Game No. 39: Everything that's wonderful is what I feel when we're together
Ryan Lambert
January 01 2011 08:05PM
Can it be? A real chance to win several games in a row?
This is nearly uncharted territory for Calgary this season. The chance to get to four straight wins? That's only happened one other time this season, and that way back in October. They responded to that by giving up six to Colorado at home. Interestingly, though, the only other time Calgary won three in a row this season, they picked up that final win against the Oil.
And maybe it's just me, but I feel like this is a much different team than the one we saw over the past two-plus months. All of a sudden, it's a team that can control games for lengthy periods of time, get command performances from guys they depend on to provide them and so forth. In addition, they almost — ALMOST — seem well-coached (see Brent Sutter's judiciously-used timeout late in last night's game).
Witness last night's outing from the fourth line, which pretty much carried the game from start to finish, and the generally jovial attitude all over the 'Dome. Fans were actually pleased to be in the building. There was a preponderance of smiling whenever the cameras cut to interim GM in the executives' suite. The team seemed upbeat on the bench. All accounts of the dressing room attitude bore this out as well.
Would you have imagined this just a week ago? Perhaps the hold Darryl Sutter had over this team was not unlike Sauron's over Middle-Earth. When he ruled, there was naught but sadness and mistrust from all corners, but now, his spell broken, all the peoples of Calgary can finally know joy again.
I'd imagine that even a loss to Edmonton tonight, while disappointing, would not dash Calgarians' newfound optimism for the team (the future, of course, is another story), and would only briefly dim the smiles around the Saddledome.
Dare I say it's almost not the worst thing ever to be a Flames fan right now?
Why is Backlund not playing tonight? Why is Kipper in net on the second night of a B2B against the very worst team in the conference?
Jesus Flames. Even easy decisions remain difficult for you.
@Kent Wilson
Looks like the Flames are taking the approach that every game is crucial with the goal being the post season.
This. Game. is. ugly.
I think the winter classic had more flow.
Well, yes, but unless Kipper is going to play every single game for the rest of the year (because it's going to be that kind of chase), then they're going to have pick some games to put Karlsson in. Meaning, games like this are no-brainers.
At least it's ugly in favor of the Flames so far.
Tim Jackman is awesome.
Nice to have a functional 4th line. Ivanans better never see the ice as a Flame again.
@Kent Wilson
One would think so, however Butter's veiw is apparently different from the masses. We have seen the Flames ride Kipper's tending to a low seed before.
On the other hand, the Oilers are scratching MPS in favor or Ryan O'Marra and JFJ, so...
@Kent Wilson
Its a tale of different cities, doubt if you see Butter making any changes to the lineup anytime soon. Backlund gets to sit and watch for a week and then he will be with the Heat.
Corsi.
CGY +17, EV shots 16-3. I have no idea if the Flames are actually going to be competent over the long haul, but the Oilers without Whitney and Horcoff are utterly craptacular.
Scoring Chances were 9-2 in favor of the Flames in the first. Aside from a couple of Hall chances, the Oilers had trouble getting past the red line.
I wish to hell the Flames could figure out the power-play. It's just awful.
He should have been with the Heat long ago. I have no idea what the thinking behind leaving him in the press box is. There's all sorts of arguments I could make that he certainly isn't worse than a number of the guys currently in the line-up, but this leaving him to rot on the vine as a HS when he could easily be re-assigned is indefensible.
Indeed. Frankly, the Flames aren't even playing great hockey tonight by my eye, but they're still running EDM over.
Also - how the hell did Jarome finish underwater???
Oilers are tilting the ice back a bit in this period. Flames dominated in the first, but they only came out with a one goal lead. Can't really be taking the foot off the gas this early in the game.
Really sloppy period out of both teams. Low event nonetheless.
And that's what I feared. This period has been much worse by the Flames relative to the first.
j bow is to oft and reggie is too slow seems to be ou of position lots of times
That's the second goal Jokinen has off his shinpad this year.
Chances were 5-1 in that one. Oilers had more zone time than the first but mostly couldn't get the handle when the puck was in the scoring area. Flames were mostly underwhelming, but EDM is so bad it almost doesn't matter. That said, they were lucky to have that Jokinen goal go in.
Best thing that happened that period was the announcer saying "One thing about Jay Feaster, he's willing to explain himself without us having to inject him with sodium pentathol." I actually laughed out loud.
Corsi.
CGY +28, +11 in the 2nd. EV shots 23-8, 7-5 in the period.
Iggy a little further under water. To be fair, he's facing the only EDM line worth a damn tonight.
Oilers have doubled their chance total in the first five minutes of the 3rd here.
Really sleepy contest since about the middle of the second.
Corsi.
CGY +27, EV shots 27-17 CGY. Can you play a mediocre game and never really look in trouble? That's pretty much what we just saw in the last two periods.
Chances were 6-2 in favor of the Oilers in the third period. Game couldn't end fast enough for CGY.
a win is a win but not very convincing against an inferior team
According to Feaster on HNIC, he talked to Backlund before the game and told him if they finished tonight healthy, he would be heading to Abbotsford to play some games.
Despite all the detractors, so far Feaster is saying/doing the right things: - hates NMC - likes draft picks - agrees with FN members about how to handle Backlund