Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Pre-Game: Calgary @ Colorado

9:00pm eastern, 7:00pm mountain, the showdown begins: the Calgary Flames (2-2-1) face the Colorado Avalanche (3-2-0). My prediction is a high-scoring, high octane affair with the Flames coming out on top 6-5. Our defense has yet to really gel to be anything to be supremely confident in, Kiprusoff still looks like he's sitting just outside of "the Zone", and Colorado's defense will never gel to be that great.

But this will definitely be a game I'll watch carefully tonight. If the Flames can pick up another consecutive road win, it'll go a long way to burying the main weakness from last year and hopefully allow everyone to move on with a clear head. I was getting real tired of whining about the road woes and the evil twins. Perhaps the fact that Keenan actually has a spine will impact the rather fragile mental situation of the team last year.

Speaking of Keenan, is it too early to make any judgments? Yes, yes it is. But I do like what I see so far for the most part, and I've no major complaints yet. Maybe in a month there will be more room for criticisms and praises, but for now I'm curious to see how this all plays out.

And, forgive me for saying this, but I love Paul Stastny. He is my sugardaddy in a few of my fantasy leagues. If Colorado is to score, may that gentleman be blessed with points.

(Side note: The following photograph made my day)

41 comments:

  1. Though, unlike one Steve Smith, I doubt Buffalo fans will yell at him to SHOOT everytime he touches the puck, forevermore...

    ...or, actually, we met a good sample of Buffalo fans last year...maybe they will? :D

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  2. I genuinely hope they do. I've hated on McCabe ever since his "breakout" (read: fluke) year and I've dealt with many well-meaning, hugely-ignorant Leafs fans mentioning "McCabe" and "Norris" in the same sentence.

    I'm not sure anyone in Toronto knows what "defense" means anymore.

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  3. You and me both, as you know. Non-Leafs fans of the GTA, unite!

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  4. My brother and I actually called McCabe for the game winner in overtime after he almost scored on Raycroft at the end of regulation...

    Although I don't think our prediction of him turning and skating towards Raycroft in the shootout would have come true, if it had come to that...

    Nice goal from Phaneuf, but did anyone else hear the colour guy (twice!) refering to the Avalanche getting Ryan Smyth in the off-season, say that he played for the Wild last year?

    And Conroy was on the starting line again tonight...

    Goal by Nilson!

    Two goals on two shots! Sweet...

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  5. Heh. Are you liveblogging this for us, ST?

    And yeah, good period.

    And, you've never been exposed to Roger Millions before, have you?

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  6. In all fairness to my good friend Roger Millions, was he referring to Wyatt Smith -- who did play for Minnie last year?

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  7. Haha, nope, not quite...

    I just figured that if anyone else was watching the game and online, it would probably be one of you two... ; D

    And yes, I am a virgin Roger Millions listener...

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  8. That could be it, I may just have heard him wrong...

    I thought that was a little odd...

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  9. 4-0, Iggy...

    And I always have the laptop with me infront of the TV. I'm a stats junky!

    Jose in...

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  10. My computer desk is positioned facing my big screen TV...

    Crap, Colorado scored...

    But that makes 6 consecutive games in which Calgary has had a two goal scorer (NHL record)...

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  11. That wasn't a real fight...

    Godard didn't even throw a punch, and Parker didn't throw anything of substance...

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  12. Aye -- twas weak. Need to get more pucks on Theodore...

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  13. Smyth apparently doesn't even have to put the puck in off his own ass anymore...

    Can't blame Eriksson too much for that one, but he probably shouldn't have been skating in that direction...

    In other news, the Boston Red Sox are losing to the Cleveland Indians 7-1 in the top of the 6th inning. Cleveland leads the ALCS 2-1...

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  14. okay.
    regehr own goal: bad.
    eriksson own goal: priceless...

    how bad is it that we should be winning 4-0 and are only ahead by 2 ?? and now they're on the PP ??

    the only good news so far is that i've got smyth in my pool. and kovalev. and lombo... :D

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  15. (oh, and thanks for the invite, ST !!! though i can't stick around long...)

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  16. What the hell? Maybe we should just tell our defence to stay away from the net...

    Maybe this is karma for laughing so hard at McCabe...

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  17. A third goal deflected in by a d-man's skate....unreal...

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  18. No worries, its more fun with more people (no offence to the hosts)... ; D

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  19. At least that one didn't go off one of our own players (silver lining)... : (

    It seems like the blueliners that we criticize the most are living up to it tonight...

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  20. And where were all of you guys Friday night? :P

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  21. Sorry, I had a date...

    What did I say today as I left class, about my prof's closing remarks? Oh right.

    "Well...that's another kick in the head to all us single people out there...."

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  22. Uhmmm... [awkward silence]...

    So Retro apparently worked pretty hard in the off-season to get back into shape, eh?

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  23. I'm too busy rocking back and forth talking to myself to notice. ;)

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  24. Wow, Huselius is on the PK now?

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  25. Alright, powerplay boys... let's see how this goes...

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  26. Phaneuf has looked awesome thus far this season...

    Wow, phenomenal save by Kipper!

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  27. Has anyone else noticed that Aucoin takes a lot of shots?

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  28. Apparently I'm mistaken, as it appears that he only took 3 shots in the first 5 games... I guess I'm jus noticing tonight because he keeps putting it right in the goalies logo...

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  29. Overtime coming up, but the Flames seem to be applying the most pressure...

    Guaranteed at least 5 points in 4 games, but we really should have had this one in regulation...

    I'm starting to feel a little like the blogging version of Billy Joel...

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  30. Some scary chances on both sides...

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  31. Theodore is looking surprisingly NHL-calibre.

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  32. I already scared away both my brother and sister with my yelling at the television...

    They have learned that they need to either wear ear plugs or leave the room when the Flames or Chargers are playing...

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  33. 4 second power play...

    Unlike the commentators, I would NOT pull Kipper...

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  34. Great. Shootout.

    How will the Flames be in the shootout this year? I've never even considered it before.

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  35. CRAP!!!

    And apparently the Avs fans are idiots...

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  36. Well, I see we haven't improved our shootout.

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  37. Damn it...

    Night guys...

    Calgary really should have had this game, the boys totally outplayed them...

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  38. Sometimes, the hockey Gods don't shine on the Good Teams.

    Sometimes, your defense is just plain stupid.

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