Thursday, April 17, 2008

 

Your mileage may vary

That was the best game the Flames played this series, and in future games, if they play that well and outchance the Sharks by a similar margin, they are likely to win.

I-M-O

[P.S. If I don't write something this summer about how pointless the concept of 'momentum' is in the sporting context, someone remind me.]

Comments:

Could there possibly be more sexual tension between Kelly Hrudey and Ron Maclean?
 


P.S. If I don't write something this summer about how pointless the concept of 'momentum' is in the sporting context, someone remind me.

Haha. I had an encouter with a friend recently who was worried about the Shark's "momentum" coming into this game.

I had a few choice words for him.
 


Momentum or not, the Sharks got the "W" tonight, which shows they might have learned something about taking advantage of an opportunity.

The real proof will be whether or not they have the testicular fortitude to close out the Flames in game six.....it's going to say a lot about this team. Do they really want to end up in a coin-flip seventh game situation against Kiprusoff, Iginla, et al?

Killer instinct. Did they learn anything from their loss to the Oilers two years ago?

We're going to find out.
 


If I don't write something this summer about how pointless the concept of 'momentum' is in the sporting context, someone remind me.

That was the running joke at my house tonight, after Simpson mentioned "momentum" and "turning the tide" for the 8,000th time. Unbelievable. And unbearable.
 


AG: Not sure what it is -- perhaps youth and perhaps a passable D -- but SJ finds it hard to bring it during all the times you'd think that a dominant regular season team would.

When the Oilers beat them it was because Raffi took out a chunk of their secondary scoring AND because with guys like Georges, Preissing and Carle on the backend, it was just a matter of when the Oilers would beat them down with the forecheck. Last year Marleau fails to make a somewhat easy play vs the Wings and they lose in the second round. This year, I just don't know.

They played well enough in G4 that I thought they'd take it to Cgy tonight but yet that didn't happen until the mid-way point. Is that because SJ's always so young and inexperienced -- ie currently you have Pavelski, Mitchell, Clowe, Segoguchi all playing top nine time without a lot of playoff GP under their belt -- or are the teams just that close?

Matt: Personally, I thought the Flames played much better in G3, outside the early 3-0 hole, then they did in this one. From the time Pavelski tied to the game right up until the Sharks took the penalty that lead to the 4-2 goal, that was 20 min where the Sharks were absolutely running the show. Wilson was going with three lines plus an occasional shift for JR and outside of when the Iginla was on -- he even managed a chance while playing with Primeau and Nystrom -- it was close-your-eyes time for Flames fans.

Or at least that's how I say it.

Personally, I like the prospect of the Flames getting knocked out on home ice for the third year in a row and therefore wasted another year of Iginla greatness.

That guy's too good for my liking.
 


Wilson was going with three lines plus an occasional shift for JR

He's dressing 7 d-men, and giving Shelley very limited ice time, so the ten forwards thing is going to be the case no matter the game situation.

The playoffs make me very superstitious. With both the game on Tuesday and the game tonight, all of the Sharks success came while I was working far enough away from the radio that I couldn't hear. When I shifted tasks and moved back to within hearing distance, the Flames scored twice. Thankfully, I'll be home to listen to the Sunday game, where hopefully we will break (or at least temporarily delay) our three year streak of first round exits at home.
 


Within a game, momentum can be a significant factor. I think it would be hard to argue against it.

Between games, in the playoffs, I'd almost argue the opposite to be true. How many times have teams gotten blown out of the water and folded up the tent? Certainly not too often that I recall in the last ten or so years. Usually they come back with a wicked vengeance and take the next game quite handily.

Which is why it's a good thing for the Habs that they got smacked last night. Maybe they'll finally start playing like the fucking Habs instead of whoever the hell they think they've been the last four games.
 


hey anyway good summer and golf for the flames ... series over my friends :(

turning point in game 4, kipper is awful that game and boum the momentum change
 


It just dawned on me last night that the Oil and falmes are going to be headed in different directions faster than almost all of us thought.


Last year at this time it was thought the Oil would be going through at least 2-3 years of suck while at the same the falmes would be a team that would be competing for Lord Stanley. Oh have times changed faster than even ole grandpa thought they could.




Not to count out the falmes (but they are going to need jarmoe to play 3 out 4 shifts for the entire playoffs to do anything this year)
and if you look at the work that needs to be done in the offseason to make sure they arent the same team or worse than this year, its daunting! Any team with speed exposes their defence or team speed for that matter, They have no young prospects that can come up and make a difference, and even if they did iron mike isnt the best at playing the kids. The UFA pool in very shallow, thus making it probably very expensive. My prediction is unless they make some major unseen changes they are at best going to stay the same. poor jarmoe=(



The Oil on the other hand are looking like they could be in the dance by as early as next season, and could be a favorite by year 3. Mind you things have to keep progressing the way they were this year, but when you HAVE youth that is a better bet. And if changes need to be made and pieces need to be added the have the extra pieces and the prospects to make it happen. Just take for example the majority of fans want to move either Moreau, Torres, or Stoll or all 3! These are considered spare parts on the oil going forward and if these 3 were the falmes 3rd line, heck they would be the 2nd in this series, the falmes would have probably be up 3-2 or be waiting for the next round.




I guess what I am saying is that although The Oil fans are watching from the sidlines this April, in the long run I would rather be in thier position.
 


The Oil on the other hand are looking like they could be in the dance by as early as next season, and could be a favorite by year 3.

The Oilers are playing in the March Madness tourney next year? Good luck to them.
 


i never thought a flames loss could be so boring. after watching the capitals / flyers game, this game was blah. the physical play in the first was insane but you knew that couldn't last. jarmoe bugs me to no end because even though he wears the colors of the evil empire, you can't help but like him. i also think matt would like to take back what he said about marleau. this guy is a gamer!
 


ps when did craig simpson become such an idiot? i'm starting to think our power play sucked because he was too busy doing his hair and trying to think of new and innovative ways to use the word momentum in every other sentence.
 


On a positive note, Marleau is apparently a shoe-in for the Conn Smythe.
 


The Oilers are playing in the March Madness tourney next year? Good luck to them.

Don't you remember what happened the last time Air Moreau took to the court?
 


If I were a Flames fan I'd be pretty positive about game six I think. Like you say, damn few teams have outchanced the Sharks in their own barn. Keenan was running the bench in a rational way as well, though it's like trying to hit a moving target when you're the road team and the other coach has different ideas.

Credit to the Sharks as well though, they made their shots.

Some underlying numbers from the game here. I doubt that any team has outplayed the Sharks this badly on home ice this season by these measures. Especially with twice as many shifts ending in stoppages in the Sharks end than their own, Wilson loves to play for possession, and he has the right players for it, this just doesn't happen much.

The Oilers managed to outscore the Sharks 2-1 at evens this year in the Shark Tank. here and
here.

The key was being dramatically outplayed and having a .984 save% at evens. A simple plan really, feel free to forward that to Keenan.
 


Beauty stuff Vic.

Some of the hope for Sunday definitely rests on SJ being satisfied that they played well last night.

The rest, IMO, rests on neutralizing or outplaying Big Joe... Marleau made a couple of fantastic plays last night, but isn't (to my eye, and certainly not last night) a constant threat. When Thornton gets the puck though, it's Oh, Fuck, I hope this doesn't end badly...
 


Anyone else noticing how Wilson has decided to play super-nice with Marleau? Patrick did score the 2-1 goal late in the second but other than that, at least up to that point, I thought it was his least effective game. Of course he did bounce back in the third;) but it appears Wilson's realized you'll catch more flies with honey and he's even gone so far to say that for SJ to go all the way, Marleau must be their Conn Smyth winner. The praise today was downright effusive.

On the Habs/B's: I imagine there's a bunch of the Habs kids that aren't reacting well to their first playoff season because Boston has been outchancing Cuntreal. Any team with any kind of finish would have the Habs down by now; maybe even out for that matter.

I don't think the Flames can win two in a row with their back's against the wall but I don't trust SJ either. Then again, things have blown absolutely wide open in the West. Col's leading Minny -- and their top nine forwards and top four D look great on paper -- but it has as much to do with Theo's resurgence as anything else.

I guess that's just parity.

And I still think Det's the class of the West but with their netminding they'll have to be because they can't allow big chances and survive.

With MAF playing the way he did against Ott and Pit have a superstar on each of their top lines, it's hard not to pick them to win unless they suffer a major injury or two.
 


On the Habs/B's: I imagine there's a bunch of the Habs kids that aren't reacting well to their first playoff season...

Yeah, some of them haven't. Price was doing OK until last night.

...because Boston has been outchancing Cuntreal.

Bullshit.


Any team with any kind of finish would have the Habs down by now; maybe even out for that matter.

Counted the nunmber of teams with 'finish' in the eastern conference lately?
 


i will give the habs this...

if the nhl folded tomorrow...

i'm sure they could all represent their respective countries in beijing as olympic divers. these guys have it down to a science.
 


Jeff J said...

...because Boston has been outchancing Cuntreal.

Bullshit.


I'd say MTL had them pretty handily in G1-3. Especially G3, where the Bruins had next to nothing outside of the two goals - just a bunch of hopeless wrist shots from the perimeter while they took the zone.

G4 was even at worst for the Bruins and they probably had the slight edge. G5 was also probably a slight edge for the Bruins, but they cashed in on a few non-chances as well to make it a laugher.

Overall though, Boston was lucky not to be down 0-3 after 3 games and if they hadn't gotten some luck, we wouldn't be talking about this series right now.

Actually, why are we talking about this series? The East is the fucking B league. I'm starting to question if even two of those teams would have made the WC playoffs.
 

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