Tuesday night game notes
Watching tonight’s game I’m reminded of the old Don Henley song “How Bad Do You Want It?” The song answers that question with “not bad enough.” Outshot 38-18 by a team that’s nine points back of a playoff spot? The Flames aren’t looking like a hungry team lately, and it’s got me a little scared.
The Flames’ inability to keep star players off of the score sheet is more than a little disconcerting. Ovechkin, Kovalchuck, and Nash have all burned Calgary recently. The formula seems pretty simple: have a look at the opposing team’s stats before the game and pay a little more attention to shutting down the key players. Obviously you can’t shut guys like these down 100%, but right now we’re at the opposite end of the spectrum, and that needs to improve.
That doesn’t begin to address the paltry 18 shots on goal, but I think a stronger commitment to defense would be a welcome starting point.
Some other thoughts that came to mind during the game:
- Ken Hitchcock is sure looking old without that mustache
- The SportsNet announcers called the Blue Jackets “Nashville” when they were talking about Rick Nash. I wonder how often that happens.
- Iginla was anything but clutch today. He was absolutely invisible in the final ten minutes.
March 18th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
I concur. We should be playing playoff hockey right NOW. From what i heard, we were also physically dominated at every turn. It’s becoming so sound like a broken record eh? Not enough effort…our star players need to show up…urgency…consistency….
March 18th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
There was no “big line” at all for the Flames tonight. They were completely dominated. I have to say I am VERY nervous about the Flames playoff future. I just hope they don’t pull the same stunt as last year and sneak into the playoffs on the last game of the season. They will be tossed out quickly by Detroit again if that is the case.
March 18th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
To be honest, i don’t think there is any leadership on the ice or in the dressing room at the moment. A captain has to pull his team through these tough times when emotion needs to be brought to the front. With guys like Theo Fleury and Lanny you always knew where they stood - they played with their hearts on their sleeves. Calgary is playing without any heart and soul and it shows in their play.
If the Flames cannot find that intensity to bring every night then we are going to suffer the same fate as last year.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Solution: first shift against Colorado, Iggy needs to drop ‘em to establish an emotional tone for the game. Maybe that’d be enough to swing the momentum for a few games.