Dion Phaneuf is Killing the Team
*I shut down this post-game after the second period so it’s incomplete. I couldn’t be bothered to write anymore*
Cudos to Columbus, this team is going to make the playoffs and the fans are loving. Shame, shame, SHAME, on the Calgary Flames who can’t be bothered to even adhere to a simple gameplan. While other teams ramp up the intensity during the playoff push, the Flames fall not one, but two steps behind ALL opposing teams.
If the playoffs started today this would be the first round matchup. The Flames would be DONE in FOUR if that was the case because they don’t have heart to compete. They have skill, look at the gamesheet, it’s their heart that’s the big problem (and that starts with star players).
The main problems are certain ‘star players’. I understand one cannot subject undue pressure to mostly young hockey players, but when you pull in big man money, then you better produce on the ice.
Not so for Dion Phaneuf. The defenceman is a 6 million dollar player and is a consistent liability on the ice. He is a minus hockey player, is on the ice for AT MINIMUM one goal against PER GAME and is on pace for a career low in every category.
Top Lines Fail to Produce YET Again
Let’s not forget Jarome Iginla, hasn’t scored in seven games. Before that it was 15. What’s the problem? Other people are scoring? Sure. Is he picking up his game? Maybe, but it’s not translating on the scoresheet and where it counts–the win column.
When your best player is Eric Nystrom and your your top line is the fourth line you have HUGE problems with motivation and preparation. Does the team even care anymore? Seems like my prediction of a first round exit and 5th place will be reality by next week.
The first period saw Calgary consistently breaking down in their own zone. A new player every game blows an assignment. Glencross yesterday, Moss today. Before you knew it Calgary was down 2-0.
Powerplay Horrific AGAIN
Calgary had PLENTY of chances to tie the game with NUMEROUS powerplay opportunities but they hardly got a shot on net LET ALONE took a shot on net. A lengthy TWO man advantage at the tail end of the first warranted two shots. That you can thank Dion Phaneuf, the ‘QB’ on the PP. Hey KEENAN, you think you’ve taken notes and benched the fool.
It’s too late to take Phaneuf out of games; frankly he should’ve been benched earlier in the season. One game out would’ve turned his game around and the team wouldn’t have to put up with a headless PP. Keenan has tried everything but putting Iginla in charge of the PP. Jokinen is no help
Notes: Bertuzzi made a quick recovery and returned tonight. His presence was evident but it didn’t help the laboring Flames.
At least they showed a touch of heart in the second period with their rights.
the coach needs to put a boot in their A@# ! once again no defence.
no heart, no pride, no nothing, just going through motions….(that is what it looked like)
for the fans who live in the calgary area is this true? living in cleveland i only get to listen to them on 960 (except last night when it was on FSO fox sports ohio)
i really don’t see them advancing far in the playoffs! well like we say here in cleveland there is always next year!!!
Can we send this guy from Ohio to Calgary to live with you?
http://blog.dispatch.com/cbj/2009/03/death_threats_made.shtml
Really, we don’t want him.
caller id…um…that would be a important piece of information to remember, dont you think!
LOL…one to many beers….or a guy really pisst off….or….BOTH.
One too many beers or one intense fan. That goes to show why blogging is a better outlet than death threats through the phone. Nice find btw.
I think we are about to see a first in Calgary. The Flames getting boo’d at home. I know they were getting boo’d in MY home during the last two games
one mistake you have made is its never too late to bench Phaneuf. Maybe its best htey dont win division. Columbus is gonna make them look stupid.
Is anyone else starting to question Iggys leadership? He looks alright but that is the only reasoning I can think of as to why they do this EVERY YEAR! ths same story over and over again. They added more depth, more skill, changed coaches several times, and its the same story. The only thing thats the same is Iggy still being the leader.
PLEASE BECH PHANEUF!!!! Its time, I have goone a complete 180 on this and he needs to sit and be accountable. HE NEEDS TO BE! I figure you bench him and so many of the teams problems go away. think of that message that would send.
I almost forgot to mention that goal tending needs to be better. Kipper wasnt bad in the last two games but he wasnt great either. If thats the case why not put Mcelhinny in net? It gives kipper a rest and the outcome will be the exact same.
We should play Mcelhanney. Kipper is past being an elite goalie.
Making rare highlight type saves is not why he is being paid the big bucks. I’m sure I’ll get an arguement on my statements but the truth hurts. He is no longer the bounce back goalie that took us to the Stanley Cup.
The times McelHinney is in they loose, and then the times he relieves Kipper they loose. Poor guy. The team can turn it around, but they need something to kickstart….
Kipper is been mostly consistent, but you get the notion he’s tired.
Iginla has always been streaking, and since we don’t know what goes on in the dressing room we can’t really comment. He’s still at the top of the league in scoring despite no points in two and goals in seven.
The thing is other teams ramp up their play in the playoff push. Calgary? They are still trying to stick to a gameplan for 60 minutes. That’s what separates winning teams and losers like the Flames of late.
****** Absolutely terrible effort. Though this fan sounds extremely angry and illogical, he makes some valid points. I’m a HUGE Flames fan and right now the issue is definitely NOT the skill on the squad. They’re literally loaded, it comes down to focus, heart and coaching. Coaching is last in this case cause I can’t totally fault Keenan. He hasn’t done a horrible coaching job, but when players aren’t playing hard, they’re as inconsistent as this team is and you completely mismanage the goalie/starts situation.. it might be time to move on.
It’s unfortunately easier to fire the coach than trade the players. I’d seriously consider moving Phaneuf, and I NEVER thought i’d say that. We need money to keep guys, we could get a king’s ransom for him right now and spread that 6 mill per out more evenly along with sending a MAJOR message to whoever’s left that ANYBODY (with the exception of Iginla) is movable.
The defense is abysmal right now and that’s hard to stomach because that’s always been the fortay of this club. Kipper’s been up and down, though I can’t blame him totally with the burnout factor. However, he still has to be better. He can look like a world-beater one night and other nights look like he should be a backup.
We need R.Bourque back and healthy ASAP. He was playing phenomenal hockey before he went down. *******
(CONT’D #2)… right now the Flames need to dig deep and decide who they are and where they wanna go this year. This team has NO IDENTITY. Darry’s done a GREAT job of assembling talent. I am what you call a superfan and keep tabs on every team and pretty much every player in the league, Sutter’s offseason/in-season acquisitions have been GREAT. R.Bourque, Glencross, Bertuzzi (low-risk signing), Van DerMeer (last year), Giordano (bringing him back hoping he could’ve been Leopold before they picked Leopold back up anyway), CAMMY, Jokinen (deadline), Leopold. I mean adding that to what was already there and moving out the guys that cost us the Sharks series like Tanguay and Eriksson were huge.
The only area Sutter faltered is he should’ve brought in a capable backup netminder that could comfortably play 10-15 games with a minimal drop-off. McHelliney NEVER showed he was capable and going into a season with him as a backup knowing how Keenan has a quick trigger finger on pullling goalies and knowing this was a veteran team that’s built to win now was a huge oversight on Sutter’s part. CuJo would’ve been ideal but they either needed a veteran netminder that still had gas left in the tank or they should’ve went after a talented younger goalie that had more upside than Curtis caught in a numbers game. They could’ve pried Karri Romo from TBay at the start of the year possibly with how high they were on M.Smith or maybe even Halak at the start of the year from Montreal considering they wanted to move him and were gonna play Price and play him a lot.
Nevertheless, we’re where we are, and if things don’t change this team is gonna be done FAST and they might not even have home-ice in round 1, and GOD knows they NEED home-ice to do anything. *******
If the Flames what to go anywhere this playoff series they’re going to have to do a couple of things to win. One Keenan is going to have to learn how to coach – sorry. I say this as he’s got players who should always be playing together. You always going to have someone who should have more assists then goals, if you have another player who has more goals then assists. Therefore line combinations become an integral part of you team. The Flames have yet to figure this out apparently which is why they are loosing games they should be winning. Will this change? I hope so, but if not, I imagine next year’s Flames will look a lot different then this years edition. From the GM right down to the Coach and some of the players. The team has players, but they need to learn to play together. Remember, hockey is a TEAM game. Not a game of star and although they’re built with that in mind that is not how they often play.
I don’t know if the coaching is the issue. I know we want to blame someone, but it ‘s the players who have to remember a system they learned 70 games ago. They aren’t stupid, they are high priced athletes who dropped the ball (the puck). Only the players themselves can fix this debacle.
**** Like I posted earlier, it’s easier to can the coach then the players with the guaranteed contracts. It’s debatable whether or not Keenan has done a decent job or not and it will vary based on who you ask. If I had to grade Keenan’s performance and look at everything and take several variables into account, i’d give him a C+. I was salivating at the mouth when Joel Quenville was available and was hoping that maybe Sutter made the tough decision and went after him in season. He didn’t, and I understand that.. it was during the season after all. Plus, Keenan had pushed the Sharks to 7 tough games last year and was playoff bound on paper alone at the time Quenville was available.
If Keenan goes you can’t replace him him with just anybody (ie like a Playfair etc) you have to have a coach that will shake things up… the guy i’m thinking of now that Quenville’s cemented in Chicagoi? Darryl’s brother…Brent Sutter. Brent’s done a TREMENDOUS job in New Jersey dealin with injuries and keeping that team together. Word is Brent misses Alberta and doesn’t care much for New Jersey, the city.
If Darryl can pry him away or he resigns… that would be huge.
A lot will be told about Cgy tonite vs Minnesota with 1st place hangning in the balance. Now that those pesky Canucks are within a point and idle tonite, the Flames know they have to man up and beat a team they’ve been able to handle in their friendly confines in the Wild.
The effort level if what i’m looking for tonite.
I still don’t think a different coach would change the outcome that the players are ultimately responsible for.
Don’t blame the coach. If you come to look at it, their performance hasn’t changed much…. dating back to Crisp, Riseborough, Sutter….. Obviously the coach gets blamed when the player are not performing but sometimes it is more negligence in play than anything else and I don’t think Keenan is telling the players to screw their plays.
However, if we come to think in positive terms, the inconsistence confuses the opponents who are never to sure of how the Calgary Flames will react. Too bad they were unable to come back from their deficits but they have been known to do that and surprise their counterparts…. Think positive… it works…..