Eventually I Get To The Point About The Flames But Not Before Discussing The Week’s News

Hello everyone! So sorry for the delay, there was some technical issues with the site, two nights ago we had the chat so I didn’t get a chance to do a preview or review, and then finals have taken over my life so it’s all been a blur of German film and literature.  But enough about that!

Wow what a week for the NHL, the Board of Governors going and voting up a new division of the league.   Now the Flames will be in a Conference with Anaheim, Colorado, Edmonton, LA, Phoenix, San Jose, and Vancouver.  Not exactly the happiest of campers with this realignment, not the biggest fan of the California teams and there’s going to be too many games against them.  Take a look, according to Dan Rosen of NHL.com:

"In the eight-team Conferences, teams would play either five or six times in a season on a rotating basis — for a total of 38 inter-division games."

I guess the good part about it means the travel will be cut down for a lot of these teas, but still I don’t want to watch more California games.  That’s just not fun for me.

As for the playoffs, well Rosen continues to explain:

"The top four teams in each Conference will qualify for the playoffs. The first-place team in each conference would play the fourth-place team in the same conference; the second-place team would play the third-place team.The four respective Conference champions would meet in the third round, with the survivors playing for the Stanley Cup."

Well isn’t that nice, I’ve a whole new format to learn.  Gah! Atlanta why did you have to be such a failure at keeping teams.  I’m so glad you screwed up the first time, having the Flames in Calgary is quite lovely but seriously, you’re killing me!  Although this whole situation makes me giggle, after all is said and done, Detroit still hasn’t joined the Eastern Conference.  Looks like they’ll never get their wish now that it doesn’t exist.

Between the realignment and then the new collective bargaining agreement, the NHL might be a different experience next season.  Should be an interesting watch.

Let’s see what else has happened in this week of missing hockey….

An impressive game against the Carolina Hurricanes, sadly Kiprusoff couldn’t contain the offensive flurry the Canes had going.  An impressive 7 goals for the Flames was almost not enough.  This should not be the case, only further proving that the Flames need to stop depending on Miikka.  He’s not the goalie he was a few seasons ago and while I firmly believe he is a better option than Henrik Karlsson, he shouldn’t be the starting goalie any more.  With The Tower out with injury, Leland Irving’s NHL debut is exciting me.  A young guy with so much potential is exactly what the Flames need this season.  Call me crazy but I want to see Irving start over Kip at this point.  Looking at Irving’s stats from Abbotsford, in which his SV% was .913 and his GAA hovering around 2.30, his skills could be a serious boost to the floundering Flames.

Now I’m pretty much attached at the hip to twitter, I see everything you kids talk about and I have to laugh when I see mentions on how the Flames should throw in the towel on this season.  It’s December, 1/4 of the season has gone by and fans want the Flames to start losing more so their chances of getting a higher draft pick improves. I’m frustrated like everyone else, but that is not the way to go about this.  One high draft pick is not going to solve the Flames problems.  You take a look at a team like the Oilers, this upswing is not because of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, it has been a multi-season attempt to rebuild.  The Flames won’t have a glorious resurgence next season with one high draft pick.  It doesn’t work like that.  Adding one youthful player does not negate all the dead weight the team has currently on the bench and in suits.

Calgary, I hate to break it to you, but it’s time to part ways with the Sutter family.  It’s time to bring in fresh blood, fresh ideas, and move on from the past.  What is happening now really isn’t working, and I don’t think you can put full blame on the players.  Jay Feaster needs to start cleaning house.  Get rid of these players, stop with the large contracts, and get some new life behind the bench.  Feaster wouldn’t be the first GM to fire a coach mid season, so follow the trend!  And don’t replace with someone from in the organization, go out and find someone new. Have them rework the team with Feaster.  I’m sure someone out there must know how to work with the Flames in their current predicament, because it sure isn’t Sutter.

Power through this season Flames, make a serious effort in the off-season to rework the team.  This new CBA might do some good for this team, don’t give up hope so early in the season.  It’s been an awful few years, but with Iginla and Kipper facing their retirement in the next few season, it’s time for the Flames to stop putting all their focus on Kip and Ig.  I’m sorry, it’s another awful truth, but the Flames are not helping themselves when they start Kipper.  At this point, I feel he’s part of the problem.  He needs to be the backup.  Kipper is not the Flames goalie the city knows and loves.  It’s time for him to move on.  Iginal?  I’m sorry, I love you but I think it’s time for you to step down from the 1st line.  Even the great Teemu Selänne has accepted his role on the second line.  Stop trying to make this the team it was in 2003, you can’t get that back with the current players.

Yeah I know, I’m some crazy American girl poking my nose around a good ol’ Alberta team, but you know what?  I’m far enough from this team that I don’t have the sentimental attachments the city does.  I don’t go out and see these guys wandering around the city.  I don’t know how nice they are off ice, I only see what the PR crew lets me know.  My criticism for this team is purely based on numbers and output, not personality and sentimentality.  There needs to be a change up, the Flames cannot continue on like this.

As I say all of this, I do realize the Flames shut out the Oilers and racked up their third win of the season against them, as well as their 4th win against the Avalanche occurred Thursday night, but it’s not good enough.  Games like the Hurricanes one shouldn’t happen, ditto for the Canucks game. The Flames need to start over this summer.

Go Flames Go