[browna]

You have to wonder how the rebuild versions look if, for one fateful night, April 7 2007 involving our beloved Flames. Indulge me.

Flames are in dogfight with Colorado for last playoff spot. Flames up 3 points with 2 games to go. Flames played the Oilers, and would finish the season off the next night vs Colorado. A Flames loss and Colorado win this night would mean the winner the next night in Colorado makes the playoffs, the loser out. Stressful times as the Avs were making a late charge after winning about 6 games in a row.

Nashville plays Colorado, game starts a couple hours before the 8pm Flames Oilers game here in town. Oilers stink, unsurprisingly after all thier average talent gets big pay days after being the anonomoly of a season prior, within a period of the Stanley Cup the season before. They have a putrid 78 points and are missing the playoffs, as they will for the next 8 seasons.

Flames go up 2-0 in the 2nd, thanks to goals from Nilson and Amonte.

Everyone checking their phones, those who had data plans (and when data worked in the Dome then) 12 years ago. I let out an subtle cheer when saw the score go final in Nashville, 4-2 Preds. Soon after, Flames make it easier for everyone, announcing mid second period that Nashville beat Colorado, and Flames are in playoffs no matter how this game or the next night vs Colorado goes.

Flames, under the overwhelmed Jim Playfair, on almost unbelievable immediate cue, give up 2 goals in remaining part of the second period, and then to noted sniper Patrick Thoreson in the third, and Flames lose 3-2. They also lose vs Colorado the next night to still finish ahead of the Avs by 1 point.

That was the Oilers last game of the year. They end up picking 6 in the draft. Chicago was tied on them with points, but the Oilers had 1 more regulation win then Chicago. That extra regulation win for the Oilers was the Flames literally giving up in the last home game of the season after they realized they made the playoffs mid game, as per above.

The Hawks win the draft lottery from the 5 spot, and draft 1st and pick Kane. Oilers draft Gagne.

So, if the Flames play out the last half of the game (or are forced to play hard if Col best Nsh) vs the Oilers and cruise to the win, the Oilers wouldve finished in the 5th lottery spot, and won yet another draft lottery, picked, and wasted Kane’s talent. Kane would’ve probably gotten in more trouble then just A cab in Buffalo by being frustrated with the idiocy he had to deal with from the Oilers executive.

And then the effect on the rest of the league. Chicago wouldn’t have won the Stanley Cups they did with picking Gagne or Karl Alzner or whoever was around that draft spot. Kane would not have turned into the superstar he did. He would have been wasted as Hall and guys even like Gagne were, with the expectations on those players from Lowe, like just in the glory days, structure or support around them was secondary, rather, expecting those teenage players to just get by in the big faster NHl just on junior talent.

So the league and the city of Chicago,owes the Preds and the Flames, from April 7, 2007, a huge thank you for preventing the Oilers from acquiring and wasting another top overall pick and young talent, and for Chicago, putting a Stanley Cup contender into the city. Hawks would be 10 points better the next year, get to the WCF 2 years later, and then win 2 cups in the next 4 years.

Edmonton remained, as they are now, no good.