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Well, that was an interesting weekend was it not?
The Calgary Flames managed to walk away with two points since Friday, keeping their loss against the Nashville Predators to one goal, and throwing their weight around against the Edmonton Oilers with a commanding 8-1 win.
If it wasn’t enough for the Edmonton Oilers to lose to the worst team in the league prior to playing the Flames, losing by a difference of seven goals to your immediate rival likely doesn’t bode too well for fans. That said, and as the title suggests, a fan deciding to protest during said loss threw their jersey on to the ice. It would be Oilers netminder Ben Scrivens who took exception to this action by picking up the jersey by the blade of his stick, and tossing it back into the crowd.
“I take pride in wearing that jersey,… Scrivens said. “You’re a fan, you get to say and do whatever you want. Call me whatever name you want. But when it comes to that logo, that’s a sacred thing for us. It’s disheartening for me to see our fans treat it that way.…
With many Canadian fan bases struggling at the moment to find a level of gratification with their teams, some fans lashing out were to be expected, I guess. That said, how, in your opinion, should an action such as this be viewed? Do you agree that a fan has every right to show their discontent with their team by throwing a jersey on the ice, or is it like Scrivens said “disheartening….
I suppose, at the end of the day, there are not too many who can speak on how Oilers fans likely feel with their team – well maybe Leafs fans. Year after year it was believed that this team would turn things around with the number of quality young forwards they possess – “Next year is their year, just watch…, many claimed. Well I get the impression that it’s getting to the point where if the organization doesn’t start trending in a more positive direction, even if by a small margin, that things can really go from bad to worse.
How could it get worse?
Well, when you have your star players exploding water bottles on the bench out of frustration, ultimately soaking the coach, internal frustrations starts to boil – forget about the external frustration of fans and season ticket holders! Without any positive improvements, even little by little, said frustration can boil over to the point where star players demand to be moved. What good are a handful of first overall selections if they don’t want to stick around?
My initial goal for this blog wasn’t to ramble on about the Oilers, but as an individual who also held the very notion that “soon they will be good…, even I am getting frustrated with the team. Patience can really grow thin when it comes to professional sports and athletes. Anyways, back to the Calgary Flames.
In a complete opposite situation, we have the Flames who are also rebuilding their team, but are collectively playing some very strong hockey while doing so. The team doesn’t arguably possess more than Sean Monahan as potential “star players… at the moment, and yet still have a ton to be excited about with respect to young players finding their way into the lineup with hard work.
Maintaining a current 6-4-0 record in their last ten games, the Flames are playing at a similar level to teams who should be fighting for a playoff spot, despite the fact that they currently sit 26th in the league.
This team is very close. They have been playing like a team who have been rolling the same lines for years and working toward a playoff run. They respect each other, play with heart, and have a never quit attitude many fans only wish their own team could possess. If the following video doesn’t further this notion, there certainly isn’t much more I could offer to try and convince you.
Seen here, Matt Stajan is awarded a penalty shot during the 2nd period against the Oilers. Not having scored since February 8 and missing time due to the death of his newborn son, the Calgary Flames bench showed their excitement and respect for the forward after scoring the goal and pointing to the heavens.
“It was amazing,… Brian McGrattan said. “He’s one my closest buddies on the team and to see him score … that’s probably the loudest our bench has cheered all year."
“It’s been a big week for him just coming back, getting comfortable playing, but it was huge for our team. Everybody was pushing to hug him when he came to the bench.…
“It’s been a tough go for him, but they’re a strong family,… Glencross said. “Him and Katie have done a lot of praying and gone through a lot. I got a little choked up after his goal when he pointed up. You could see exactly what he was doing. He’s not only a good player but an unbelievable person.…
As mentioned, this team has been playing like a tight knit group, despite the fact that the roster ices many new and young faces. This, my friends, is building a solid foundation for a successful rebuild – mark my words.
With respect to other individual efforts, Curtis Glencross would end his night against the Oilers with a hattrick, and Mike Cammalleri would extend his current point streak to seven games; I bet there are a few teams wondering if perhaps they should have paid Burke’s asking price, no? In his return since injury, Karri Ramo also played a great game, stopping 24 of 25 shots thrown on net. The netminder looked quite calm and collected in spite of the fact that he hasn’t played since January 30th
In Ramo’s last ten starts, he has managed a record of 6-3-1 and has been a big reason for the number of close games which the Flames have managed this year. Saturday night’s game would be the last played between the two Albertan rivals, and the Flames walk away with a 3-0 record for the 2013-14 NHL season…but then again, there’s always next year! With respect to tonight, the Flames will be challenged against the San Jose Sharks who have been playing quite well of late themselves as they look to claim the President’s trophy. Sitting three points behind St Louis and Boston for first overall in the league, the Sharks have lost but one game in regulation in their last ten played, and are likely going to be a handful for Calgary tonight. That said, I certainly do not expect tonight to be a blow out by any means, as, if we’ve learnt anything from the Flames this year is – don’t underestimate them.
Having won four of their last six games played, Calgary will certainly come to play tonight, despite being on the opposite end of the playoff spectrum. If the Flames can continue to press with their impressive offense and can get some solid goaltending from Ramo tonight, I can see them walking away with two points tonight which would be a confidence booster for the young team.
Here are your expected lines for tonight’s bout. Enjoy!
Glencross - Stajan - Hudler Cammalleri - Backlund - Byron Agostino - Monahan - Colborne Bouma - Westgarth - McGrattan
TJ Brodie - Giordano Russell - Butler Smid - Wotherspoon
Ramo
Thanks for reading!