St Louis 5 – Calgary 2

If you can’t even compete with St Louis you know your team is junk. Blame the Turkey, the early start, whatever, but two games in and the Flames just plain stink in ALL aspects.

I bet a buddy before the season the Flames wouldn’t finish in the bottom three of the conference. At this rate they’ll be lucky to win a single game. Before you say, “it’s only game 2”, let me point out why there’s incredible problems with the Flames.

  • The defence on paper aren’t miles worse but they’re certainly playing that way. Half the defensive corps is new and today it showed. -2 for the likes of Butler, Hannan, and -1 for Butler. Butler in for Babchuk.
  • Karlsson started in net and I can’t really fault him on any of the five goals. Five goals against on 35 shots is a problem with the defence. See above.
  • David Moss is the first line C. He won maybe 2 draws all night. He’s at best a third line winger. He’s playing FIRST LINE CENTER MINUTES. This is a problem. You know the Flames aren’t serious to win when they’re answer to FIRST LINE CENTER is David Moss and their solution is Brendan Morrison. What? Please, that’s a recipe for disaster and the worst part about it slows down Iginla and Tanguay.
  • Flames had a lowly SEVENTEEN shots on goal with only TWO–2–shots on goal in the third when they were trailing. Offence is in a heap of trouble. The second line scores, but the overall intensity for the Flames is non-existent. When a rookie in Horak and Jackman are your third line answers, well you’ve already lost.

Yes, the Flames have injuries down the middle, but someone needs to step up and show a little passion to play. Two games in and the team looks WORSE than they did to start last season. We know they score, they finished 9th last season, but at this rate just a few changes to the lineup seems to have thrown everyone for a loop.

Fans are going to be pissed if the Flames come home 0-4 after their road-trip. Let’s see if the coaches light a fire and the players pay attention. Right now everyone is a a sleep at the wheel and it’s only game two.

Notes: Karlsson with the start, Derek Smith in his first game as a Flame. Jarome Iginla with his first of the season on the PP.