Sunday, January 28, 2007

 

Flames Game Day-Hawks

Helooooooooo? Is anybody out there ere ere ere ere?

Good to see the Flames lost to the Blackhawks this afternoon, even if it was in overtime. Ecstatic to see they blew the lead in the last minute, too. I mean, the Hawks had only lost like what, ten in a row? Yet it took Calgary twelve minutes to even get a shot on net. Real contenders, those Flames.

Kudos must also go out to Jean Lefebvre of the Calgary Herald. He wrote an article on the NHL's twenty best young players in the "Hockey Sunday" edition of the Herald, yet somehow failed to mention a twenty-three year-old Czech by the name of Ales Hemsky. Of course, Dion Phaneuf made the list (gasp!), but so too did the offensive juggernaut that is Tuomo Ruutu. Career points for Ruutu (age twenty-three): 71. Points for Ales Hemsky in 05/06: 77. I wouldn't possibly suggest Lefebvre has his blinders on; it's just comforting to know a Calgary writer was as accomplished as his hockey team today in missing the mark.

Comments:

Question for our Flame-fan friends:

Does Jamie McLennan EVER play anymore? Seriously...Kiprusoff played his 45th game today. This is a Brodeur-esque workload.

Oh, and Ruutu over Hemsky? Weber over Seabrook? Cam Ward over MA Fleury? I'd say that guy did pretty good with the obvious picks, but there were some pretty noticeable omissions.
 


Given a choice between Weber and Seabrook I'd be pretty torn. Weber is quietly having himself a helluva season.
 


Looking at the Nashville D is insanity inducing. Timonen & Zidlicky as your vets with awesome offensive power. Hamhuis is under 25, Suter & Weber are freaking babies who are just starting to knock on the door of 22. 2003 was a very good draft year for the Preds.

Think they can spot the Oil a D man? Also their forward depth is such that they can afford to send Raddy down to the AHL.
 


Lebrun said on the Hot Stove that they had no choice but to send Radulov down. They are up against the cap due to some injuries, and he was the only guy who wouldn't have to clear waivers.

And yes, that defensive grouping is something to envy. Too bad no one in Nashville cares.
 


Lebrun said on the Hot Stove that they had no choice but to send Radulov down. They are up against the cap due to some injuries, and he was the only guy who wouldn't have to clear waivers.

That statement is partially correct. Rads is the only one who doesn't have to clear waivers, but the Preds are no where near the cap.

It was a short stay in Milwaukee for Radulov. He and Upshall were called up Sunday and Mikko Lehtonen and Kevin Klein were sent back down. Marek Zidlicky is back from the flu and should play tomorrow night in Colorado.

Oh, re: the Preds blueliners, they have a couple of awesome kids in Juniors, too...Ryan Parent and Cody Franson. It just keeps gettin' better.
 


Hmm, I just took Lebrun's word for it, but it doesn't appear like the Preds are close to the cap wall at all. Why did they send Radulov down, then? Was it over the break, and they just wanted to get him some playing time?
 


Isn't there a roster limit until at least the trading deadline? If Nashville called up a couple of guys due to injury, they may have needed to send someone down, just to make the numbers. If they don't put guys on IR, they count against the 23 players you can have on your roster. Since Radulov was the only guy they have who doesn't need to clear waivers, he gets the nod.
 


That last minute goal and resulting overtime loss stung a bit, but it was a game we had no business even being in. Luckily, we have a pretty good goalie (even if he can't stop a beach ball in the shoot-out). 81 shots against in 2 games. But still, 2 points out of those games. It's a bit of a silver lining, I suppose.

The part that really stung was that Vancouver managed to win yesterday in a game it looks like they had no business being in, either.
 


but it was a game we had no business even being in.

Let's hope that part continues.
 


Man alive, Luongo has quietly launched himself into the Hart derby in the past month.

Vancouver is 11-2-1 in their past 14, right? Oilers fans used to take shots at the Flames for being "nothing without Kipper" (who knows, that argument might still hold some water), but Luongo/Vancouver is a whole other level of that argument.
 


Why did they send Radulov down, then? Was it over the break, and they just wanted to get him some playing time?

Cleave is right...well, except it was the flu, not injuries.

The Preds were hit with the flu bug over the AS break. Zidlicky was knocked cold by it, so they called up Kevin Klein. The put Zids on IR, so the numbers were still ok.

Then Timonen played only 8 minutes and the team was worried he wouldn't be able to play Saturday. They called up Mikko Lehtonen and someone had to go down. As mentioned before, Rads was the only one who didn't have to go through waivers.

It turns out Timonen was fine and played Saturday night. Zidlicky is back off of IR, too, so Klein and Lehtonen are back in Milwaukee and Radulov and Upshall are with the team for Colorado.
 


three of the five or six best goalies on the planet converge on the division

For a moment there, i thought you meant Rollie. To which I was going to open a can of internets vitriol on you.

Then I remembered Manny Fernandez. Carry on.
 


but Luongo/Vancouver is a whole other level of that argument.
It's oddly comforting to see that particular epithet directed elsewhere for a change.
 

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