Sunday, April 4, 2010

Flames fall to Nemesis

According to Dictionary.com a ‘nemesis’ is defined as an opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.

Well, the Blackhawks are, by definition, the nemesis of the Calgary Flames.

A team they have not beaten, in the regular season, since the 2007-08 campaign. A team that ousted the Flames in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last year, and a team that the Flames have only been able to score three paltry goals on in the last 11 periods of play. This dates back, of course, to the sixth game of this current season when the Flames jumped out to a 5-0 lead 11 short minutes into the contest, only to lose a heartbreaker 6-5 in overtime.

The Blackhawks are so deep-rooted in the psyche of the Flames players, it’s as if the game today was over before it even started. The Flames even transplanted a third of their team, yet the ‘new look Leafs’ could not get past the mental roadblock that is ‘Chi-Town.’

Even Miikka Kiprusoff, the Flames only saving grace this season, has put up AHL calibre numbers when facing Kane and Co. He has a disgusting .855 SV% with a goals against average hovering around four and a half over the four match-ups. The only problem with Kipper is that he can not physically score goals himself.

An opponent has not been this bamboozled by its foe since Dr. Claw was trying to figure out the best way to catch Inspector Gadget. Gadget had his niece Penny and her dog Brain; the Hawks have Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane. All Dr. Claw ever had was his stupid cat that did nothing but screech and yelp.

The Flames have no 'yelpers,' but they do have a mumbling bafoon for a GM.

With the Avalanche win tonight the Flames are now two points out of a playoff spot with three games remaining. Colorado holds the tie-breaker, so it might as well be three points, and for the second straight season it could be the Chicago Blackhawks who directly or indirectly knock the Flames out of the playoffs.

“I’ll get you next time, Blackhawks, NEXT TIME!!!!!”

Dr. Claw and the Flames: constantly chasing something that is better managed and has more skill.

This has been,

Newman on the Flames

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