[Ziggy Lidstrom]

I made the “wall of shame”. TBH I don’t mind. I stand by my opinions. This team scraped by a bottom feeder. Sure it’s a good win nonetheless but I want to see more composure and compete and attention to details from this team. I think a significant amount of these guys are mentally soft. It’s good to see players that I wasn’t calling out do what they did to pull this team to a win. I was excited to see lucic score and stoner score.

Regarding the function of a wall of shame , it’s a bit divisive for sure. People are allowed to be critical and vent. We have been coming to this community for over a decade in some cases. It’s not as if the posters with critical views instantaneously decided to be critical. They, we, have had time to develop these views for good reason. Outside of a couple exceptional regular season finishes conversely there has been quite a lot of mediocrity. For anyone blindly being optimistic, feel free. Perhaps it comes down to expectations vs experience? Yet, the wall doesn’t offend me. I’m a big boy and can handle some heat.

I for one have come to expect mediocrity more often than not. I watch a lot of hockey over the years and personally determine what looks like a contender and what doesn’t. I’m a dyed I’m the wool staunch flames supporter, but I will not put make up on a pig and tell myself that the mediocre teams are destined for greatness. Last year I had a lot of hope we could have went further than we did. I loved the buzz in the city. The outdoor games at the saddle dome were a blast atmosphere wise. The side street pub for the game 7 vs Dallas was some of the most fun I have had being a flames fan going back to 04.

However, it’s a message board. People have all types of varied responses / opinions. A wall of shame doesn’t do anything to me. Will a wall of blind based optimism do anything to the other side if that emerges? I’m not a sycophant for this team. I won’t just accept marching orders and be satisfied. I have been more critical this year for good reason. This year has been another masterclass in the arts of the mediocre.

As far as the assets the team has committed, I believe it’s better for the org to make the playoffs than instead be a middling team that doesn’t get into the lottery. . Also I was critical due to the high end nature of prospects available in this draft. Looking at it though we don’t have a chance nor ever did to be as bad as the worst of the worst but we had a chance like wash or det or Nash to recoup assets and be in the lottery.

I prefer this race. It’s brought some pride back to our downtrodden fan base. There were the dark spectres of failure in the stampede city at times this year which were fuelled by some well deserved poor performances from ours truly.

Thankfully, Hockeys interesting still. The flames are pushing but walking a thin line between characteristically bad play and just enough bad luck turning in our favour finally to see we make it tense to the end.

There are bigger things to be concerned with in this world opposed to bread and circus. I have tempered my emotions regarding the flames’ performances so go ahead and shame all anyone wants. In the end we are all flames fans here , for the majority of us, and we all want the same thing: Stanley cup banners flying amongst our one and only cherished one.

Go flames , one game at a time. And wed is our most meaningful game of the season. Let’s hope our boys play like it.

This place is a great compendium and array of opinions and passion, let’s ground our energies in that we are all flames fans and I’m proud of being so privileged to have sports as something that is a fuel for some of my passion.

Don’t be haughty and divisive of others who are all here for similar reasons. If someone doesn’t play nice, that what the ignore feature is for.

Thanks bingo for a place like this. It helps to have a place to vent and furnish my joy for NHL hockey.