[Five-hole]

Originally Posted by Bingo

What people are putting a shiny face on wins though?

I don't see not being over the top upset about a win as a shiny face.

Well, half of this thread is people trying to convince people that they shouldn't be upset about the W versus Arizona because "no team loses every game" and "they've been terrible since the TDL" and "no professional is ever going to intentionally lose a game".

The vast majority of this thread is both sides just strawmanning each other.

But here are some posts that are even more, in my opinion, putting a bright shiny spin on what is an objectively poorer outcome for the Flames:

Originally Posted by gvitaly

Pretty happy with the win, and I have some good news for team tank:

Since 2003 the picks made with the 9th overall pick were better than the 8th, you be the judge:

Top talent 8th: W. Nylander, Werenski, Couturier, Mittelstadt, Ristolainen, Boedker, Coburn, Setoguci

Top talent 9th: Sergachev, D. Hamilton, Meier, Horvat, Couture, Phaneuf, Ehlers, Trouba, Bailey, Granlund, Zegras

Originally Posted by mogg

This thread is ridiculous. Also let us consider that an entertaining (albeit meaningless) hockey game involving your favorite team was played this evening. Oodles of goals! High-skill plays from talented hockey players! Wild swings! A few saves! Fun crowd shots! It’s as if some of you want to be miserable.

Originally Posted by Ba'alzamon

sigh. How many years of this pointless "discussion" do we have to look forward to?

Look, I get believing that earlier picks are better for acquiring elite talent. They are; but picking later doesn't make Conroy's job impossible, it just makes it harder. Conroy and co. have clearly emphasized scouting in the early stages of this retool. Surely none of you believe that they aren't aware that the organization needs elite talent?

Maybe they'll be able to Dallas this and get some players that significantly out-produce their draft position. Or, maybe they won't. But you can bet they'll be trying.

In any case, just enjoy the ride. They'll win some, they'll lose some. Some players will struggle, some will settle in. Coronato and Zary both scored in this one; that's nice, isn't it? We're all fans, and we all want the organization to succeed. We all want championships. The guys in charge want to win at least as much as we do, and they'll do what they think is best in order to make that happen.

At the very least, we can see an identity taking shape in this group, can't we?

Originally Posted by Flames Fan, Ph.D.

I'm not on team tank.

But I think the only way to become a successful franchise is to try and meet performance standards day in and day out. So if your standard is to want to be a winning team and franchise, then the team you put on the ice has to go out there and play to win.

Then, from the game day thread:

Originally Posted by Goriders

I guess at this point winning or losing doesn’t make much difference in the standings. So you might as well win.

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

I wouldn't hate it if the Flames won out and put a good feeling on those young guys as they head into their summer routine.

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

When was the last time to played sports? Every win feels good, every loss feels bad, stringing wins together feels great, stringing losses together feels like ####.

You don't make it to the NHL if you accept losing. No player on that team is thinking, well if we lose two more games we get a shot at a better pick. They are thinking what can I do to make this team win next year.

Winning is a feeling you want to remember, and winning four straight into an off season where young players will stir the drink next season is not a small thing, especially when they have gone 6-12 since the deadline.

Originally Posted by Blaster86

Yes, actually. A good feeling to end a bad year could be a major mental lift, especially for young guys looking to learn and find their way. It might not be meaningless to them.