Sorry man, I told you I was travelling. I’ve spent a damned sight too much time in airports this weekend, and with the weather forecast looks like I could get stuck overnight in some god forsaken outpost again (like Detroit, where I had to spend Thursday night). At least I got to drink lots of beer and watch the Lightning kick Calgary’s butt. Which should be what happens tonight if they stick to the script, but you never know.
BTW is Fedontenko still alive? I don’t care what the idiot ESPN announcers say, that was a cheap and dangerous boarding there. If it had been done to St. Louis or Iginla they would have been screaming bloody murder. Even though we lost on Saturday that was one intense first period; sadly, I fear it played right into Calgary’s strengths. Hope they’ll play a bit smarter tonight.
I have no idea if Fedontenko is OK, I wouldn’t be suprised if he’s got a shattered cheekbone, that was a bruial blow. I disagree with your assesment of the boarding, I don’t think Regehr can be blamed for that, the case for holding because his left hand was entangled with Fedontenko’s is weak, it looked totally incidental to me, certainly not something you call in a cup game. In any event, I sure hope he’s OK.
As for game 4…this feels like the game that Calgary breaks out on. When we go up 3-1, you might as well hand over the cup, nobody down 3-1 has won the cup since 1942. GO FLAMES!!!
Shutout by Khabibulin. Regehr is proving with his play again in Game 4 that he is basically a thug with some hockey skills. He had another cheap shot at St. Louis towards the end of the third, right after Niemenen (sp?) killed the Flames chances by taking another cheap shot. Makes you wonder about their coaching as well. When your team plays to injure that’s usually a signal that either a) your team is out of control or b) that their behaviour is condoned by the coach/leadership. Too bad, this is a good team. Iginla hooting about the late major just shows how out of touch they are. It also didn’t reflect terribly well on the Flames fans in the Saddledome. A good thug can make these things look incidental even when they’re not. The fact that Fedetenko’s arm was up and he couldn’t defend himself doesn’t negate the fact that Regehr was looking to drive his skull into the boards while he was off balance. Maybe that’s more a Western Conference thing.
But the important thing tonight is the result, 1-0, which sadly I didn’t get to see at all live, thanks to the wonderful idiots at North Worst Airlines. Khabibulin was a monster in this one. 29 saves and the goose egg for the Flames. Now it comes back even to our house. Thie game Thursday is one the Bolts need to take and go back to Calgary with momentum. If Calgary can win this I don’t like our chances to earn the Cup.
If the Bolts hadn’t gotten a 5 on 3 power play, they’d still be playing now. I’m sorry that you can’t let Regher’s hit from game 3 go, I heard an interview with the head official of the entire NHL who said he had reviewed the play and it was a clean hit. Hockey is a rough game, sometimes people get hurt. If the Bolts think that Calgary is too rough for them, then they are welcome to fight back, it cuts both ways. If they can’t handle it…maybe they should try figure skating.
Anyhow, Game 5 is an away game, which seems to be the Flames’ strong suit for some strange reason. Tampa has to break their win/lose/win pattern because this time they are on the wrong side of the curve. L/w/l has Calgary hoisting the cup after game 7. GO FLAMES!!!
Gee, the head of referees sticks up for his guys… there’s a surprise. It’s certainly not seen that way from here, I wonder what a neutral observer would think.
Can’t really disagree with you there. I think this next game might be the deciding one, although it can’t be the final.
Sure, now the refs and the NHL are against you. It has nothing to do with purposefully slamming somebody headfirst into the glass. Yeah, he got up, but that doesn’t make the hit less than dirty. If it had happened to one of your players, you’d be screaming for his head to replace the one he tried to remove from your player.
If there was a conspiracy (get yer tinfoil calgary flames helmets here), He would’ve been suspended for the rest of the series. As it is he was lucky to get one game.
Here’s a fun idea. How about you save your anger for the big headed monkey that blew your chance at the game by being an idiot instead of whining how nobody wants you to win the cup. I guess all of frickin Canada doesn’t count.
Before, it didn’t really matter who won the cup. Now, I hope Tampa takes the flames down. That should push Sutter right over the edge. Maybe he’ll print his own newletter.
That was a hell of a game. Flames had the better run of the first and second periods. Bolts controlled the third. They were a centimeter away from the go ahead goal with 1:46 left. Both Kiprassau (sp?) and Khabibulin made a lot of incredible saves. Iginla is one hell of a force on the ice. I fear the Lightning will be VERY challenged to get this game to seven, and even that only holds a promise of a chance at a Cup. It was also nice that the game was relatively cleanly played. I know there were no power plays called in the third or the OT, and I think that there were none in the second, but I can’t be sure. Some of that was the whistles in the pockets mentality, but it was also not as if the Bolts were abused. Calgary won because they played aggressive but within themselves.
All right, but apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?
Damn, man, it hurts enough after a loss like that to say “nice game”. Do you really have to make me say “nice Python reference” as well? You don’t have to rub it in, you know!
All I have to say is, when the Flames scored that goal in OT on Thursday, I almost burst into tears and threw up at the same time. I was crushed, and also managed to give myself a stress headache.
Could it be that the Bolts may actually be able to win two games in a row at this point?
We’ll see…but if not, enjoy your Cup, Flames. It’s been real.
Game six going to overtime with the cup on the line. Is there anything better than this? A real nail biter. This is what Hockey is all about. Now it’s down to who is the stronger team. One mistake and it can be all over.
Well shit, that was disapointing, especially considering that Gelinas scored the game winner with 6 minutes left in the 3rd and the refs missed it. Still, what a game! Great job by Tampa, it all comes down to game 7, as it should be. Fortunately the Flames have the road ice advantage, and the Bolts are on the wrong side of their W/L/W pattern.
