By Derrick Newman
Watching the Flames home opener last night, you couldn’t helped be filled with a little bit of optimism heading into a brand new season where anything is possible and dreams of a playoff berth seem realistic.
After one period, everything looked great. The Flames were up 1-0 on the Penguins, despite being outshot 9-4.
Then it all went downhill – fast.
Four goals in the span of just over 11 minutes and the Flames were left wondering which way is up.
When you produce only nine shots through two periods, you don’t really deserve to be in the game anyways.
The Penguins are simply a better hockey team, and it was clearly evident last night. Even without the best hockey player in the planet on their roster, they picked apart the Flames like they were an AHL team.
Last night was simply a display of a cup contender taking on a fringe playoff team and the drastic difference between the two.
The Flames looked decent for a about five minutes of the opening period, but then came off that high very quickly and back down to harsh reality.
Sure the Flames made a valiant last ditch effort to get back in the game, but how eerily familiar was that to so many games last season?
You can say what you want about this being the first game of the season and not to worry just yet, but this was just a prime example of how far removed the Flames are from being an elite team in this league.
\Side Note: I read in Eric Francis’ column on Thursday or Friday that Brent Sutter is “one of the best most accomplished coaches in the league.” Please explain to me how a guy who has never made it out of the first round of the playoffs as a coach and missed the playoffs in back-to-back years is considered an “accomplished coach.” Sure, he has accolade for his achievements in junior, but that doesn’t always translate. Don Hay is a great junior coach, but failed miserably at the pro level. I just don’t understand why Sutter gets all this praise for being this amazing coach, yet all he’s done is lead the Flames to back-to-back early golf seasons.
Check out the latest Jersey Fouls! from last night's game HERE!
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5 comments:
I have been reading some of your blogs for a pretty long time now and I have decided..................you are simply an IDIOT. you are the Al Strachan of bloggers. You are so anti Flames, that calling yourself a fan is as much a joke as your writing ability. You are just a moron.
you know im not sure why you even blog about the flames... your very negative and to tell you the truth a real drag. I can tell your hockey IQ is about as competant as my daughters. so just swith to another team already, ok dummy?
Haha. Wow. If you don't like it dot read it. I'm not gonna hump the team just to call myself a fan. I'm a realist and the flames simply aren't very good. I'm sorry if you don't like it but maybe it's time to come back down to reality man. The flames are a long ways away from being a good team and last night showed that separation. I'm a huge flames fan but I'm not going to shower them with accolades if they dont deserve it. They're not good. Don't fool yourself buddy.
Glad I could stir up enough emotion from you to get you to leave hate mail. And if you have a differing opinion on how last nights game went I'd love to heAr you justify the flames play last night. Go nuts.
Love the blog gentlemen. I think the flames are in trouble as well this year. It is frustrating to watch uninterested, unmotivated and unemotional hockey teams play. Lucky for some of us we didn't spend our hard earned money to be at the dome.
The reason I am bloggerting ( perhaps a new word ), is with regard to the direction the NHL seems to be headed physically. I empathsize with athletes at all levels who suffer injuries whilst pursuing their goals. Once an athlete becoming professional injuries become detrimental to short term monetary gain and perhaps pro careers. That being said, in my personal opinion, hockey is best when played on the edge. With, as Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip sang, "with will and dermination, and grace tooooooo". As much as we love seeing Malkin float around and use his gifted body to avoid contact and make a nice pass or tap in a garbage goal in the crease (what a superstar boo CBC announcers worst in the world, they make me watch with the sound off); I love to see a solid body check, that separates a man from the puck. I love to see physical play along the boards where players battle each other for space and the puck. Some responsibility on behalf of the players receiving the contact must be as well. When skating across the blue line in the oppositions zone, the first thing you should be thinking is about the monster on defense waiting for you. Then the rest if the factors can be thought of.
Ok back to my original thought. Hockey needs to maintain is rough, physical, brash, heck even brutish aspects of the game. Otherwise it will be like watching women's hockey or even worse.... The NHL in January. Thanks for your time.
Ps... The players are rewarded very well for playing a game for living. It would be nice if they fought a little more if they can't score, pass the puck or do anything. If Matt stajan fought a few times I wouldn't mind that he makes about 50 times more than me in a year. And if he got his behind kicked we would at least say well he earned his check tonite at least.
....I almost made it without getting fan 960 on yA
Ps how about that rugby!!!!! Go all blacks
Jr, love hearing your thoughts. I have similar views about the physicality of the game and where it might be headed and it is a shame. Hitting is as much a part of the game as scoring and passing, and if we eliminate it we run the risk of losing the best sport in the world and turning it into, as you said, womens hockey. It's a fine line and I realize player safety is at the forefront, but you run the risk of ruining the game of hockey in the process.
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