bombed to the point where he was Phoenix's 4th option in goal on Opening Night.)
Here's what I think (I can feel you all on the edge of your seats here): about scoring, I think Sutter is right. When I look at the lineup (and having watched 60 odd games over the past 1.1 seasons), I don't see any reason why the Flames forwards can't score with most of the teams in the league.
The strange thing is this. There are all sorts of people who will say quite matter-of-factly that (A) the Flames can't be successful in high-scoring games, or (B) the Flames aren't built that way, or (C) variations and combinations of A&B. There is no one, as far as I know, who has taken this opinion (i.e. criticism) to the next logical step, which is, Why Is That?
The Flames' defensive capabilities, real or overrated, are a bargain. Near-unanimous Vezina Trophy holder for $3.3M. Robyn Regehr for ~$1.9M; he would have gotten 5+ as a UFA this offseason. Phaneuf for <$1M. Zyuzin was a good deal in July. Even Rhett Warrener at $2.3M is basically earning his money (when he's healthy) put up against the Hal Gill/Willie Mitchell contracts. Only Hamrlik is overpaid. The Flames' cap number is about $41.3M. So the question is, or ought to be if you think they can't Score & Win, why aren't you tearing GM Sutter a new one for cocking up the forward lineup so bad? It's not for a lack of money, or cap space. If you think the Flames' forwards aren't good enough to win anything without flawless defensive play and heroic goaltending by Kipper, then you think Darryl Sutter has screwed up big -- there's no getting around that.
Maybe he has, but I don't think so. I think this is the best crew of Flames forwards since Gilmour got traded. What I would like is for the Flames (coaching staff?) to remember that the "identity" that made them successful 2-3 years ago was not perfect defensive play and positioning, but speed and an physical, attacking mentality. You have a top 3 NHL goalie and a deep and solid defensive corps: the forwards should not be afraid to make a mistake. YAAWWWP.
Things are bad enough in FlamesLand that at least two people on the radio today were worried that the Flames would be in trouble with the Capitals -- the Washington Freaking Capitals -- if they didn't play their game to a Tee. Nonsense. The Flames can beat the Caps playing absolutely any style of game, and unless Kipper gets outplayed, they will. Call it 4-1 for the good guys (Lombardi x2, Kobasew, Hamrlik). Go Flames.
# posted by Matt @ 6:03 pm 
Comments:
Until players like Kobasew and Lombardi can prove they can move the puck and score on a consistent basis, an embracement of an "attacking mentality" is suicidal.
"You have a top 3 NHL goalie and a deep and solid defensive corps: the forwards should not be afraid to make a mistake."
Reason #523 that the Flames shouldn't, and haven't, been willing to trade chances with teams is Robest Regehr is a thousand times more effective playing in his own zone than he is defending the rush. You have odd man rushes flying at Regehr all game, and he'll get burned on the outside all night long. This is also true for the majority of the Flames' defensemen, but to a lesser degree. The Flames defense is built to be effective in defensive zone coverage - period. So the Flames play a style that suites the skill set of their players and good on them. Because as shitty as they are now, they'd be even worse if they decided that they could play like the Sabres.
Speaking of "Score & Win", do people in Calgary feel a little jealous of Edmonton Safeway shoppers? I mean, every time an Oiler scores somebody in northern Albert or Manitoba wins a digital cordless phone, or a vacuum, or a Safeway gift certificate. Whenever a Flames player gets around to scoring, southern Alberta or Saskatchewan fans get the same treat. So how many more winners do we northerns get, anyways?
That's hilarious. Safeway shoppers of the south, UNITE!
When I look at the lineup (and having watched 60 odd games over the past 1.1 seasons), I don't see any reason why the Flames forwards can't score with most of the teams in the league.
Were you drunk while writing this sentence?
There is no one, as far as I know, who has taken this opinion (i.e. criticism) to the next logical step, which is, Why Is That?
You mean amongst Flames fans, right? Because I'm pretty sure Edmontonians have been pretty outspoken on this. It's called having NO TALENT up front.
I think this is the best crew of Flames forwards since Gilmour got traded.
Is that supposed to be a ringing endoresement? Because it really isn't saying much, other than "this is the best of all of our shitty offences over the past 13 years"
The suicidal attacking (perhaps I should have used the word "aggressive") mentality won them the Western Conference in '04. Robyn Regehr will get burned to the outside all night long? Is this common knowledge that I was never let in on?
Score & Win: 4? That's the number I get over the Oil's 1st 9 games compared to the Flames. Probably on account of the Oil's dominant F corps, compared to the No Talent Flames corps.
And yeah, the Gilmour comment was an endorsement. That crew had one more Cup that the Oil's present bunch have, IIRC. Nieuwendyk, Mullen, Roberts, Fleury, Gilmour, Otto, & Patterson, et al, were a nice bunch of players who kicked ass for quite a while.
That crew had one more Cup that the Oil's present bunch have, IIRC. Nieuwendyk, Mullen, Roberts, Fleury, Gilmour, Otto, & Patterson, et al, were a nice bunch of players who kicked ass for quite a while.
Do you really want to get into Cup comparisons?
And your point wasn't about Gilmour et al, it was how this lineup is the best offensive group since then. My point is that you should raise the bar a little higher, perhaps even state that you think their as good as that group. It wouldn't hold up, but at least it wouldn't be empty.
Things are bad enough in FlamesLand that at least two people on the radio today were worried that the Flames would be in trouble with the Capitals -- the Washington Freaking Capitals -- if they didn't play their game to a Tee. Nonsense. The Flames can beat the Caps playing absolutely any style of game, and unless Kipper gets outplayed, they will.
The thing that is really keeping the good folks of Saskatchewan and Southern Alberta from collecting their dustbusters is that the Flames games are never on Sportsnet. Tonights game is the first time in weeks (since the Ottawa game, maybe?) that Sportsnet has carried the Flames.
As no talent as number 12 is, he still has 2 more Richard trophies and 2 more Hart nominations than the entire terrifying Oilers forward corps combined. Sure he has not won any of those trophies lately, but the Oilers havent won any of these cups I hear so much about lately, either.
I can't speak for Andy but my sarcastic response was based on the laughable collection of forwards that the Flames have put out since Killer moved on to greener pastures.
Oh, we're on the same page.
I'd just like to point out that the Flames lost to the Washington Capitals. I guess it's not much of a burn, since the Capitals do have a better record.
Did my eyes deceive me, or did I see Ovechkin toss Phaneuf flat on his ass in the first?
Damn. I missed that one.
After watching tonights game, with the exception of Iginla, Kipper, Regehr and Phaneuf, I have absolutely no confidence that any of these players can bring a winning season, let alone win a playoff series.
That game was embarassing.
" The Flames can beat the Caps playing absolutely any style of game, and unless Kipper gets outplayed, they will. Call it 4-1 for the good guys (Lombardi x2, Kobasew, Hamrlik). Go Flames."
I supose Kolzig stopping all but 2 of 39 shots, technically suggests that he outplayed Kippersoff stopping 27 or 31 shots. Given that the box score doesn't indicate relative quality of shots that's hard to measure definitively. But apparantly this would be one of the styles of games that Calgary can play and lose to the "Washington freaking capitals."
Ouch. The Capitals played the game I thought the Flames would play. or at least the one the Flames are supposed to play.
I am mildly thrilled (thrilled being too strong a word) that Jarome is off to his best start in years - 11 points in 10 games. If he picks it up like he usually does, things are going to pick up. Now if Tanguay would just pick it up and if Ference would suffer some completely curable, painless yet still season ending injury, things would really pick up.
Go Flames.
Speaking of CalgaryPuck, it seems that the gnashing of teeth has become so bad that the mods have simply started removing posts from the gameday thread. Namely all the posts from when the game was actually on. Amusing, very amusing. It's like the whole board is rocking in the fetal position, clutching madly at its ears to shut out the world.
"Robyn Regehr will get burned to the outside all night long? Is this common knowledge that I was never let in on?"
Well you think the Flames can score with any team in the league (with those alpha studs like Tony Amonte), so maybe we're watching different teams.
Put me down as someone else who is mily excited about Jarome starting out the year well.
As for the rest of the team...
Peter, thanks for being the only Flames fan who ever posts on this site after a Calgary loss.
Everyone else: this is why Edmonton fans make fun of you.
But boy do thye come out with the "bwah ha has" when the Oilers drop one. If these guys spent a third of the time on their own team as they do hacking down the Oilers, well, the Flames would still be shitty.
But boy do thye come out with the "bwah ha has" when the Oilers drop one. If these guys spent a third of the time on their own team as they do hacking down the Oilers, well, the Flames would still be shitty.
Right...because this comment section ISN'T filled with Oiler fans opportunistically dog-piling now that the Flames are losing. Sure, Flames fans are guilty of the same thing, but...
look in the mirror much?
Right...because this comment section ISN'T filled with Oiler fans opportunistically dog-piling now that the Flames are losing. Sure, Flames fans are guilty of the same thing, but...
look in the mirror much?
The difference Grasshopper, and it's a key one, is that Flames fans are notorious for their silence except on those occassions when the Oilers lose.
So, on the one hand, we have Oiler fans who consistently talk about the team with occasional breaks to bwah ha ha the Flames' woes. On the other, we have Flames fans who's sole pleasure in life is expressing their boundless schadenfreude on the occassion of an Oilers loss.
Post a Comment
<< Home
Until players like Kobasew and Lombardi can prove they can move the puck and score on a consistent basis, an embracement of an "attacking mentality" is suicidal.
"You have a top 3 NHL goalie and a deep and solid defensive corps: the forwards should not be afraid to make a mistake."
Reason #523 that the Flames shouldn't, and haven't, been willing to trade chances with teams is Robest Regehr is a thousand times more effective playing in his own zone than he is defending the rush. You have odd man rushes flying at Regehr all game, and he'll get burned on the outside all night long. This is also true for the majority of the Flames' defensemen, but to a lesser degree. The Flames defense is built to be effective in defensive zone coverage - period. So the Flames play a style that suites the skill set of their players and good on them. Because as shitty as they are now, they'd be even worse if they decided that they could play like the Sabres.
Speaking of "Score & Win", do people in Calgary feel a little jealous of Edmonton Safeway shoppers? I mean, every time an Oiler scores somebody in northern Albert or Manitoba wins a digital cordless phone, or a vacuum, or a Safeway gift certificate. Whenever a Flames player gets around to scoring, southern Alberta or Saskatchewan fans get the same treat. So how many more winners do we northerns get, anyways?
That's hilarious. Safeway shoppers of the south, UNITE!
When I look at the lineup (and having watched 60 odd games over the past 1.1 seasons), I don't see any reason why the Flames forwards can't score with most of the teams in the league.
Were you drunk while writing this sentence?
There is no one, as far as I know, who has taken this opinion (i.e. criticism) to the next logical step, which is, Why Is That?
You mean amongst Flames fans, right? Because I'm pretty sure Edmontonians have been pretty outspoken on this. It's called having NO TALENT up front.
I think this is the best crew of Flames forwards since Gilmour got traded.
Is that supposed to be a ringing endoresement? Because it really isn't saying much, other than "this is the best of all of our shitty offences over the past 13 years"
The suicidal attacking (perhaps I should have used the word "aggressive") mentality won them the Western Conference in '04. Robyn Regehr will get burned to the outside all night long? Is this common knowledge that I was never let in on?
Score & Win: 4? That's the number I get over the Oil's 1st 9 games compared to the Flames. Probably on account of the Oil's dominant F corps, compared to the No Talent Flames corps.
And yeah, the Gilmour comment was an endorsement. That crew had one more Cup that the Oil's present bunch have, IIRC. Nieuwendyk, Mullen, Roberts, Fleury, Gilmour, Otto, & Patterson, et al, were a nice bunch of players who kicked ass for quite a while.
That crew had one more Cup that the Oil's present bunch have, IIRC. Nieuwendyk, Mullen, Roberts, Fleury, Gilmour, Otto, & Patterson, et al, were a nice bunch of players who kicked ass for quite a while.
Do you really want to get into Cup comparisons?
And your point wasn't about Gilmour et al, it was how this lineup is the best offensive group since then. My point is that you should raise the bar a little higher, perhaps even state that you think their as good as that group. It wouldn't hold up, but at least it wouldn't be empty.
Things are bad enough in FlamesLand that at least two people on the radio today were worried that the Flames would be in trouble with the Capitals -- the Washington Freaking Capitals -- if they didn't play their game to a Tee. Nonsense. The Flames can beat the Caps playing absolutely any style of game, and unless Kipper gets outplayed, they will.
The thing that is really keeping the good folks of Saskatchewan and Southern Alberta from collecting their dustbusters is that the Flames games are never on Sportsnet. Tonights game is the first time in weeks (since the Ottawa game, maybe?) that Sportsnet has carried the Flames.
As no talent as number 12 is, he still has 2 more Richard trophies and 2 more Hart nominations than the entire terrifying Oilers forward corps combined. Sure he has not won any of those trophies lately, but the Oilers havent won any of these cups I hear so much about lately, either.
# posted by 
: October 30, 2006 8:55 pm
: October 30, 2006 8:55 pm I can't speak for Andy but my sarcastic response was based on the laughable collection of forwards that the Flames have put out since Killer moved on to greener pastures.
Oh, we're on the same page.
I'd just like to point out that the Flames lost to the Washington Capitals. I guess it's not much of a burn, since the Capitals do have a better record.
Did my eyes deceive me, or did I see Ovechkin toss Phaneuf flat on his ass in the first?
Damn. I missed that one.
After watching tonights game, with the exception of Iginla, Kipper, Regehr and Phaneuf, I have absolutely no confidence that any of these players can bring a winning season, let alone win a playoff series.
That game was embarassing.
" The Flames can beat the Caps playing absolutely any style of game, and unless Kipper gets outplayed, they will. Call it 4-1 for the good guys (Lombardi x2, Kobasew, Hamrlik). Go Flames."
I supose Kolzig stopping all but 2 of 39 shots, technically suggests that he outplayed Kippersoff stopping 27 or 31 shots. Given that the box score doesn't indicate relative quality of shots that's hard to measure definitively. But apparantly this would be one of the styles of games that Calgary can play and lose to the "Washington freaking capitals."
Ouch. The Capitals played the game I thought the Flames would play. or at least the one the Flames are supposed to play.
I am mildly thrilled (thrilled being too strong a word) that Jarome is off to his best start in years - 11 points in 10 games. If he picks it up like he usually does, things are going to pick up. Now if Tanguay would just pick it up and if Ference would suffer some completely curable, painless yet still season ending injury, things would really pick up.
Go Flames.
# posted by : October 30, 2006 10:51 pm
: October 30, 2006 10:51 pm Speaking of CalgaryPuck, it seems that the gnashing of teeth has become so bad that the mods have simply started removing posts from the gameday thread. Namely all the posts from when the game was actually on. Amusing, very amusing. It's like the whole board is rocking in the fetal position, clutching madly at its ears to shut out the world.
"Robyn Regehr will get burned to the outside all night long? Is this common knowledge that I was never let in on?"
Well you think the Flames can score with any team in the league (with those alpha studs like Tony Amonte), so maybe we're watching different teams.
Put me down as someone else who is mily excited about Jarome starting out the year well.
As for the rest of the team...
Peter, thanks for being the only Flames fan who ever posts on this site after a Calgary loss.
Everyone else: this is why Edmonton fans make fun of you.
But boy do thye come out with the "bwah ha has" when the Oilers drop one. If these guys spent a third of the time on their own team as they do hacking down the Oilers, well, the Flames would still be shitty.
But boy do thye come out with the "bwah ha has" when the Oilers drop one. If these guys spent a third of the time on their own team as they do hacking down the Oilers, well, the Flames would still be shitty.
Right...because this comment section ISN'T filled with Oiler fans opportunistically dog-piling now that the Flames are losing. Sure, Flames fans are guilty of the same thing, but...
look in the mirror much?
Right...because this comment section ISN'T filled with Oiler fans opportunistically dog-piling now that the Flames are losing. Sure, Flames fans are guilty of the same thing, but...
look in the mirror much?
The difference Grasshopper, and it's a key one, is that Flames fans are notorious for their silence except on those occassions when the Oilers lose.
So, on the one hand, we have Oiler fans who consistently talk about the team with occasional breaks to bwah ha ha the Flames' woes. On the other, we have Flames fans who's sole pleasure in life is expressing their boundless schadenfreude on the occassion of an Oilers loss.
Post a Comment
<< Home
