November 27, 2011 at 10:10 pm - By: Ro · Filed under Post Game
Did you notice? There was a Flames game this afternoon. More people in Minnesota were probably watching the game than Calgary given the Grey Cup was on at the same time. If people were watching they may have been moderately entertained by the Flames concluding road trip game of their four game swing.
The Flames scored a goal (in fact five) and Jarome Iginla scored! Calgary capitalized on shaky goaltending early to pull away a convincing victory.
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November 26, 2011 at 2:05 am - By: Ro · Filed under Post Game
Welcome to the Young Gun Years! Looks like Flames fans are now faced with the inevitable, a solid 5 years of hardship with players fat off of million dollar paycheques they don't deserve coasting through a season.
Fans like me love the Calgary Flames. We hate this stupid team. There are next to no redeeming qualities. The likes of Jarome Iginla, Backlund, Tanguay, Glencross, Bourque, Stempniak, all of these jokers lack consistency. Iginla can't even get a shot on net let alone score. Backlund has zero points in all of his games. Tanguay can't stop passing, Bourque can't even pass. Yes, this pathetic season isn't even half way through but the FLames have thrown in the towel.
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November 23, 2011 at 10:55 pm - By: Ro · Filed under Post Game
You give Detroit an inch and they'll score repeatedly. Calgary relied too heavily on huge Kipper saves, and were the in the penalty box too often against a Detroit team that actually knows how to work a powerplay. Result? A loss.
It doesn't help that the referees have difficulty calling penalties against the veteran Red Wings. I can't get over how THREE Brad Stuart interference calls went uncalled. I know this is a bit of an aside, but that guy comes out of his lane to impede rushing forwards, tripping them in the process, and no call. I guess I don't know what interference.
For their part, Calgary had moments where you thought they'd steal two points, but a boneheaded Curtis Glencross penalty late in the third when the game was tied was enough to give Detroit a PP and the eventual lead.
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November 21, 2011 at 7:31 pm - By: Ro · Filed under Post Game
There are only so many words in the thesaurus for disgrace and we've used them all barely a third of the way through the NHL season.
The Columbus Blue Jackets now have 5 wins. That's five wins total for the entire season up to and including tonight's game. The Jackets are not a good hockey team. But on every other game night the Calgary Flames, as evidenced tonight, are worse than the worse hockey team in the league. If that's not reason enough to pull the plug on deadweight I don't know what is.
Lately 'deadweight' amounts to the top line with Jarome Iginla a minus night yet again and generating zero offensively, Tanguay putting around the outside, and Backlund who still hasn't found his game feet. The Flames were so desperate for something that Iginla played third period shifts at center. Yea, the worse defensive player on the team playing center....the Flames coaching staff is not only desperate but they're stupid too.
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November 18, 2011 at 11:06 pm - By: Ro · Filed under Post Game
It was this time last year, against the Chicago Blawkhawks no less, when the Flames pulled out of a losing funk in a big way. Tonight, the Flames faced the league's best in an attempt to right a sinking ship. Teams rarely make it to the playoffs if they don't sit in a spot by American Thanksgiving.
That's next Thursday, the Flames have a chance, but they gotta win 40 more games this year..... Well they got off to a good start tonight.
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November 15, 2011 at 9:47 pm - By: Ro · Filed under Post Game
Calgary can't even beat average teams demonstrating they are below average despite playing nearly to the max of the cap and with largely the same team that went on the great run from last year. At this point in time, Calgary is in fact a WORSE team than the squad from last year at this time.
Team's who aren't in the playoff picture come American Thanksgiving rarely rarely make up the ground. That day is next Thursday. Right now, the beleaguered club has no more options from within. They can't call up any more players or demote fat cats like Stajan or Sarich. The crippling tenure of Darryl Sutter has left its mark and will remain for years to come.
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November 11, 2011 at 9:06 pm - By: Ro · Filed under Post Game
This team is done.
Pull the trigger Feaster, this Calgary Flames squad is WORSE than last year's team. Even though it looks the same, it's been sunk into oblivion by DARRYL SUTTER and we're paying a hefty price today.
Feaster admittedly tried to shake things up putting in 3 new players: Brodie and Byron from the minors, and Backlund off IR. Now he's gotta do more, unless he's thrown in the towel.
Things didn't look much better, maybe a bit quicker, but the same stupid system that can't score goals and win games. It's close to being over folks, statistically you do'nt get into the playoffs if you're not sitting there come American Thanksgiving.
November 11, 2011 at 2:08 pm - By: Ro · Filed under Game Day
The past 48 hours have been a whirlwind of internal changes.
For starters, Anton Babchuk and Brendan Morrison were placed on IR after the former broke his hand and the latter had 'insufficient rehab' on his knee. The Morrison injury update sounds more like he was playing poorly and the Flames have no place to put him other than waivers.
Shockingly the Flames made room for Backlund by dropping not pugilist PL3, but placing Nik Hagman on waivers. (This pretty much puts the last touches on the debacle trade Sutter made for Phaneuf.) Hagman on waivers means Paul Byron is coming up. That's two new centers.
Oh yea, TJ Brodie is up too, and he'll play. 3 new faces ready to go tonight. Will the Flames get the message? Probably not.
November 8, 2011 at 10:25 pm - By: Ro · Filed under Post Game
Outshooting and outworking the opposition is meaningless if you keep losing game in and game out.
The Calgary Flames, in true pathetic on-again off-again fashion, stank out the 'Dome laying another egg. Despite having the most shots, most chances, and most powerplay time, they couldn't even score one goal, let alone enough to win. This team plays near the cap maximum yet consistently plays below average. Their on-ice product is not only bewildering management, but it's starting to look a lot like the crappy Flames of the 90s. Do we really need 10 years, some #1 draft picks like the Oilers, in order to turn this around? Right now it looks like it.
Right now changes are needed. RIGHT NOW.
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November 6, 2011 at 10:18 pm - By: Ro · Filed under Post Game
After hanging out their backup goalie out to dry in Buffalo, the Flames took four of a possible six points on their brief three game road-trip. Tonight vs. Colorado Calgary held on for a win, but my gawd this team plays exceptionally boring and uninspiring hockey.
I suppose we should expect to some degree a lack of ingenuity. GM Jay Feaster clearly stated that the team isn't build to 'score of the rush' but after cycling down low. Well if that gets you a Stanley Cup OK, but I'll be snoring all the way.
Plus there's the whole problem with making the playoffs first. Winning two out of every 3 games would be good enough, but Calgary has yet to display that type of consistency.
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