It will be difficult for Flames fans to stay positive after Monday night’s humiliating loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Flames were, as everybody knows by know, up by 5 goals midway through the first period and lost the game in overtime 6 to 5. While much has been written on why this was a terrible loss for the team, why it was embarrassing, why this team is not as good as many thought they were, and so on, I’ve had a hard time finding anything positive about the loss. It then occurred to me that there wasn’t anything positive about this loss! However, the optimist continues to look for the silver lining in this stormy, dark cloud, and I for one am an optimist.
Last season, as the Flames struggled to an 8-6-1 record, they headed to Chicago on November 9th, 2008, to face the new, young, upbeat Blackhawks. Having lost 3 of their previous 4, things were looking gloomy for the hometown heroes. This continued that November night in the Windy City and after 60 minutes of play, the Flames found themselves down six to one, having not only lost the game by five goals, but also having been beaten by the Blackhawks in pretty much every measureable statistic in hockey: face offs, giveaways, takeaways, shots, penalty kill, power play, fights won, even amount of Gatorade drank. It was an embarrassing, humiliating loss, plain and simple. Sound familiar? After last season’s humbling defeat in Chicago however, the Flames went on to win 15 of their next 22 games, putting them atop the standings in the Northwest division. The loss to the Blackhawks was looked back as a turning point for the team, as its’ humiliating nature served as a wake up call for the team.
Can last night’s loss, last night’s debacle rather, serve as the same motivational tool for this year’s team? While the Flames record is 4-1-1, it would be hard to say they have played a full 60 minute hockey game, with a couple of last minute (even last second) wins over the Oilers, having nearly blown a 3-0 lead to the Canucks in the home opener, etcetera. Perhaps this loss to the Blackhawks, a team the Flames have not beaten in the regular season since March 16th, 2008, a team that many pundits have picked to be one of the top team in the Western Conference, and the same team that knocked the Flames out of the playoffs last year, will serve as the wake up call for what should be an improved team. Perhaps this game will serve as a wakeup for a defence that is allowing an average of 33 shots per game and hasn’t allowed fewer than 3 goals in a game this season. Perhaps this game will serve as a reminder to the fans that while the Flames may be improved this season over last, there is still a lot of work to do if the city of Calgary is to see any post season success next Spring.
If, like last season, a turnaround is to happen after this loss to Chicago, it will need to begin tonight, as the Flames travel to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets. Last week this game would have only been looked at as a road game against a 2nd tier team, but after last night’s loss, tonight’s game as become a litmus test of the character and skill of the team and a game that could determine whether this season is a success or not. The optimist thinks that history can repeat itself, and last night’s loss may eventually be looked upon as a turning point in a successful season. Only time will tell.
- TheRev
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