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.
- The-O-G

Thats how I feel about it.

if they play with effort and some grit. it will be fun to watch. And they'll be a pain in the arse to alot of the teams.

they'll get the odd streak. nothing major. A goalie will have the odd good run.

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

Meh, I wouldnt say "large strides"....they've improved...but the cupboard is still fairly empty.

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?
- t_leafs21

depth isn't that poopty. you play against lines 1,2 and 3 and its pretty much the same line. Issue is that the 1st line isn't star callibre.

Any wins the flames get will be due to them out working the 2nd and 3rd lines and the 1st line on the opposing team having an off day or suffering from frustration playing against a less finessed line.

You mean something like....

"And again, the Janitor helps sweep the Flames past the Oilers, for the 4th straight time this year!"


- Colin Dambrauskas

And then you wake up....

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

Strange comment from a Toronto fan. . . You guys did an about turn last year, and I'd say it is because of the coaching change.

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
- Colin Dambrauskas

It was 7 seasons lol

And I don't count the first 2 as part of it. As Kevin Lowe likes to say, we were "chasing the dream" trying to be the playoff teams of the past. We came 9th place the first 2 years after the lockout. We had a good team but we were struggling with the cap after being used to buying players all the time.

Then in 2007, after making the worst trade ever getting Raycroft(who was awful) and playing him like 70 games, we got completely f-ucked over by New Jersey losing to the Islanders in a shootout with Clemmenson in net on the last day of the season. The day after we came back from 2 goals down to beat the Habs in regulation to knock them out and hold the 8th seed.

Anyway, that's Edmonton's problem now, they've went 7 straight and have the longest drought in the NHL

You've really got to lock up Henrique before someone looks to offer sheet him...would love if the Flames to a chance on him though I feel uncle Lou matches anything thrown his way...even though the Flames can afford to over pay.
- Colin Dambrauskas

I know its been pretty dead lately. The whole situation is weird cause do we want to sign him before Hodgeson, Kadri and Stephan sign their deals or what to see what these guys are given and vice versa

- steve362

summed up well

summed up well
- XxHarounXx

I really get the feeling most of you dont read beyond the titles...

I really get the feeling most of you dont read beyond the titles...
- Colin Dambrauskas

I was referring to the thread, not the blog

I was referring to the thread, not the blog
- XxHarounXx

Whats wrong with the thread?...could offer some insight?

We really, really need to get Butler out of town.

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

The Kings scored a whopping 3 more goals than the Flames last year. 10th and 11th in the league respectively.

Either way......C U Next Tuesday bro!

Unless one of your goalies has a shockingly great season, I doubt the Flames will even be close to a playoff spot this season. All the stats just point to an awful season so you guys will need to catch a ton of breaks which is hard to do in an 82 game season. Again, hopefully one day the VAN-CGY rivalry will be restored since it used to great.

Unless one of your goalies has a shockingly great season, I doubt the Flames will even be close to a playoff spot this season. All the stats just point to an awful season so you guys will need to catch a ton of breaks which is hard to do in an 82 game season. Again, hopefully one day the VAN-CGY rivalry will be restored since it used to great.
- Nucker101

i doubt anyone expects then to be in playoffs (no one in this thread really did)

but I do think that they'll split games with the canucks this year.

and stat wise, funny thing is it probably points to them having a good year since the only sample size for the current roster would be comparing it to the last 10 or so games of the season. post iggy.

rivalry will surge in a couple years a again when Calgary is starting to climb up to getting in the playoffs and Canucks are on the fast decent to the basement. Next years contracts with the sedins are going to set the tone of the future for them.

Unless one of your goalies has a shockingly great season, I doubt the Flames will even be close to a playoff spot this season. All the stats just point to an awful season so you guys will need to catch a ton of breaks which is hard to do in an 82 game season. Again, hopefully one day the VAN-CGY rivalry will be restored since it used to great.
- Nucker101

Ya nobody actually thinks they will make the playoffs or be even close.

All things considered...I would not have even written a blog like this had it not been for reading that article this morning lol...it was just really not well put together...I had to comment...
- Colin Dambrauskas

Flames bias? Poorly put together? Just had to comment... The article of which you speak was pretty clear, to the point and well defended - you seemed to miss the point altogether and chose to try to generate a little traffic from your misinterpretation of it. I don't know if you're seriously this stupid or just a leach.

Flames bias? Poorly put together? Just had to comment... The article of which you speak was pretty clear, to the point and well defended - you seemed to miss the point altogether and chose to try to generate a little traffic from your misinterpretation of it. I don't know if you're seriously this stupid or just a leach.
- seve927

Did you write said article ? is that why you are so angry

Flames bias? Poorly put together? Just had to comment... The article of which you speak was pretty clear, to the point and well defended - you seemed to miss the point altogether and chose to try to generate a little traffic from your misinterpretation of it. I don't know if you're seriously this stupid or just a leach.
- seve927

Easy now fella...I have much respect for Kent and his writing team, however that particular article was not well written in my opinion (which I have the right to have) and felt that his write up of the teams listed were not very accurate.

Btw, what point did I miss? That the five teams listed could be worse than the Flames? The blog stated why I disagreed with three teams listed and did not trash the writer.

Did you write said article ? is that why you are so angry
- blizzzard

What article are you guys talking about?

What article are you guys talking about?
- The-O-G

Five teams who might be worse than the Flames : http://flamesnation.ca/20...han-the-flames-in-2013-14

Five teams who might be worse than the Flames : http://flamesnation.ca/20...han-the-flames-in-2013-14
- Colin Dambrauskas

Gotchya.....I actually figured it out BEFORE you posted that

Thanks though!

I'm with you on this one though.....advanced stats are mush in my opinion. They paint a picture but don't tell the story, kinda like a scorecard in golf.

Easy now fella...I have much respect for Kent and his writing team, however that particular article was not well written in my opinion (which I have the right to have) and felt that his write up of the teams listed were not very accurate.

Btw, what point did I miss? That the five teams listed could be worse than the Flames? The blog stated why I disagreed with three teams listed and did not trash the writer.
- Colin Dambrauskas

Don't worry Colin, your write up was solid. Someone is just having a bad day.

I had some issues with that article as well. Im a big advocate of Flamesnation but I don't always agree with what's written. The fact that FLA wasn't even included in the top 5 had me questioning it. A lot of what gets written there is numbers based and backed with advanced stats. I get the stats and like the reference they provide, but I'm more of a gut feeling and visual kind of guy.

Gotchya.....I actually figured it out BEFORE you posted that

Thanks though!

I'm with you on this one though.....advanced stats are mush in my opinion. They paint a picture but don't tell the story, kinda like a scorecard in golf.
- The-O-G

i dunno man. my scorecard sums it up pretty well.... my bad holes are usually out right awful