Flames couldnt beat most AHL teams in a best of 7
- PinkSock

I'll enjoy them having a winning season against canucks next year as the sedins struggle trying to cycle against a chaotic bunch of youngsters

Agree with you. I'm looking forward to the flames playing spoiler alot this year. Everyone seems to think winning is about the players you have, and forget that the coaching staff and TEAM mentality play a BIGGER role.
- FL4MES

You will definitely be disappointed.
I agree with team mentality a little bit...but the best coaching staff in the world can only pull a couple extra wins out of a crap team.

I actually have the feeling that Cammy plays out the year with Calgary. Or maybe its just my stomach growling because its time for lunch...ill get back to you on that
- Colin Dambrauskas

ya very true, most likely a deadline move. packaged with backland or stajan. whichever one does step up this year.

Still no love for Joey Mac as good as he played last year. Amazing, the guy never gets any respect. He is the Dangerfield of tending..
- bixll

No no no....you got me all wrong....I love Joey Mac. Absolute gem and solid goaltender in my opinion, BUT, we know what he is. Can he take single-handedly take the team out of the gutter next year? I think we can all agree that he probably can't. But with Ramo and Berra what have a couple of questions marks. They probably can't work wonders either, but who's to say either of them won't turn out to be our next Kipper?


I can dream anyway

I'll enjoy them having a winning season against canucks next year as the sedins struggle trying to cycle against a chaotic bunch of youngsters
- numbear

Seriously....teams are going to hate playing the Flames I don't care what anyone says.

And honestly, that's all I want to see this year. Get out there and be somebody.

You will definitely be disappointed.
I agree with team mentality a little bit...but the best coaching staff in the world can only pull a couple extra wins out of a crap team.
- Fakepartofme

That is absolutely not true!

You will definitely be disappointed.
I agree with team mentality a little bit...but the best coaching staff in the world can only pull a couple extra wins out of a crap team.
- Fakepartofme

The Devils won a lot of games, with an average line up, because of a system and a great tender. Who admits that the system helped him a tremendous amount. Also gave much praise to the stay at home d men like White.

I actually have the feeling that Cammy plays out the year with Calgary. Or maybe its just my stomach growling because its time for lunch...ill get back to you on that
- Colin Dambrauskas

I'm hoping once he gets to camp he will think "this isn't so bad". Maybe the kids will rejuvenate him and he will step up as a leader?

.........then they trade him at the deadline for an absurd return

No no no....you got me all wrong....I love Joey Mac. Absolute gem and solid goaltender in my opinion, BUT, we know what he is. Can he take single-handedly take the team out of the gutter next year? I think we can all agree that he probably can't. But with Ramo and Berra what have a couple of questions marks. They probably can't work wonders either, but who's to say either of them won't turn out to be our next Kipper?


I can dream anyway
- The-O-G

Got cha..

I agree, the Flames will be no fun to play against. Ramo should mature into a great tender, but I hope Joey gets another deal after this one.

Got cha..

I agree, the Flames will be no fun to play against. Ramo should mature into a great tender, but I hope Joey gets another deal after this one.
- bixll

I think Colin is right, they need someone with some experience to help both Berra and Ramo along. Joey Mac is a great guy and showed some serious heart last year, might as well be him!

I think Colin is right, they need someone with some experience to help both Berra and Ramo along. Joey Mac is a great guy and showed some serious heart last year, might as well be him!
- The-O-G

He has a local hockey school going with some of the other locals here currently, at least I think it is still on.

That is absolutely not true!
- The-O-G

It is.

The Devils won a lot of games, with an average line up, because of a system and a great tender. Who admits that the system helped him a tremendous amount. Also gave much praise to the stay at home d men like White.
- bixll

The flames wont have the same system and as you said the devils had at least an average line up.....the flames dont even have that.

It is.
- Fakepartofme

Oh so that's why they get paid millions and millions of dollars........GOTCHYA

Nice post Colin!

See, just because you blog for a team doesn't mean you have to be a homer all the time - read *most interesting team in the NHL*

I don't think he is that far off. Really, JBO & our blueline is the only casualty of the sell off. Iggy was so invisible for so many games. He was also pretty uncoachable here in Calgary, hence the revolving door of frustrated coaches. Our D was soft & with SOB & Cundari, that changes. Quite frankly, for the first time in years, I have no idea what a group of young players willing to do whatever the coaches want will translate to an 82 game season. That may translate better than you think & if Berra & Ramo give us decent goaltending, we are going to catch teams taking us lightly & playing their backups. The players that I truly think have the potential to step up & get noticed league wide as being star status is Ramo, Berra, Brodie, Sven & a real longshot if Monahan stays up, it'll be because he's having a Calder season. Where we finish will just happen, this year is all about hoping we have some future star players on the flames. Bonus will be drafting at least another one next year.
- Kevin R

Yea, to each his own. There are a lot of factors that play in to a teams success or failure in any given season. CAR shouldn't have been a top 5 pick team but injuries to some key players put them down. In an 82 game season they don't finish that far down.

With Iggy, regardless of a persons thoughts on his play, other players and coaches knew what theywere going to get. It may take a half season before someone really steps up, if at all, and finds the confidence to lead and push play. And of course we still have to expect more vets to be shipped out. There arw a lot of changes for this up coming season, mkre than usual and we have all seen how this team struggles to find itself after a few UFA additions.

I enjoy it when the Flames do poorly, and I think they will provide me with that enjoyment again this year.

And it shouldn't come as a surprise, it's a total illusion to look at this franchise as a successful one (24 years ago is a long long time). Sure, they fill the building, even I go to the odd game, but only because tickets are provided, there's no way I'd pay the massive $500+ sticker price on the pair of tickets I get, just to watch a 2-1 snorefest. And 2-1 snorefests are exactly what you get at the Dome. Have the Flames even been beyond the first round of the playoffs more than once in the last 20+ years? Their record speaks for itself, not the record of a good franchise. They suffer from the fact that nobody wants to play there, and their fan bases prop up the illusion that the team is actually good. Every offseason breeds new hope for the future, but then the reality of throwing glorified AHLers out onto the ice every second shift catches up. But to listen to local media, and especially radio, you'd think this was an anomaly...but it's not, it's just the trend.

Really though...What is your depth chart going into training camp. Cammalleri to centre until you trade him?


Baertschi Cammalleri D.Jones

Glencross Backlund Hudler

Hanowski Stajan Stempniak

Galiardi Horak B.Jones

McGrattan Jackman


Giordano Wideman

Butler Brodie

O'Brien Russell

Smith


Ramo
MacDonald
Berra


....This looks like the Leafs going into 2008-2009 season. Like one or two young guys, no star power, s-hitty depth, a couple decent d-men, no goaltending.

Like literally, Stajan and Stempniak were on that team lol

Then you're probably going to cash Cammalleri and maybe Glencross off that depth chart too. Jesus

Monahan make the team? Does Corban Knight?

Really though...What is your depth chart going into training camp. Cammalleri to centre until you trade him?


....This looks like the Leafs going into 2008-2009 season. Like one or two young guys, no star power, s-hitty depth, a couple decent d-men, no goaltending.

Like literally, Stajan and Stempniak were on that team lol

Then you're probably going to cash Cammalleri and maybe Glencross off that depth chart too. Jesus

Monahan make the team? Does Corban Knight?
- t_leafs21

But what youre missing is that the Flames are rebuilding where as the Leafs werent...and they have plenty of prospects who have yet to establish themselves on the professional level ie. Gaudreau, Sieloff, Jankowski, Granlund, Wotherspoon, Monahan (to name a few).

Keep in mind...the Flames lacked in several departments just two years ago and have made large strides since.

I enjoy it when the Flames do poorly, and I think they will provide me with that enjoyment again this year.

And it shouldn't come as a surprise, it's a total illusion to look at this franchise as a successful one (24 years ago is a long long time). Sure, they fill the building, even I go to the odd game, but only because tickets are provided, there's no way I'd pay the massive $500+ sticker price on the pair of tickets I get, just to watch a 2-1 snorefest. And 2-1 snorefests are exactly what you get at the Dome. Have the Flames even been beyond the first round of the playoffs more than once in the last 20+ years? Their record speaks for itself, not the record of a good franchise. They suffer from the fact that nobody wants to play there, and their fan bases prop up the illusion that the team is actually good. Every offseason breeds new hope for the future, but then the reality of throwing glorified AHLers out onto the ice every second shift catches up. But to listen to local media, and especially radio, you'd think this was an anomaly...but it's not, it's just the trend.
- not_that_lanny

1996–97 1996–97 Western Pacific 5th Did not qualify
1997–98 1997–98 Western Pacific 5th Did not qualify
1998–99 1998–99 Western Pacific 3rd Did not qualify
1999–2000 Western Northwest 4th Did not qualify
2000–01 2000–01 Western Northwest 4th Did not qualify
2001–02 2001–02 Western Northwest 4th Did not qualify
2002–03 2002–03 Western Northwest 5th Did not qualify
2003–04 2003–04 Western Northwest 3rd Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–3 (Canucks) Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–2 (Red Wings) Won in Conference Finals, 4–2 (Sharks) Lost in Finals, 3–4 (Lightning)
2005–06 2005–06 Western Northwest 1st Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3–4 (Mighty Ducks)
2006–07 2006–07 Western Northwest 3rd Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Red Wings)
2007–08 2007–08 Western Northwest 3rd Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3–4 (Sharks)
2008–09 2008–09 Western Northwest 2nd Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Blackhawks) 2009–10

2009–10 Western Northwest 3rd Did not qualify
2010–11 2010–11 Western Northwest 2nd Did not qualify
2011–12 2011–12 Western Northwest 2nd Did not qualify
2012–13 2012–13 Western Northwest 4th Did not qualify


Its a seven year rotation....so...given their trend...they will make the it to the Finals in 3 years

I actually have the feeling that Cammy plays out the year with Calgary. Or maybe its just my stomach growling because its time for lunch...ill get back to you on that
- Colin Dambrauskas

I really hope not , and I don t say say that with malice towards the player.

I enjoy it when the Flames do poorly, and I think they will provide me with that enjoyment again this year.

And it shouldn't come as a surprise, it's a total illusion to look at this franchise as a successful one (24 years ago is a long long time). Sure, they fill the building, even I go to the odd game, but only because tickets are provided, there's no way I'd pay the massive $500+ sticker price on the pair of tickets I get, just to watch a 2-1 snorefest. And 2-1 snorefests are exactly what you get at the Dome. Have the Flames even been beyond the first round of the playoffs more than once in the last 20+ years? Their record speaks for itself, not the record of a good franchise. They suffer from the fact that nobody wants to play there, and their fan bases prop up the illusion that the team is actually good. Every offseason breeds new hope for the future, but then the reality of throwing glorified AHLers out onto the ice every second shift catches up. But to listen to local media, and especially radio, you'd think this was an anomaly...but it's not, it's just the trend.
- not_that_lanny

Wonderful thoughts from a person who just won their 1st cup in its entire history and was usually garbage.

But what youre missing is that the Flames are rebuilding where as the Leafs werent...and they have plenty of prospects who have yet to establish themselves on the professional level ie. Gaudreau, Sieloff, Jankowski, Granlund, Wotherspoon, Monahan (to name a few).

Keep in mind...the Flames lacked in several departments just two years ago and have made large strides since.
- Colin Dambrauskas

Oh we were starting our rebuild. We had just drafted Luke Schenn, he made the team as an 18 year old. Kulemin was starting as a rookie from the K. We acquired Grabovski from the Habs. Burke took over the reigns in November, signing Bozak out of college (kinda like Corban Knight), shipping out Moore, Antropov and Gill for 2nd round draft picks and we all know the awesome trades he made from there on end.

We also had these players from the previous 2 JFJ drafts

Tlusty, Reimer, Stalberg, Frattin, Gunnarsson.

The only difference is Sundin f-ucked us over and didn't take a trade. We most likely would of gotten a player and pick that would be in our lineup making an impact right now.

And it took us...4 seasons to get to where we are now, which most know-it-alls still say is a bubble wildcard team. Gonna be a bumpy ride

Oh we were starting our rebuild. We had just drafted Luke Schenn, he made the team as an 18 year old. Kulemin was starting as a rookie from the K. We acquired Grabovski from the Habs. Burke took over the reigns in November, signing Bozak out of college (kinda like Corban Knight), shipping out Moore, Antropov and Gill for 2nd round draft picks and we all know the awesome trades he made from there on end.

We also had these players from the previous 2 JFJ drafts

Tlusty, Reimer, Stalberg, Frattin, Gunnarsson.

The only difference is Sundin f-ucked us over and didn't take a trade. We most likely would of gotten a player and pick that would be in our lineup making an impact right now.

And it took us...4 seasons to get to where we are now, which most know-it-alls still say is a bubble wildcard team. Gonna be a bumpy ride
- t_leafs21

Missing the playoffs for 8 seasons doesnt really equate to turning it around in 4...just saying...but I hear you...Ive written a few blogs to express how Ive felt that the Leafs and Flames have had similar paths

Oh so that's why they get paid millions and millions of dollars........GOTCHYA
- The-O-G

What does money have to do with?