Playoffs in Doubt – Countless Lucky Bounces Give Nucks the Wing
This was supposed to be the game that the Flames would win, they are on the every other game plan you know. Turns out, half of it was true. On one hand the Flames had their typical quick ‘every-other-game’ start. David Moss, finally factoring into the line up with Daymond Langkow heading back home for a family matter, scored a nice tip in to shut the home crowd up early. That would be the extent Calgary’s dominant play. 1.5 minutes in the first and after that the team folded it in and took the night off. Sure they skated hard, but big deal if you have no purpose.
Flames Fold Under Desperate Conditions
Calgary can’t and won’t respond anymore–too bad for fans. Apparently their post-season lives are on the line but you wouldn’t know it. Turns out opposition teams can attack Iginla after the whistle, throw him off his game, and coast the rest of the way with second and third line goals. Calgary on the other hand has little depth. 2 goals by the third line over nine games is NOT good regardless of what people say.
Calgary yet again displaying zero desperation for 55 minutes, and after the fourth goal Miikka Kiprusoff was chased from the net. Not playing great, but not exactly the cause of Calgary’s misfortunes. SOme lucky bounces and poor penalties (dumb ones like too many men and dumber ones like phantom calls by the refs–but mostly dumb Calgary mistakes.)
Calgary folded the tent in the third incapable of breaking the defensive trap put on by the Canucks. A minute into the third Isbister fired a puck behind Cujo. Sarich on the other hand took 8 consecutive minors in the third–gives you an idea of how bad things were going. Albeit, the reffing was atrocious.
I had a longer article for your review, but it was lost after the internet went down so this is where I”ll end. No point continuing
Notes: Daymond Langkow did not play as he flew home to be with his family–his father-in law passed away. It showed that Calgary lost two centers (Conroy left in the first with an undisclosed injury
I want to say the reffing was the worst I’ve seen in a while. I’m not talking about the stuff in the third period (less sarich who took an elbow in the head and then cross check the sedin sister and watched out the school girl went down like a ton of bricks.)
I’m more ticked about how the refs changed the complexion of the game with their bogus and phantom calls. maybe it was cause I wasn’t o nthe ice, but really, Phaneuf double minor? Is the league out to get the Flames? Unreal folks, the refs didin’t help in Edmonton and they changed the complexion of this game as well. Not good, the league should review.
I want to say that the Flames were outclassed again because of poor systems and commitment. Hoenstly, what has Keenan provided other than, “yea I hope they figure it out, I sure won’t tell them, I’ just the coach you know.”
ANd by the way, the experiments on line combinations should be done! Enough already….p.s. drop the instgator and half the cancuks line up wouldn’t be playing cause someone would have knocked them out.
Vancouver fan here, writing this from Vancouver, and have to agree with your point re: officiating in tonight’s game – it was horrible BOTH ways.
What I found particularly interesting was the contrast between tonight’s game and the game last Tuesday in which the Flames came back from a 2-0 Canucks lead and simply dominated the Canucks.
After that game, I wrote, “the Canucks took the rest of the night off and the Flames came out in the second and third periods looking like a team that not only wants a shot at the playoffs but is willing to fight, hard, to get there.” The Flames looked playoff-ready. It was a different team I saw tonight.
Having suffered throught the Keenan years here in Vancouver, I can understand what Calgarians must be going through. Hang in there: he never lasts long…
Chers!
I would say officiating in the first was generally inconsistent both ways. I wouldn’t say it was the cause of Calgary’s loss. The too many men penalty was a bad one that changed the game. In the third calgary lost their composure but the refs were handing out double minors on Calgary for nothing.
Make your own breaks. Keenan isn’t particularly bad though, he just isn’t doing much differen than Playfair.