Lucky Number Seven

Question: What is the difference between a falling tree and the Calgary Flames?

Answer: A tree never gets booed out of its own forest.

Lucky consecutive loss number 7 for the Flames tonight, as they were shut out for the 2nd time in 3 games on home ice. They have scored a staggering 2 goals in their last 4 games at the Saddledome. They must be reading the Tiger Woods book on "How to ruin your image," because the Flames have fallen out of a Northwest division lead and into a logjam of teams fighting for the final playoff spot. The good news is, at this pace, the suspense of waiting to see if the Flames make the playoffs will not last long.

On the verge of sounding redundant, the Flames simply have one single solitary problem that is hindering them from posting “W’s” instead of loser symbols; scoring goals. This team simply is not able to put the puck into the yawning cage. It seems like the last 7 Vezina trophy winners have rolled over the Flames. Yet, Conklin, Niemi, Nabokov, Hiller, Ellis, Fleury, and Anderson do not posses any hardware of that nature. This is an extremely fragile hockey team right now as was evident in the loss tonight. Once the Blues scored that second goal with 8:39 left in the 3rd period, the Flames sails went limp and there wasn’t enough Cialis, Viagra, or ‘transgressions’ in the world to lift their spirits. It is as if they lost all hope for victory, and fans knew it as well, because two goals in the span of 8 minutes is something this hockey team is currently not capable of doing.

Who is to blame? Is their a point in blaming anyone? This is a team game, is it not? So, the Flames, as a team, have to crawl out of this mess or face a continuing chorus of boos as they play in their home rink, not unlike tonight.

They go on the road for two games this week before returning home to play the Oilers on Saturday. Phoenix who sits 5 points up on the Flames for fifth in the West and Dallas who are looking up on Flames but only 3 points in arrears. The Flames have split both affairs with Coyotes; both games ending in 2-1 decisions for the home team. In both games against the Stars, Flames back-up Curtis McElhinney has started. Expect more of the same as they face the Coyotes the following night. Maybe changing the one thing this team does not really need to change will spark them…than again I heard Taylor Hall is pretty good...

Maybe Brent Sutter should call up Coach D’Amato for a talk about inches…

“That's a team, gentlemen and either we heal now, as a team, or we will die as individuals.”



This has been,

Newman on the Flames

Feeling the Blues

The Calgary Flames are officially in a slump. They are not playing desperate hockey and are not playing well. After a nice three day break where they could take some time to work out some of the kinks that have been bothering them over this stretch, it seemed as if this would be a perfect game to bounce back in. The Blues, after coming off of big wins in both Edmonton and Vancouver, looked primed for a letdown. However, things did not exactly pan out that way. The Flames applied pressure for the first five minutes of the game, and then let off into their meandering ways that have plagued them for the past couple weeks. The Flames lost in a shootout to a team that they should beat.

Unable to put anything past Blues Goalie Chris Mason in the first two periods, the Flames finally broke the goose egg when Mark Giordano fired a low point shot that snaked its way through a plethora of sticks and skates and found the back of the net. Giordano, who earned first star honours at the game, was Calgary’s best player outside of the crease. He played with confidence all night long and created opportunities and excitement, seemingly, every time he hit the ice. He played just over 26 minutes and scored the tying goal. He has assumed first time duty on the powerplay as well, as Bouwmeester was relegated to second line duty with Regehr. Sutter has been known to reward good players with more ice time, and this seems to be the case here.

The Flames now sit in 7th place in Western Conference, only 3 points clear of 9th place Vancouver. They have lost 7 of 10 games in December. They lost only 9 games in all of October and November! Goal scoring has dried up as the Flames have failed to tally more than 3 goals since November 30th when they pounded the Predators 5-0.

Where did that chemistry go?

It seems like the entire team is ice cold. No one has any confidence outside of Kipper and not one person wants to take the reins. Is Sutter’s mantra wearing thin? It is only 36 games in; what will this team be like after 82 games at this pace? The Flames were labelled to finish in the ‘tops’ of the West this year, yet now are swimming in mediocrity and failing to capitalize on opportunities like tonight. It is scary to think that with the talent this team possesses they can not seem to figure it out. Hopefully it is just a lull in the schedule and that this Christmas break will give the team time to shake the cobwebs off of their sticks. Without Kiprusoff, I hate to think where this team might be as they have become reliant on a single player to win them games.

The Flames now play 4 games in 5 nights starting on the 27th against the Canucks. If they continue to drag their knuckles through the New Year, the Flames could be in some serious ‘Barney.’ Barney Rubble; Trouble!

This has been,

Newman on the Flames

Source of Photo: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/24/AR2009122400184.html

Overtime Heroes!

Two nights, two cities, two goaltenders, two overtime wins. For the second straight night the Flames managed to win an overtime game on the road, due in part to the goaltending they received on both occasions.

Miikka Kiprusoff, who had been battling the flu for the past while, came into the net tonight and shut the door on the St. Louis Blues. Stopping 30 of all 31 shots, he made timely saves and gave the Flames a chance to win the game. Brent Sutter’s message must be seeping into the pours of all the players sitting in that dressing room.

The Captain Jarome Iginla led the way offensively again tonight scoring his 7th goal of the season and 3rd in two games.

The Flames allowed a power play goal for the first time in almost two weeks; almost 4 entire games without allowing a goal down a man, including more than a couple 5 on 3 chances by the opposing teams. Slowly becoming one of the better Penalty killing teams in the league, the Flames will have to continue this trend if they hope to keep winning. The addition of Freddy Sjostrom can not be overlooked when looking at this category as he has been a shining light for this team through its first 14 games, and has replaced the speed that was left vacant when Lombardi was shipped to the desert last winter.

Phaneuf seems to be hitting the net more often these days, and a large reason for that is he finally realized that he does not have to swing for the fences every time he fires the puck. Prime example tonight, as he took a well timed shot that found the back of the net; off a Blue player but in the net nonetheless. Normally, Dion would swing like Jason Zuback in a long drive competition and try to singe the mesh of the net. It seems now, and maybe Sutter influence had some effect on him, he is fashioning his shot more for accuracy, which is only a good sign for the Flames. What is more is that he is no longer a minus player, as his recent run of defensive play has vaulted him back into the positive side of the ledger. The Flames are one the highest scoring teams in the league, but Phaneuf, along with his defensive partner Robyn Regehr, have definitely played better of late, and they must be applauded.

A short and very successful road trip; something the Flames can build on as they come home to face a very talented Ranger squad on Saturday night.

This has been,

Newman on the Flames