A Case of the Mondays: Crushing Blow
by Hayley on Apr 5, 2010 12:36 PM PDT
Email
PrintYou had to know the luck would turn around at some point, but it would have been nice if the streak of good fortune lasted a few more games. After a three game winning streak earned on the back of spectacular performances by Kiprusoff and fortuitous bounces and swings in momentum, the Flames matched the Hawks and outplayed them for stretches in the third period, but couldn't beat Antti Niemi, while Chicago's quick strike offence put the game out of reach about half way through. Coupled with an Avs victory in which they continued their recent good play, outshooting the Sharks 40-22, yesterday's loss delivered what could prove to be a crushing blow to the Flames' playoff hopes, as they will have to defeat two good teams in San Jose and Vancouver and get past the Wild, whom they've struggled with all season. It's been a funny season, in almost every sense of the word, especially the past week, and now it looks like it could be nearly over once again, with seven of eight playoff spots in the West locked up. On that note, let's see what the internet has to offer us on this fine Monday morning after the jump.
Alex Burrows supposedly "drew" the penalty that led to Vancouver's game winning powerplay goal in OT against the Wild last night by lifting the stick of a Wild player into his own face and proceeding to act like a victim of a high stick [Michael Russo]. This just in: He may be clever, but Burrows is still a spineless, cheating scumbag
"Yeah, too much [pressure]," said Conroy. "You got to give the guy a break. He's got enough on his plate. Maybe we just need to back off. Everyone always expects Jarome to be the saviour. But, you know, it's a team -- a team game. I'm sick of everyone on him all the time. He's doing his best out there."
"I just want him to be able to go play three games and enjoy himself and . . . not worry about the other stuff."
That was Craig Conroy after yesterday's game, another disappointing showing for the Captain offensively, who has just four points, all assists, in his last thirteen games. [Flames Insider]
Theo Fleury encountered a major setback in his fight to help victims of sexual abuse upon learning that Graham James was issued a pardon in 2007 yesterday, ensuring that his "background may not show up in a criminal record check." [Calgary Herald, Puck Daddy]. Fleury had this to say on his Facebook page:
I'm shocked and mystified that GJ was pardoned. Obviously nobody was proud of the decision or it wouldn't have been a secret. I thought we had an open justice system. It's just more proof our society has a lot to learn about protecting the victims. We are working hard behind the scenes to find better ways to educate the educators, which is the primary mission of the Theo Fleury Foundation as it moves forward.
Mc79hockey has an interesting take on the issue and how it relates to the Privacy Act here.
Blueshirt Banter takes on the eternal question: Who is the NHL's most underrated player? Because we already know who's the most overrated...
Playoff Death Watch update...it's not looking good for the Flames, but what else is new. Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars were eliminated from post season contention last night and the St. Louis Blues' season will be over if they find themselves on the losing end of a game against the Blue Jackets tonight.
Ryan Lambert contends that the continuation of Jarome Iginla's decline this season will be a big part of the blame if the Flames miss the playoffs, which isn't necessarily the way it should be, but it's hard to argue with. [Puck Daddy]
JW looks ahead to this week in Flamesland in his Flames Notebook [Hockey or Die] and a look at the final week's competition [Flames]
Miikka Kiprusoff is your Flames MVP, but you already knew that. [Calgary Herald]
The Hitmen rolled to a 4-0 win after a slow start against Medicine Hat to take a 2-0 lead in their second-round playoff series yesterday [Calgary Herald].
PPP looks at Dion Phaneuf and the "Big Body Presence."
Canada's roster for the U-18 tournament has been announced, and competition begins on April 13th [TSN]. The women claimed gold with an overtime comeback victory over the Americans yesterday [CBC]
Who comes out on top in the West? The top half of the Western Conference is a crapshoot for all the wrong reasons these days [Ray Ferraro, Pierre LeBrun]
Defending Big D tackles a bizarre rumour which has emerged involving a potential bid for ownership of the Stars involving Gretzky, Hull, and Modano, amidst speculation that the latter is pondering retirement.
Lastly, what would Monday be without another fine video from Bloge Salming to entertain us? Check out his latest creation here, where he replaces Don Cherry's Saturday night rant with one of an angry and very loud Leafs fan with his own YouTube channel.
Happy Monday everyone, enjoy your left over chocolate and turkey (Ham? Other miscellaneous Easter feast remnants?) and discuss points of interest in the comments.
29 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Simple thing here.
Flames lose tomorrow and the Avs win it’s over.
Avs pick up at least 4 points in their final four games, they’re in.
Avs pick up only 3 points in their final four games, well the Flames win out, we’re in.
Not over but lets hope this week Jarome Iginla turns into Superbeast and cranks out his best play of his career. Well the team on the coast does a favor.
GO FLAMES GO!!!
Disgusting how Graham James was pardoned let alone freed from jail in the first place. He’s probably hanging out with Karla Homolka in Montreal. Really makes you wish Canada has the death penalty for pedophiles like James.
He’s got the perfect last name. Really gets under your skin.
by SmellOfVictory on Apr 6, 2010 12:21 AM PDT up reply actions
AHAHAHAHAHAHA
Oh man. You got me.
"Skillet, we just spent $64,000 in that bar. So we're gonna have to get jobs to cover up the fact that we rob banks" -Mouse Fitzgerald
Frankly, the only word I disagree with in that statement is “clever”.
It’s easy to see why Canuck fans like him though.
Yeah I debated that one for a while myself, maybe cunning would have been a better word. Or something less complimentary…
Throw Momma from the Train
Reminds me of that Billy Crystal movie – he spends the entire movie trying to come up with the proper adjective to start his novel. Stormy, rainy, murky, damp etc. Finally near the end the grouchy Momma says "Its so G#& $%mn SULTRY in here !
I forget the rest of the movie but that was funny.
So we should have a Burrows adjective contest. We already have clever and cunning. I submit “creepy”.
Why does the Minnesota game seem like the make or break game . What is it about them that gives the Flames such trouble
Show me the CUP
It’s strange isn’t it? The Flames absolutely dominated the Wild for what seemed like forever, and now all of sudden they can’t beat them, and it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with either team getting better or worse.
Speaking of Minny, LOL @ 4-1 loss to Edmonton.
by SmellOfVictory on Apr 6, 2010 12:22 AM PDT up reply actions
Kipper this year + team last year – injuries = conference finals.
In other news, if I had been born a woman, I would probably wear makeup.
by SmellOfVictory on Apr 6, 2010 12:23 AM PDT up reply actions
Indeed. And if true, it makes me wonder what the value of a high-end goalie is if the team must sacrifice it’s offense to ensure a high SV%.
That’s not a shot at you, Lawrence, just something I’ve been wrestling with the last few years in general. If the Flames return to defense-first, defense-second hockey is a primary driver of Kipper’s return to preeminence, then it strikes me as Pyrrhic victory since the results, though nominally reversed, are essentially the same – mediocrity.
Sure...it's a tough question
It’s certainly that case, that flipping the two defense-first, offense-second and vice-versa, equally, are likely to produce the same results.
I, certainly don’t take that as a shot against me.
Let’s be honest here. My criticism of Iginla over the last two years, is strikingly similar to others’ crit. of Kipper during his two-year ‘hiatus’ from the elite ranks.
What’s the difference? In my mind, with goalies you have to be careful with the conclusions that are drawn in a vacuum. First, that goalie x is terrible because his sv% says so, or his expected sv% says so, without looking at the situation. I think it’s nearly irrefutable today that Keenan and Kipper were the cause of the ‘hiatus’. Citing their behaviors (Keenan being sent to Finland to ‘make friends’), the statistics (Kipper w/ Keenan vs w/o) back-up stats (difference between both goalies on the same team), back-ups in other situations (traded goalie performances) recent performance, etc. etc., these don’t point to Kipper as a washed up old guy.
So, with these Kipper seems to be an elite goalie who had a ‘bad environment’. It’s no surprise Keenan got fired, deservedly or otherwise, the team knew there was no future with that combo, and with a NTC and 60million invested in one guy……
With Iggy, for example, you compare him to the others on the team, and his stats look poor by value, but with goalies it’s rare that the defence or the systems get any significant blame, or even a fair share.
So, forecasting goalie performance is about as reliable as forecasting the weather.
However, backcasting from a desired state for goalies, is like backcasting the weather. You want Sun and 20C on Friday, you say? And I say, pack your bags, I don’t need to look at a forecast.
The point is. The Flames know Kipper is an elite goalie, but they cannot forecast that in all scenarios. They backcast for his success (bring in a defensive coach, invest in the d etc.etc.) That is why they have no room for error with the forwards, because the priority has been put on Kiprusoff. It may be a Pyrrhic victory, but that’s hockey, and that’s why balance and a clear vision are so important.
Like I read yesterday…it may be Iggy’s team, but it’s Kipper’s show. If that’s true, then some things need to be sorted out.
To get to the point. If you demonstrate that the value of a high-end goalie is X level of importance, and you go out get it, sign it, and have it (in Kipper), you better damn well be committed to it, or the whole execution will fall apart (ahh, mediocrity).
With Kipper I can guarantee you a higher sv%, but without the team playing well, nobody can guarantee a high sv%.
There are a lot of teams with expensive, elite blue chip goalies. There are few that are extremely successful, and those teams rarely, if ever, have poor value big-name forwards up front. They have high value forwards playing a defense-first game, and that’s not a formula with longevity, which is why it’s so dangerous to assume it is and keep players around past their ‘value-expiry’ date.
by LawrenceS on Apr 6, 2010 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Great comment. I think I agree fully.
Something’s wrong here Lawrence. Why are we on the same page so often these days?
So, forecasting goalie performance is about as reliable as forecasting the weather
As a Canadian I talk about the weather all of the time. I am worried about it to the point of obsession. Predicting Kipper’s performance over the next 3 years is just about impossible. You would have a range of theories from Dipietro -like to Brodeur-rific. My position is find a GM in the latter group and see what you can get for him.
Iggy on the other hand I think we all can predict, a generalized slowing, no longer a dominant force . I would expect most, if not all GM’s would see it the same way, hence his market value not worth enough to rebuild the team at the expense of his legacy.
oops
sorry -didn’t mean to blockquote the whole thing – just Lawrence’s goalie – weather analogy.
Use the preview button Stew !
Having to listen to Sens fans tell me about my team's chances
when most of them have not stayed up late enough to see the puck drop of the occasional game that is on TV here is infuriating. They think they understand about the mess that is this hockey team, but they truly have no idea. That is by far the toughest part of living outside of the West… I do not get to have good, in-depth discussions about my hockey team very often (bless this blog for that reason).
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
Northwest Standings
Flames Schedule
Next 5 Games
Vancouver
|
Sat 02/11 | 7:00 PM PST |
|
Toronto
|
Tue 02/14 | 6:00 PM PST |
|
@
Dallas
|
Thu 02/16 | 5:30 PM PST |
|
@
Los Angeles
|
Sat 02/18 | 7:00 PM PST |
|
Edmonton
|
Tue 02/21 | 6:00 PM PST |
Last 5 Games
|
@
Phoenix
|
Thu 02/09 | OT - L 1 - 2 |
|
@
San Jose
|
Wed 02/08 | W 4 - 3 |
|
@
Anaheim
|
Mon 02/06 | SO - L 2 - 3 |
|
Chicago
|
Fri 02/03 | W 3 - 1 |
|
Detroit
|
Tue 01/31 | L 1 - 3 |
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- Marek Vs. Wyshynski Radio: Game Show Friday, Mats Sundin debates and did Gomez score (yes)?
- Boston Bruins’ Nathan Horton has a concussion rehab setback
- Trending Topics: Stay out of NHL fighting, Ralph Nader
- Can Jeremy Roenick save the Phoenix Coyotes?
- Should Dominic Moore be suspended for this hit on Rangers’ Fedotenko? (Video)
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
