[browna]

Trying real hard, but finding it difficult to be positive or comfortable today about the outcome.

I’m positive on the team as I have been all year and all series…have said it through the year, I don’t see any team in the league being able to beat the Flames 4 of 7. I stand by that today.

We are a great team.

Sutter is a legend and he won’t let the team get beaten, at least not this early.
Been the better team 85% or more all series. Flames haven’t been out worked, out chances out skilled…but have not potted goals at critical times which, if even one of those go in early, or go in to have the Flames up by 2 instead of 1 change that game, and this series was to be over in 5. But no question this team is the same team we saw all year, they’ve just not managed to bury the chances they’ve generated, at the right time.

But for all the positivity, all the skill, all the effort, all the character, all the refusal of Sutter to let players or the team lose, everything the team has showed all season and to grind and not collapse like the 2019 team did after game 2, we are left to the unfair devices of a Game 7 where something, anything can go wrong and change it all…even if the Flames play in control most of the game as they have all series.

I can easily easily see another 1 goal game going into the third. Then….a bad penalty. A missed penalty. A broken stick on a shoot in like last game which ends up in our net 10 seconds later. A bad bounce off the glass, a bad bounce off the ice, a pinball shot that hits 4 legs, a deflection that bounces off someone’s leg and turns into a breakaway, someone slips and loses possession and it goes the other way….If the Flames aren’t up by 3 or 4, I’m just nervous that anything that could go wrong, will go wrong, because the Flame have not had that luck (or bounces) on their side all series…which again, remarkably, has them in this position they do not deserve to be in. Each loss this series, there was a critical single point where a single goal from the Flames turns that loss into a win. But they only have 3 wins and have lost 3.

The Flames haven’t had a bad game this series. There’s always worry that do they have one now. That’s counter balanced by the fact I don’t think Dallas has had a bad game yet either, and if one team of the two is due for one, it should be Dallas. Should be. A lot of “should” for Dallas not being in the series still should have occurred, but hasn’t. But Dallas for as well as they’ve played, and credit to them, easily should’ve been out in 5 with some Flames luck to match the in-play domination.

Sure, is there pressure on Dallas, yes. Don’t care. Pressure is on the Flames for once again showing they are a superior team, but, more importantly, by whatever means necessary, scoring more goals tonight then Dallas. But the Flames can’t deviate from their way of playing…they just can’t, which likely means a unnecessarily tight game if Dallas executed their game plan and strategy too and gets out of this world goaltending by Ottinger early, again.

Also not a fan of expounding so much emotional energy this early in the playoffs, both for this series and for this single game, when the Flames have had this in control…and, there is going to be even more emotional energy to spend going forward.

Not attending tonight which is fine. I’ve attended 1995 Game 7, Game 7 2006, and seen them lose series at home to the Wings, Hawks, Ducks (again), and Avs in person as well over the years. Sure, also seen them beat Wings, Sharks and Canucks to advance but the unfavourable outweighs the favourable.

For all sorts of reasons the Flames players need this win to believe in themselves and thier system. The organization needs this win. I need this win for emotional and mental sanity. Us Flames fans collectively need this win to put some demons to bed and beat the piss out of the Oilers. The City of Calgary really needs this win to get the entire city engaged play for another 2-6 weeks of hockey.

Just win.