Flames @ Ducks Gamethread – A Tortured analogy

The Flames have played some pretty good hockey this month, all things considered. Sure, the PP still stinks and the team can’t put the puck into the ocean, but they were out-shooting and out-chancing their opponents more often than not.

Until the stinker against Nashville.

I was fairly dismayed by that effort and here's why: let's say the Flames season is a play. A mediocre play. One which has enough faults to distract from the overall effect and dissuade total engagement by the audience – stilted dialogue, a poorly cast character, wooden acting. Whatever.

However, at the start of the third act, things start to come together. There are a couple of completely engrossing scenes. The plot slows somewhat, but there's enough good stuff to convince the audience the show might be gearing up for a great climax and denouement. 

Then the lead actor flubs a line. All suspension of disbelief is destroyed and the audience members all roll their eyes at once.

The Flames loss to Nashville was the flubbed line for me. I was willing to start believing the Flames had things in order, as long as they continued to out-play their opponents. But they laid an ostrich sized egg last game. And the mountain of evidence preceding the recent outburst of capable play was enough to bring me right back down to zero. That's probably not fair, especially with almost half the season still to play, but it's the truth at this juncture.

Tonight the Flames have the chance to get back on the horse. I haven't given up on this play just yet, but my attention is really starting to wander.

by Kent Wilson