well the Flames have had a rough ride since the trade deadline. the Flames played out a tough roadtrip, and have played better since coming home, but are only 2-2 in the past 4 games. they ahve been playing better though, thats for sure. The Vancouver Canucks have crept to within 3 points of the division lead playing .800 hockey the past 2 months. it will be a close finish with less than 10 games left. the Flames lost tonight to Pittsburg, who are red hot lately, 2-0. Vancouver plays St. Louis tomorrow and the Flames play Columbus.
interesting comment i heard on the post game show, everyone is upset over these simple losses because they are tired of the stupid divison race and want the playoffs to start. the sooner we clinch, the sooner these reg season games are so worrisome. it doesn't really matter if the Flames win the division (it would def help thier chances of getting Stanley's mug tho), it matters if they win in the playoffs.
enough of the regular season, i want playoffs!!!!
speaking of the Playoffs, the Hitmen won again tonight and swept the Edmonton Oil Kings in the first round of WHL playoffs. Go Hitmen. the second round opponent has yet to be decided
the Roughnecks have been playing well lately as well, playing to a 8-2 record, they play the Toronto Rock on friday at the dome
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
post trade deadline thoughts on the Flames
first up, the Flames defeated the Flyers last night 5-1, with goals from Cammallari, Conroy and new comers Leopold and Jokinen(2 goals). the Flames improved to 39-19-6, for 84 points.
well the NHL trade deadline has come and gone, and this year it...was...awesome. an entertaining day of talking about trades and seeing what teams did. actually I mostly found it entertaining because the Flames made some BIG moves to push for the Stanely cup and the moves created some discussion among friends.
here are the Flames deals
- Flames traded D Brett Wilson, D Lawrence Nycholat and Montreal's second round pick to Colorado for D Jordan Leopold.
Adam's take
This is a great deal, Wilson may still play in the NHL, who knows, and Nycholat? well we picked him up off waivers a few days earlier. so we gave up a draft pick and a non-blue chip prospect for an arguably top 4 dman.
Three things I want to point out here...
- with Giordano out for the season with shoulder surgery, the Flames needed a replacement. this allows the Flames to have Pardy as the 7th dman, and a little insurance in case of the inevitable playoff injuries. The Flames also have Anders Eriksson and Matt Pelech on the farm, as well Rhett Warrener may be back.
-Adrian Aucoins contract expires after this season. as much as the Flames would love to keep him, he may require too much salary under the cap. Leopold may be his replacement for next year, depending on how he plays the rest of the way.
- Jordan Leopold has played here before, he helped us get to game 7 of the cup final in '04. he is comfortable here, and that is key to not disrupting team chemistry. it took guys like aucoin and sarich a while to get used to the flames system, the learning curve for Leopold will be much shorter. he scored a goal in his first game back with the flames last night!
the second deal the Flames made was this
the Flames traded C Matt Lombardi, LW Brandon Prust and a first round draft pick (in the 25-30 range) to Pheonix for C Olli Jokinen and Pheonix's 3rd round pick (65-70 range)
I also really like this deal. Sure it sucks to lose Matt Lombardi, but you have to give something up to get something, and Jokinen is a big, big upgrade. Matt Lombardi hasn't lived up to potential, the last 3 seasons were supposed to be break-out 20+ goal seasons, but it hasn't happened. he has 9 goals this year...he is fast, and i have always cheered him on, but if you watch him play, he doesn't have the great hands to go with the speed, when he shows up he plays great. he plays 10 or 15 great games a year, where he is stellar on the penalty kill. that is where the flames will miss him most. Lombardi will have successful career, but nowhere near Jokinen in the end.
Jokinen is a great player who is a scorer and a playmaker, much like iginla, he consistently puts up 30+ goals and 40-50 assists. one knock on him is he has played on non playoff teams...same was said about Luongo when he went to vancouver. Jokinen doesn't have to be the star here, Iggy is THE leader of the team, so Jokinen can just go out and play, and play with Cammalleri and Iginla! and he seems to like the idea of playing in a hockey market for once, this can only be good. just look at last night, Jokinen got two goals in his first game with the Flames, playing on the top line. that top line is scary.
someone i know called it the Rocky Mountain Express, or maybe Flashfire. good names, the national media will probably give them a name anyways though. whatever you call them, they should be a force in the playoffs!
the Flames also traded goalie prospect matt Lalande for a 3rd round draft pick. they would have had to lose one of the guys next season anyways. The Flames made the biggest splash, on trade deadline day there were a total of 22 deals done. for more on the rest of the deals, check tsn.ca or nhl.com.
the Oilers were involved in a 4 team deal to get Osullivan and Kalinin, giving up Cole. the Canucks tried to get Bouwmeester but couldn't, Pronger also wasn't moved. Toronto picked up two goalies and traded a few guys, notably antropov to the Rangers. Morris also went to the Rangers, Recchi and Guerin were also moved.after a busy day, the Flames are in good position going into the playoffs.
Sutter accomplished what he wanted, getting a #1 center and a top 4 dman. Detroit and San Jose didn't do much, but they are the top of the league, so maybe they didn't have to, but the Flames may have moved into being at the same level as these two powerhouses. the Flames are 8 points back and with the injuries (lost the whole second line) needed some reinforcements, now for the playoff stretch.
I feel really confident about the Flames this season. they have gotten better as the season has gone on. after being hit by injuries, they continue to win. Giordano is out for the season, bourque is out til mid april, Bertuzzi is out a month, langkow is still day to day, primeau may be back late in the playoffs, warrener is likely done for the season.
The division is essentially locked up, with a 10 point lead on vancouver with 18 games left. if the Flames go .500(easy, .500 would be dissapointing the rest of the way) the rest of the way they will have 102 ponits, the canucks (10 points back with 1 game in hand) would have to go 14-5. I dont see the Flames playing any worse than .600 the resto of the way. the Flames have the pleasure of watching the mess that is the race for the 7 and 8 spots in the west. the Flames are on a 7 game roadtrip, with 5 left, having won 6 in a row on the road at this point.
will the Flames win the Stanley cup this year? well who knows, there are so many intangibles that go into a long run, but the Flames appear to be in good stead to beat any team in the playoffs in a 7 game series. I would say any team would not want to play this team in the playoffs. so much depth, strength, desire (only 2 cup rings..), leadership and outstanding goaltending. the Flames will likely beat Columbus in the first round, then they may play a tougher opponent in the second round.
I can see a Flames vs wings third round match.possibly San Jose or Vancouver, but San Jose may have goalie injury issues and have a history of choking (reminds me of a similary history of another team tho) and Vancouver is relying solely on luongo, dangerous territory. likely the west winner will play New Jersey, washington or boston. im still holding out hope of a Flames-Canadiens Cup final.
who knows maybe the Flames will get to beat the Oilers, Canucks and Cansdiens in the playoffs this year. bottom line, a first round loss this season will be a huge dissapointment. considering the depth of this team and the moves Sutter made for short term, this team is expected to win. a second round loss would also likely be dissapointing. I think we could live with a west final loss, but I don't see this team losing. they are building a winning culture, where players want to play, they need to take advantage of having guys on career years (breakout years or peaks - cammalleri, boyd, moss, glencross, aucoin) and Iggy is the guy to lead them to Stanley Cup glory.
so maybe that sounds like a Flames fan that is overconfident, but its hard not to be confident with this team. they have learned some lessons over the years (much like the Stampeders had up to last season...) and this team no longer has any glaring weaknesses when healthy. that will be key - health. if the Flames can hold off more major injuries, the Flames will improve when the players get healthy.
for once the Flames have it all, top down scoring depth, solid defencemen, with depth, and the Goaltender the has proven he can win in the playoffs. this is where we sit back as fans and watch our favourite teams. the joy that is the playoffs.
I'm looking forward to watching some playoff hockey. this team is fun to watch, and isn't that all we ask for as sports fans? a hope that the team can win and a good hockey team with skill that works hard. even if they don't win the Stanley cup, itll be a fun run to watch.
Enjoy Flames fans,
and fans of other teams that will also have some success this year.
GO Flames!
oh and as for my trade deadline Stanley Cup prediction - Flames over Devils, 4-2
in other news,
the Hitman have struggled as of late, and need a win over Vancouver to get top spot in the WHL, either way, heading into the playoffs, we may see a Vancouver vs Calgary league final.
in the CFL,
the league is eyeing some rule changes
•Moving back the kick-off following a safety touch, to reduce the number of times a team chooses to take a knee in its own end zone;
•Giving coaches the green light to use so called "wildcat" formations that would move the quarterback around, instead of requiring him to stand behind or under centre;
•Requiring a team that kicks a successful field goal to then kick off to its' opponents, increasing the number of kick returns;
•Awarding a team a third challenge of an official's ruling using instant replay if its' first two challenges are successfull.
All four ideas were approved today by the league's rules committee, and were among those suggested by CFL fans.
the BC Lions have signed Buck Pierce to a deal worth up to(with bonuses) $930,000 for 2 years
well the NHL trade deadline has come and gone, and this year it...was...awesome. an entertaining day of talking about trades and seeing what teams did. actually I mostly found it entertaining because the Flames made some BIG moves to push for the Stanely cup and the moves created some discussion among friends.
here are the Flames deals
- Flames traded D Brett Wilson, D Lawrence Nycholat and Montreal's second round pick to Colorado for D Jordan Leopold.
Adam's take
This is a great deal, Wilson may still play in the NHL, who knows, and Nycholat? well we picked him up off waivers a few days earlier. so we gave up a draft pick and a non-blue chip prospect for an arguably top 4 dman.
Three things I want to point out here...
- with Giordano out for the season with shoulder surgery, the Flames needed a replacement. this allows the Flames to have Pardy as the 7th dman, and a little insurance in case of the inevitable playoff injuries. The Flames also have Anders Eriksson and Matt Pelech on the farm, as well Rhett Warrener may be back.
-Adrian Aucoins contract expires after this season. as much as the Flames would love to keep him, he may require too much salary under the cap. Leopold may be his replacement for next year, depending on how he plays the rest of the way.
- Jordan Leopold has played here before, he helped us get to game 7 of the cup final in '04. he is comfortable here, and that is key to not disrupting team chemistry. it took guys like aucoin and sarich a while to get used to the flames system, the learning curve for Leopold will be much shorter. he scored a goal in his first game back with the flames last night!
the second deal the Flames made was this
the Flames traded C Matt Lombardi, LW Brandon Prust and a first round draft pick (in the 25-30 range) to Pheonix for C Olli Jokinen and Pheonix's 3rd round pick (65-70 range)
I also really like this deal. Sure it sucks to lose Matt Lombardi, but you have to give something up to get something, and Jokinen is a big, big upgrade. Matt Lombardi hasn't lived up to potential, the last 3 seasons were supposed to be break-out 20+ goal seasons, but it hasn't happened. he has 9 goals this year...he is fast, and i have always cheered him on, but if you watch him play, he doesn't have the great hands to go with the speed, when he shows up he plays great. he plays 10 or 15 great games a year, where he is stellar on the penalty kill. that is where the flames will miss him most. Lombardi will have successful career, but nowhere near Jokinen in the end.
Jokinen is a great player who is a scorer and a playmaker, much like iginla, he consistently puts up 30+ goals and 40-50 assists. one knock on him is he has played on non playoff teams...same was said about Luongo when he went to vancouver. Jokinen doesn't have to be the star here, Iggy is THE leader of the team, so Jokinen can just go out and play, and play with Cammalleri and Iginla! and he seems to like the idea of playing in a hockey market for once, this can only be good. just look at last night, Jokinen got two goals in his first game with the Flames, playing on the top line. that top line is scary.
someone i know called it the Rocky Mountain Express, or maybe Flashfire. good names, the national media will probably give them a name anyways though. whatever you call them, they should be a force in the playoffs!
the Flames also traded goalie prospect matt Lalande for a 3rd round draft pick. they would have had to lose one of the guys next season anyways. The Flames made the biggest splash, on trade deadline day there were a total of 22 deals done. for more on the rest of the deals, check tsn.ca or nhl.com.
the Oilers were involved in a 4 team deal to get Osullivan and Kalinin, giving up Cole. the Canucks tried to get Bouwmeester but couldn't, Pronger also wasn't moved. Toronto picked up two goalies and traded a few guys, notably antropov to the Rangers. Morris also went to the Rangers, Recchi and Guerin were also moved.after a busy day, the Flames are in good position going into the playoffs.
Sutter accomplished what he wanted, getting a #1 center and a top 4 dman. Detroit and San Jose didn't do much, but they are the top of the league, so maybe they didn't have to, but the Flames may have moved into being at the same level as these two powerhouses. the Flames are 8 points back and with the injuries (lost the whole second line) needed some reinforcements, now for the playoff stretch.
I feel really confident about the Flames this season. they have gotten better as the season has gone on. after being hit by injuries, they continue to win. Giordano is out for the season, bourque is out til mid april, Bertuzzi is out a month, langkow is still day to day, primeau may be back late in the playoffs, warrener is likely done for the season.
The division is essentially locked up, with a 10 point lead on vancouver with 18 games left. if the Flames go .500(easy, .500 would be dissapointing the rest of the way) the rest of the way they will have 102 ponits, the canucks (10 points back with 1 game in hand) would have to go 14-5. I dont see the Flames playing any worse than .600 the resto of the way. the Flames have the pleasure of watching the mess that is the race for the 7 and 8 spots in the west. the Flames are on a 7 game roadtrip, with 5 left, having won 6 in a row on the road at this point.
will the Flames win the Stanley cup this year? well who knows, there are so many intangibles that go into a long run, but the Flames appear to be in good stead to beat any team in the playoffs in a 7 game series. I would say any team would not want to play this team in the playoffs. so much depth, strength, desire (only 2 cup rings..), leadership and outstanding goaltending. the Flames will likely beat Columbus in the first round, then they may play a tougher opponent in the second round.
I can see a Flames vs wings third round match.possibly San Jose or Vancouver, but San Jose may have goalie injury issues and have a history of choking (reminds me of a similary history of another team tho) and Vancouver is relying solely on luongo, dangerous territory. likely the west winner will play New Jersey, washington or boston. im still holding out hope of a Flames-Canadiens Cup final.
who knows maybe the Flames will get to beat the Oilers, Canucks and Cansdiens in the playoffs this year. bottom line, a first round loss this season will be a huge dissapointment. considering the depth of this team and the moves Sutter made for short term, this team is expected to win. a second round loss would also likely be dissapointing. I think we could live with a west final loss, but I don't see this team losing. they are building a winning culture, where players want to play, they need to take advantage of having guys on career years (breakout years or peaks - cammalleri, boyd, moss, glencross, aucoin) and Iggy is the guy to lead them to Stanley Cup glory.
so maybe that sounds like a Flames fan that is overconfident, but its hard not to be confident with this team. they have learned some lessons over the years (much like the Stampeders had up to last season...) and this team no longer has any glaring weaknesses when healthy. that will be key - health. if the Flames can hold off more major injuries, the Flames will improve when the players get healthy.
for once the Flames have it all, top down scoring depth, solid defencemen, with depth, and the Goaltender the has proven he can win in the playoffs. this is where we sit back as fans and watch our favourite teams. the joy that is the playoffs.
I'm looking forward to watching some playoff hockey. this team is fun to watch, and isn't that all we ask for as sports fans? a hope that the team can win and a good hockey team with skill that works hard. even if they don't win the Stanley cup, itll be a fun run to watch.
Enjoy Flames fans,
and fans of other teams that will also have some success this year.
GO Flames!
oh and as for my trade deadline Stanley Cup prediction - Flames over Devils, 4-2
in other news,
the Hitman have struggled as of late, and need a win over Vancouver to get top spot in the WHL, either way, heading into the playoffs, we may see a Vancouver vs Calgary league final.
in the CFL,
the league is eyeing some rule changes
•Moving back the kick-off following a safety touch, to reduce the number of times a team chooses to take a knee in its own end zone;
•Giving coaches the green light to use so called "wildcat" formations that would move the quarterback around, instead of requiring him to stand behind or under centre;
•Requiring a team that kicks a successful field goal to then kick off to its' opponents, increasing the number of kick returns;
•Awarding a team a third challenge of an official's ruling using instant replay if its' first two challenges are successfull.
All four ideas were approved today by the league's rules committee, and were among those suggested by CFL fans.
the BC Lions have signed Buck Pierce to a deal worth up to(with bonuses) $930,000 for 2 years
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
end of february, flames/hitmen rolling
So we are hitting the end of February, time for the playoff race to heat up in hockey. both Calgary teams are pretty secure where they are. the Hitmen will finish first or second in the WHL and the Flames have opened up a 10 point lead on the Canucks for the division lead, and are 8 points back of Detroit!
the Flames have lost a few key players lately, with Bourque out 2 months with a high ankle sprain and Giordano likely out for the season with shoulder surgery. the good news is Iginla has got his game back, he had a 4 point night vs Columbus on tuesday and has played hard in the past 4 games. the Flames are riding a a streak of 6-0-2 in thier past 8, with 22 games left. the flames play home to Minnesota and Tampa bay this weekend before heading out on a crucial 7 game road trip in the east.
the trade deadline is coming up next wednesday and it should be interesting to see what moves are made in the nhl. Flames GM Darryl Sutter said this week he won't be trading any players off the team, so if he does make a trade, it will be a depth trade, which is good. this team had the parts to go all the way in my opinion. we'll see how it shakes out.
in other sports news, the Edmonton Eskimoes will host the 2010 Grey cup.
Go Flames, Roughnecks and Hitmen
the Flames have lost a few key players lately, with Bourque out 2 months with a high ankle sprain and Giordano likely out for the season with shoulder surgery. the good news is Iginla has got his game back, he had a 4 point night vs Columbus on tuesday and has played hard in the past 4 games. the Flames are riding a a streak of 6-0-2 in thier past 8, with 22 games left. the flames play home to Minnesota and Tampa bay this weekend before heading out on a crucial 7 game road trip in the east.
the trade deadline is coming up next wednesday and it should be interesting to see what moves are made in the nhl. Flames GM Darryl Sutter said this week he won't be trading any players off the team, so if he does make a trade, it will be a depth trade, which is good. this team had the parts to go all the way in my opinion. we'll see how it shakes out.
in other sports news, the Edmonton Eskimoes will host the 2010 Grey cup.
Go Flames, Roughnecks and Hitmen
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
February sports update
Sooo how about an update.
last night the Flames lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Canucks, after the nucks tied it with less than a minute left. The Flames are 3-0-2 in thier last 5 games and still have an 8 point lead on the Canucks for the division lead, good for 3rd in the west. the Flames(33-18-6) have 72 points and the Canucks have 64, with each team having 25 games left in the season. the Canucks are currently in 5th, one point ahead of Dallas. It will be a close race as vancouver is hot right now (6-1 in thier last 7 games) and the Flames have a tough road schedule coming up. the Oilers are in 7th with 62 points, tied with Columbus. in the east Boston is still running away with 1st, while Montreal and NYR have been slumping lately. the Leafs and Senators are still well out of a playoff spot. the Senators have been on fire recently, but they need to play .800 hockey the rest of the way if they hope to make the playoffs.
Calgary will likely play Dallas or Vancouver in the playoffs, both tough matchups. Vancouver would be fun, and whenever Vancouver meets Calgary in the playoffs, the winner goes on to the Stanley cup final...and this years Flames squad certainly has the tools/depth/speed/grit/energy/goaltending/intangibles to claim thier first Stanley cup in 20 years.
The Hitmen are also favourites to become league champions in the WHL. the Hitmen may break a win record, if they can get to 59 wins. the Hitmen are first in the eastern conference and the season ends next week.
The Roughnecks are off to a great start, at 5-1, sitting atop the west division.
The Stampeders have resigned a few guys, most notably Marcus Howell. they also signed QB Matt D'orazio, last years Arena football league most outstanding player and a Canadian punter (Renaud) to replace Dales, who signed with Winnipeg. Sandro Deangelis and Brandon Browner didn't catch on in the NFL and will remain with the team this season! Edmonton has been busy in the free agency period, signing several players, including Jesse Lumsden.
The Stampeders are hosting the Grey cup this season, and have a good chance of repeating at home, with not alot of change on the roster.
A few notes on Championships...
For the Flames, its been 20 years since they won the Stanley cup, and 5 years since they were cup finalists
for the Hitmen, its been 10 years since they won the WHL title and lost in the final game of the memorial cup
for the Roughnecks, its been 5 years since they won the Champions cup
for the Stampeders, last year they won the Grey cup 10 years after beating the ticats in the 98 cup and 10 years ago this year they were cup finalists
lets hope success continues to come in multiples of 5 this year for Calgary teams
GO Flames, Stamps, Hitmen and Roughnecks, and that 5th team that will also be champions this year, possibly our baseball team, the Vipers
oh and on another note, the Pittsburg Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals in an exciting superbowl finish(Shocking, I know!) to win thier 6th superbowl title.
last night the Flames lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Canucks, after the nucks tied it with less than a minute left. The Flames are 3-0-2 in thier last 5 games and still have an 8 point lead on the Canucks for the division lead, good for 3rd in the west. the Flames(33-18-6) have 72 points and the Canucks have 64, with each team having 25 games left in the season. the Canucks are currently in 5th, one point ahead of Dallas. It will be a close race as vancouver is hot right now (6-1 in thier last 7 games) and the Flames have a tough road schedule coming up. the Oilers are in 7th with 62 points, tied with Columbus. in the east Boston is still running away with 1st, while Montreal and NYR have been slumping lately. the Leafs and Senators are still well out of a playoff spot. the Senators have been on fire recently, but they need to play .800 hockey the rest of the way if they hope to make the playoffs.
Calgary will likely play Dallas or Vancouver in the playoffs, both tough matchups. Vancouver would be fun, and whenever Vancouver meets Calgary in the playoffs, the winner goes on to the Stanley cup final...and this years Flames squad certainly has the tools/depth/speed/grit/energy/goaltending/intangibles to claim thier first Stanley cup in 20 years.
The Hitmen are also favourites to become league champions in the WHL. the Hitmen may break a win record, if they can get to 59 wins. the Hitmen are first in the eastern conference and the season ends next week.
The Roughnecks are off to a great start, at 5-1, sitting atop the west division.
The Stampeders have resigned a few guys, most notably Marcus Howell. they also signed QB Matt D'orazio, last years Arena football league most outstanding player and a Canadian punter (Renaud) to replace Dales, who signed with Winnipeg. Sandro Deangelis and Brandon Browner didn't catch on in the NFL and will remain with the team this season! Edmonton has been busy in the free agency period, signing several players, including Jesse Lumsden.
The Stampeders are hosting the Grey cup this season, and have a good chance of repeating at home, with not alot of change on the roster.
A few notes on Championships...
For the Flames, its been 20 years since they won the Stanley cup, and 5 years since they were cup finalists
for the Hitmen, its been 10 years since they won the WHL title and lost in the final game of the memorial cup
for the Roughnecks, its been 5 years since they won the Champions cup
for the Stampeders, last year they won the Grey cup 10 years after beating the ticats in the 98 cup and 10 years ago this year they were cup finalists
lets hope success continues to come in multiples of 5 this year for Calgary teams
GO Flames, Stamps, Hitmen and Roughnecks, and that 5th team that will also be champions this year, possibly our baseball team, the Vipers
oh and on another note, the Pittsburg Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals in an exciting superbowl finish(Shocking, I know!) to win thier 6th superbowl title.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
a song, about how the Oilers are losers haha
what would a rivalry be without rubbing it in everyonce in a while.
a little song made by the fan 960, after the Oilers lost ...wait....got smoked...better yet embarrased by the buffalo Sabres 10-2 on tuesday.
http://fan960.com/ondemand/media.jsp?content=20090128_184247_53784
the flames by the way, defeated the same Buffalo team the next night 5-2...
Go Flames
a little song made by the fan 960, after the Oilers lost ...wait....got smoked...better yet embarrased by the buffalo Sabres 10-2 on tuesday.
http://fan960.com/ondemand/media.jsp?content=20090128_184247_53784
the flames by the way, defeated the same Buffalo team the next night 5-2...
Go Flames
Monday, January 12, 2009
Flames midpoint
alright, seeing as its the halfway point of the Flames 2008-2009 season, its time for an update.
The Flames are still on a killer roll, after a weekend off, the Flames record sits at 25-12-4, good for a 5 point lead on Vancouver for the division lead, with 3 games in hand. the Flames have a somewhat easy schedule until march, plenty of home games and games against teams back of them in the standings.
It has been said many times that the true measure of a team in the regular season comes from the second quarter of games, games 21 through 41. the Flames record in the time?
here are some projections at the halfway point.
- flames pace - on track for 108 points, and to finish ahead of Vancouver by 15 points, 3rd in the conference. will they catch detroit, no, san jose? possibly. hopefully the Flames will lock up the division and have a week or two to rest key guys (aka, kipper).
- Kipper is on pace for 50 wins, a league record for wins in a season, what makes this more amazing, none of the wins so far have come in the shootout. also on pace for 6 shutouts. Broduer currently has the record for wins at 48. I personally hope Kipper plays less down the stretch, let McElhinney get some time, otherwise Kipper going down means a rusty goalie, unless we pull up Keetley from Quad City.
- the Flames have 4 players on pace for over 30 goals! iggy (18), Cammaleri (15) Bourque (15) and Langkow(15).
- six players are on pace for 20 goals
-despite a 'subpar' season for Iggy so far, he is still on pace for 94 points! not so subpar after all
im trying to think of who the standout players are this season, but many of them have stoodout so far this season, such team play, different players stepping it up. biggest suprise for me has to be Adam Pardy on defence, did not expect him to have a role on this team, but when you look at it, he is older than Phaneuf.
highlights from the Flames skills competition here http://flames.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp
notables - Aucoin wins hardest shot - 102.2
Nystrom wins Puck relay
Glencross wins fastest skater - 13.542
Cammalleri won the accuracy comp - hit all 4 targets
The Flames play St. Louis tomorrow and face at tough road test in San Jose on thursday. The more I watch this Flames team, the farther into the season they get, I feel more and more confidence that this is the team that will get the 2009 Stanley Cup. 20 years after thier last one. This team is for real. they can compete with Detroit, San Jose, Boston etc and have the heart, teamwork, leadership and goaltender to do it.
A quick look at the other teams representing Calgary and you see a trend...
summer 2008, Calgary baseball team in Golden league comes up one win short of a league championship in semi-pro baseball.
November 2008 - the Calgary Stampeders cap an strong and dominant season with a well-deserved Grey cup win!
January 2009 - Calgary Buffaloes win the Macs midget hockey tournament, only Calgary based team to win it this decade.
as of right now?
the Calgary Hitmen continue to dominate Junior hockey. not only are they in first in the Western Hockey league, but they are first in the Canadian Hockey league, pounding opponents into submission every time they step on the ice.
the Calgary Roughnecks have started thier season, 2-0. after a 12-10 win over San Jose and a 10-9 overtime win over Edmonton.
Yep, the sports scene is looking real good in Calgary at the moment. enjoy it.
here is a link to some cool CFL plays of the year from 2008
http://www.cfl.ca/media/videoCFL/id/5963
thats all for now!
The Flames are still on a killer roll, after a weekend off, the Flames record sits at 25-12-4, good for a 5 point lead on Vancouver for the division lead, with 3 games in hand. the Flames have a somewhat easy schedule until march, plenty of home games and games against teams back of them in the standings.
It has been said many times that the true measure of a team in the regular season comes from the second quarter of games, games 21 through 41. the Flames record in the time?
here are some projections at the halfway point.
- flames pace - on track for 108 points, and to finish ahead of Vancouver by 15 points, 3rd in the conference. will they catch detroit, no, san jose? possibly. hopefully the Flames will lock up the division and have a week or two to rest key guys (aka, kipper).
- Kipper is on pace for 50 wins, a league record for wins in a season, what makes this more amazing, none of the wins so far have come in the shootout. also on pace for 6 shutouts. Broduer currently has the record for wins at 48. I personally hope Kipper plays less down the stretch, let McElhinney get some time, otherwise Kipper going down means a rusty goalie, unless we pull up Keetley from Quad City.
- the Flames have 4 players on pace for over 30 goals! iggy (18), Cammaleri (15) Bourque (15) and Langkow(15).
- six players are on pace for 20 goals
-despite a 'subpar' season for Iggy so far, he is still on pace for 94 points! not so subpar after all
im trying to think of who the standout players are this season, but many of them have stoodout so far this season, such team play, different players stepping it up. biggest suprise for me has to be Adam Pardy on defence, did not expect him to have a role on this team, but when you look at it, he is older than Phaneuf.
highlights from the Flames skills competition here http://flames.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp
notables - Aucoin wins hardest shot - 102.2
Nystrom wins Puck relay
Glencross wins fastest skater - 13.542
Cammalleri won the accuracy comp - hit all 4 targets
The Flames play St. Louis tomorrow and face at tough road test in San Jose on thursday. The more I watch this Flames team, the farther into the season they get, I feel more and more confidence that this is the team that will get the 2009 Stanley Cup. 20 years after thier last one. This team is for real. they can compete with Detroit, San Jose, Boston etc and have the heart, teamwork, leadership and goaltender to do it.
A quick look at the other teams representing Calgary and you see a trend...
summer 2008, Calgary baseball team in Golden league comes up one win short of a league championship in semi-pro baseball.
November 2008 - the Calgary Stampeders cap an strong and dominant season with a well-deserved Grey cup win!
January 2009 - Calgary Buffaloes win the Macs midget hockey tournament, only Calgary based team to win it this decade.
as of right now?
the Calgary Hitmen continue to dominate Junior hockey. not only are they in first in the Western Hockey league, but they are first in the Canadian Hockey league, pounding opponents into submission every time they step on the ice.
the Calgary Roughnecks have started thier season, 2-0. after a 12-10 win over San Jose and a 10-9 overtime win over Edmonton.
Yep, the sports scene is looking real good in Calgary at the moment. enjoy it.
here is a link to some cool CFL plays of the year from 2008
http://www.cfl.ca/media/videoCFL/id/5963
thats all for now!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
end of 2008
well it certainly has been awhile since my last post. end of the year, its time for a sports update.
as you likely know (if you live in Canada), the Stampeders won the Grey cup, in a close low scoring game that was won mostly by the Stamps defence. the Stamps defeated the Allouettes 22-14 to earn thier 6th Grey cup in franchise history. here is a video that looks back at 2008 for the Stampeders
http://stampeders.com/multimedia/audio_video/?id=362
as for the Flames, they have continued to be red hot in December, winning again on monday over minnesota to maintain a solid lead in the division and close pull closer to Detroit. the Flames have collected points in thier last 8 games and have 19 (i think) points in december. they play the Oilers tonight in the new years eve game. the Flames have benefited from depth scoring, consistent team play and solid goaltending. they seem to be for real, something tells me this isnt just a streak where they will go back to the way they were playing in october, they have gotten better all season. this team is resilient, and unlike past years, can win without iggy and phaneuf scoring, even if they dont show up for the whole game. The Flames have become a team that finds ways to win. that said, its still early in the season. Iginla is still leading the team in points, with 40, and goals, with 16. Bourque is second in goals with 14 and Camelarri is second in points with 29.
GO Flames
the Hitmen are also still leading the WHL with 68 points, ahead of the Vancouver Giants, who have 65 points. the Giants have the leading scorer, but the next 3 are all Calgary Hitmen (Kozun, Sonne, Bortis). things are looking good for the Hitmen.
the world Junior hockey tournament is once again in full swing, team Canada has dominated with a strong and deep team, defeating the Czechs, Kazakstan, and Germany. they play the Americans today, with the winner getting a bye to the semifinal.
Go Canada Go.
also the Mac's Midget hockey tourney is going on, there are no international teams this time around, and a few Calgary teams have a solid chance at winning.
in the NFL the playoffs have begun, and the NBA season is also rolling.
here are your winnners in 2008
NHL: Detroit Red Wings
CFL: Calgary Stampeders
MLB: Philidelphia Phillies
NBA:Boston Celtics
NFL: New York Giants
WHL: Spokane Chiefs
as you likely know (if you live in Canada), the Stampeders won the Grey cup, in a close low scoring game that was won mostly by the Stamps defence. the Stamps defeated the Allouettes 22-14 to earn thier 6th Grey cup in franchise history. here is a video that looks back at 2008 for the Stampeders
http://stampeders.com/multimedia/audio_video/?id=362
as for the Flames, they have continued to be red hot in December, winning again on monday over minnesota to maintain a solid lead in the division and close pull closer to Detroit. the Flames have collected points in thier last 8 games and have 19 (i think) points in december. they play the Oilers tonight in the new years eve game. the Flames have benefited from depth scoring, consistent team play and solid goaltending. they seem to be for real, something tells me this isnt just a streak where they will go back to the way they were playing in october, they have gotten better all season. this team is resilient, and unlike past years, can win without iggy and phaneuf scoring, even if they dont show up for the whole game. The Flames have become a team that finds ways to win. that said, its still early in the season. Iginla is still leading the team in points, with 40, and goals, with 16. Bourque is second in goals with 14 and Camelarri is second in points with 29.
GO Flames
the Hitmen are also still leading the WHL with 68 points, ahead of the Vancouver Giants, who have 65 points. the Giants have the leading scorer, but the next 3 are all Calgary Hitmen (Kozun, Sonne, Bortis). things are looking good for the Hitmen.
the world Junior hockey tournament is once again in full swing, team Canada has dominated with a strong and deep team, defeating the Czechs, Kazakstan, and Germany. they play the Americans today, with the winner getting a bye to the semifinal.
Go Canada Go.
also the Mac's Midget hockey tourney is going on, there are no international teams this time around, and a few Calgary teams have a solid chance at winning.
in the NFL the playoffs have begun, and the NBA season is also rolling.
here are your winnners in 2008
NHL: Detroit Red Wings
CFL: Calgary Stampeders
MLB: Philidelphia Phillies
NBA:Boston Celtics
NFL: New York Giants
WHL: Spokane Chiefs
Macs tourney: Russia Severstal
GBL:Orange County
world Juniors: Canada
MLS: Columbus Crew
CIS Football: Laval Rouge et Or
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
