Why I Don't Like the Leafs

Like most Flames fans, I’m eager to see the hometown heroes play the Leafs in Toronto tonight. These games are always special for me, because I loathe the opposition so much.  I wouldn’t say I hate the Toronto Maple Leafs, but that’s because hate isn’t a strong enough word. I dislike them so much, German is likely the only language with strong enough words to properly express my feelings. But then I got thinking this morning about why I despise them so much.

Dwindling Playoff Hopes for Flames

5.2%.


That’s the percentage chance, according to sportsclubstats.com, that the Flames have of making the playoffs this year. It went up from 0.2% yesterday with losses to the Kings, Sharks, and Preds last night.

One small step for man...

The Flames also have played equal or less games to those teams they are chasing -- three less than the Ducks, two less than the Hawks and Sharks, and one less than the Avs and Yotes. Call them small consolations to the inevitable fact the Flames will miss the playoffs for the second straight year. The Flames still sit nine points back of 8th spot – like an elephant trying to catch a cheetah, it’s just not going to happen.

But hold the phone, there is more good news...sort of. The Flames sit 6th last in the league, only a point ahead/behind (depends on which side of coin you examine) of 5th last place, which so happens to be the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs – the Flames next two opponents. In case you haven’t realized why this is important, it is because the bottom five teams in the league get entered into the draft lottery for 2011 – a key step in rebuilding a bad hockey team, and the Flames are just that.

The Rules of Golf

I love golf, it's without a doubt my favorite game.  I could golf everyday, and when the weather permits me, I try and do just that.  But why is it that the PGA Tour infuriates me?  As I've previously stated, I love the four Majors and can't get enough of them, but the rest of the year I'd rather watch Newman hit balls than watch a PGA Tour event.

January marks the start of the PGA Tour season, and after only one tournament, I'm already angry.  I suppose my beef isn't specifically with the PGA Tour, but more with golf in general, but as the Tour is the medium in which this happened, I'm going to take it out on them.  I am, of course, talking about the ruling against Camilo Villegas this past weekend, which saw the golfer DQ'd from the Tour's opening event.

Calgary Flames: October Two Thousand and Eleven

Note: This is supposed to be far fetched. It's called exaggerating what you hope might happen. Try not to take it too seriously people

....

Where: Opening night at the Scotiabank Saddledome

The Flames take the ice for the first time in a new season full of questions and hope. One season removed from falling totally off the Western Conference radar and into hockey oblivion, the Flames are looking to be re-born.

They are led onto the ice not by Miikka Kiprusoff, but by Leland Irving, their first round pick from 2006. Kipper was dealt in mid August back to San Jose, who faltered last season without the services of a reliable number one net minder. It will be strange without Kipper between the pipes, but the Flames received Joe Pavelski, Jason Demers, and a 2nd and 3rd round pick in 2012, which should help with the healing process. Irving, for his part, had his breakout season last year in Abbotsford and after a strong pre-season, he beat out 2nd year man Henrik Karlsson for the starting job. However, it’s assumed that they will enjoy a 60/40 ice time split through most of the season.

Flames Thoughts

41 games down, 41 games to go – and they are going to be long 41 games at that.


Sitting 14th in the Western Conference, six points back of 8th place, hopes for a miracle run are fading in a hurry. It doesn’t help the situation when a majority of teams ahead of the Flames have played fewer games than them, making it doubly hard to gain any sort of ground.

Did I mention that you have to actually win games to gain ground as well? Right. Another stopping point in their quest for legitimacy.

Jay Feaster is apparently conjuring up two separate master plans for the future of the Flames organization: one if they are out of contention and one if they are in contention. Well, Jay, you may as well just focus on the prior, and stop wasting time on the latter.

Watching the Canucks dispose of the Flames last night was difficult to say the least. Yes, they outshot the Northwest division leaders 44-21, but it never really seemed as if they EVER had a chance. Maybe the goal 1:10 into the game had something to do with it.