Let the Games Begin?

So if that wasn’t the most exciting, intense, stressful, awesome, amazing, breathtaking, edge of your seat hockey entertainment, I am not sure what is! This tournament provided some amazing hockey and one of the best finishes ever! You could not write a story better than that! Sidney Crosby scoring the overtime winning goal will go down with Paul Henderson’s goal in 72, Lemieux’s in 87 and the gold medal win in 2002, as one of the greatest moments in Canadian sports history. It was miraculous and it was a lot of fun to watch!

Unfortunately, the Olympics had to end sometime. But do not fret hockey fans as we have a very exciting couple months ahead of us. Here is a look at the Calgary Flames.


With 20 games left on the schedule the Flames must play well above .500 hockey to even think about playing in the post season. They sit with 69 points in 8th position and most would think they need to get to at least the 95 point mark to clinch a position. That means 13 wins out of a possible 20; or a combination of ties and wins to get to that mark.

The schedule ahead is not for the faint of heart either. With games, literally, every other night the Flames better be well rested and ready to go. The thing that scares me the most going into March is the Flames MVP to date, Miikka Kiprusoff. With 20 games to be played and every one of them more important than the last, Kipper is going to be worked like a dog in order for the Flames to come up with the most wins. Kipper has just come out of an intense Olympics where he went through some serious highs (Leading SV % coming into the Semi Finals and a Bronze Medal) and lows (The first period against the Americans). He did not get to rest like a majority of the goaltenders in this league. This includes a bulk of the goalies the Flames are chasing; besides Bobby Lu and Nabokov, but the Flames will not touch the Sharks. That being said, McElhinney will have to provide adequate relief work when Kipper is given the night off. This is yet another reason, I believe, why the Flames are going no where if and when they reach the playoffs. The ‘Mac’ has played decent in relief for Kipper, when called upon, yet is still not good enough to carry any sort of workload. This means Miikka plays more and more and eventually loses steam. This could possibly cause a move for a more experienced back-up this week.

The Flames have put themselves in the precarious position of 8th place going into the break; due in large part to the massive slide they took in January. Coming out of the break, the schedule is not any easier.

The first three games back this week will be critical for this fragile group that has lost 3 of its last 4 games. In these first three contests, they have two match-ups versus the Minnesota Wild. The Wild are one of the numerous teams chasing down the Flames for that last playoff spot in the Western Conference. Until this year the Flames have owned the Wild, but this season hasn’t been the same. The Flames are 0-1-1 against them this season and have been outscored 6-2 in those two games. The Flames face the Wild four times total in the next month and a half; which is 1/5 of their entire schedule. The Flames play against the Wild will be a telling sign as to whether or not the Flames reach the post season.

Are the Flames going to make another move?

With only a couple days left until the trade deadline hits, many Flames fans are anxious to see whether or not D. Sutter will make another move. Given the Flames stock pile of forwards under one-way contracts, you might surmise that a move is imminent. The player to be moved might come from the long list of soon be UFA forwards. A list that includes: Conroy, Higgins, Nystrom, Stajan, McGrattan and Mayers, with Boyd being an RFA. Conroy is pointless to move as he will not bring anything back. Higgins, Stajan and Mayers are unlikely candidates seeing as they just arrived here a short month ago. This leaves Nystrom, McGrattan and Boyd. Boyd has the most upside and would clearly bring back the most in return. The other option would be Langkow who garners a $4.5 million dollar cap hit for the next two seasons. In my opinion, if the Flames deal Boyd, they only give up on yet another up and coming player to early in his career. Like St. Louis, Giguere, Stillman, Lombardi and most recently Phaneuf, Dustin Boyd is a Flames draft pick who is starting to show signs of his potential. Trading another one of our young guys for an older more experienced player (Jokinen last year, Stuart a couple years back, etc.) only sets this franchise further back. I just don’t see a bigger move coming, period. If something happens it will be a player being waived or a smaller deal that opens up more cap room down the road.

That being said, something I do see coming is moving Cory Sarich who has become expendable. His price tag is far too high ($3.6 Cap hit for the next 2 years) and players like Johnson and Kronwall can fill his role at a fraction of the cost.

The Flames have an extremely tough and an exceptionally interesting road ahead of them to finish the season. If the Flames meander about and find their way to get into the playoffs, do not expect a long run as younger, hungrier teams like Chicago and San Jose will crush the Flames in a seven game series.

Kiprusoff is the Flames only hope for success and my guess is that his tank will run out of gas before the season is over.

Pessimistic? Possibly.
Realistic? I think so.

This has been,

Newman on the Flames

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Source of Photo: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61R3AF20100301?type=sportsNews

It's Pretty Simple: Win or Go Home

Did I just jump into the Delorian and go back to the year 2006?

The Canadian Men’s Hockey team lost early in the tournament. They are having trouble scoring goals. They will now have to go through Russia to get to the Semi Finals? Turin sure is lovely this time of year.

The Canadians are in a bit of a pickle.

What is the problem you ask? Well, they must now win four games in succession rather than the three they should have had to win had they beaten the Americans. Oh yeah, and they must also go through, arguably, the scariest team in the world right now.

To start off, there is one thing people keep bringing up and that is the small amount of time this team has had together. Bollocks I say!

Optimists have said that the loss to the USA would give this team more time to come together as a team. But the question I have is this: Why is it an excuse to begin with? All the top teams including the Americans, Swedes, Fins, Russians and Czech’s all have the same amount of time to get to know each other, considering a majority of each of those teams players compete in the NHL. The Americans are not having problems gelling as a team, but Canada seems to struggle mightily and fans and others continue to use that same lame justification. It’s trite and simply should not be a logical rationalization.

However now, the Canadians are out of excuses and out of options; they must win or go home.

They must win or face four more years of every sceptic, pundit, blogger, tweeter, journalist, and hockey fan alike asking you what went wrong when the pressure was on in Vancouver.

With the loss to the Americans Coach Babcock announced that Roberto Luongo will get the start in goal. The proverbial torch has been passed as Martin Brodeur will be a cheerleader from here on out. One bad game can cost you a job, and in this case it cost Brodeur his. It’s not a slight to Brodeur skill as what he has done in his career and for this country will not go unnoticed. It is simply a way to hopefully create a spark for a team that is struggling to score goals despite one of the most stacked rosters ever assembled.

What is the first rung on this ladder that now seems so much higher?

The Canadians have to face a German team that has lost all three of their games and have only scored 3 goals all tournament. Ze Germans have only a handful of NHL regulars on their roster—Ehrhoff, Goc, Hecht, Seidenberg, Sturm, and goaltender Thomas Greiss. The Canadians should be ready to crush this team. That being said, Canada does have their problems with teams of lesser quality (See: Switzerland 06’ and 10’)


Assuming the Canadians get by the Germans, they will face Russia in the quarterfinals. The Russian’s are far and away the scariest team in the tournament. Ovechkin, Malkin, Kovalchuk, Datsyuk, and Semin; all names that would frighten a goalie. They, much like the Canadians though, lost a game they should not have. They faltered in their second quarterfinal game and lost to Team Slovakia in a shootout. A match-up between Russia and Canada that most thought, and hoped, they would see in the final on Sunday. Well, the Olympics have always been a little unpredictable and it is no different this year. One team is going to have to face years of heartache while the other will roll into the Semi Finals.

Assuming Canada takes care of the Germans tonight, tomorrow nights game will be one for the ages. Much like the Penguins-Capitals series last year lived up to all its hype, I would expect no less from a match-up between the two best players in the world.


Sid vs. Alex

Canada vs. Russia

I think the energy in the building on Wednesday night might create the 1.21 Jigowatts needed to take me back to the year 2010. Here is hoping as I am not sure I can relive four more years of hearing

“What happened to the Canadian Men’s Hockey team at the Olympics?”

This has been,

Newman on the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games

Source of Photo: http://media.photobucket.com/image/crosby%20vs%20ovechkin%20olympics/DayWalk3rz/Sid_the_Kid_vs_Alex_the_Great.jpg

Next Stop is not Sochi

Unsure if the NHL will be participating in the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia in 2014? Wonder no longer. They won’t. I know I’ve harped on this before, but I think now that we’re over halfway through the Vancouver Games, we can take yet another look.

The reason the NHL got involved with the Olympics in the first place was to increase the exposure of the game in the United States, leading to higher television ratings. With most media outlets covering the games in some way or another and professional hockey being one of the most popular winter sports, it just makes sense that the sport would receive a ratings boost after the games. This didn’t happen after the games in Nagano or Turin, but often the time difference was cited as the reason. Well, it didn’t happen after the Salt Lake Games either, and now NHL ratings are lower than ever. There is no reason to think this will change after the Vancouver games.

The first blow being dealt to hockey was the lacklustre teams participating. Teams like Belarus, Norway, Germany and Latvia are sent like lambs to the slaughter against the traditional powerhouses. It just isn’t that entertaining watching such lopsided affairs. Added to this is the Women’s event, which has no place in the Olympics. Even the most ardent fan doesn’t enjoy watching Canada beat someone 18-0. The lopsided nature of many games is a big turnoff for the casual fan.

The second problem for hockey is that Americans don’t really like it. This was made very clear when NBC opted to show figure skating last night, instead of the Canada-USA game, which was bumped to the nether regions of the dial on CNBC. NBC is the main American network for the NHL in the United States, and they chose not to show the marquee game of the tournament so far. This speaks volumes of the NHL’s problems down South.

Further evidence could be found on the internet, where Team USA’s major upset wasn’t the first or even the second story on most websites. On FoxSports’ website, the network that broadcasts more NHL games than any other, the game was the third story after one about the upcoming NFL combine and one about the art of singing free agents in baseball. On NBC’s sports site, the hockey game was at the bottom of the page. Some of the stories that came in ahead of Olympic hockey were, “NBA and TNT to Discuss Changes to Dunk Contest” and “Vick Offered $1 Million to pose for Playgirl.” That’s more exposure alright, but probably not what the NHL had in mind.

Now comes the big question of why on earth would the owners risk their prized assets, players with whom they have invested millions and millions of dollars into, for the Olympics, where it is clear they aren’t benefiting one bit? The answer is of course, they won’t. Imagine a big time player getting injured in the Olympics, and missing the rest of the season. More specifically, imagine Kiprusoff getting injured in the Olympics and missing the rest of the season. Any chances the Flames had of post season success would be dashed, all so Finland could have a better chance at winning a medal. Who wasn’t a little concerned when Jarome didn’t play most of the third period against Switzerland? Of course some will argue that it should be up to the players, but I’ll say they’re wrong.
NHL contracts already limit players from things like skiing, sky diving, driving race cars, etc. They can do this for Olympic hockey as well. If I had invested $50 million in someone to play hockey, I sure as hell don’t want them risking themselves to play for another team.

Not only are the owners putting their players in jeopardy, but they’re also disrupting their league’s schedule for someone else’s benefit. Any story lines that might have been developing in the NHL season are all but forgotten by most people now, and it almost seems as if the Olympic year is two separate seasons; one season without a championship and a second season that’s only 20 games long. Of course this isn’t as much of an issue in Canada, but imagine what’s going through a Columbus Blue Jackets fan’s head. His team has no chance of winning anything this year and after two weeks without playing a game, he’s probably lost what little interest he had in the end of the season. He isn’t going to tune in on television, and he isn’t going to spend his money going to the game either.

The next Winter Olympics will be in Russia, specifically Sochi, which is eight hours ahead of the Eastern Time zone; meaning games will take place in the morning in Canada. This means even fewer people will be watching Olympic hockey in four years, than are watching now. If it isn’t worth having NHL players right now, it certainly won’t be worth it in four years from now, in Russia.

-TheRev

Iginla Starts Canada's Engine

Canadian fans everywhere rejoiced tonight as Jarome Iginla led Team Canada past Team Norway in the opener of 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic games. Iginla, who officially scored 2 goals (most thought he tipped in another), found his way to the top line with Sidney Crosby and Rick Nash after starting the game on the third line with Morrow and Toews. Not that Morrow and Toews are bad, but playing with Sid and Nash is just a tad nicer.

Iginla capitalized on the move in the second period firing a shot right threw Norwegian goaltender Pal Grotnes. Crosby made the pass to Iginla who made no mistake.

"The first power-play goal, he put it right on a tee for me," Iginla said. "It was a great pass."(Source: NHL.com).

Flames fans everywhere must have had a giant smile on their collective faces when Iginla lit the lamp; I know I sure did. He looked like the Iginla Flames fans were used to seeing. Flames fans would know though, that he had been heating up just in time for the tourney. Iginla had 5 points in the 3 games, including 3 goals, before the break.

I am guessing Jarome was pretty mad that he had been slotted on third line and knew he possessed the talent to be put on the top line with Crosby. He made it happen tonight with his shot and his legs, which never stopped churning. He was hitting those pesky Norwegians from the moment he hit the ice, and his shot opened the scoring for the Canadian team.

Patrice Bergeron, who was the only player to make the team but not be at the orientation camp in August, did not immediately gel with Crosby and Nash and Coach Babcock took no time in making the switch. It’s been debated whether or not Bergeron even deserved to even be on this team. Yes he is a good player, but is he good enough to be one of Canada’s top 13 forwards? I can probably think of another player that might have been a better fit (St. Louis and Stamkos to name a few). Was it the chemistry from the World Juniors a half decade ago, with Crosby that really earned him a spot on this team? Did Crosby make mention to Yzerman that he might make a good pick? How much pull does Crosby really have?

It’s an interesting debate that will prove futile unless this Canadian team does not claim the Gold Medal. If that happens, much like the 2006 team, this squad will be picked apart and overanalyzed for years to come.

It was a great start for the Canadian team. Bring on the Swiss!

How does that bobsled chant go? “Eins, Zwei, Drei” – Little Cool Runnings for you all.

This has been,

Newman on the 2010 Olympics

Source of Photo: http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/hockey/story/2010/02/16/spo-hockey-canada-norway.html

Playoff Hopes

As the Winter Olympics begin in Vancouver, the Calgary Flames start their hiatus from hockey for the next two weeks. With only three players participating in the games, most players will be enjoying some time off from hockey. It will also be a time to reflect on the final 20 games of the season, and how their success in those 20 games will determine whether or not they’re playing in the post season or not. Something that seemed almost impossible at New Year’s is now a very real possibility; the Flames may miss the payoffs for the first time since 2003.

The Flames’ run to the playoffs will be an uphill battle as they try to hold off Detroit, Anaheim, and Dallas, and catch Nashville, Colorado and Vancouver. With Calgary’s win on Saturday, they sit in eighth place in the Western Conference with 69 points, and 20 games left to play. Looking back at the post-lockout era, there is a problem for the Flames. With only 20 games remaining, the Flames have only 40 points still available. It is a pretty safe bet they won’t win all 20 games, so the questions is how many games will they need to win in order to secure a spot? In the past four seasons, the eight place team in the West has had 91, 91, 96 and 95 points. So in the best case scenario, the Flames would need 22 points, or the equivalent of 11 wins in their last 20 games. In the worst case scenario, the Flames would need 27 points in their final 20 games. To put these numbers in perspective, the Flames have recorded 14 points in their previous 20 games, and in their best stretch this season, from November 4th to December 13th, the Flames managed 27 points in 20 games. Securing the 8th playoff spot will be a gargantuan task for the boys in red.

Securing the necessary number of points will not be solely in the hands of the Flames either. As the League heads into the stretch drive, most games will be within the conference, meaning many games will represent four point swings. Not only do the Flames need to win their games, but they need other teams to lose, and they need them to lose in regulation time. Last week, the Stars, Canucks, Avalanche, Kings, Ducks and Red Wings were all involved in three point games, and with the exception of Colorado, were all on the losing end. However, they all gained points on the Flames those nights, who were unable to get any points.

Is there any positive news heading in the stretch drive? Well, the Flames have a slightly better road record than home record, and 11 of their final 20 are away from the Dome. But, one is against the league’s best team, the Washington Capitals, and one is in Chicago, where the Flames haven’t won since the Cubs were World Series champs. Only 12 of the final 20 games are against playoff teams. But, three of them are against the Red Wings and Ducks; teams the Flames traditionally struggle against and who are in the thick of the chase. The Flames have four games left against Minnesota, against whom they have a 22-7-3 record over the past five seasons. But, they haven’t beaten them in their two previous meetings this year.

Of course anything can happen in the final two months of the season, and I look forward to watching. Perhaps this Olympic break is exactly what the Flames needed to right the ship, and go on a winning streak. I remain fairly confidant the Flames will make the playoffs, but I fear they will be the 7th or 8th seed. Once again they will face Chicago or San Jose, and I am not confidant they can win a series against either of these teams. If the Flames do make the playoffs, it will likely be yet another early 1st round playoff exit.

One final bit of bad news for the Flames is that they don’t have any games left against the Edmonton Oilers, while Nashville, Chicago, Detroit, San Jose, Vancouver, Anaheim, Dallas, Phoenix, Colorado and Los Angeles do. Yet another two points they need to make up somehow.


-TheRev


Photo from: http://www.calgarysun.com/sports/hockey/2009/09/03/10740696.html

Iginla Leads Flames into Break

The Flames not only won, but they dominated for most of the game tonight beating the Anaheim Ducks 3-1. Jarome Iginla led the way scoring back to back goals in the 2nd period; his 26th and 27th goals of the season. Iginla is now rolling with 5 points in his past 3 contests. He rose to the occasion the way a Captain should. He was skating hard, he was shooting the puck with confidence, and he was shooting the puck a lot more. He has averaged just over 5 shots per game in his past 5 games; the main reason for his recent surge. He has led by example as the Flames have out shot their opponents in 5 of their last 6 outings. Jarome now ranks in the top 20 in the league in scoring with his 2 goal performance tonight.

This was the first time in 5 games that the Flames managed to score more than 2 goals. Tonight also broke a 5 game losing streak against the Pacific division; losses coming against the Ducks, Sharks, Stars, Coyotes and Stars again.

The Flames are 11-2-1 when the game is played on Saturday, which is by far there best winning % on a given day. Sundays are their worst as they are 0-3.

The Flames go into the Olympic break 4-3-3 in their last 10 games. You can look at that in two ways: either they have been able to gain points in 7 of a possible 10 games, which isn’t too bad, or they have lost 6 of 10 games going into the break which is below .500 hockey, and simply not acceptable.

The Flames have the ability to be a good hockey team and I believed it showed in tonight’s performance. The key for them is to fore-check hard and pressure the opposing defence into making mistakes. They need to skate as a team or they will fail miserably. They do not have the talent to take shifts off and win games.

Kiprusoff goes into Vancouver starting the last 13 games; lasting the duration in all but the 9-1 Shark massacre. This, due in part to the Flames trying to lurch their way out of a tailspin and the fact that Kiprusoff has been nothing short of amazing. He has a GAA of 2.08 in the last 12 and a Save % of .923. He has deserved a better record but has not received the offensive support that he has desperately been craving.

I was secretly hoping that Jari Kurri would somehow name Backstrom the starter for Finland just to give Miikka some much needed rest.

Every Flames fan knows that the season starts and ends with #34 and if he goes down the Flames can kiss whatever hope might be left straight down the toilet.

On a non-hockey note: Congrats to Jennifer Heil for winning Canada’s first medal of the games. It’s too bad it was not gold. It’s also too bad those Americans couldn’t be more gracious in victory; arrogant pricks.

This has been,

Newman on the Flames

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Same Old Same Old

I feel like I am in the F$%&ing twilight zone every time I watch this Flames team play hockey. Every game is the same, regardless of who the opponent is. Every goalie is a Vezina trophy winner and every defence is the second coming of the 1995 New Jersey Devils. This Flames team has such ineptitude to scoring goals; you have to wonder if they could find the net against a ‘shooter tooter’. It is so frustrating and boring, I might add, to watch this team try and play hockey. Flames fans must understand where I am coming from on this.

The last time the Flames won a game when the opposing team scored more than one goal was January 9th against the Vancouver Canucks; a span of 17 games. You want to hear something insane? The last time the Flames won a game on home ice when the opposing team scored more than one goal was October 24th against the Edmonton Oilers! Does that give you a sense of how incapable this team is of putting the puck into the net? Struggling is one word I might use…pathetic is another.

Tonight, the Flames came out and absolutely dominated the Dallas Stars for the first 20 minutes of the game. They out shot the Stars 11-4 and apparently out chanced them 10-0. The Flames should have potted at least 2 or 3 goals in the period but finishing a play is not their style. Marty Turco is a good goalie, I will admit that, but so are 90% of the goaltenders in this league. The Flames have to find a way to score goals regardless of who is in the opposing net.

Tonight, a Flames player did not actually get to the feel the gratification of putting the puck into the net, as Stars Captain Brendan Morrow did Iginla the favour on the Flames lone goal by shovelling it past Marty Turco. I am sure Iginla will thank Morrow next week, yet now, Morrow has the last laugh.

There was one positive that I saw out of tonight’s game. Jay Bouwmeester actually did what I assumed he was brought in to do; jump into the play offensively. On more than one occasion he led the rush into the zone and showed that unique ability to use his speed to create some offence. It is a shame he has only started doing this now; possibly a side effect of that Phaneuf guy leaving town.

The play of Miikka Kiprusoff can not go unnoticed either. I feel like I mention his play a lot in my blogs, but then again, I feel like it is never enough. Without #34 between the pipes this pathetic excuse for a hockey team is ‘bumping uglies’ with the mullets up north. He makes numerous jaw-dropping saves in each and every game. If I were him, I would be giving the rest of my team a serious pep talk. I am surprised he has not taken the puck up ice himself at certain points in games.

I am frustrated. I am annoyed, and I think the majority of Flames fans can agree with me when I say this team is going nowhere fast.

This has been,

Newman on the Flames

Source of Photo: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/recap?gid=2010021103&prov=ap

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Flames Can't Contain Sens

The Flames ran into a very hot team and two very hot players tonight in a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators. Jason Spezza and Brian Elliott led the way for the Sens who have now won 11 of their past 12 games.

Spezza, for his part, has 12 points in those last 12 games; 10 of them being goals. Brian Elliott, who has won 9 in a row himself before losing to the Leafs on Saturday, shut the door on the Flames when called upon and helped the Sens climb into a tie for first place in the Northeast division with the Buffalo Sabres.

The Ottawa Senators have to be the surprise team of the Eastern Conference this year as most experts had them pegged them for early golf this season. Not only are they in the playoff picture in the second half of the season, but they are flourishing and climbing higher in the standings each and every day. They are getting steady goaltending from Elliott, and Spezza along with Captain Alffy, have really stepped up since coming back from injury.

The Flames, tonight, suffered the fate of a one dimensional unit; something thought to be a thing of the past when they made the trades this past week. The line of Hagman-Stajan-Iginla played very well collecting all six points for the Flames. Jarome picked up two helpers while the former Leafs provided the clean-up. Hagman fired a laser to the top shelf to open the scoring late in the first, while Stajan, on a beauty pass from Iginla, made a nice move on Elliott to put the Flames back on top early in the second.

It seems this year, more than any other, the Flames have more goals bank in off of their own players than ever before. Case in point: Ottawa’s first tally. The goal, which came 21 seconds after Hagman opened the scoring, banked off of both Jay Bouwmeester and Daymond Langkow to find the back of the net. A powerplay marker on a very unlucky ‘pinball-esque’ goal. Bad luck? Maybe. Yet, the Flames still gave up a goal mere moments after scoring one themselves, which is unacceptable for a team trying to gain ground in the standings.

On the pre-game show on the Fan960, the guys (Rob Kerr, Mike Rogers and Peter Maher) were really talking up Mark Giordano and his great play of late, and who could blame them as he has been playing lights out. Peter Maher went even as far to say that he has an outside shot at being a replacement player for Team Canada should a defenseman go down in the next week; something I do not agree with, but that is for another time. I could not help but notice the instant ‘hex’ or ‘curse’ that this put on him. He made some very poor decisions tonight in his own zone, was a -1, and suffered an injury to boot. Tonight was probably his worst game of the season. I guess Dion did teach him something after all…

The good news for the Flames is that both Detroit and Nashville only gained a point each on the Flames, as both teams lost in extra time. The Flames sit in a tie for 7th still but are stuck in a quagmire in the bottom of the Western Conference playoff picture.

Both Dallas and Anaheim are teams that are chasing down the Flames for that spot. The Flames better be ready.

This has been,

Newman on the Flames

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Source of Photo: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/02/09/sp-flames-senators-preview.html

Lightning Strikes Twice

The Flames fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in overtime tonight by a score of 2-1. A hurtful reminder of the last time Calgary lost 2-1 in the St. Pete Times Forum. For those who do not know, it was game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Final, a loss that Flames fans will not soon forget.

Two goals by Ruslan Fedotenko was all the Lightning needed that night, as the Flames ran out of gas in their 26th postseason game. Six years have passed since that memorable spring run and you look down the line of the Flames bench and there are very few that can even recall that fateful game. Jarome Iginla, Robyn Regehr, Craig Conroy, and Miikka Kiprusoff are the only Flames left from that run. Cory Sarich, however, was in Tampa, but he was celebrating as a part of the Lightning. Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier are the only Lightning players still in Tampa since their inaugural championship. It is amazing how two teams can look so different in only six years. A definite sign of how the salary cap era has forced teams to shuffle the deck more often than not.

Back to the game.

The Flames have now managed to grab points in six of their last seven games. They have climbed back into 7th place in the Western Conference. The powerplay is 3 for its last 7 attempts. Kiprusoff has a .938 SP% over the past three games; alright, so some things have not changed. Following the trading bonanza that took place a week ago and discounting the bizarre circumstances that surrounded the Flyers game, the Flames have looked much improved. They are not out of the woods yet, but most Flames fans might agree that the team looks better, which is a good thing.

Giordano has fully embraced his expanded role, since the Dion departure, as the go-to offensive threat from the back-end recording two of the Flames three goals on the weekend. Jay Bouwmeester has also looked better playing close to 30 minutes in both Florida games and recording points in two of the last three.

The Flames actually dominated a team in the face-off dot, winning 28 of 46 draws in the Florida. They also more than doubled the Panthers in shots and despite the heroics of Tommy Vokoun the score would have been much worse.

The Flames are clearly still trying to figure everything out and with the injury to Rene Bourque, and the absence of Dawes, Moss, and a lesser extent Conroy, they will be hoping for the new additions to start finding the net a bit more.

Speaking of new additions, who knew Ales Kotalik was brought into fight? What a goon! The reason he did not have his jersey tied down was clearly because he never expects to scrap; possibly a savvy move by Lightning forward Stephane Veilleux.

The Flames fly to Ottawa for a game against the Sens, than back home for a match-up with the Stars and Ducks before the Olympic break. The Flames, who have played 2 more games than Colorado, Nashville and Vancouver, simply need points in every game this week to position themselves well for the long Olympic hiatus.

This has been,

Newman on the Flames

Source of Photo: http://espn.go.com/media/nhl/2004/0607/photo/a_miikka_il.jpg


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More Newbie's and a Trick

In a game the Calgary Flames desperately needed to win, they actually came through and delivered beating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1. Curtis Glencross had a hat-trick and former Maple Flake Matt Stajan scored the other goal as the Flames dominated from start to finish despite loads of penalty trouble. Goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff was again on top of his game, helping lead the Flames back into a tie for the 8th playoff spot in the Western Conference.

After one of the most jaw-dropping half-week periods Flames history in which 4 roster players were shipped to different addresses and 6 new players were brought on board, the Flames looked composed, energetic and looked, if I can say it, good. Mind you, it was against the Hurricanes who occupy 15th place in the Eastern standings and 29th place in the overall ledger. All debates aside though, a win is a win, and the Flames terribly needed one.

Looking back at Monday’s game I have a feeling like that might have been the most awkward contest to play in for anyone in a Flames jersey. Amid immense speculation that two of their roster players had already been dealt, the team laced up and took the ice as a team (Or so it looked). Jokinen and Prust were told immediately following the game that they were no longer apart of the Calgary Flames; big shocker.

So tonight’s game, against Carolina, might have been a little easier to prepare for as two of the forwards were not mentally in New York already. The Flames came out strong and were all over the Canes for most of the game. They out shot Carolina 39-28 despite conducting a parade route to penalty box, including a 5 on 3 to finish off the first period.

Overall, the Flames played a lot better and the new additions did not look to bad.

Matt Stajan scored a highlight reel goal on a give and go play with Iginla. Iggy’s return pass went into Stajan’s skates, but was able to kick it up to his stick and pot the goal all in one fluid motion. Possibly the start of some much needed chemistry? Maybe, but I did not hear chants of “Mat-thew, Mat-thew” resonating throughout the Dome walls.

Jamal Mayers, who I figured to be window dressing in the ‘Dion Deal,’ was actually quite impressive tonight as he inserted himself in a good dust-up (although he did take the instigator) and proved effective on the penalty kill.

Ian White had a couple of decent shot blocks and played composed throughout the game. It was strange watching a #3 not make so many mistakes; a nice change.

Hagman did not do a whole lot, but he showed spurts of energy and I am sure his offensive prowess will come out soon.

Kotalik, in his first game as a Flame, was immediately inserted into Phaneuf’s spot on the powerplay. He never really was able to release a great shot as the Hurricanes aggressive penalty kill was all over him every time he was loading his cannon. He had 5 shots on net and I had no qualms with the way he played and he gives the powerplay a little more creativity despite the fact it went 0-4.

Chris Higgins was given a lot of time on the penalty kill unit (4:44) including time when the team was 2 men down. He played smart and fit right in with the team.

All in all, it was a good start to the new era of Flames as 6 new players, including 5 new forwards (6 if you count Backlund), played for the team tonight. This was the most energy this team has shown in a long time.

They go into Florida this weekend for back to back games with the Panthers and Lightning. I am sure these games will be the number one sports story down in Florida this weekend as I do not believe there is any other event going on down there…but I could be wrong.

This has been,

Newman on the Flames

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Are you Jokinen?

Following the aftermath of the Phaneuf trade, late on Sunday night, TSN reported that Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust had been traded to the New York Rangers for Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins. However, by Monday morning there still had not been any confirmation from either team. Was the deal happening or wasn’t it? There had been some speculation throughout the morning that Ales Kotalik, with a no-trade clause, would not approve the move. The trade was eventually finalized late Monday night though and Jokinen and Prust (again) were no longer members of the Calgary Flames.

I have to say I am not impressed with how this was handled by the Calgary Flames organization. After news of the trade first broke, there wasn’t any reaction from the team. This left two players in the lurch, wondering whether or not their tenure with the Flames was finished, and knowing for certain that they were no longer wanted by the team. Now I know hockey players are compensated very well for what they do, and one of the sacrifices is the possibility of being traded to another team, in another city, but this fiasco wasn’t only unfair to the players being traded, but also the rest of the players on the team.

I can’t imagine what yesterday’s morning skate was like for the players and coaching staff arriving at the Saddledome, knowing that two of their players are no longer wanted by the organization. I don’t imagine it would be possible to have an effective practice with that black cloud hanging over everybody. Why even have Jokinen participate? Was Sutter going to be achieving anything? “Hey Olli, you need to keep working on your face-offs; the Rangers will appreciate it.”

However, I think the practice would be a picnic compared to the game last night. Not only is it impossible to expect anything from Prust or Jokinen, it is also difficult to expect anything out of the rest of the team as well. Two players were about to be traded, and four players were playing their first game in a Flames uniform, following the Phaneuf trade the day before. A third of the skaters were either new to the team or about to be off the team and I don’t imagine there was much of a positive attitude around the dressing room. Perhaps Sutter gave a speech before they hit the ice, “Hagman, Stajan, meet your new teammates; but don’t worry about introducing yourselves to 21 and 33 though, they’re going to be traded after the game. Now let’s play great!”

It’s no wonder the team came out flat and uninspired in losing to the Flyers three to nothing. The blame of this fiasco should fall squarely on the organization. First off, the trade shouldn’t be leaked out to the media before it has been finalized. Secondly, after it was leaked, at least one of the teams should have addressed the issue, both for the players and the fans. I typically hear about how “classy” the Flames organization is, and would usually agree, but as it concerns the Jokinen trade, the team really dropped the ball.

-TheRev

Photo from: http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Flames+finally+pull+trigger+controversial+Jokinen+trade/2510662/story.html

Panic! at the Dome

The Flames have officially pressed the panic button.

Losing 10 of your last 11 games is not fun and usually signals change on a professional sports team. To add into the fact that you play in a Canadian fish bowl where every move is over-scrutinized to the extreme, you cannot help but think that the Calgary Flames GM Darryl Sutter made a move that he did not necessarily want to make but simply, had to make. Sutter officially traded away Olli Jokinen not even a year since acquiring him from the Phoenix Coyotes.
So the Flames, in essence, actually traded Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust Version 1, Brandon Prust Version 2 and a First round pick in the upcoming 2010 Draft for Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins. Sound fair? Would you be as angry if it had been Lombardi being traded a year later and not Jokinen, I think not?

Jokinen was too inconsistent and did not fit in with the team. He went goalless in the last 13 games of last season. He scored 2 goals in October, 3 in November and 2 in December of this season. So for people to say that this was a bad trade, I strongly disagree because what, really, were the Flames getting rid of? This was Olli Jokinen’s market value. A guy making $5.5 million who scores as infrequently as this guy does and has little to no experience in a “critical situation’ does not get you much in the NHL these days. Now you might say he had good playoffs, and fine he did play well, but it still does not make up for the strings of invisibility that Olli would go on. He was brought in to be the Number one centre men for Jarome Iginla and did not fit. You can not fit a square peg into a round hole...or something like that. I am glad to see him go, as I believe the Flames did not lose a whole lot to begin with. And one final note about this moustached Finn is this...Matthew Lombardi has the same amount of points (35) as Jokinen at this point and costs $3.15 million less. You cannot argue the numbers.

In saying that, Kotalik and Higgins are not saviours by any means, but after watching last night’s shameful performance by the Flames I am not sure anything will help them right now. I am fully expecting a first round loss or to miss the playoffs entirely. If the Flames do squeak into the playoffs, they will be either the 7th or 8th seed and be forced to go up against the Sharks or the Hawks, which spells immediate doom for all intensive purposes. You cannot send 4 roster players out and bring in 6 new ones and expect everything to be ok. This is a team game, and teams take a while to gel. The Flames have been in trouble for a while and I am not sure this full fledged panic attack will help solve any of the immediate problems, except for maybe the salary cap situation, which in better shape.

These next 3 months should be interesting, but do not be surprised if the Flames have ‘garbage bag day’ a few days earlier than normal this year.

This has been,

Newman on the Flames

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