That’s what it will take for the Flames to get into the 2010 Playoffs…

Breaking down the stretch drive now, it doesn’t look good.

CALGARY:

• 5 Road Games
• 3 Home Games
• 1 Game vs Sub .500 team (Minnesota)
• 1 Back-to-back (BOS & WAS)
• Most important game (ALL but especially AT Colorado)
• Teams to catch: DET; COL; NAS

DETROIT:

• 4 Road Games
• 4 Home Games
• Play Columbus 3 times; Edmonton once
• Most important games (2 vs. Nashville)
• 6pt lead on 9th place Calgary

COLORADO:

• 4 Road Games
• 4 Home Games
• 3 games vs. Non-Playoff teams (Cgy; Edm; Ana)
• Most important (vs. the Flames)
• 6pt lead on 9th place Calgary
• 2 x back-to-back games

NASHVILLE:

• 3 Road Games
• 3 Home Games
• 3 games vs Non-Playoff teams
• Most important (2 games vs. Detroit)
• 7pt lead on 9th place Calgary

The odds are against Calgary and I have a feeling that a lot of Babies will be born in and around Dec. 2010 and Jan. 2011 if the Flames miss the Playoffs… here’s hoping for a Miracle on Ice, the 2010 version!

Always a Pleasure

naoto

There’s been a whole bunch of discussion on this topic in the last couple of years, and the NHL board of governors is reportedly exploring ways to eliminate dangerous hits from the game. As far as I’m concerned, the rules are already there to penalize the problem hits.

For example, Matt Cooke’s hit on Marc Savard a few nights ago:

And section 21.1 of the NHL rule book:

A match penalty shall be imposed on any player or goalkeeper who deliberately attempts to injure an opponent in any manner.

That looked to me like a deliberate attempt to injure an opponent. 100% of the contact on that hit was directed to the head of an unsuspecting player. If we can’t call that an attempt to injure, then we might as well just tear that page out of the rule book.

Exhibit B, Richards on Booth:

Very similar to the Cooke hit in that the brunt of the contact is targeting the head. In both instances, this is entirely avoidable by the player delivering the hit (that is to say, the contact could have been made shoulder-to-shoulder had the delivering player made the effort to target the hit in that way).

For the sake of comparison:

Toews receives a suicide pass, Mitchell delivers a solid hit. No infraction in my books.

I’m all for rules that protect players and reduce injuries, and I certainly believe there is a problem with head shots in hockey; however, I don’t understand why we need to explore adding more rules to address this. To me, the answer is simple: make it clear that directing a hit to the head of an opponent is considered an attempt to injure, and start assessing match penalties and suspensions to the guys who are endangering the safety of their colleagues.

Will the REAL Calgary Flames please stand up?

I have always maintained that Darryl Sutter needs to go behind the bench or find someone who can replicate his efforts from the past.  What’s the difference between a franchise like New Jersey and Calgary?  It’s the culture of the organization and the buy-in to a system, whoever it coaching the team.  Using New Jersey as an example, whatever coach has run the team, it’s been successful for a good 15 years starting with Jacques Lemaire… Robbie Ftorek… Larry Robinson… Kevin Constantine… Pat Burns… Lou Lamarillo… Claude Julien and Brent Sutter.  What Gives?

I dearly miss the Flames of 2005-2006, Darryl Sutter’s last year behind the bench before moving up to be the full time GM.  The 05-06 season wasn’t about scoring goals because they only needed a lead, whether it was 3-2, 2-1 or 1-0 and you could sit and watch with anticipation that they wouldn’t BLOW it!  The league averaged 258 Goals against and the Flames only allowed 200.  Can you believe they had FOUR 20 goal scorers (Iginla, Langkow, Phaneuf and Kobasew)??? This was still an era where the Green Hard hat was common place at the Saddledome with MANY fans wearing one and a team that finished as the #3 seed in the Western Conference with 103pts and WON the NorthWest division.  This team’s identity was about hard work, discipline that was bought into and accountability.  Darryl instilled that masterfully and wouldn’t waver from it.  He didn’t have the talent like other teams but he made guys like Stephane Yelle, Marcus Nilsson, Shean Donovan, Steve Reinprecht and Chris simon look like a heap of talent.  This was a team known for knocking you around and being mentally tough and prepared… This team would make opposing teams shutter with fear knowing they had to play at the ‘Dome, Oh Calgary Flames of 05-06, Where are thou?

A few questions I have going into the last 18 games of the season…

Was it the culture in New Jersey that made Brent Sutter successful? No.  Brent Sutter is a GREAT coach.  I’m not sure anyone else could’ve done what he did in Jersey both seasons when his No. 1 Goalie and 4-5 of his top guys go down for a good 15-20 games of the season, AND still maintain a top 5 standing in the Conference.  Sutter and Staff worked though call-ups from the minors, coached and pushed the backup goalie into a steady presence (by the way, Scott Clemensen was lingering in the AHL with the MAPLE LEAFS farm team, the MARLIES the year before going to Jersey.)  What gives for Brent in Calgary?

What’s up with Jay Bouwmeester? I can’t put my finger on it but his point production is well below his career stats and he still looks like he’s unsure of himself in Calgary.  He’s a workhorse nonetheless playing every game of his career  with the exception of 20 games in his 2nd season and he’s on pace to go 82 again this year.  This is only my observation but he seems to be held back of what he can really do.  This isn’t a knock on Brent Sutter but with two puck carrying defensemen, it seems that he’s being asked to ’stay at home’ more and let Mark Giordano carry the puck up the ice.  Granted he’s never played on a team was supposed to succeed, however, I perceive that Jay-Bo could be doing more within this system and needs his reigns loosened just a bit by the system.

Are we the Toronto Maple Leafs of the West? NO! NO! NO! Okay, so we have 5 ex-Maple Leafs on the roster.  Keep in mind that these are guys that the Leafs had no interest in keeping or building around.  Jamal Mayers is a great upgrade to Brandon Prust who seemed to think that fighting was the only way to stay with the Flames… Stajan works hard and knows what it takes to play with top players (e.g. Mats Sundin, Alexander Mogilny, Gary Roberts and Joe Nieuwendyk just to name a few…) Hagman can find the back of the net, whether he played with the Dallas Stars or the lowly Toronto Maple Leafs (he WILL start scoring!).   Finally, Ian White checks his ego at the door and does what is expected of him.  I can only pray that Vesa Toskala plays like he can with a decent defense in front of him.

This team will come together for a decent playoff push but in order to really make a splash for seeds 6-8, they’ll have to remind teams WHO they are and WHAT they’re about!

Always a Pleasure

naoto

History was made with a trade between Calgary and Edmonton! Just be glad it wasn’t a Russ Courtnall for Jon Kordic type embarassment the Leafs made with Montreal 20 years ago…

Curtis McElhinney to ANA for Vesa Toskala

Was there no one better to go after? Watching this guy like a hawk in Toronto was making me blind.  His selfish pouting and declaration of being a #1 goalie made me want to wretch.  Can someone get Roman Turek’s agent on the line, he would have been better! (Okay, maybe not but you get the point.)  The Leafs don’t have the D that the Flames have but Toskala gives me no comfort unless he can win every game he plays from now on ’til the Playoffs.  Finally, I hope he’s not a bad locker room guy like he was in Toronto… Kipper should keep his countryman in line though!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlAW8Xyl8Eo (Exhibit A vs. Toni Lyndman and BUF)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meFICJYORvA (Exhibit B vs NYI)

Dustin Boyd to NAS for a 4th round pick (2010)

Boyd’s time was up.  Darryl did his best to sound professional and ‘kind’ but really, he’s played 48, 71 and now 60 games in three years and his improvement was a mild swelling (8, 22 and 19pts in those three years).  Not enough for the big expectations of the Flames.

Aaron Johnson and a 3rd Round pick in 2010 or 2011 to EDM for Steve Staios

Having a chance to speak with a family friend of Steve Staios (This was while he was in EDM), he’s all hard work, character and heart.  The exact things that endear yourself to the Sutter family.  He’s into the twilight of his career and was a key member of the 2006 run to the cup for the Oilers.  He’ll bring the kind of depth and leadership that Marty Gelinas had back in 2004.  Can he stay healthy for the Playoff push? If yes, we’re in!

Always a Pleasure!

naoto