The NHL Alternative History Series: Calgary Flames

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Anyone want to comment on the actual gist of the article?

What can you really say? Its someone's opinion on what the Flames would or wouldnt have done had not only the goal counted, but the lockout not occurred.

Its an interesting premise in theory, but I dont see Gelina's goal counting and the Flames winning the cup dramatically changing the course of the CBA negotiations.

Ignoring the lockout implications I dont see this team being significantly different in any way right now with or without that goal.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by Locke

Its an interesting premise in theory, but I dont see Gelina's goal counting and the Flames winning the cup dramatically changing the course of the CBA negotiations.

No, I was thinking that Flames management strategy might have been a bit different. I think Tony Amonte was their significant free agent signing when they came back. Had they won a cup, perhaps another free agent of significance would've been added.

As it were, expectations were high post-lockout, so it wouldn't have altered strategy much.

[AC]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

No, I was thinking that Flames management strategy might have been a bit different. I think Tony Amonte was their significant free agent signing when they came back. Had they won a cup, perhaps another free agent of significance would've been added.

As it were, expectations were high post-lockout, so it wouldn't have altered strategy much.

+ Roman Hamrlik and Darren McCarty.

[SmoggyFlamesFan]

This alternate history hit me right in the feels. 2004 got me watching hockey and becoming a fan in the first place. I was quite young, so I can remember "crying like a baby" after the loss in game 7.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by AC

+ Roman Hamrlik and Darren McCarty.

Yes, I remember now. Hamrlik was a significant pickup.

[Bob Loblaw]

And then there was the two minute 5 on 3 in Game 4, which led to Richards scoring on that power play for the only goal of the game. The second call would have been iffy without it putting a team down two men for a full two minutes. If the Flames had won that game they would have taken a 3-1 stranglehold.

[JD]

Thing is, Sutter almost completely reconstructed that team for the 05-06 season.

Traded off some of the significant yet supporting players like Commodore and Montador, Lydman (awful decision), Chris Clark, Nieminen, Saprykin, Gauthier, Conroy signed for big dollars in LA, Gelinas signed in Florida, Turek went back to Europe.

He replaced them with Langkow, McCarty, Amonte, Phaneuf, Hamrlik, and the revolving door of experienced #6/7 defensemen. The Flames became a more mature team that played a more sound system, but they really lost their passion and flair and couldn't score their way out of a wet paper bag outside of Iggy himself.

The funny thing is, the 03-04 Flames, while being known as a hard-nosed defensive team, probably would have fared better in the "new NHL" that came into being than the 05-06 team that actually was. That team was tough but they could skate and that's why they could beat the more skilled teams like the HOFer-laden Red Wings. I know many here like to call Regehr and Iginla slow, but that's recency bias. Regehr was effective BECAUSE he was a great skater as a big man. He could take speedy forwards wide and paste them. Right, Hemsky? Guys like Lydman, Clark, Montador, Nieminen, Gelinas, even Saprykin, all above average skaters that were replaced with slower players. Not to mention, the fastest guy on the team, Shean Donovan, was really never the same after that knee injury in the Finals.

So while we could say they didn't go crazy in free agency, the makeup of the team was totally different.