[sa226]

In the playoffs, you finish your checks. Its that simple. But I hope they don't get caught trying to play a physical game with the Ducks, because they won't win that one. They have to use their speed and puck movement to make the Ducks play a transition game. It was clear the Ducks wan't to pound the defense. It worked, but that is a group of puck movers who should be able to counter it.

I think game one was a bit of an anomally, but I did notice that the neutral zone was much less contested than it was against Vancouver. The Ducks seemed to dare us to gain the zone and send it deep, where they fully intended to make us pay the price. The Flames like to use the Defense on cross zone plays as much as anyone in the league. Once we were set up, the high pressure on the D was so tight that the puck had to go deep. It was no surprise that the only guys who could get a down low cycle going were the bigger guys who could take a pounding and protect the puck. I think we need to get back to our bread and butter which is scoring off the rush.

My take of game one will depend on game two. If game two is more of the same, maybe marginally different, then we may have an indication of how this may go. We shouldn't be caught unprepared again. So we will see.

Top to bottom, we are outmatched by the Ducks. They are one of the top teams in the league, if not the top and they are dialed in playing playoff hockey.

But the Flames didn't get this far because they are better on paper than everybody else, they did it because they are well coached, they outwork the opposition, they bend but don't break and they just don't go away.

Realistically I don't think we have much hope winning this series especially with the personnel out of the line up and the hurt guys that are playing. But this team has not gone quietly all season. If they are going to go down, they will go down swinging (not literally)