Comments on: Game 6 Pathetic No Shows: Calgary 1 – Chicago 4

By: Man Up!

Man Up! — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:38:41 +0000

Blow it up and start all over.

By: anar

anar — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:29:05 +0000

I think you are right, Barry. We have great talented players and although everyone has a vision to win the cup, it is just not feasible for every team to win it - besides there is more to it than just talent that counts. We had our chances and came really close in 2004/05, but the cup was only rerouted from Calgary to Tampa Bay. If some dumb referee does not see that goal then we cannot blame anyone.

We know we have a good team because notwitstanding the injuries, our players did their best. They outshot the Hawks 44-16 and won most of the face offs in game 6. One consolation is that the Chicago Blackhawks did not take the series in 4 and that's a compliment for the Flames.

I think Keenan has done a great job and is an inspiration to the Flames. I admire his courage and tact for handling things the way he did throughout the series, despite injuries, despite the losses and despite everything else.

By the way, heads off to the Calgary Flames for taking the Chicago Blackhawks to six games. Congratulations Flames for doing your best and for winning 45 games in the regular season. All the best until next season. You are awesome, guys.

To all the Flames fans. Thank you for your support and it was a pleasure exchanging views. Until September!

By: Del

Del — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:05:05 +0000

Excellent post Barry Flames, I couldn't agree more.The "finish" part drove my wife and I nuts.

By: Barry Flames

Barry Flames — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:04:45 +0000

We are talented and ripping up the team won't help.

By: Barry Flames

Barry Flames — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:00:05 +0000

From James.\\ REALITY 1 : Even with a completely healthy team, it is an extremely daunting task to win a Stanley Cup - or even make it to the finals. You have to win 4 grueling, blood soaked series to get there - if you even make the Playoffs - half the teams don't. REALITY 2 : With 30 teams or so in the league now, it's concievable that you could live a whole lifetime and never see your team win a Stanley Cup - or even make the finals. In other words, be ready for the reality that you may never see the Flames get back there again. You only get so many shots. Just ask Toronto ... or Chicago ... it can be a very long time. REALITY 3 : Many things need to go right to win a Stanley Cup: lack of injuries; great goaltending; your matchups; etc etc. And some 'things' are intangible, like 'Chemistry' ... The 'Best Team' (on paper) often doesn't win. The Flames had a good season ... and went pretty well injury free until about a month before the end of the season. Then they started to get one injury after another - which continued right down to the last playoff game against Chicago. In the 'Age of Parity' you need all your people. Also they displayed an incredible lack of 'finish'. No matter how many scoring chances they got - or generated - they could not convert. Why ? Who knows ? But it was true. The badly outplayed teams on several occasions ... but lost. REALITY 4 : I love the Flames. I love Hockey. But ... we may not see the Flames get back to the finals ... for a very long time. That's life.

By: Del

Del — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:55:04 +0000

You know, I've been thinking (always a scarey thing) but we really do have a lot of talent on the team. After all, we won 45 games this season with the talent we have.

I firmly believe, that if a different coach took over and played the lines in a cohesive fashion we might just be unstoppable.

By: sad flamer aka masochist

sad flamer aka masochist — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:30:09 +0000

Cold Comfort: San Jose also lost. If Regehr had played things would have been different.
Let's clean house: Bye Sutter bye Keenan and in a perfect world bye bye Bettman.
Til next season!!

By: Del

Del — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:18:08 +0000

Well said anar, I feel our game has gone way south too, but really I'm an old codger and don't kid yourself, back in the days of Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr it was a lot more violent out on the ice and they played for a hell of a lot less money. When Gordie Howe retired he had no real pension. He had to go to work for Eatons as a sales rep. Later on the Players Assoc. finally came up with a small pittance for him.

Bobby had to quit hockey way too early because he had such bad knees and all the opposing players knew it and purposely went for them whenever they got the chance.

I just don't like the American slant (or Europian) favored way of playing the game.

But we will never change the fact that the owners are much more interested in the buck they earn than the game itself, no matter how many platitudes they use...

By: anar

anar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:09:19 +0000

I think Stanley cups suck and there is no fun watching anymore. And I am not talking sour grapes but what is happening inside. For starters, the NHL executives should be reshuffled or recycled ... whatever that means, but we need some youngster who knows what professionalism is and what sportsman ship is. It should not be all about money because they make more money up there and that sucks. They are ruining our player's credibility and image.. Secondly, when the Flames took the winning edge, they were talking about Cammalleri's suspension and Andre Roy was suspended. But what about the injury to Bourque and the Phaneuf's hit that had shaken him? Gone are the times of Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr. - when hockey was special, it was talent and professional. According to me, only the leader from the Western conference and Eastern conference should play for the stanley cup. The rest should get consolation prizes for division leadership. That's where it should end. That should stop all the biases, prejudices and controversys.

By: Del

Del — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:28:02 +0000

I believe it's time to start changing to a post lock-out mode, which thanks to smiley bettman is a faster skating more skillful, less roughhousing type of team.
Not really true hockey as we Canadians know it, but it's what wins hockey games nowadays, in this our Americanized league.