Saturday, December 09, 2006
Flames Game Day
The Flames host the Canucks in the back half of the HNIC doubleheader tonight (that's 8PM MT on CBC if you need it). Vancouver is coming off a thrill-ah last night in which they squandered a 3-0 lead in the 3rd, then scored a PPG in OT for the win.The Flames' dominance at home lately has been well-chronicled. Eight straight wins in which they outscored the opposition 27-6. They've allowed a whole two goals at even strength in that stretch. Just generally kicking ass. Last season, they were an almost-equally dominant 30-7-4 at home, but as it happens, two of those 7 came at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks.
I can't think of much to say about the Canucks right now, so here's the baseball standings for the whole league:
Most notable here, I think, is how compressed the EC standings are between 5th and 13th. Also, did everyone else realize that Phoenix had climbed out of the basement? I thought it was Columbus that just got hooked up to the juvenation machine. The Coyotes have beat a couple of decent teams, too.
Could this remarkable pattern extend to a 4th consecutive season? Not likely, but of course that's exactly what was reasonable to scoff at the last three times. Hey, beat the Ducks or Sharks or Stars even once, and we'll talk.
Also, while the crack I was on Thursday night was a bit dodgy, I think it's entirely possible (though not likely) that the NW champ could still grab the #2 seed. It's not like there's too much ground to make up; it's just a question of how dominant DET/NSH are going forward, and how lousy CHI/STL/CBJ are. Yeah, things have played to form so far for those teams, but that doesn't mean it'll continue. (I'm thinking of a division in February that will have two very good teams, two mediocre teams, and one lousy team. It's quite easy to imagine that description applying almost as easily to the Central as to the Northwest, isn't it?)
Tonight's game: hmm... how about a yawner of a 2-1 Flames shootout victory. Richie or Tanguay scores, Kipper stops the first two Canucks shooters, then Iginla sends the C of Red home happy. Go Flames.
# posted by Matt @ 9:42 am 
Comments:
Interesting that the rise of the Phoenix parallels Le GG playing absolutely out of his mind. As someone who saw him for years...he's due for a terrible stretch.
Phoenix:
Two changes were significant:
They got a reasonable backup: Tellqvist. (Joseph is old he needs a good backup so he can have lots of time off)
The signed Perreault (8G - 15 games!)
They still have too many issues and are in too tough a division to come back, but they will do ok.
Would it make sense, in your baseball standings, to show how far teams 9-15 are away from 8th place?
They're not really gunning for the Ducks or Sabres any more.
In the WC, three teams are going to come out of the Pacific, two out of the Central, and three out of the Northwest. Those NW divisional standings are probably going to come down to the last weekend
Would it make sense, in your baseball standings, to show how far teams 9-15 are away from 8th place?
I like it how it is personally. Also, it's not exactly rocket science to figure it out from what's given... ;)
Hey, beat the Ducks or Sharks or Stars even once, and we'll talk.
The Oilers are 2-3 in these games - not bad!
(the deleted post is me claiming 2-2 but I missed a Stars game)
The Oilers are 2-3 in these games - not bad!
The Oil are actually 2-2-1 vs. ANA, DAL, and SJS.
Calgary is 2-2-0.
The remaining 10 teams in the west are a combined 13-36-5 against the Pacific trio.
I think the Ohlund-Iginla rivalry will prevent this one from being a snorefest.
A goaltenders duel, perhaps. But not a snorefest.
A goaltenders duel, perhaps.
I just tuned in, and Luongo is out, so I'm gonna assume that is not how this game has gone.
I have no other comment about the game itself, but I found the Saddledome sound guy's ability to segue Sexyback into the "Go Flames Go" organ tune all kinds of disturbing.
It's now 4-3. A tie would be horrible.
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Interesting that the rise of the Phoenix parallels Le GG playing absolutely out of his mind. As someone who saw him for years...he's due for a terrible stretch.
# posted by 
: December 09, 2006 10:15 am
: December 09, 2006 10:15 am Phoenix:
Two changes were significant:
They got a reasonable backup: Tellqvist. (Joseph is old he needs a good backup so he can have lots of time off)
The signed Perreault (8G - 15 games!)
They still have too many issues and are in too tough a division to come back, but they will do ok.
Would it make sense, in your baseball standings, to show how far teams 9-15 are away from 8th place?
They're not really gunning for the Ducks or Sabres any more.
In the WC, three teams are going to come out of the Pacific, two out of the Central, and three out of the Northwest. Those NW divisional standings are probably going to come down to the last weekend
# posted by : December 09, 2006 12:25 pm
: December 09, 2006 12:25 pm Would it make sense, in your baseball standings, to show how far teams 9-15 are away from 8th place?
I like it how it is personally. Also, it's not exactly rocket science to figure it out from what's given... ;)
Hey, beat the Ducks or Sharks or Stars even once, and we'll talk.
The Oilers are 2-3 in these games - not bad!
(the deleted post is me claiming 2-2 but I missed a Stars game)
The Oilers are 2-3 in these games - not bad!
The Oil are actually 2-2-1 vs. ANA, DAL, and SJS.
Calgary is 2-2-0.
The remaining 10 teams in the west are a combined 13-36-5 against the Pacific trio.
I think the Ohlund-Iginla rivalry will prevent this one from being a snorefest.
A goaltenders duel, perhaps. But not a snorefest.
A goaltenders duel, perhaps.
I just tuned in, and Luongo is out, so I'm gonna assume that is not how this game has gone.
I have no other comment about the game itself, but I found the Saddledome sound guy's ability to segue Sexyback into the "Go Flames Go" organ tune all kinds of disturbing.
It's now 4-3. A tie would be horrible.
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