Has the disappointment worn off yet? Or was I so able to suppress your hopes to such a degree that the loss seemed inevitable? Either way, I'm sure you'll be tuning in tonight...
Notes:
- Jean Lefebvre has jumped aboard the "break up Jokinen and Iginla" train. The question is, will Keenan? Apparently, Conroy was skating with Iginla in practice recently, so...maybe?
- In the latter link, you'll Sarich is scheduled to play this evening. Good news. Questions is: does Pardy get the boot for the beleaugered Anders Eriksson? According to the practice lines.........no! I know. Im stunned too. Course, we'll see if that persists into the evening.
- The forward units according the Inside the Flames this morning were:
Glencross - Conroy - Iginla
Cammalleri - Langkow - Bertuzzi
Bourque - Jokinen - Moss
Boyd - Lundmark - Nystrom
Can I get a hell yeah? I noted at the end of the previous post that the adjustments made by Keenan heading into tonight would say a lot about him as a coach (as well as the Flames chances to win this thing). Assuming these combos last longer than the first 4 shifts, I'm encouraged to say the least. Breaking up Moss and Glencross seems somewhat risky given their success as a third unit this year, but this way each of the top 3 units has players with strong board presence and an ability to move the puck the right way (Bourque, Glencross, Moss). This configuration should be especially beneficial for Jokinen, I think. And I'm hoping Conroy/Glencross is going to help wake up the slumbering Jarome.
Then there's Boyd back in the line-up. Now the 4th line can play more than 4 minutes.
Good stuff. If Calgary can replicate the effort they put forth in the first half of the first game, I like their chances of success a lot more than I did before the series started.