GAme 40 - Flames vs Predators Live Chat
Kent Wilson
January 01 2012 03:37PM
The Flames have been getting by in recent weeks in a kind of Nashvillian fashion - mostly getting outshot at ES, but garnering points thanks to a mix of opportunistic scoring and above average netminding. Of course, the Preds win games like that by design/necessity while Calgary has kind fallen into the habit.
It's not an ideal path to success in the NHL, but it's the best way for a club like Nashville to stay competitive given some of their challenges. As they are currently built - with a concentration on high-end goaltending and defenders and not much up front - the Predators will never ascend beyond the NHL's middle class, but they aren't likely to fall into the basement as well.
That's been the Flames challenge since about 2005-06 too. The blueprint has chnaged numerous times and the challenges the Flames face now aren't the ones they were seeking to overcome six years ago, but the results are more or less the same.
With a bevy of injuries both up front and on the back-end, Calgary has gone from decent outshooting team to a bottom-barrel club. It's a solid step back. If it persists, the hopes of one last playoff appearance before hard decisions are made this offseason will rapidly fade in the new year. That is, unless Kipper and backup (Irving?) can continue to stop 94%+ of the shots they see at ES indefinitely, of course.
Flames Scoring Chances - Game 39 vs Ottawa Senators
Kent Wilson
December 30 2011 08:29PM
Final Score - 4-3 OTL
Game 39 - Flames vs Senators LIve Chat
Kent Wilson
December 30 2011 04:56PM
For those who stop by the live chat or want to follow along at a friends house or bar, the Charlie Simmer drinking game:
- drink whenever he starts a sentence with "again..." if it's the first time he's mentioned the issue that night.
- drink whenever he says "keep(ing) their feet moving".
- drink whenever he notes the team must "keep it simple"
- drink when he mentions the key to the attack or the power play is getting pucks/bodies to the net
- have a shot whenever items 2-4 appear together in the same sentence
- drink whenever Charlie mixes metaphors or messes up a common colloquialism
Iginla Reflections and Feaster Audio
Kent Wilson
December 30 2011 10:42AM
I stumbled on some worthwhile Flamess material to share this morning before the game tonight.
First up, we have a Jay Feaster interview courtesy Timo Seppa of Hockey Prospectus. Timo attended the Flames/Islanders game last night and managed to ask the Flames GM about the team's recent success, as well as Calgary's main challenges and the acquisition of Blake Comeau.
Flames Scoring Chances - Game 38 vs New York Islanders
Kent Wilson
December 29 2011 07:48PM
Final Score: 3-1L
