Welcome to FlamesForum.com!

Calgary should roll over and let the Avalanche take their playoff spot. The team will embarrass themselves in the first round with the type of play they continue to display. The whole team is, well quite frankly not a team. One person will play hard for one period and the rest will take the night off. Iginla had a great first period, and then we didn’t hear from him again (other than failed breakaway attempts.)

The team doesn’t even deserve a post-game report with their boring and undisciplined hockey. They feel they can score lots of goals and forget about defense, well nothing has changed for a month. The coaching staff refuses to change things despite continued poor performance. Tonight the team hit a hot goalie in Turco and couldn’t tighten up defensively. Special teams were a let down (not so much they are bad, but the fact they were always on the ice.)

Conspiracy Theorists To Have Hayday

Once again the referees were terrible. There are two theories. 1. Calgary is so terrible defensively and so undisciplined that being penalised 3X more than the opposition, or 2. The NHL loves to reward American teams. Lots of people jump on two just cause at this point, there’s nobody left to blame.

This is the first game in a very very long time that I didn’t bother to listen all the way through. Yes, they made it close with some hard third period work, but who cares? They never won, no points, nothing. Same thing in Colorado, great third period, horrid 1st and 2nd periods. Things better come together real fast or it won’t be 8th place we’ll have to worry about, but tee-off places.

Notes: Regehr will be out a couple of weeks with a ‘lower body injury’.

Things didn’t start well for the Flames even before they hit the ice. With Warrner and Zyuzin out with injuries, an away game, and a red hot Colorado team, things weren’t going to be easy. Of course, in true Flames style, the game started with a nice slow pace, for Calgary.

The Flames were badly outplayed in the first ten minutes not registering a shot until 8 minutes in. The referees were doing their part to scam Calgary out of points blowing whistles due to bad positioning (a goal was disallowed cause the ref couldn’t see the puck (which was in the air not frozen).

Sakic opened the scoring and was dominant in the first; Iginla on the other hand was asleep for most of the night as the Flames couldn’t figure out who to put on the first line to be center. Why Langkow wasn’t tried out is odd. Luckily the Flames would answer back just after the power play after Hamrlik unleashed a blast from the point that alluded Budaj. This was the second time in two years Hamrlik used the massive shot he has. Instead of feeding Phanuef all the time (who does not have the hardest shot folks) he should shoot himself. Iginla tipped the shot for his 36th.


Despite being outplayed the Flames would cap another powerplay shot (improving their 9th spot in PP performance). The one man who decided to play a hard game in his old town was Yelle. He was hitting all night, losing face offs albeit, but scored with 3 minutes left in the first.

The second period would see more faceoff losses and losing battles. The Flames were badly outplayed yet again surrendering 13 shots to their crappy three. Luckily they improved slightly in the face-off dot. A Regehr penalty late in the second wasn’t killed off. We can’t pin this one on anybody, but Yelle never came back after the first which is too bad since he was the best Flames.

Flames Not Prepared for Playoffs

There is not drive or willingness to get into hard areas. The third period showed why the Flames will loose 4 straight in the post-season, assuming they even make it. They don’t hit, they don’t play defense, and they don’t have any heart. Yes we score lots, but who cares when you can’t go into corners and win battles (Lombardi, Huselius, Tanguay). When your top player refuses to play defense and your top lines can’t forecheck there are issues.

Preparation remains a problem. Another road loss, another two periods it took for the Flames to realise they were in a game. 40 shots were given up yet again, and another 40 and a loss are coming tomorrow if Calgary doesn’t start playing with a chip on their shoulder.

Notes: Ritchie sat, Yelle left the game hurt in the first which is a bad blow for the Flames. Hale made his debut.

Defensive Woes Mount for Flames

Rather than give a play by play of tonight’s games I thought I’d post something that’s not only been on my mind, but an issue that will cost the Flames a 4-0 exit from the playoffs this year. That issue is defensive zone coverage.


For years the bread and butter of Calgary has been solid defensive play game in and game out. When the defense broke down Kiprusoff was in the zone to make the big save. Today, this kind of hockey escapes the Calgary Flames. Despite a so-called better team, the Flames can only do one thing, score.

So what are the defensive problems that have embarrassed the Flames repeatedly this year? causing them to drop to 8th place in the Western division? Most will blame the defense, some the goalie, but quite frankly, it’s the forwards who are causing all the problems.

Tonight, dumb turnovers and incapable defensive zone coverage, particularly on bad neutral zone turnovers and point coverage. The worst culprits? Forwards who are too lazy to bother with hard defensive work. The worst of the forwards? The highest paid players.

Iginla Completely Uninterested in Defensive Play

Playfair would reward Iginla for his terrible defensive play by giving him one shift in the overtime. Of course, the undisciplined play (they looked completely out of place in OT once again) led to a Lombardi slashing penalty with only 1:30 left in the OT period. What would happen? You play like garbage defensively you won’t get the breaks you need, luckily Kiprusoff made a beauty save with 1.5 seconds left to give the team a chance in the shoot-out.

The shoot-out would go liked this:

Huselius fancy move - X
Stempniak - X

Tanguay shot top corner - SCORE (made it look too too easy)
Doug Weight fancy move - MIIKKA POKE CHECK SAVE!

Chance to win Iginla moves down the ice slow again, you’d think the goalie would know shot, but hey you can’t stop a bullet: SCORE!

So does Iggy redeem himself with the SO winner? No. Kipper got us two points, Iggy need  to learn how to play defense.

Tampa Bay returned to the Dome for the first time since the fabled game six debauchle that led many Flames fans to believe the NHL was fixed for American teams. Tonight there was a certain measure of revenge in the air, but would it transpose to on ice performance?

Well, in this short blog, the short answer is no. The Calgary Flames could not stay disciplined when it counted (Hamrlik again played poorly and had terribly penalties). This facet coupled with the Flames inability to capitalise on chances, and the refs ability to blow calls clear out of the water. A 5v3 in OT? Come on.

Only way to look is up at this point. We have 8th spot, doubt anybody will take it, but it’s going to be another short playoff run if the Flames can’t figure out how to score and play defence for SIXTY MINUTES. What a concept.

Notes: The defence continue to have problems. Not once have we seen a full 60 minute game from all six d men. Monday is the next game.

Calgary visited the Nashville center (it’s not Gaylord anymore cause they pulled out) to vie for their third road win and sixth win in a row. If they could pull off the upset they would match a season best for road wins, pretty sad when you think about it.

But just like St. Louis, domination 5v5 means nothing if you can’t score. On one rush Conroy hits the post, on the ensuing counter, Nashville draws a penalty. That was the first period. In fact, in a span of thirty seconds Nashville made up for their poor play to go up 2-0.


Luckily Iginla would power his way to his 32nd goal soon after to make the contest 2-1 and the game a bit more manageable for the Flames.

Would this game be dominated by horrible officiating? Well one thing is for sure, hooking is not what it used to be when the season opened. The top teams seem to get away with murder, and sometimes you get blamed for the deed (i.e. Hamrlik’s penalty on Kariya).

Double Standard for American Teams - Officiating Takes a Dive

Not just any Yankee teams, but ones that lead divisions. I’ve seen it with Anaheim and you saw it tonight. Nothing but terrible officiating and calls going one-way all night. It would make a bookie proud to see the kind of fixing that goes on in the NHL. Does it really happen? I doubt it, but man alive, how many times do soft players like Paul Kariya get away with hooks (lead to a goal) and punches (chicken doesn’t like getting hit a la Dion).

I guess what it takes to be a top team is to chicken out of fights, turtle on hits, and take major dives. Hm, no wonder Nashville will have to move

The second period would note a few Flames chances. They managed to continue playing well 5v5 and scored even strength. Jarome capped his 33rd, 2nd of the game, off a nice pass from Huselius. It wouldn’t be enough though. Giordano fell asleep at the wheel and fluffed on a pass, then a soft call on a diving Kariya lead to a 5v3.

The 5v3 would continue for Nashville, the refs were loving killing Calgary, but Calgary loved killing themselves more (well mostly Hamrlik). The Preds would score again and the Preds would feel good. The cockiness of Nashville will certainly catch up with them and we predict a first round exit for them this year and the team moving within three years.

Down 5-2 how would Calgary respond? Slowly, but surely, they continue to dominate 5v5 play. In fact, I can’t think of a team that has beat Calgary 5v5 (other than that bad Detroit game.) Of all people Jeff Friesen scrummed for his third of the season (or is it his forth?)

You could blame the poor reffing, you could blame chicken players like Tootoo (how many steps does it take to get called for charging? I don’t mind if you dish it out man, but take instead of turtling :P). But fact is, there were too many defensive lapses for the Flames. Giordano is not the answer right now, Playfair needs to figure that out. (And what’s with changing the lineups so much? Man…)

Hamrlik needs a rest or something cause tonight wasn’t his night, giving the puck away and taking stupid stupid penalties (3 tonight). This was his worst game of the season.

Nashville played far better, capitalized, and now leaves Calgary 4 points back of first place and doesn’t give Calgary a chance to move up on Dallas and San Jose.

They just aren’t there yet when it comes to playing with the league’s best. But they aren’t too far either. Oh, and by the way, stay out of the box, you don’t have to be a hockey player to figure that one out.

Notes: Lombardi was benched, Warrener was out, and Ritchie came out. That meant Godard and Nilson factored in, Nilson playing better than he has in the past.

The Calgary Flames were looking to extend a four game win streak and win back to back road games. The team hasn’t one back to back on the road since November. Would the lowly Blues be the easy two points this team needed?

Things started off alright, the Flames dominating 5v5 play, as per normal. The second line with Moss-Langkow-Huselius were absolutely phenomenal in the first, creating opportunities every time they were on the ice. The same cannot be said for the rest of the team.

Conroy Forgets to Show Up….Again

Yet again, the worst players on the ice were the best. The top line was absolutely junk in the first period. Craig Conroy was played one good game this season, the first after the trade, and has been a complete liability since. He can’t score, can’t pass, can’t collect passes, can’t win draws, and always looses men in the defensive zone.

The first goal was a result of some nice passing from the Blues top line, who posses the only firepower that team has. Soon after, Dvorak would make it 2-0 off a long point shot that caught Miikka off guard. If you watch Kiprusoff after saves you’ll notice he’s in no hurry to get back into to the play. Tonight he was literally caught sleeping deep in his crease, causing a bad goal to put the team down 2-0.

Back to Conroy. The guy needs to be much better defensively especially with his two inept line mates who are just as bad if not worse. I have literally watched Conroy closely in all of the road games and the man is clearly unprepared for games. Somebody needs to sit him or shake him up.

The second period would see more Flames domination 5v5, and more stupid penalties. Yes, the refs were poo, but the Flames forced them to make calls. But a better descriptor of the second was: “what does it take!”.

Kiprusoff was forced to make 2 good saves in the second, the rest was glorious chance after chance for Calgary. Igilna started things off with a breakaway–no goal. Amonte breakaway–no goal. Primeau post, Amonte open net–no goal. Two more powerplay chances–no goals. FINALLY, with one minute left in the second Iginla cashed in with an assist off Tanguay’s goal.

The Flames dominated, but could they actually score? Off to the third period where we saw something we don’t often see, a comeback road win. One minute into the period, the man we’ve been flaming, Craig Conroy, scores a lucky goal to tie the game. Calgary would continue to exploit the weakness in the St. Louis armour.

Conroy! You Showed Up for a Period!

To add injury to insult another short-handed tally was registered, this time courteously of a Wayne Primeau breakaway. And look, wouldn’t you know, Conroy scores again off another gift from Iginla. A three point night for Iggy and Conroy pots his chances. Well that’s one thing he’s good for…. But I still stand by the rest of the comments

Notes: Zyuzin factored in again, Girodano say, Hale has yet to suit up. Godard sat and Ritchie factored into the lineup.

Look at this, the eighth road win of the season, the lowest in the NHL, but perhaps a sign of things to come? Langkow scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the Calgary Flames won their fourth in a row with a 4-2 victory over the struggling Edmonton Oilers.

Albeit, Calgary will play St. Louis next and thus some may say they’re play is not reflective of ‘real games’. Nonetheless, things are starting to come together, especially defensively. For starter, Miikka is playing much better, making timely and key stops, showing why he’s going to be paid 6-8 million next season.

Stephane Yelle, David Moss and Jarome Iginla also scored for the Flames, while Fernando Pisani had both goals for Edmonton.

Calgary (35-21-9) moved one point ahead of both San Jose and Minnesota for sixth place in the Western Conference. The Flames jumped out to a 1-0 lead after an Oilers miscue just over seven minutes in when Shawn Horcoff lost the handle on a breakout pass. Kristian Huselius was there to backhand the puck to a wide-open Moss.

The Oilers responded a couple minutes later when Pisani picked up a goal on a rebound off Kiprusoff could not control. Zyuzin made gaffs on both goals tonight, one wonders if he’ll sit against St. Louis.

The play traded between the teams in the second on third. Calgary though largely dominated the 5v5 play again. It’s good to see some third line scoring (Godard with first Flames point tonight) and the top two lines continuing to produce.

Notes: Hemsky left the game in the first period with an upper body injury after Stuart leveled him in the second. Mark Messier was still in Edmonton on Saturday and tried to help motivate his former team as he took to the ice with the Oilers during their morning skate. Messier had another reason to get in a workout though as he and a team of former NHLers will be going head-to-head against the Texas Tornado of the NAHL on March 17.