[calgARI]

Fairly typical script for a game when a team gets out to a big lead early in that the leading team kind of sits back late and things tighten up. That said, I thought the Flames were consistently very good for first and second periods. I'm sure it'll be very debated in the coming days but the score was much closer than the game was because the goaltender was simply terrible. Sure, the team wasn't great defensively but they still weren't giving up a ton of chances and the ones they were all ended up in the back of the net. Awfully tough to stop pucks when you are pasted to the goal line all night. The goalie is there to stop the puck when everyone else screws up and Irving doesn't do that enough.

Thrilled with the offense this team generates really throughout the season thus far. There are just so many offensive options from all angles. Great to see Cammalleri get going tonight and obviously Iginla was a big factor as well. It's interesting about all the talk about Iginla getting called out and how he responded. I haven't heard Warrener's comments but clearly it got him going. Iginla has not been publicly called out much since Darryl Sutter was behind the bench and I remember those days because Iginla would come out like he did tonight every time Sutter called him out which was fairly frequent.

This team ices the puck more than any team in hockey. I don't really have much problem with it actually. Brings us back to the Brian Sutter days.

Someone commented in the game thread that the Flames are perhaps the best of any team in terms of their off season pickups. Hudler, Wideman, Cervenka have all been outstanding additions. Hudler the most dynamic offensive player this team has had since Huselius in terms of the excitement he can generate with any possession. Wideman generates so much offense and gets the transition going in such a noticeable way relative to the last several years. Cervenka is getting better with each game. Great hands and hockey sense. Plus keeping Stempniak has been a big difference-maker as well that has proven really important with all the injuries up front thus far. Pretty good looking 9/10 forward who can step up and contribute.

Feels like a long time ago but 3-4 weeks back some of us were campaigning for Gomez (who admittedly hasn't done much with San Jose) on the grounds that this team was way too thin down the middle and even if Backlund/Cervenka lived up to expectations that any team needs a lot of depth at this position. Well tonight it was Stajan, Jones, Cervenka down the middle. They need some help there and they need it right away. Would be great if Feaster can get someone who can play an offensive role, but I'll settle for a guy who has played in the league for a little while who knows the position. It has gotten that desperate. The Tanguay experiment expectedly failed. Now it's time for Feaster to go out and get some help.

I have felt this way after most games in that I don't know what to make of this team. Definitely the most exciting and offensively dynamic Flames team we have seen since the 90's. They move the puck really well and have a lot going for them. The goaltending question mark is certainly a big one but if they can stay healthy up front (big big if) and add some depth up the middle, it seems like this can be a very good team. They are quietly 4-4-3 but could definitely be quite a bit better with a lot of tough breaks against. Curious to see how things play out and cautiously optimistic. This team has just as much offensive depth as the top teams in the league though are not solid enough on the defensive side of things particularly in light of their lack of depth up the middle.