Calgary Flames

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by Cowtown_Tim

Does anyone know how long Phaneuf is out for? I'm thinking the Flames are finished for the year. Even if they win tonight, or by some miracle, win the series, they aren't going far. IMO the defense is just too depleted.

IMO even with a nearly full defense they more often than not are totally asleep.

Seriously, they play like Regher is the only one that matters. When he's out they're not even skating. Yet what explains the late-season slide when he was healthy?

The injury excuse wears thin after a while. The last 3-4 games of the regular season when Keenan iced 15 skaters? Understandable. But beyond that this is a team that's managed to play for complete shit for at least 10-15 games since March 1. I',m talking bad enough that they make Phoenix look good.

I'm personally amazed they pushed this series to 6 games, but what people seem to have already forgotten is that game 4 was truly a nail biter - the Flames really didn't deserve to win that one and really only won because Chicago stopped trying.

Keenan needs to be fired with extreme prejudice. And Chokinen as well.

[jeffwhit]

^^ I heard he broke his head, which means he's probably done for the year anyway. Sadly, this team doesn't have the bodies or the desire to go deep.

[freeweed]

Wow, it just keeps getting worse. This is bringing back strong memories of the game 7 shutout by Anaheim in 06.

I smell a rebuilding year, and part of me wonders if Sutter might have a target on his back tomorrow morning.

Edit: break out the golf clubs, boys, the snow might actually melt in a week. Well, at least a western Canadian team is past the 1st round this year.

[Calgarian]

I feel embarrased to be a Flames fan right now. I hope we trade Iginla, heart and soul my ass

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by freeweed

IMO even with a nearly full defense they more often than not are totally asleep.

Seriously, they play like Regher is the only one that matters. When he's out they're not even skating. Yet what explains the late-season slide when he was healthy?

The injury excuse wears thin after a while. The last 3-4 games of the regular season when Keenan iced 15 skaters? Understandable. But beyond that this is a team that's managed to play for complete shit for at least 10-15 games since March 1. I',m talking bad enough that they make Phoenix look good.

I'm personally amazed they pushed this series to 6 games, but what people seem to have already forgotten is that game 4 was truly a nail biter - the Flames really didn't deserve to win that one and really only won because Chicago stopped trying.

Keenan needs to be fired with extreme prejudice. And Chokinen as well.

Jokinen was by far our best player in the playoffs.

[frinkprof]

Nevermind.

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by frinkprof

Rebuilding, I highly doubt it. The Leafs and Islanders will be rebuilding. More like retooling. The core is locked-in at long-term high dollar contracts (aka, nearly impossible to move, especially 4 or 5 of them). The Bertuzzis, Cammileris, and Lombardis of the team will be replaced by 2nd-tier free-agents or trades, or players in the system (Backlund).

To dissect the series/season, I think the quantity and timing of the injuries is definitely a factor. However, there's plenty of other reasons, in my mind, why this team wasn't able to compete with Detroit, San Jose, and (down the stretch) Vancouver. I think among the biggest reasons are:

1. Power play. The penalty kill is top notch, but the power play is abysmal. This is something that has to be changed for next year, simple as that. Better system, better use of the skill sets of players, and more focus on it in practice.

2. A backup goaltender that the coach has confidence in (which requires the team to play decently in front of him). McElhinney could have had better luck but in the end, didn't steal a game. Kiprusoff is a horse, but it's just suicide to consistently play him in both back-to-back games.

As for coaching/management, I think the axe has a good chance of falling on Keenan. Preston, I sincerely hope is fired, but if he is, it will be along with Keenan. Sutter, maybe an outside chance of him being fired, but I doubt it. In the end, he has done so much for his team. Sure he's made some clear mistakes, and the cap issues that saw them ice 15 players for the last couple games can't look good, but in the end, the positives far outweigh the negatives.

The Flames power play was awesome until March, everything was awesome until March. Every other team picked it up don the stretch and the Flames were still paying the same boring dump and chase game. There is no Heart on this team, time to get one.

Mcelhinney did good, he just got shafted by sitting on the bench all season. Kipper is not a god, time to bump his games down to about 50 and give Irving a shot.

[jeffwhit]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

Jokinen was by far our best player in the playoffs.

Not even close, he played 1.5 good games. Only handful of players get off easy, Sarich and Nystrom, mainly. Calgary is a well educated hockey market, the Flames can easily survive a rebuild. This isn't like missing the playoffs for 7 straight years all while treating the fans with contempt. (In fact, if you go the thread on Calgary Puck about the new arena, Claeren makes several excellent points on this matter.) Blow it up. Sutter turned an abysmal team around in under 1 season, now someone else needs to take it to the next level.

[freeweed]

Fact is, the Flames were an elite team right up until the trade deadline. And I don't think it was Lombardi's departure that killed it.

Then again, I've also had my doubts about Iginla and Phaneuf's home lives this season. Both have played completely distracted all season long, especially the last half. It's like their heads are somewhere else completely. Troubles in the nest or something, who knows. Phanuef really took a turn for the worse after Avery's comments - his offensive production went up but he started making really stupid defensive mistakes on a regular basis. Zyuzin-worthy mistakes.

The much-vaunted "core" of this team continues to underachieve and continues to land in futility no matter what is placed around them. The organization has got to stop pretending that Kipper is a perpetual Vezina candidate, and start treating him like just the very good goalie that he is. Get a backup in rotation, and for the love of all that is holy, please explain to your players that he's mortal. They have got to learn to stop relying on him for miracle saves every night, because he just isn't that good anymore.

I guess by rebuild I didn't mean a complete roster change. But I do mean something more serious than just "hey, let's try for yet another 2nd line centre". This team needs to do something real, and that's going to amount to trading one of their stars to shake things up.

Sadly, the way things are going they're likely to let their top goal scorer walk, and sign the guy who proved he can't carry a team into the playoffs, nor through them.

We'll still be better than the Leafs though.

[jeffwhit]

^^I'm going to blow up the team myself in NHL09 and see what happens. Man I'm sad.

[Rusty van Reddick]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Wow, it just keeps getting worse. This is bringing back strong memories of the game 7 shutout by Anaheim in 06.

I saw something worse- the Detroit series in 07. 2 road losses, 2 home wins, then an utter meltdown on the road and a humiliating loss at home for game 6. Very depressing way to end things.

I wish Sutter would realise that he was better on the bench than as GM. Too bad Keenan is his buddy and he'll never fire him.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by furrycanuck

I saw something worse- the Detroit series in 07. 2 road losses, 2 home wins, then an utter meltdown on the road and a humiliating loss at home for game 6. Very depressing way to end things.

Fair enough, that series was awful. I just remember the game 7 shutout, partly because there's nothing more embarrassing than an upset due to a shutout, but mostly because I had scored ice-level seats for the game (last minute ticket release after puck drop, a photog didn't show that day). You can't imagine our excitement walking down to the front freaking row, for a game 7 of the playoffs (and this was our first hockey playoffs since 1996).

To watch the Flames not even score. Or really try.

But, like an abused spouse, I'll be right back supporting them next season. Even if Tired Mike is still in charge.

[Rusty van Reddick]

Same here. This is entertainment.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by furrycanuck

Same here. This is entertainment.

And really, really fun entertainment. It's the one time I go all tribal and pick things based on just about zero rational thinking.

Heck, I still can't cheer for a bright orange hockey jersey, no matter how good or who's on the team.

[Distill3d]

I think regardless of what will be said of the team this year, our early playoff exit this year was based on goaltending. We couldn't beat Nikolai Khabibulin, not as a Lightning, and not as a Blackhawk.

[The Chemist]

Originally Posted by Distill3d

I think regardless of what will be said of the team this year, our early playoff exit this year was based on goaltending. We couldn't beat Nikolai Khabibulin, not as a Lightning, and not as a Blackhawk.

But we could in games 3 and 4. I just don't get this team...

I guess that's the lot in life of a Flames fan. Though I suppose it could be worse - we could be Sharks fans!

[jeffwhit]

Isn't Keenan's contract up anyway?

[frinkprof]

Nevermind.

[Distill3d]

Originally Posted by jeffwhit

Isn't Keenan's contract up anyway?

Its not Keenan's fault we lost.

[frinkprof]

Nevermind.