If the LA Kings have been winning games the way they won tonight they will promptly fall to the basement of the NW division. There is no way lucky hockey is sustainable for 82 games. Posts, wide open nets, more posts, lucky carems, just incredible bounces going LA’s way. Calgary for their part had their chances and couldn’t capitalize. They also didn’t generate that many chances until the third (14 shots through two periods.)
Some would claim Jonathan Quick, LA goalie, was the difference. Not so much, he was lucky, (but maybe lucky to be good?). The game could have been 5-2 Flames, instead, LA capitalized on their limited chances, notably on the PP, and Calgary didn’t. That’s the difference.
By the way, the LA market looks like it’s gonna collapse. Don’t tell Bettman, but all South California and Florida teams are SUFFERING from poor attendance.
Calgary will come home now after a 6 game road trip where they took points in the first 4 and lost 2 of the last 3. Calgary seemed tired, and the lines were definitely missing spark. Sutter needs to think REALLY hard on how he messes with the top line. Dawes is clearly not the answer to the top line LW, nor is Moss, Bourque maybe, Lundmark might have fit……really not many options there but the top line needs a LW.
Robyn Regehr out with injury, Kronwall filled in well. Conroy left the game in the third period after a wrist injury. Maybe Lundmark will come back up and fill in at the top.
No points for Calgary tonight, a far cry from their effort in San Jose. They were second to the puck for most of the game and were caught flat footed. Pretty much every game Jarome doesn’t factor in the Flames will loose.
Now it’s back home for more points; even though the Flames have won so many lately, they are only 7 points up on Vancouver for 10th place–still tight. Colorado now takes top spot in the NW division, but Calgary has 3 games in hand.
From a spectator’s perspective, it wasn’t an impressive overall performance and the Flames did not demonstrate vigor. These discrepancies became apparent:-.
– Not winning the majority of face offs
– Being a little hesitant in defensive forechecking and less effective in the offensive zone
– Shots on goals were not powerful enough – butter finger passes?
– Being unable to set up during man advantages and giving up a short handed tally.
Conspicuously, these discrepancies can be attributed to tiredness after the San Jose game but there are some serious issues to consider: Bourque doesn’t seem to have recuperated and his performance was visibly weak, which means that injuries have become a disconcerting factor
– Bourque in Chicago
– Regehr in San Jose
– Conroy in St.Louis (perhaps uintentional) but nevertheless critical
– Kiprusoff was attacked (at teast 3 times)
These trends are certainly falling into place and obviously the Flames cannot afford any more injuries.
On a positive closing note:-
Compliments to Conroy for his assist in the lone goal.
overall defensively they did do a good job less a couple of breakdowns. They limited LA to 16 shots on goal. The ydidn’t capitalize on their chances but all is not lost.
You are right Darryl.
These were my observations only; and I could be wrong.