Sunday, March 08, 2009
Flames Game Day: so much for irrational exuberance
Flames @ Thrashers, 1PM MT, RSN West.
So I was slightly optimistic about Friday's tilt with the 'Canes when I posted. Then I went out and about for quite a while, and after listening to the FAN for much of the afternoon, I was pessimistic to the point of panicked. The long-term optimism from Kerr et al was moderated (they weren't planning the proverbial parade route), but the level of certainty that the evening's game would be a W was just alarming. Sure, the Flames were playing Pt2 of a B2B, and they've played lousy in front of McE all season, and they're racked by injuries, and Carolina is a pretty decent team (note: none of these things were actually acknowledged), but "the confidence in the room, with these new additions, is... there's really something there" (I quote from memory).
So in retrospect, if the Flames were going to lose that game, I'm glad they got thumped. I know I tend heavily towards numerical analysis here, but I'm superstitious too, and I think big losses can have a positive long term effect. They tend to clarify the negatives, like
Atlanta is not a very good hockey team, but they have two excellent players who can win the odd game on their own. Staying out of the penalty box is a good first step towards neutralizing Kovalchuk, while spending a lot of the game with the puck in and around the far goal is a good first step towards neutralizing Lehtonen.
Calgary 4 (Iginla, Moss, VdG, + GlenX with The Most Exciting Play in Hockey)
Atlanta 2 (Reasoner x2)
Go Flames.
So I was slightly optimistic about Friday's tilt with the 'Canes when I posted. Then I went out and about for quite a while, and after listening to the FAN for much of the afternoon, I was pessimistic to the point of panicked. The long-term optimism from Kerr et al was moderated (they weren't planning the proverbial parade route), but the level of certainty that the evening's game would be a W was just alarming. Sure, the Flames were playing Pt2 of a B2B, and they've played lousy in front of McE all season, and they're racked by injuries, and Carolina is a pretty decent team (note: none of these things were actually acknowledged), but "the confidence in the room, with these new additions, is... there's really something there" (I quote from memory).
So in retrospect, if the Flames were going to lose that game, I'm glad they got thumped. I know I tend heavily towards numerical analysis here, but I'm superstitious too, and I think big losses can have a positive long term effect. They tend to clarify the negatives, like
- Kris Chucko isn't ready for the NHL, while Van der Gulik can help as-is
- Soft backhand passes up the middle are a sub-optimal way to exit the zone
- Open shots from the slot are high quality chances, because if the shooter puts them where he wants, a goalie cannot stop them
- Too Many Men penalties are atrocious unforced errors
Atlanta is not a very good hockey team, but they have two excellent players who can win the odd game on their own. Staying out of the penalty box is a good first step towards neutralizing Kovalchuk, while spending a lot of the game with the puck in and around the far goal is a good first step towards neutralizing Lehtonen.
Calgary 4 (Iginla, Moss, VdG, + GlenX with The Most Exciting Play in Hockey)
Atlanta 2 (Reasoner x2)
Go Flames.
# posted by Matt @ 1:01 pm 
Comments:
At work... so I can't watch the game.
I do see that Jokinen is minus 3 though.
At least Phoenix threw that first rounder in with Lombo :)
Matt: Is this Kerr guy becoming a bit of a tit? Or just a big-time homer?
I don't remember listening to him a whole lot while he was in Edm but I've caught him on the Flames PPV and he's an excitable boy, that's for sure.
I watched the first period on Fri night and the Canes were jacked up. Cgy seemed to have their heads somewhere else and simply weren't interesting in battling up to Car's level.
I didn't see anything from Atl today because I was watching the Pens/Caps.
Canes fan from Raleigh here. I was at the game, and I have to say, you guys walked into a buzzsaw. I was impressed that your team didn't quit - they seemed to still be skating hard in the third even after it was out of reach, and there were some particularly good fisticuffs. I'd say the fights went 1-1. Conboy won for us, and then whoever on your side fought Seidenberg just kicked the crap out of him.
I thought you guys walked into a lot of emotion with Cole back. It's hard to explain what that guy meant to this team in 2006.
The trade for Cole makes Carolina dramatically better by freeing up Staal (Cole brings the puck into the offensive zone better than Staal does, and with Ruutu demolishing players on the forecheck, Staal can hang back a bit and play the sniper. It also improves the next two lines and balances our attack. This is a very good hockey team - if we can score like that. We have problems in tight games because our defense is suspect.
Anyway, I enjoyed watching Iginla, though I was booing him lustily for the heck of it.
Good luck in the Western Conference. Hope to see you in the Finals.
If Calgary plays Columbus, they're done in 5. Book that, not it.
I've never seen a team do so well with so many issues creep up over a full season. There's just a dissonance in my head that the team with the worst GA in the West's top-11 is going to open at home.
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At work... so I can't watch the game.
I do see that Jokinen is minus 3 though.
At least Phoenix threw that first rounder in with Lombo :)
Matt: Is this Kerr guy becoming a bit of a tit? Or just a big-time homer?
I don't remember listening to him a whole lot while he was in Edm but I've caught him on the Flames PPV and he's an excitable boy, that's for sure.
I watched the first period on Fri night and the Canes were jacked up. Cgy seemed to have their heads somewhere else and simply weren't interesting in battling up to Car's level.
I didn't see anything from Atl today because I was watching the Pens/Caps.
Canes fan from Raleigh here. I was at the game, and I have to say, you guys walked into a buzzsaw. I was impressed that your team didn't quit - they seemed to still be skating hard in the third even after it was out of reach, and there were some particularly good fisticuffs. I'd say the fights went 1-1. Conboy won for us, and then whoever on your side fought Seidenberg just kicked the crap out of him.
I thought you guys walked into a lot of emotion with Cole back. It's hard to explain what that guy meant to this team in 2006.
The trade for Cole makes Carolina dramatically better by freeing up Staal (Cole brings the puck into the offensive zone better than Staal does, and with Ruutu demolishing players on the forecheck, Staal can hang back a bit and play the sniper. It also improves the next two lines and balances our attack. This is a very good hockey team - if we can score like that. We have problems in tight games because our defense is suspect.
Anyway, I enjoyed watching Iginla, though I was booing him lustily for the heck of it.
Good luck in the Western Conference. Hope to see you in the Finals.
If Calgary plays Columbus, they're done in 5. Book that, not it.
I've never seen a team do so well with so many issues creep up over a full season. There's just a dissonance in my head that the team with the worst GA in the West's top-11 is going to open at home.
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