Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Flames Game Night
The Flames are back at home tonight, hosting the Canucks (7PM MT, RSN West), and I will be there. My brother-in-law and I have tickets, and in the Avison Young Club no less.
If any of you all are going to be there as well, please pop by and say hello. Our plan is to be in the Bar Whose Name Eludes Me At The Moment (underneath the Fan Attic by the west overpass) by about 6PM, as well as in the intermissions and at the end, no doubt. I'm pictured here and will be wearing the same thing; the BinL has one arm in a sling and is wearing a "retro" Iginla home jersey, retro being c. 2002 (i.e. it's white).
The pick is a 4-0 Calgary victory. Go Flames.
If any of you all are going to be there as well, please pop by and say hello. Our plan is to be in the Bar Whose Name Eludes Me At The Moment (underneath the Fan Attic by the west overpass) by about 6PM, as well as in the intermissions and at the end, no doubt. I'm pictured here and will be wearing the same thing; the BinL has one arm in a sling and is wearing a "retro" Iginla home jersey, retro being c. 2002 (i.e. it's white).
The pick is a 4-0 Calgary victory. Go Flames.
# posted by Matt @ 4:19 pm 
Comments:
Hockeygirl scored herself some tickets and she's totally stoked. Not sure completely about her gameday plans though.
Where are all the Flames fans tonight? One game left in hand and it's on the road? Yipes.
Oh, and according to Sagarin, you've had a softer schedule so far as well. Given that we play identical schedules, it looks like an easier road for the Oil from here on out.
You can still have a parade for second or third in the division though.
Scathing...
I wouldn't hold my breath on that parade. Looks like the 'Nucks have tied you up there for...fourth? Do they have parades in Calgary for fourth?
I don't understand how Sagarin says the Fklames have had a softer schedule -- they've played more on the road, they've had the Ducks 3 times already ... of course, we've had the Oil 3 times and the Oil have had the Flames 3 times.
Or unless he means they play really soft sometimes. Like last night. Bleeeagh.
I'd guess it's three things.
1. EC games. Flames have played twice as many, IIRC and the EC sucks.
2. Top 10/16 games. Flames have played 15 games against the top 10 to Edmonton's 18 and 18 games against the top 16 to Edmonton's 22. Sagarin has the Oil as a top 10 team and Calgary isn't, so I'd imagine that the edge is more substantial than it looks - Calgary gets "credit" for playing the Oilers, the Oilers don't get "credit" for playing Calgary.
3. If history has proven anything, it's that the Oilers are better than the Flames. Worth mentioning.
Here's a question:
Has Matt EVER predicted a Flames loss in one of his game previews?
Say what you want, but you have to LOVE the guys optimism.
I caught part of the 3rd period last night: did Luongo play like that all game? If so, easy to see why Vancouver won. He looked very sharp.
Matt has predicted exactly as many losses as sacamano and And have predicted Oilers losses in the last two years: to wit, none. I'd expect nothing different from either of them.
I am confused as to why Sagarin would call the Oilers a 'top ten' team and the Flames not -- their records are virtually identical. If the difference is because the Flames are playing 'top' competition when they play the Oielrs and the Oilers are not, then with all due respect, I have to differ with Mr. Sagarin's process. (Having just looked at the rankings, it looks like the difference between the Flames and Oil are what you might call 'statistically insignificant'.) No doubt their Sagarin rankings will swap when the Flames crush the Oil New years Eve.
I am confused as to why Sagarin would call the Oilers a 'top ten' team and the Flames not -- their records are virtually identical.
They're at the fringes of the top ten. One of them is in, one of them is out. The distinction should become more clear after tonight's game. While virtually indistinguishable, only one can be in the top ten. My point was merely that the Flames number of top ten games (15) compared to the Oilers (18) is a bit distorted, because Calgary gets credit for their games with the Oil and Edmonton doesn't get credit for their games with Calgary, despite the teams being basically interchangeable. Calgary does look to have had the softer sked, despite the home game edge to E-town.
It's the EC. Gotta be the EC.
I see these teams as pretty much interchangeable at thios point in the season. The Sagarin rankings seem to bear that out - the Oilers have a score of 4.26 and the Flames 4.20. The best team in this ranking (the Sabres) is 5.16 and the worst (the Flyers) is much worse than anyone else at 2.41. if the Flames win their game in hand tonight, will they be 4.26 as well? Or, even worse, if the Flames were to lose in OT tonight, would the then first place Canucks have a higher ranking than the rest of the Northwest conference (which would be in a 4 way tie for either 2nd place or last place, depending on your point of view).
I don't know whether to be ecstatic about the fact that the Canucks took 3 of 4 points from the Flames, or pissed that they are now in 1st place. How the hell are the Vancouver Canucks in 1st place?
So is it a good thing or a bad thing that we have a four-way logjam for second/last/whatever, and that such logjam is but a single point from the top (occupied by, get this, Vancouver)? I'm confused and frustrated by the state of the Northwest at the moment.
"How the hell are the Vancouver Canucks in 1st place?"
I wonder that myself. But this race in the northwest is the most intense that I've ever seen.
The crazy part is that the Sharks, Wings, and Stars hold the 4th-6th spots by 10 points. It sucks that when a Northwest division team loses #1 spot, they drop all the way down to 7th! Or they lose 2 in a row and drop all the way down to 10th or 11th! Madness!
Great game last night though. The right team won! You have to be displeased with Kipper's effort on Matt Cooke's shot huh? I don't think I've cheered louder for a Canucks goal all season!
How the hell are the Vancouver Canucks in 1st place?
Superb goaltending.
Stellar offensive prowess.
Magnificent defensive plays.
Rory Fitzpatrick on the blueline.
All the other teams in the NW are playing sub-standard hockey.
Apparently the Oilers 'tougher' schedule has flattered them -- you can pretty much count on the Oil to shit the bed against the Coyotes, Blue Jackets, Blues and, yes, even the Kings.
Games in hand only count if you win 'em, but if you are going to keep giving them to us, eventually we will win a few.
I only wish the Oil had done something -- anything -- to tire the Kings out tonight. It appears my guys will have to tackle a fully rested 12th place team tomorrow night. Dammit.
Go Flames.
It's hard to cheer for either side in this one -- I guess the Canucks are the least of two evils.
OT would be the greatest of all evils.
Go Nucks
Go Flames
(sure is quiet around here these days with the Oilers in 10th place)
sure is quiet around here these days with the Oilers in 10th place
That and it being Christmas/New Years and all. I know it's tough to be a Flames fan and not have any friends to spend time with, but don't worry, the Oil fans will be back, hungover, well fed, and *buuurp* ready to go.
But we'd better not lose to the fuckin Canucks tonight.
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Hockeygirl scored herself some tickets and she's totally stoked. Not sure completely about her gameday plans though.
Where are all the Flames fans tonight? One game left in hand and it's on the road? Yipes.
Oh, and according to Sagarin, you've had a softer schedule so far as well. Given that we play identical schedules, it looks like an easier road for the Oil from here on out.
You can still have a parade for second or third in the division though.
Scathing...
I wouldn't hold my breath on that parade. Looks like the 'Nucks have tied you up there for...fourth? Do they have parades in Calgary for fourth?
I don't understand how Sagarin says the Fklames have had a softer schedule -- they've played more on the road, they've had the Ducks 3 times already ... of course, we've had the Oil 3 times and the Oil have had the Flames 3 times.
Or unless he means they play really soft sometimes. Like last night. Bleeeagh.
# posted by 
: December 27, 2006 8:35 am
: December 27, 2006 8:35 am I'd guess it's three things.
1. EC games. Flames have played twice as many, IIRC and the EC sucks.
2. Top 10/16 games. Flames have played 15 games against the top 10 to Edmonton's 18 and 18 games against the top 16 to Edmonton's 22. Sagarin has the Oil as a top 10 team and Calgary isn't, so I'd imagine that the edge is more substantial than it looks - Calgary gets "credit" for playing the Oilers, the Oilers don't get "credit" for playing Calgary.
3. If history has proven anything, it's that the Oilers are better than the Flames. Worth mentioning.
# posted by : December 27, 2006 9:19 am
: December 27, 2006 9:19 am Here's a question:
Has Matt EVER predicted a Flames loss in one of his game previews?
Say what you want, but you have to LOVE the guys optimism.
I caught part of the 3rd period last night: did Luongo play like that all game? If so, easy to see why Vancouver won. He looked very sharp.
Matt has predicted exactly as many losses as sacamano and And have predicted Oilers losses in the last two years: to wit, none. I'd expect nothing different from either of them.
I am confused as to why Sagarin would call the Oilers a 'top ten' team and the Flames not -- their records are virtually identical. If the difference is because the Flames are playing 'top' competition when they play the Oielrs and the Oilers are not, then with all due respect, I have to differ with Mr. Sagarin's process. (Having just looked at the rankings, it looks like the difference between the Flames and Oil are what you might call 'statistically insignificant'.) No doubt their Sagarin rankings will swap when the Flames crush the Oil New years Eve.
# posted by : December 27, 2006 1:10 pm
: December 27, 2006 1:10 pm I am confused as to why Sagarin would call the Oilers a 'top ten' team and the Flames not -- their records are virtually identical.
They're at the fringes of the top ten. One of them is in, one of them is out. The distinction should become more clear after tonight's game. While virtually indistinguishable, only one can be in the top ten. My point was merely that the Flames number of top ten games (15) compared to the Oilers (18) is a bit distorted, because Calgary gets credit for their games with the Oil and Edmonton doesn't get credit for their games with Calgary, despite the teams being basically interchangeable. Calgary does look to have had the softer sked, despite the home game edge to E-town.
It's the EC. Gotta be the EC.
# posted by : December 27, 2006 1:37 pm
: December 27, 2006 1:37 pm I see these teams as pretty much interchangeable at thios point in the season. The Sagarin rankings seem to bear that out - the Oilers have a score of 4.26 and the Flames 4.20. The best team in this ranking (the Sabres) is 5.16 and the worst (the Flyers) is much worse than anyone else at 2.41. if the Flames win their game in hand tonight, will they be 4.26 as well? Or, even worse, if the Flames were to lose in OT tonight, would the then first place Canucks have a higher ranking than the rest of the Northwest conference (which would be in a 4 way tie for either 2nd place or last place, depending on your point of view).
# posted by : December 27, 2006 2:07 pm
: December 27, 2006 2:07 pm I don't know whether to be ecstatic about the fact that the Canucks took 3 of 4 points from the Flames, or pissed that they are now in 1st place. How the hell are the Vancouver Canucks in 1st place?
So is it a good thing or a bad thing that we have a four-way logjam for second/last/whatever, and that such logjam is but a single point from the top (occupied by, get this, Vancouver)? I'm confused and frustrated by the state of the Northwest at the moment.
"How the hell are the Vancouver Canucks in 1st place?"
I wonder that myself. But this race in the northwest is the most intense that I've ever seen.
The crazy part is that the Sharks, Wings, and Stars hold the 4th-6th spots by 10 points. It sucks that when a Northwest division team loses #1 spot, they drop all the way down to 7th! Or they lose 2 in a row and drop all the way down to 10th or 11th! Madness!
Great game last night though. The right team won! You have to be displeased with Kipper's effort on Matt Cooke's shot huh? I don't think I've cheered louder for a Canucks goal all season!
How the hell are the Vancouver Canucks in 1st place?
Superb goaltending.
Stellar offensive prowess.
Magnificent defensive plays.
Rory Fitzpatrick on the blueline.
All the other teams in the NW are playing sub-standard hockey.
Apparently the Oilers 'tougher' schedule has flattered them -- you can pretty much count on the Oil to shit the bed against the Coyotes, Blue Jackets, Blues and, yes, even the Kings.
Games in hand only count if you win 'em, but if you are going to keep giving them to us, eventually we will win a few.
I only wish the Oil had done something -- anything -- to tire the Kings out tonight. It appears my guys will have to tackle a fully rested 12th place team tomorrow night. Dammit.
Go Flames.
# posted by : December 29, 2006 1:03 am
: December 29, 2006 1:03 am It's hard to cheer for either side in this one -- I guess the Canucks are the least of two evils.
OT would be the greatest of all evils.
Go Nucks
Go Flames
(sure is quiet around here these days with the Oilers in 10th place)
# posted by : December 30, 2006 7:03 pm
: December 30, 2006 7:03 pm sure is quiet around here these days with the Oilers in 10th place
That and it being Christmas/New Years and all. I know it's tough to be a Flames fan and not have any friends to spend time with, but don't worry, the Oil fans will be back, hungover, well fed, and *buuurp* ready to go.
But we'd better not lose to the fuckin Canucks tonight.
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