Calgary Flames Changes That Need to Happen to Beat Edmonton
By Len Nunes
Sep 25, 2014; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames defenseman Raphael Diaz (36) needs to be in the lineup Thursday night against the Edmonton Oilers. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Our Calgary Flames head into Edmonton tonight to face a team celebrating their 30th anniversary of their 1st Stanley Cup. With a late start to the season opener and a day of travel, the Flames could probably use the extra few minutes sitting in their locker room. Thanks Oilers brass for thinking of us!
Changes that need to happen:
1) Raphael Diaz needs to be subbed into the lineup.
The pairing of Dennis Wideman and Laddy Smid last night played a hair-pulling, eye-gouging sort of game. New assistant captain Kris Russell and Raphael Diaz played well together during the preseason, I would like to see them together again for tonight.
As for who to sit…if the Flames have the gumption to sit down David Jones and his big contract, hopefully the Flames have the gumption to sit down Dennis Wideman tonight.
Who signed Wideman to that big contract anyway? Oh yeah, former GM Jay Feaster.
So many things I would like to say re: @NHLFlames loss tonight & no new contract for Hartley, but as Mom always said, if 0 nice 2 say, say 0
— Jay Feaster (@therealjfeaster) October 9, 2014
2) When Brian McGrattan throws a head fake, the opposing player has to flinch.
The line of McGrattan-Stajan-Bollig was surprisingly strong in the Flames season opener but the feeling going into last night from Canuck-land was they believed they were better than us. Not biting on a head fake, sort of exemplified their superiority complex.
Now if ever there was a team with a superiority complex, it’s the Edmonton Oilers. The Flames need to knock them off their pedestal EARLY.
3) By my count, the Calgary Flames had as nearly as many offensive chances while penalty killing as they did while on the powerplay. It’s too early to harp on special teams but a powerplay goal early in tonight’s game versus the Oilers would be scream-at-the-top-off-my-lungs-and-scare-the-neighbours-worthy.
4) A change that did not need to happen but will happen is Karri Ramo in net for our Flames instead of Jonas Hiller. Flame For Thought is one of the few “media” outlets which did not try to play into a Jonas Hiller/Karri Ramo 1a/1b goaltending tandem. Jonas Hiller is the Flames number 1 goalie! This is Ramo’s first true audition to become the 1b goalie instead of the #2 goalie.