Young guns/Rusty muskets

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

They also weren't as bad as many remember as they never Oiler/Islander bad they just kept missing the playoffs never finishing low enough to draft top 5. They suffered mostly from poor depth/goaltending and a lack of veteran leadership in the locker room.

They weren't Oilers/Islanders bad results-wise, but there was a period of a few years where they were one of the most boring teams to watch. They were low on skill and very predictable.

Even though the results at the moment are similar and still frustrating, the actual product is 10x better.

[StrykerSteve]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

They weren't Oilers/Islanders bad results-wise, but there was a period of a few years where they were one of the most boring teams to watch. They were low on skill and very predictable.

Even though the results at the moment are similar and still frustrating, the actual product is 10x better.

This is why the current scenario is far more frustrating than the young guns era ever was. This isn't a bad team on paper, but make no mistake, this is a bad team.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

They weren't Oilers/Islanders bad results-wise, but there was a period of a few years where they were one of the most boring teams to watch. They were low on skill and very predictable.

Even though the results at the moment are similar and still frustrating, the actual product is 10x better.

That's probably the byproduct of $60 million spent on players compared to $27 million. That team couldn't even afford to resign players they dearly wanted to keep like Dave Gagner. They basically ran with young players and cheap roster filler. This Flames team may be better to watch due to having some solid individual talent but they are far more mentally fragile as a group and disappointing.

[Locke]

So many memories....

[Flashpoint]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

I think one of the myths of that era is that the team was hard-working.

Things got better when they started to bring in guys from other organizations who helped changed the culture - Warrener, Yelle, Conroy, etc.

In some ways the same thing needs to happen again.

Drury and Yelle had an immediate impact on the makeup and attitude of the team.

But it began and ended with Sutter as coach.

[Joborule]

Back in those days I remember following the season along with NHL Faceoff. On one TV, the game would be on if it was telecasted (Sportsnet just started up then, so more games were shown I believe), and on another TV I would play the same game in the season. Was fun as a kid to try to bring the team success when they weren't being such in real life. I remember I used to dominate with Cassels, so I thought he was an awesome player.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

Drury and Yelle had an immediate impact on the makeup and attitude of the team.

But it began and ended with Sutter as coach.

I remember when Yelle came in. It was implied that he was a throw in, and some people in the media said that Colorado was about to put him on waivers before we took him.

The guy would do anything for his team. I remember seeing him block a shot near the end of a game that we were well behind in and thinking, "Dude, we already lost....".

I think he really had the biggest effect in a short time for changing the culture.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by pylon

You know what though. I really enjoyed the game more then. There was zero expectations on the team, and you went to the game to see some hockey, and have a good time, if they won... great, but they were at such a disadvantage because of economics, you couldn't hold it against them when they lost. Plus that era had genuine fans. Anyone that was paying to see that product, truly cared. It wasn't the duckface / self portrait / with the ice in the background place to be seen.

I actually have some really fond memories of that era, because the team was such a rag tag, cobbled together, piece of crap... especially in the late 90's. Kinda like a beat up old car you didn't have the heart to get rid of.

Same here... no expectations.

Best memory? Fred Brathwaite and his first NHL game (1-0 win against Dallas when Dallas was on something like a 8 game winning streak and we were on a 7 game losing streak)

Most embarrassing? I have 2... the 7-0 loss to the expansion Columbus BJ's and our 1st line C (Jeff Shantz) traded to Colorado and immediately becomes their 14th forward and is called the worst NHL player they had ever seen. Ouch.

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I totally forgot about Igor (Gary) Kravchuk. That guy had a lot of haters, but I kind of liked him. He seemed like a nice guy in all the interviews.

Anton Babchuk = Kravchuk 2.0?

While we're at it... Denis Wideman is the new Phil Housley?

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

Drury and Yelle had an immediate impact on the makeup and attitude of the team.

But it began and ended with Sutter as coach.

Yup... we've pretty much come full circle now. Except we spend money now.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

They were basically punked off for cap space.

They didn't have a salary cap back then.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

It was totally Hentunen. It's basically the impending doom for Ramo, although some may still think he can come into Calgary and rip it up.

Ha I remember even then, Hentunen was supposed to be a "best player not in the NHL" along with Jiri Dopita. I remember the hype... Hentunen is closer to Cervenka then Ramo.

Hopefully Ramo is the new Kiprusoff

[t0rrent98]

The only memories I have besides the 04 run is the Flames losing 10 straight and having to go through 8 goalies or something along those lines in that 10 game stretch of losing streak.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

The guy would do anything for his team. I remember seeing him block a shot near the end of a game that we were well behind in and thinking, "Dude, we already lost....".

I think he really had the biggest effect in a short time for changing the culture.

Every team who wins the Cup seems to have at least one of those guys. He's the one guy I miss the most from that 2004 team. Would run through a wall for his team, and inspired others to do so as well. Id like to see him coach one day.

[StrykerSteve]

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

They didn't have a salary cap back then.

The league might not have had a cap, but teams certainly had their own internal caps.

[Henry Fool]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

Ha I remember even then, Hentunen was supposed to be a "best player not in the NHL" along with Jiri Dopita. I remember the hype... Hentunen is closer to Cervenka then Ramo.

Hopefully Ramo is the new Kiprusoff

Okay I know I harp on this "best outside NHL" horse#### all the time but there's no ####ing way Jukka Hentunen was ever considered the best player not in the NHL. He was a solid European forward but the idea that he was some dominating force in the European scene is absurd.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by pylon

You know what though. I really enjoyed the game more then. There was zero expectations on the team, and you went to the game to see some hockey, and have a good time, if they won... great, but they were at such a disadvantage because of economics, you couldn't hold it against them when they lost. Plus that era had genuine fans. Anyone that was paying to see that product, truly cared. It wasn't the duckface / self portrait / with the ice in the background place to be seen.

I actually have some really fond memories of that era, because the team was such a rag tag, cobbled together, piece of crap... especially in the late 90's. Kinda like a beat up old car you didn't have the heart to get rid of.

Me too. I remember being able to flat out cheer for guys on the team back then. Players like Ronnie Stern. We were a bad team, but I found a lot more joy in that team than I do now.

I actually attribute a lot of this to the disgusting amount of arrogance that the Flames organization shows. Whether it's at fan forums where Feaster and King mock the Oilers, management's continued bold-face lies of "intellectual honesty" to the fans, the poorly timed guarantees, the terrible drafting, the pitiful work ethic this team shows on most nights, the continued rewards dolled out to their own players to maintain the losing culture that this team seems to pride itself on...there's really not an awful lot to like about this organization right now.

We're coming up on the fourth straight year without playoffs and this team is nothing but deadset on staying on this path...yet they expect to be applauded for not taking a step back to take two steps forwad?

Heck, I even attempted to cancel my Hot House membership - only for my request to cancel to be flat out ignored (I'm still a hot house member, even after requesting a refund during the lockout and not receiving so much as an email inquiring about my requested cancellation).

[Henry Fool]

Besides, Antti Raanta is the best goalie in Europe. EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Heck, I even attempted to cancel my Hot House membership - only for my request to cancel to be flat out ignored (I'm still a hot house member, even after requesting a refund during the lockout and not receiving so much as an email inquiring about my requested cancellation).

Cancel the credit card the Flames have associated with your account. They will give you a call in a hurry. (I realize this might not work until next season).

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by pylon

I never could figure out who that last pathetic soul left sitting on the bench was.

Boughner taunting the bench was frikkin awesome.

Seeing Sarge makes me sad.

Seeing Giguere lose his shutout for third man in makes me LOL.

And who was Vernon's Backup?

Jukka Hentunen was the last guy left on the bench. Kay Whitemore was the back up that night.

seeing Jukka left all alone, wondering what he got himself into still cracks me up.

[EddyBeers]

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

Cancel the credit card the Flames have associated with your account. They will give you a call in a hurry. (I realize this might not work until next season).

What a pain though, you have to cancel your own credit card, possibly messing up other automatic payments you have coming out of that card, just because the Flames will not call you and confirm your request to be taken of their list. That is a sad story if true.

[Henry Fool]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Jukka Hentunen was the last guy left on the bench. Kay Whitemore was the back up that night.

seeing Jukka left all alone, wondering what he got himself into still cracks me up.

I recall that the coach didn't let him go out on the ice. Don't know if that can be right but I remember someone saying that.