[Game Takes] Flames 4 Oilers 0

[Bingo]

http://www.calgarypuck.com/2015/04/g...es-4-oilers-0/

[Dion]

Gotta hand it to Hiller for stepping and getting the shutout.

[Zevo]

The Bennett thing. Just don’t get it. I love the fact that its an ongoing debate with two clear cut sides, but if Bennett wasn’t going to play tonight then just say so in the pregame skate, don’t go drama queen all day and then not dress him. The kid has talent and the bottom three lines are stone cold. The Flames did the right thing sending him down in February, but then they got lucky and he got swept so play him. Silly

Don't know if I agree with this part. Most likely guy that Bennett would have replaced would have been Granlund so seems like Hartley once again made the right, albeit, unpopular decision.

Getting in at 1 am and little to no practice time I don't think putting him on the wing would have been a great idea either. Maybe against Arizona at home (last change) with some practice time will give them more options.

[Mike F]

Then really late Granlund catches Scrivens wandering and scores his second of the night to make it 3-0 for the Oilers who were visually really starting to make things happen.

Typo in the execution, but I appreciate the thought behind it.

In a season full of great stories, the oddest tale is that of Tyler Wotherspoon. He’s been called up four or five times but never inserted into the lineup. In January with Smid out the Flames trotted out the barely used Raphael Diaz. Giordano goes down and its Potter for a few games until they find Schlemko on waivers. Now with Diaz hurt they got to Potter again. Wotherspoon has been playing 20 some minutes a night for 70 games in the AHL, while Potter has played what a dozen pro games all season? Just don’t get it.

Completely agree.

This, Bollig for Ferland last game, and the excessively long rope given to Setoguchi to start the year are some of the very few quibbles I have with Hartley this year.

[SebC]

The Bennett thing is at least consistent to me. If he's good enough to jump into this situation now, he would have been good enough when he first came back from his injury.

[calgarywinning]

Real solid article. While I am still focused on this season, tonight's irk for me was talking about the Flames falling back into their "on paper" "not that good" "a team on rebuild" stats. The comparison to Colorado tonight was unbearable for me by our own commentators.

Not sure if anyone else picked up on that. This whole team, including Wideman have played up to and beyond their potential. I would hope these building blocks aren't a season fluke. From what I've seen to date, this team has got some serious gumption.

[442scotty]

I think Raymond played ok but Bennett in his place is quite an upgrade and he should be in on Tuesday

[ColoradoFlamesFan]

I loved that shot of Russell on the back check. I paused and played on slow motion trying to show my wife and kids. For me, he embodies everything the Flames are this year

[Table 5]

I think the Granlund/Ferland/Jooris line showed why inserting a guy like Bennett is not always so obvious. They were our best line last night (in an admittedly mediocre effort by most of the team until the 3rd). I know people like to bring up caged tigers and other fun-sounding superlatives for Bennett, but these guys played hungry, and more importantly effective, hockey. If Bennett comes in next game, which one of them do you take out? They've earned getting into the next game. I think a guy like Raymond is probably more qualified to be taken out, but then I'm not sure if Hartley will want this many rookies in his lineup in these crucial games.

Funny though, how we didn't play our best game, yet still won 4-0. That Oilers team is just terrible.

Btw Bingo, small suggestion, but I recommend you start inserting paragraph breaks into the Odds and Ends section. It often contains the most interesting content, but the massive wall of text is pretty daunting to the eyes, so I'm sure a lot of people skip it or give up reading after a while.

[chummer]

I love Odds and Ends.

The Oilers P.A. Guy is Mark Lewis and he has been there since
the early eighties.

[badger89]

Great writeup!

The goats should be Kevin Lowe & Craig MacTavish, for putting together such a terrible team with so many obvious holes.

[badger89]

Bennett should come in for Raymond against PHX as Raymond's not playing well enough given 2nd line minutes and Bennett may be able to give that line a spark. It's worth trying, especially against PHX as we need to figure it out prior to the LA and WPG games.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by badger89

Bennett should come in for Raymond against PHX as Raymond's not playing well enough given 2nd line minutes and Bennett may be able to give that line a spark. It's worth trying, especially against PHX as we need to figure it out prior to the LA and WPG games.

I think Raymond or Stajan are the two candidates for replacement. Stajan would be the guy I'd sit.

[drewtastic]

Originally Posted by badger89

Great writeup!

The goats should be Kevin Lowe & Craig MacTavish, for putting together such a terrible team with so many obvious holes.

More than six holes? (Or, 10, combined?)

If less than, Patrick Roy has a solution for them...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Samiz]

There were so many questions at the beginning of the season regarding the Flames offense and their lack of scoring talent.

Now we are tied withh Anaheim for first in the division in Goals For and lead the division in Goal Differential, 79 games into the season

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Zevo

Don't know if I agree with this part. Most likely guy that Bennett would have replaced would have been Granlund so seems like Hartley once again made the right, albeit, unpopular decision.

Getting in at 1 am and little to no practice time I don't think putting him on the wing would have been a great idea either. Maybe against Arizona at home (last change) with some practice time will give them more options.

Completely agree on how that line played and the fact that Bennett in likely meant say Ferland out (I would guess he'd be on the wing so Granlund and his two goals would have stayed in).

I see it as timing though.

Coming off a loss is a time to change the roster (historically), which he did with Ferland in, some new lines.

But now they've won so I'm guessing they leave it for the AZ game, which they should win, meaning they'll leave it for the LA game. Win or lose and its the last game of the season, and a tough one to start an 18 year old.

So then it's a playoff game? Can't see that likely.

So to me it really hurts the chance of getting the guy into game action this year, and with his talent I'll always wonder what would or could have been.