Saturday, April 21, 2007
Flames Game Day
Game 5, @DET, 1PM MT, CBC/NBC
I should have led the G4 review with Earth to Calgary Hockey Media. I've seen most of the national guys adjust their perceptions of the Flames based on, for example, events. Calgary's own, not so much. I listened to the radio in the car for about 2-1/2 hours the afternoon of G4, and then a good hour the afternoon after, and I thought perhaps I had driven through a time portal into 2004.
And I don't mean the excitement factor; I mean that, as far as Kerr, Dowbiggin, and the rest of them are concerned, both the Flames and the Red Wings have the exact same strengths and weaknesses as they did 3 years ago, and the Flames recipe for success is identical now as then.
It was amazing, really. The craziest take -- which comes straight from the team, and explains why the local guys are on it constantly while the (say) TSN guys never mention it -- is this stuff about how the most important thing is that the Flames need to play with composure. Composure, composure, composure -- like the Flames are Hickory High, and they need to make sure they're not rattled by playing in the big gym in Indianapolis. I quote Rob Kerr from memory, yesterday:
Only if you were paying any attention, I guess. The Flames went from ~25th to 11th in PP rank over the 2nd half of the season, it was fantastic. Wings finished 21st. And while the Flames were one of the best 5v5 teams in the league this year, it so happens that the Wings are one of the teams that was better; they built their WC-leading record on crushing other teams at even strength.
In a fortunate coincidence since I'm tired of talking about this, it doesn't matter much anymore. It's a best-of-3: if the Wings play better than the Flames in the next 2 or 3 games they'll probably win, and vice-versa.
As for today... the Flames have to be a mile better than in G1/G2 (duh), but it still might not be enough. Aren't we due for an OT game? At this exact moment, you'd better believe I'd take that. Roman Hamrlik with the sudden-death winner. Go Flames.
I should have led the G4 review with Earth to Calgary Hockey Media. I've seen most of the national guys adjust their perceptions of the Flames based on, for example, events. Calgary's own, not so much. I listened to the radio in the car for about 2-1/2 hours the afternoon of G4, and then a good hour the afternoon after, and I thought perhaps I had driven through a time portal into 2004.
And I don't mean the excitement factor; I mean that, as far as Kerr, Dowbiggin, and the rest of them are concerned, both the Flames and the Red Wings have the exact same strengths and weaknesses as they did 3 years ago, and the Flames recipe for success is identical now as then.
It was amazing, really. The craziest take -- which comes straight from the team, and explains why the local guys are on it constantly while the (say) TSN guys never mention it -- is this stuff about how the most important thing is that the Flames need to play with composure. Composure, composure, composure -- like the Flames are Hickory High, and they need to make sure they're not rattled by playing in the big gym in Indianapolis. I quote Rob Kerr from memory, yesterday:
"Would you ever, ever, have imagined that the Flames would have the special teams advantage in this series?"
Only if you were paying any attention, I guess. The Flames went from ~25th to 11th in PP rank over the 2nd half of the season, it was fantastic. Wings finished 21st. And while the Flames were one of the best 5v5 teams in the league this year, it so happens that the Wings are one of the teams that was better; they built their WC-leading record on crushing other teams at even strength.
In a fortunate coincidence since I'm tired of talking about this, it doesn't matter much anymore. It's a best-of-3: if the Wings play better than the Flames in the next 2 or 3 games they'll probably win, and vice-versa.
As for today... the Flames have to be a mile better than in G1/G2 (duh), but it still might not be enough. Aren't we due for an OT game? At this exact moment, you'd better believe I'd take that. Roman Hamrlik with the sudden-death winner. Go Flames.
# posted by Matt @ 10:07 am 
Comments:
Congratulations to the New Jersey Nets for absolutely dummying the shit out of the ACC crowd. Nice "Sea of Red" Toronto.
FUVC
Honestly, this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. It's not even like the colours are similar; they're exactly the same.
I'm enjoying this way too much.
Also, they had to hand out "20,000 free T-shirts" to achieve the effect. Go Raptors, but at the same time, thanks for coming out.
I like how, in every city that thinks they invented the idea of everyone wearing the same coloured shit to a game - Winnipeg, Miami, Calgary et al. - they complain about this. I defer to Hooper X on the point, although he was talking about sex with men - the general point still stands:
"Men need to believe that they're Marco fucking Polo when it comes to sex - like they're the only ones who've ever explored new territory. And it's hard not to let them believe it. I let my boys run with it for awhile - feed them some of that "I've never done this before..." bullshit, and let 'em labor under the delusion that they rockin' my world, until I can't stand them anymore. Then I hit 'em with the truth. It's a sick game. The world would be a better place if people would just accept that there's nothing new under the sun, and everything you can do with a person has probably been done long before you got there."
Get over yourselves already.
On two different topics, how does Steve Armitage say shit like "Jarome Iginla, held pointless and shotless in the first two games" while the poor bastard is standing there smiling? I'd kill to see him go "Yeah, well at least I'm not a pussy" and then rip off his toupee.
Second, this guy in Detroit needs to replaced. I'm scared that I'm going to hear him die trying to announce a difficult name or word. Like "Canadian" or something.
GOWINGS!
what the hell happened to him? he didn't move his legs for a few minutes there, that was kinda scary.
i wonder if he actually knocked himeself unconscious for a couple minutes.
i think we can laugh now though.
Man, i wanna love the wings for their franchise, but then i look who actually plays for them and i can't believe i'd cheer for them. And then I see them kicking the flames asses all over the ice, and I start loving them all over again.
Chris fuckin Chelios.
Let's keep the really important things in mind Julian: things are setting up nicely for that Calgary tradition: a third period of silence in the Saddledome.
"Would you ever, ever, have imagined that the Flames would have the special teams advantage in this series?"
Calgary PP: 0-7, 2 SHA
Detroit PP: 1-2
Looks like Earth is calling Matt Fenwick.
Here comes Simmer to analyze the powerplays!!! YES!
What happened with Quasimodo an Cleary, btw? I missed it.
On the one hand, I really like what NBC is doing. On the other, these American ads for medication that spell out the side effects because they're scared of getting sued are terrifying - this FloMax stuff sounds like some serious shit.
If there's one thing Simmer knows, it's looking at PP's that are struggling.
Hey, Ron MacLean suddenly learned that scoring in the West is incredibly low. I wonder who told him that?
Hey, Ron MacLean suddenly learned that scoring in the West is incredibly low. I wonder who told him that?
He's a notorious number cruncher, that Maclean. Couldn't possibly outsource it.
Celine was beaten cleanly in a foot race by Cleary and then hauled him down for the PP, Andy.
I thought that was Hamrlik that hauled Cleary down?
I'm kind of hoping this goes seven now. That way we can have a repeat of last season when the Flames forgot to show up against ANA.
What the fuck was Noodles thinking? If Kipper gets hurt in these last two minutes, Jamie should look for new employment.
Ladies and gentleman, your 2006/2007 Calgary Flames!
What, Noodles couldn't handle a period of hockey? That was positvely Roloson-like.
If Kipper gets hurt in these last two minutes
I love it when you talk dirty to me, Sac.
That was an interference penalty? Cmon.
That Iginla is a real class-act. Butt-end to the ribs, and a slash to the back of the knee.
And then the attempted cheap-shot from Nillson on Draper.
I can't stop laughing. This is awesome.
And Iggy was surprisingly wacky in this game too.
What a bunch of goons.
Ho-lee fuck, that just made my day. I'm going to have a fantastic beer-filled evening. Detroit with two shorties, one by Cheli (who hasn't scored all season); Iginla unhinged; psycho goalie. GOWINGS!
Disgusting. Good job Calgary. Good job embarrassing yourselves, embarrassing the league, and giving the game of hockey two solid black eyes.
The league had better do the right thing and toss McClennan for 10 games, Iginla for at least one, and Nilsson.
Hell, they should suspend Playfair.
And how about Langkow? What a chicken-shit move suckerpunching the guy after a questionable hit. I hope he gets suspended too.
God forgive me and I'm married, but that anthem singer stole my heart. Sweet Jesus what is her name?
MC's line about Armitage is classic, the best thing on the 'blogosphere in months. Shit eating grin while hitting an artery.
Finally, I cannot begin to describe the release that comes from seeing the Flames play like they did today. I should be shot for giggling like an idiot over the misfortune of others, and yet here I am with my beer and my Armitage smile. :-)
What was that about the Flames having better top end talent, Matt?
I think Dominik Hasek, Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, and of course Henrik Zetterberg all have taken offense to that and want to prove their better than Kiprusoff, Phaneuf, Tanguay and Iginla.
They did a good job of making a case this afternoon, that's for sure.
You can't stop Dan Cleary and Chris Chelios. You can only hope to contain them. Or, failing that, swing your stick at them. Keep it classy, Calgary.
I watched the last 10 minutes (aka the meltdown), and I have to say, I'm really surprised the refs didn't just say, "alright, we know they're going to keep trying this shit until they get a fight, so let's just leave 'em be, let 'em get it out of their system, then fling misconducts at 'em like a monkey flinging shit and be done with it." Seems like they might have had more control over the post-Noodles game if they'd just let everyone fight and get it out of their systems. (Though I concede the possibility of an Ottawa-Philly redux.)
like how, in every city that thinks they invented the idea of everyone wearing the same coloured shit to a game
I hope you aren't responding to my comments, because if you are, you might be an idiot.
I also noticed that the Flames took some slapshots at the net when there were wings standing in front of it. Talk about intent to injure. Why, those shots are really hard. I can't wait for the first tool to bring up the old," if I did that at my job, I would be fired". I can't get enough of that. Here's to a sea of white for game 6 in Calgary.
screw off you edmonton losers at least we made the playoffs and at least we didnt trade away SMYTTY for a package of pop rocks and kent nilsson's sperm sample
The funny thing about all this Oilerfan glee is how short the memories are. Have you forgotten your team's utter incompetence for the final quarter of the season? Take your golf clubs and go join your AHL quality roster on the links. The Flames are still playing.
subversive nailed it. you oiler fans are sad. you wish you had the opportunity to choke in the playoffs like calgary
FLAMES IN SEVEN and i hope you cry in your copper and blue baby bibs when it happens, losers.
That was awesome. That was absolutely awesome. Game of the season, by far. I waited until midnight because I was practically in shock.
The Flames know they have to win one on the road to win every series, right? Like, they are aware of this? Playfair isn't going to just write down 'Objective for Game Seven: lose by less than four' on the chalkboard, right?
Right?
o yea and at least we dont have zoolander on our team. weve got nothing but hardworking, hardplaying talent. all killer, no filler on the calgary flames. nepotism is not operative on REAL nhl teams.
so u might think calgary is patethic but the only real pathetics here are the oiler fans who have nothing better to do but watch the flames and wish you were us.
calgary--->the crown jewel of alberta
id rather have playfair than mctavish
at least with playfair you have a PROVEN RECORD OF SUCCESS
The last 7 or 8 minutes of the Vancouver game were really eye-opening.
Namely, after this afternoon who would guess Calgary would win the category of "Western Canadian team who played the cleanest hockey on April 21st?" The Canucks were an entire bench of Jamie McLennans.
o yea and at least we dont have zoolander on our team. weve got nothing but hardworking, hardplaying talent.
Yep, they're hardplaying all right. "We'll put more pucks in the net than you will. Or, barring that, we'll try our hardest to give every player on your team a career-ending injury."
so says a supporter of raffi torres, the dirtiest sumbitch in the west
typical coiler cognitive dissonance
hey if all the Flames fans are happy with being humiliated and summarily bounced from the playoffs, being outplayed every single game of the series - enjoy it. The Oilers had reasons to lose like, a plethora of injuries as opposed to the Lames who seem to feel lost and afraid everytime they leave the comfort of the Saddledome.
so says a supporter of raffi torres, the dirtiest sumbitch in the west
This from the fan of a team with Dion Phaneuf on its blueline? Of a team that showed a total lack of maturity and respect yesterday afternon once the game was out of hand?
Screw off troll.
hey if all the Flames fans are happy with being humiliated and summarily bounced from the playoffs, being outplayed every single game of the series - enjoy it. The Oilers had reasons to lose like, a plethora of injuries as opposed to the Lames who seem to feel lost and afraid everytime they leave the comfort of the Saddledome.
Injuries don't explain it all. They just made some glaring weaknesses even bigger problems.
But I look at it this way, this whole "the Flames made it but the Oilers didn't". Is it REALLY that much better to leave the bar without a sniff of female attention (i.e. miss the playoffs and get a high draft pick) than to end up in bed with the fattest girl there (i.e. flop out in the first round). TECHNICALLY, the later is the "better" scenario, but you have to realize that even your buddies who got none that night are going to make fun of you for taking home the bar-whale, partially as a way of licking their own wounds, but also due to the fact that it's not THAT much better.
Go Wings Go. End this thing tonight.
weve got nothing but hardworking, hardplaying talent. all killer, no filler on the calgary flames. nepotism is not operative on REAL nhl teams.
Isn't that actually the problem? Too many shitty players outside the elite? I mean, that's the exact problem, it's not a strength at all.
at least with playfair you have a PROVEN RECORD OF SUCCESS
MacT knows how to coach a team to a road win in Detroit. He's also coached a team to a Stanley Cup final and has somewhere between 3 and 6 Stanley Cups as a player. Oh, and this isn't really important but it bears mentioning, he doesn't look like he pours bleach into his eyes before choosing a suit to wear for the game.
I was responding to you mcLea, you dummy. I feel quite confident in asserting that somewhere, the fans were the same coloured shirts to games before Calgary started doing it. Get the fuck over yourselves already. I recognize that that moment when it was created symbolizes the peak of Calgarian creativity but it's just not that special.
I was responding to you mcLea, you dummy. I feel quite confident in asserting that somewhere, the fans were the same coloured shirts to games before Calgary started doing it. Get the fuck over yourselves already. I recognize that that moment when it was created symbolizes the peak of Calgarian creativity but it's just not that special.
Tyler, I realize you might have missed the game, but I was talking about the fact that everyone at the ACC was wearing these bright red shirts, and then the Nets came trotting out their 3rd Jerseys, they just so happened to be bright red. Not a similiar red. The exact same fucking colour. It looked absolutely ridiculous, like if Oilers fans decided to have a "Field of Green" against the Dallas Stars.
So I agree, Calgary didn't invent the whole "everyone wear the same colour" gimmick, but at least when we do we don't wear the same colour as the opposing team.
Richard Jefferson 1 Toronto Fans 0
"Biggest shock for us was how much support we got from the Toronto fans," said Jefferson, the game's leading scorer with 28 points. "I think that was exciting, the fact they all came out and wore red. They showed us a lot of love.
"I think it might be the first time in my playoff situation where I've ever seen the opposing crowd come out and wear the same colour as the opposing team. I think that right there gave us a little jolt of energy to start off the game. I'd like to thank all the Toronto people for that."
But I look at it this way, this whole "the Flames made it but the Oilers didn't". Is it REALLY that much better to leave the bar without a sniff of female attention (i.e. miss the playoffs and get a high draft pick) than to end up in bed with the fattest girl there (i.e. flop out in the first round). TECHNICALLY, the later is the "better" scenario, but you have to realize that even your buddies who got none that night are going to make fun of you for taking home the bar-whale, partially as a way of licking their own wounds, but also due to the fact that it's not THAT much better.
Except in this scenario, taking the fat chick home from the bar is worth roughly $1 million dollars per home game. The other thing is it turns out the 6th overall pick isn't much better than the 18th (by my count) in this particular draft. Finally, and most tellingly absent from this fantasy imagining we are discussing, there's still the possibility that the fat chick realizes she's actually 'worth loving', gets on her treadmill that's covered with dust, and loses 200 pounds, thereby turning herself into one of the most fantastic hotties around. All your buddies are kicking themselves at this point as they realize if they just would have tried a bit harder, or looked at the person within, they wouldn't be stuck at home, jerking off to pictures of Pam Anderson, Britney Spears, or whatever other white trash ho happens to catch their poor, blue collar fancy that night.
oilers fans are so myopic, viewing this only through a pure win/loss prism
hey buddies, at least by making it to theplayoffs we can attract TOP UFA TALENT unlike you sadsack losers. who wants to play for a crap team in the ugliest city in north america? plus we get more revenue which means more chances to sign the next jaroma or dion phaneuf (idont f****g care waht u say, the kid is pure talent)
hey i have an idea WHY DON'T WE SIGN RYAN SMYTH he's gonna luck much better in RED. :D
I love it when the Calgary illiterati come on to defend their team and end up validating every negative stereotype about them. Keep it up, you anonymous iijits.
whatever
calgary's taking the conference this year, whether u like it or not
playfair will be vindicated
This has nothing to do with hockey, but to all of the people continuously bitching about how Edmonton won't get UFAs because the city is ugly or cold or something, well, having lived in both cities, I can tell you that I prefer living in Edmonton.
That's Oilers aside. Sure, I like the Oil better than the Flames, but I just wouldn't choose to live in Calgary over Edmonton. Just wouldn't happen.
By my eyes, Calgary wins on being shinier, but Edmonton has some personality.
Insert trophy wife vs. "ugly" girl reference here I guess.
calgary is a recognized world-class city. edmonton isnt. when everyone outside of canada thinks that calgary is the capitol of alberta, that should tell you something right there.
but thats beside the point. oilers consistently lag behind the flames, and always will under the chretien/martin-style leadership of kevin lowe/craig macT
What the hell's going on around here with all the alliteration and metaphors?
The crown jewel of Alberta?
The myopic Oiler fans viewing things through the win/loss prism? How do you follow that gem up with "(idont f****g care waht u say, the kid is pure talent)".
And what the fuck is this? "typical coiler cognitive dissonance"
What's next? Are you going to don a flak jacket, flip on some NIN, and record these thoughts onto your myspace pages?
we can attract TOP UFA TALENT unlike you sadsack losers
Who's the last "top UFA" that the Flames signed?
calgary is a recognized world-class city.
By whom? Rodeo people who appreciate the ready availability of chaw? I don't think you hear anyone trying to decide between a vacation in London, Paris or Calgary.
Also, hat tip to littlefury for illierati.
Insert trophy wife vs. "ugly" girl reference here I guess.
Hey, I wasn't the one who started the stupid bar metaphor, I just picked it up. Don't blame me. :)
tyler,
FACT: calgary is more recognized as the #1 city in alberta
slipper,
FACT: big words scare you
edmonton oilers fanbase,
FACT: EIGHTH place is higher than TWELVE
bonus FACT: phaneuf is a point-producing machine who is an ASSET to any nhl farnchise
I think we can all agree that if the Flames continue to play a smart game in all areas and respond in the measured way they did this game that no team in the NHL could possibly come close.
Maybe the 76-79 Habs, but no others. Bringing in your backup goalie to bunt late in the game, who thinks of this stuff?
Quality, quality team. Every forward a puck handling genius. And did you see the way Dion ragdolled the Red Wing late? He did it so well it looked like Dion had been thrown down.
Amazing player.
thanks lowetide,
youve always been the reasonable voice of the oilogosphere
Anonymous: Big words scare me?
How about small numbers? Twelve playoff games, two powerplay goals, minus eleven, and fourteen penalty minutes. Stick that up your asset.
Dion Phaneuf: The Anonymous Face of the Farnchise.
World class city eh? I know when I think London, Paris, Rome - the next city that just 'naturally' springs to mind is Calgary. Its so difficult for people to make that decision whether they want to see the stories Coliseum or the Saddledome, Buckingham Palace or Ralph Klein's House - and yet these are the difficult decisions one's forced to make when deciding where to travel. How does one really choose between the Louvre and a Husky office tower?
And I know if I was a UFA I'd be itching to sign on with a team whose key players were UFAs at the end of the next season, which had just come off an embarassing exit from the playoffs. Come to Calgary and Atlanta for the pleasure of five extra games a year.
once again you coiler blockheads ignore the concept of RELITIVITY. calgary is world-class COMPARED to edmonton
AND, like ive been saying eight trillion times already--calgary is THE recognized city of alberta outside this province's borders
wake up or youll get left behind
Insert trophy wife vs. "ugly" girl reference here I guess.
More like normal girl. May have a few extra pounds on her now, but she'll still look good at 50, which is more than you can say for the plasticised bimbo.
when everyone outside of canada thinks that calgary is the capitol of alberta, that should tell you something right there.
The world is misinformed/lazy/stupid? Good point, there, genius.
Hat-tip to Slipper for beating me to the Phaneuf point. Hall of Fame numbers, those are. Comparable to Scott Stevens, indeed.
once again you coiler blockheads ignore the concept of RELITIVITY.
And once again, a Flames fan ignores the concept of "spell check."
You want to be taken seriously there, dingleberry? Start by mastering the English language.
Actually I'm amazed that the playoffs have been on for like a week now and no mention has yet been made of the chinook. Wish I could remember Cosh's line about that from last year: it was gold.
Let's just settle it like this: world class cities in Canada are Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.
This Edmonton vs. Calgary competition is sort of pathetic. It's like trying to decide who's the sixth prettiest girl at the prom, rather than the first.
It was so much better when you all just hated on Toronto.
Gentlemen, gentlemen. Can't we all just get along? Dang. This is supposed to be a site where Flames and Oilers fans can come together in brotherhood to celebrate our kindred passions for Alberta hockey through balanced, fair, and impartial commentary. It is not a venue for "takes" or "trash talk".
1) Several requests have been made in the past -- is it really so hard for you "anonymous" posters to just use some fake name so that we can differentiate between you? You still don't need to register.
2) Having never owned a cellular phone, I realize that I'm a bit behind the curve when it comes to new typographical conventions; but honestly, have punctuation, spelling, and grammar really become irrelevant?
You have to love when an inarticulate Lames fan wanders out to say "calGary is leet, I tells u". I know the profundity of that argument blew me away.
In all seriousness what's world class about Calgary? Their rodeo, other than that they have absolutely nothing in their city that people come from outside the general vicinity to see. That lasts for about a week but for the rest of the year nothing to see here unless office towers do it for you.
It must be that they have an NFL, an NBA and MLB franchise right? That would be 'world class' but wait they don't have any of those things. How inconvient, and besides that what Americans know of geography isn't much of an argument. Half of them would be hard pressed to identify Canada on a map if it wasn't labeled. Most of them are unlikely to recognize the names of any Canadian cities outside of Toronto and Montreal.
In all seriousness what's world class about Calgary? Their rodeo, other than that they have absolutely nothing in their city that people come from outside the general vicinity to see. That lasts for about a week but for the rest of the year nothing to see here unless office towers do it for you.
This whole debate is rather silly, but what has Edmonton got going for it, besides that overpriced monstrosity of a mall? Honestly, who the fuck cares which city is "better"? It's not like there's some objective way to measure it.
However, one city still has a hockey team playing, and the other doesn't. That much we know for sure.
Edmonton has been named Canada's Cultural Capital this year... just sayin'.
Mike is right. Once you have a chance to travel a little further than that annual day trip to Sunshine with your high school, you'll realize that neither city can truthfully argue the "World Class" moniker. And here's something to ponder: If you have to say you are "world class", sure as shit you're not.
Having lived in both cities, I can offer that the only real difference between the two (other than the ten day corporate piss-up that masquerades as "The Stampede") is that Calgarians go to great lengths to beat on that "World Class" drum.
Regardless. This is a hockey blog. We Edmontonians are no doubt feeling the sting of a crap season and no playoffs. So I suppose there is a bit of displaced anger going down south. Calgary is playing in the SCP's and we aren't. So ya, you got us there. This year. Sorta like we had you last year. BFD!
But please, don't even get started down this whole "my city is great and your city sucks" gig because you don't have an objective leg to stand on. Take the 300 KM of bad highway between us away and we're pretty much the same. Well, excepting the prairie trails we Edmontonians are now calling streets.
"However, one city still has a hockey team playing, and the other doesn't. That much we know for sure.
"
Not any more.
And here's something to ponder: If you have to say you are "world class", sure as shit you're not.
I think the entire GTO just felt a ringing in their ears.
Post a Comment
<< Home
Congratulations to the New Jersey Nets for absolutely dummying the shit out of the ACC crowd. Nice "Sea of Red" Toronto.
FUVC
Honestly, this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. It's not even like the colours are similar; they're exactly the same.
I'm enjoying this way too much.
Also, they had to hand out "20,000 free T-shirts" to achieve the effect. Go Raptors, but at the same time, thanks for coming out.
I like how, in every city that thinks they invented the idea of everyone wearing the same coloured shit to a game - Winnipeg, Miami, Calgary et al. - they complain about this. I defer to Hooper X on the point, although he was talking about sex with men - the general point still stands:
"Men need to believe that they're Marco fucking Polo when it comes to sex - like they're the only ones who've ever explored new territory. And it's hard not to let them believe it. I let my boys run with it for awhile - feed them some of that "I've never done this before..." bullshit, and let 'em labor under the delusion that they rockin' my world, until I can't stand them anymore. Then I hit 'em with the truth. It's a sick game. The world would be a better place if people would just accept that there's nothing new under the sun, and everything you can do with a person has probably been done long before you got there."
Get over yourselves already.
On two different topics, how does Steve Armitage say shit like "Jarome Iginla, held pointless and shotless in the first two games" while the poor bastard is standing there smiling? I'd kill to see him go "Yeah, well at least I'm not a pussy" and then rip off his toupee.
Second, this guy in Detroit needs to replaced. I'm scared that I'm going to hear him die trying to announce a difficult name or word. Like "Canadian" or something.
GOWINGS!
# posted by 
: April 21, 2007 1:18 pm
: April 21, 2007 1:18 pm what the hell happened to him? he didn't move his legs for a few minutes there, that was kinda scary.
i wonder if he actually knocked himeself unconscious for a couple minutes.
i think we can laugh now though.
Man, i wanna love the wings for their franchise, but then i look who actually plays for them and i can't believe i'd cheer for them. And then I see them kicking the flames asses all over the ice, and I start loving them all over again.
Chris fuckin Chelios.
Let's keep the really important things in mind Julian: things are setting up nicely for that Calgary tradition: a third period of silence in the Saddledome.
# posted by : April 21, 2007 2:59 pm
: April 21, 2007 2:59 pm "Would you ever, ever, have imagined that the Flames would have the special teams advantage in this series?"
Calgary PP: 0-7, 2 SHA
Detroit PP: 1-2
Looks like Earth is calling Matt Fenwick.
Here comes Simmer to analyze the powerplays!!! YES!
What happened with Quasimodo an Cleary, btw? I missed it.
On the one hand, I really like what NBC is doing. On the other, these American ads for medication that spell out the side effects because they're scared of getting sued are terrifying - this FloMax stuff sounds like some serious shit.
# posted by : April 21, 2007 3:03 pm
: April 21, 2007 3:03 pm If there's one thing Simmer knows, it's looking at PP's that are struggling.
# posted by : April 21, 2007 3:04 pm
: April 21, 2007 3:04 pm Hey, Ron MacLean suddenly learned that scoring in the West is incredibly low. I wonder who told him that?
# posted by : April 21, 2007 3:05 pm
: April 21, 2007 3:05 pm Hey, Ron MacLean suddenly learned that scoring in the West is incredibly low. I wonder who told him that?
He's a notorious number cruncher, that Maclean. Couldn't possibly outsource it.
Celine was beaten cleanly in a foot race by Cleary and then hauled him down for the PP, Andy.
I thought that was Hamrlik that hauled Cleary down?
I'm kind of hoping this goes seven now. That way we can have a repeat of last season when the Flames forgot to show up against ANA.
What the fuck was Noodles thinking? If Kipper gets hurt in these last two minutes, Jamie should look for new employment.
# posted by : April 21, 2007 3:56 pm
: April 21, 2007 3:56 pm Ladies and gentleman, your 2006/2007 Calgary Flames!
What, Noodles couldn't handle a period of hockey? That was positvely Roloson-like.
If Kipper gets hurt in these last two minutes
I love it when you talk dirty to me, Sac.
That was an interference penalty? Cmon.
That Iginla is a real class-act. Butt-end to the ribs, and a slash to the back of the knee.
And then the attempted cheap-shot from Nillson on Draper.
I can't stop laughing. This is awesome.
And Iggy was surprisingly wacky in this game too.
What a bunch of goons.
# posted by : April 21, 2007 4:04 pm
: April 21, 2007 4:04 pm Ho-lee fuck, that just made my day. I'm going to have a fantastic beer-filled evening. Detroit with two shorties, one by Cheli (who hasn't scored all season); Iginla unhinged; psycho goalie. GOWINGS!
Disgusting. Good job Calgary. Good job embarrassing yourselves, embarrassing the league, and giving the game of hockey two solid black eyes.
The league had better do the right thing and toss McClennan for 10 games, Iginla for at least one, and Nilsson.
Hell, they should suspend Playfair.
# posted by : April 21, 2007 4:18 pm
: April 21, 2007 4:18 pm And how about Langkow? What a chicken-shit move suckerpunching the guy after a questionable hit. I hope he gets suspended too.
God forgive me and I'm married, but that anthem singer stole my heart. Sweet Jesus what is her name?
MC's line about Armitage is classic, the best thing on the 'blogosphere in months. Shit eating grin while hitting an artery.
Finally, I cannot begin to describe the release that comes from seeing the Flames play like they did today. I should be shot for giggling like an idiot over the misfortune of others, and yet here I am with my beer and my Armitage smile. :-)
What was that about the Flames having better top end talent, Matt?
I think Dominik Hasek, Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, and of course Henrik Zetterberg all have taken offense to that and want to prove their better than Kiprusoff, Phaneuf, Tanguay and Iginla.
They did a good job of making a case this afternoon, that's for sure.
You can't stop Dan Cleary and Chris Chelios. You can only hope to contain them. Or, failing that, swing your stick at them. Keep it classy, Calgary.
I watched the last 10 minutes (aka the meltdown), and I have to say, I'm really surprised the refs didn't just say, "alright, we know they're going to keep trying this shit until they get a fight, so let's just leave 'em be, let 'em get it out of their system, then fling misconducts at 'em like a monkey flinging shit and be done with it." Seems like they might have had more control over the post-Noodles game if they'd just let everyone fight and get it out of their systems. (Though I concede the possibility of an Ottawa-Philly redux.)
like how, in every city that thinks they invented the idea of everyone wearing the same coloured shit to a game
I hope you aren't responding to my comments, because if you are, you might be an idiot.
I also noticed that the Flames took some slapshots at the net when there were wings standing in front of it. Talk about intent to injure. Why, those shots are really hard. I can't wait for the first tool to bring up the old," if I did that at my job, I would be fired". I can't get enough of that. Here's to a sea of white for game 6 in Calgary.
# posted by : April 22, 2007 12:44 am
: April 22, 2007 12:44 am screw off you edmonton losers at least we made the playoffs and at least we didnt trade away SMYTTY for a package of pop rocks and kent nilsson's sperm sample
# posted by : April 22, 2007 12:45 am
: April 22, 2007 12:45 am The funny thing about all this Oilerfan glee is how short the memories are. Have you forgotten your team's utter incompetence for the final quarter of the season? Take your golf clubs and go join your AHL quality roster on the links. The Flames are still playing.
subversive nailed it. you oiler fans are sad. you wish you had the opportunity to choke in the playoffs like calgary
FLAMES IN SEVEN and i hope you cry in your copper and blue baby bibs when it happens, losers.
# posted by : April 22, 2007 1:14 am
: April 22, 2007 1:14 am That was awesome. That was absolutely awesome. Game of the season, by far. I waited until midnight because I was practically in shock.
The Flames know they have to win one on the road to win every series, right? Like, they are aware of this? Playfair isn't going to just write down 'Objective for Game Seven: lose by less than four' on the chalkboard, right?
Right?
o yea and at least we dont have zoolander on our team. weve got nothing but hardworking, hardplaying talent. all killer, no filler on the calgary flames. nepotism is not operative on REAL nhl teams.
so u might think calgary is patethic but the only real pathetics here are the oiler fans who have nothing better to do but watch the flames and wish you were us.
calgary--->the crown jewel of alberta
# posted by : April 22, 2007 1:16 am
: April 22, 2007 1:16 am id rather have playfair than mctavish
at least with playfair you have a PROVEN RECORD OF SUCCESS
# posted by : April 22, 2007 1:18 am
: April 22, 2007 1:18 am The last 7 or 8 minutes of the Vancouver game were really eye-opening.
Namely, after this afternoon who would guess Calgary would win the category of "Western Canadian team who played the cleanest hockey on April 21st?" The Canucks were an entire bench of Jamie McLennans.
# posted by : April 22, 2007 2:33 am
: April 22, 2007 2:33 am o yea and at least we dont have zoolander on our team. weve got nothing but hardworking, hardplaying talent.
Yep, they're hardplaying all right. "We'll put more pucks in the net than you will. Or, barring that, we'll try our hardest to give every player on your team a career-ending injury."
# posted by : April 22, 2007 2:37 am
: April 22, 2007 2:37 am so says a supporter of raffi torres, the dirtiest sumbitch in the west
typical coiler cognitive dissonance
# posted by : April 22, 2007 2:52 am
: April 22, 2007 2:52 am hey if all the Flames fans are happy with being humiliated and summarily bounced from the playoffs, being outplayed every single game of the series - enjoy it. The Oilers had reasons to lose like, a plethora of injuries as opposed to the Lames who seem to feel lost and afraid everytime they leave the comfort of the Saddledome.
so says a supporter of raffi torres, the dirtiest sumbitch in the west
This from the fan of a team with Dion Phaneuf on its blueline? Of a team that showed a total lack of maturity and respect yesterday afternon once the game was out of hand?
Screw off troll.
hey if all the Flames fans are happy with being humiliated and summarily bounced from the playoffs, being outplayed every single game of the series - enjoy it. The Oilers had reasons to lose like, a plethora of injuries as opposed to the Lames who seem to feel lost and afraid everytime they leave the comfort of the Saddledome.
Injuries don't explain it all. They just made some glaring weaknesses even bigger problems.
But I look at it this way, this whole "the Flames made it but the Oilers didn't". Is it REALLY that much better to leave the bar without a sniff of female attention (i.e. miss the playoffs and get a high draft pick) than to end up in bed with the fattest girl there (i.e. flop out in the first round). TECHNICALLY, the later is the "better" scenario, but you have to realize that even your buddies who got none that night are going to make fun of you for taking home the bar-whale, partially as a way of licking their own wounds, but also due to the fact that it's not THAT much better.
Go Wings Go. End this thing tonight.
weve got nothing but hardworking, hardplaying talent. all killer, no filler on the calgary flames. nepotism is not operative on REAL nhl teams.
Isn't that actually the problem? Too many shitty players outside the elite? I mean, that's the exact problem, it's not a strength at all.
at least with playfair you have a PROVEN RECORD OF SUCCESS
MacT knows how to coach a team to a road win in Detroit. He's also coached a team to a Stanley Cup final and has somewhere between 3 and 6 Stanley Cups as a player. Oh, and this isn't really important but it bears mentioning, he doesn't look like he pours bleach into his eyes before choosing a suit to wear for the game.
# posted by : April 22, 2007 7:59 am
: April 22, 2007 7:59 am I was responding to you mcLea, you dummy. I feel quite confident in asserting that somewhere, the fans were the same coloured shirts to games before Calgary started doing it. Get the fuck over yourselves already. I recognize that that moment when it was created symbolizes the peak of Calgarian creativity but it's just not that special.
# posted by : April 22, 2007 8:05 am
: April 22, 2007 8:05 am I was responding to you mcLea, you dummy. I feel quite confident in asserting that somewhere, the fans were the same coloured shirts to games before Calgary started doing it. Get the fuck over yourselves already. I recognize that that moment when it was created symbolizes the peak of Calgarian creativity but it's just not that special.
Tyler, I realize you might have missed the game, but I was talking about the fact that everyone at the ACC was wearing these bright red shirts, and then the Nets came trotting out their 3rd Jerseys, they just so happened to be bright red. Not a similiar red. The exact same fucking colour. It looked absolutely ridiculous, like if Oilers fans decided to have a "Field of Green" against the Dallas Stars.
So I agree, Calgary didn't invent the whole "everyone wear the same colour" gimmick, but at least when we do we don't wear the same colour as the opposing team.
Richard Jefferson 1 Toronto Fans 0
"Biggest shock for us was how much support we got from the Toronto fans," said Jefferson, the game's leading scorer with 28 points. "I think that was exciting, the fact they all came out and wore red. They showed us a lot of love.
"I think it might be the first time in my playoff situation where I've ever seen the opposing crowd come out and wear the same colour as the opposing team. I think that right there gave us a little jolt of energy to start off the game. I'd like to thank all the Toronto people for that."
But I look at it this way, this whole "the Flames made it but the Oilers didn't". Is it REALLY that much better to leave the bar without a sniff of female attention (i.e. miss the playoffs and get a high draft pick) than to end up in bed with the fattest girl there (i.e. flop out in the first round). TECHNICALLY, the later is the "better" scenario, but you have to realize that even your buddies who got none that night are going to make fun of you for taking home the bar-whale, partially as a way of licking their own wounds, but also due to the fact that it's not THAT much better.
Except in this scenario, taking the fat chick home from the bar is worth roughly $1 million dollars per home game. The other thing is it turns out the 6th overall pick isn't much better than the 18th (by my count) in this particular draft. Finally, and most tellingly absent from this fantasy imagining we are discussing, there's still the possibility that the fat chick realizes she's actually 'worth loving', gets on her treadmill that's covered with dust, and loses 200 pounds, thereby turning herself into one of the most fantastic hotties around. All your buddies are kicking themselves at this point as they realize if they just would have tried a bit harder, or looked at the person within, they wouldn't be stuck at home, jerking off to pictures of Pam Anderson, Britney Spears, or whatever other white trash ho happens to catch their poor, blue collar fancy that night.
oilers fans are so myopic, viewing this only through a pure win/loss prism
hey buddies, at least by making it to theplayoffs we can attract TOP UFA TALENT unlike you sadsack losers. who wants to play for a crap team in the ugliest city in north america? plus we get more revenue which means more chances to sign the next jaroma or dion phaneuf (idont f****g care waht u say, the kid is pure talent)
hey i have an idea WHY DON'T WE SIGN RYAN SMYTH he's gonna luck much better in RED. :D
# posted by : April 22, 2007 10:47 am
: April 22, 2007 10:47 am I love it when the Calgary illiterati come on to defend their team and end up validating every negative stereotype about them. Keep it up, you anonymous iijits.
whatever
calgary's taking the conference this year, whether u like it or not
playfair will be vindicated
# posted by : April 22, 2007 11:05 am
: April 22, 2007 11:05 am This has nothing to do with hockey, but to all of the people continuously bitching about how Edmonton won't get UFAs because the city is ugly or cold or something, well, having lived in both cities, I can tell you that I prefer living in Edmonton.
That's Oilers aside. Sure, I like the Oil better than the Flames, but I just wouldn't choose to live in Calgary over Edmonton. Just wouldn't happen.
By my eyes, Calgary wins on being shinier, but Edmonton has some personality.
Insert trophy wife vs. "ugly" girl reference here I guess.
# posted by : April 22, 2007 11:15 am
: April 22, 2007 11:15 am calgary is a recognized world-class city. edmonton isnt. when everyone outside of canada thinks that calgary is the capitol of alberta, that should tell you something right there.
but thats beside the point. oilers consistently lag behind the flames, and always will under the chretien/martin-style leadership of kevin lowe/craig macT
# posted by : April 22, 2007 11:23 am
: April 22, 2007 11:23 am What the hell's going on around here with all the alliteration and metaphors?
The crown jewel of Alberta?
The myopic Oiler fans viewing things through the win/loss prism? How do you follow that gem up with "(idont f****g care waht u say, the kid is pure talent)".
And what the fuck is this? "typical coiler cognitive dissonance"
What's next? Are you going to don a flak jacket, flip on some NIN, and record these thoughts onto your myspace pages?
we can attract TOP UFA TALENT unlike you sadsack losers
Who's the last "top UFA" that the Flames signed?
calgary is a recognized world-class city.
By whom? Rodeo people who appreciate the ready availability of chaw? I don't think you hear anyone trying to decide between a vacation in London, Paris or Calgary.
Also, hat tip to littlefury for illierati.
# posted by : April 22, 2007 11:39 am
: April 22, 2007 11:39 am Insert trophy wife vs. "ugly" girl reference here I guess.
Hey, I wasn't the one who started the stupid bar metaphor, I just picked it up. Don't blame me. :)
tyler,
FACT: calgary is more recognized as the #1 city in alberta
slipper,
FACT: big words scare you
edmonton oilers fanbase,
FACT: EIGHTH place is higher than TWELVE
bonus FACT: phaneuf is a point-producing machine who is an ASSET to any nhl farnchise
# posted by : April 22, 2007 12:23 pm
: April 22, 2007 12:23 pm I think we can all agree that if the Flames continue to play a smart game in all areas and respond in the measured way they did this game that no team in the NHL could possibly come close.
Maybe the 76-79 Habs, but no others. Bringing in your backup goalie to bunt late in the game, who thinks of this stuff?
Quality, quality team. Every forward a puck handling genius. And did you see the way Dion ragdolled the Red Wing late? He did it so well it looked like Dion had been thrown down.
Amazing player.
thanks lowetide,
youve always been the reasonable voice of the oilogosphere
# posted by : April 22, 2007 12:32 pm
: April 22, 2007 12:32 pm Anonymous: Big words scare me?
How about small numbers? Twelve playoff games, two powerplay goals, minus eleven, and fourteen penalty minutes. Stick that up your asset.
Dion Phaneuf: The Anonymous Face of the Farnchise.
World class city eh? I know when I think London, Paris, Rome - the next city that just 'naturally' springs to mind is Calgary. Its so difficult for people to make that decision whether they want to see the stories Coliseum or the Saddledome, Buckingham Palace or Ralph Klein's House - and yet these are the difficult decisions one's forced to make when deciding where to travel. How does one really choose between the Louvre and a Husky office tower?
And I know if I was a UFA I'd be itching to sign on with a team whose key players were UFAs at the end of the next season, which had just come off an embarassing exit from the playoffs. Come to Calgary and Atlanta for the pleasure of five extra games a year.
once again you coiler blockheads ignore the concept of RELITIVITY. calgary is world-class COMPARED to edmonton
AND, like ive been saying eight trillion times already--calgary is THE recognized city of alberta outside this province's borders
wake up or youll get left behind
# posted by : April 22, 2007 3:02 pm
: April 22, 2007 3:02 pm Insert trophy wife vs. "ugly" girl reference here I guess.
More like normal girl. May have a few extra pounds on her now, but she'll still look good at 50, which is more than you can say for the plasticised bimbo.
when everyone outside of canada thinks that calgary is the capitol of alberta, that should tell you something right there.
The world is misinformed/lazy/stupid? Good point, there, genius.
Hat-tip to Slipper for beating me to the Phaneuf point. Hall of Fame numbers, those are. Comparable to Scott Stevens, indeed.
once again you coiler blockheads ignore the concept of RELITIVITY.
And once again, a Flames fan ignores the concept of "spell check."
You want to be taken seriously there, dingleberry? Start by mastering the English language.
Actually I'm amazed that the playoffs have been on for like a week now and no mention has yet been made of the chinook. Wish I could remember Cosh's line about that from last year: it was gold.
Let's just settle it like this: world class cities in Canada are Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.
This Edmonton vs. Calgary competition is sort of pathetic. It's like trying to decide who's the sixth prettiest girl at the prom, rather than the first.
It was so much better when you all just hated on Toronto.
Gentlemen, gentlemen. Can't we all just get along? Dang. This is supposed to be a site where Flames and Oilers fans can come together in brotherhood to celebrate our kindred passions for Alberta hockey through balanced, fair, and impartial commentary. It is not a venue for "takes" or "trash talk".
1) Several requests have been made in the past -- is it really so hard for you "anonymous" posters to just use some fake name so that we can differentiate between you? You still don't need to register.
2) Having never owned a cellular phone, I realize that I'm a bit behind the curve when it comes to new typographical conventions; but honestly, have punctuation, spelling, and grammar really become irrelevant?
# posted by : April 22, 2007 4:22 pm
: April 22, 2007 4:22 pm You have to love when an inarticulate Lames fan wanders out to say "calGary is leet, I tells u". I know the profundity of that argument blew me away.
In all seriousness what's world class about Calgary? Their rodeo, other than that they have absolutely nothing in their city that people come from outside the general vicinity to see. That lasts for about a week but for the rest of the year nothing to see here unless office towers do it for you.
It must be that they have an NFL, an NBA and MLB franchise right? That would be 'world class' but wait they don't have any of those things. How inconvient, and besides that what Americans know of geography isn't much of an argument. Half of them would be hard pressed to identify Canada on a map if it wasn't labeled. Most of them are unlikely to recognize the names of any Canadian cities outside of Toronto and Montreal.
In all seriousness what's world class about Calgary? Their rodeo, other than that they have absolutely nothing in their city that people come from outside the general vicinity to see. That lasts for about a week but for the rest of the year nothing to see here unless office towers do it for you.
This whole debate is rather silly, but what has Edmonton got going for it, besides that overpriced monstrosity of a mall? Honestly, who the fuck cares which city is "better"? It's not like there's some objective way to measure it.
However, one city still has a hockey team playing, and the other doesn't. That much we know for sure.
Edmonton has been named Canada's Cultural Capital this year... just sayin'.
# posted by : April 22, 2007 6:58 pm
: April 22, 2007 6:58 pm Mike is right. Once you have a chance to travel a little further than that annual day trip to Sunshine with your high school, you'll realize that neither city can truthfully argue the "World Class" moniker. And here's something to ponder: If you have to say you are "world class", sure as shit you're not.
Having lived in both cities, I can offer that the only real difference between the two (other than the ten day corporate piss-up that masquerades as "The Stampede") is that Calgarians go to great lengths to beat on that "World Class" drum.
Regardless. This is a hockey blog. We Edmontonians are no doubt feeling the sting of a crap season and no playoffs. So I suppose there is a bit of displaced anger going down south. Calgary is playing in the SCP's and we aren't. So ya, you got us there. This year. Sorta like we had you last year. BFD!
But please, don't even get started down this whole "my city is great and your city sucks" gig because you don't have an objective leg to stand on. Take the 300 KM of bad highway between us away and we're pretty much the same. Well, excepting the prairie trails we Edmontonians are now calling streets.
# posted by : April 22, 2007 10:00 pm
: April 22, 2007 10:00 pm "However, one city still has a hockey team playing, and the other doesn't. That much we know for sure.
"
Not any more.
And here's something to ponder: If you have to say you are "world class", sure as shit you're not.
I think the entire GTO just felt a ringing in their ears.
# posted by : April 23, 2007 8:01 pm
: April 23, 2007 8:01 pm Post a Comment
<< Home
