[GDT] Flames @ Canucks, 8 pm, CBC

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Flames: 22-25-3, 47 points, 6th in Pacific (tied for last), 12th in West (tied for last), 25th in NHL (tied for last).

Canucks: 20-19-12, 52 points, 5th in Pacific, 11th in West, 22nd in NHL.


Well it finally happened. We all woke up today to find the Calgary Flames tied for the very bottom spot in the league. I think we knew this might happen at some point in the rebuild, and there it is. Now to be fair, the Flames are technically not last, but it still does not bode well for the rest of this season to see the Flames lose at home to the worst team in the league. Outside of a hot streak in December, this team has been consistently underwhelming all year long. I thought after that last game against Carolina they were back to playing a complete and consistent game, but I guess I should have waited to see it for two games in a row before declaring that. Give the BJs credit, they played a great road game, keeping it simple, and waiting for their chances. Korpisalo looked very solid in their net, showing how that team is able to get the job done if they have competent goaltending. Yet the Flames made a handful of mistakes that cost them, and didn't play hard enough in the offensive zone to get a dirty goal that would have won a vitally important game. I think this team has given up on playoffs this year, otherwise they would have found a way in the 3rd to come back with so much time left.

On to tonight, the Flames travel on back to backs to Vancouver to play the hated Canucks. The Canucks have been marginally better than the Flames this year, mostly by losing games in overtime rather than regulation. The Flames are likely to be a little tired, but facing a rival like the Canucks should give them enough of a boost in the energy department to overcome that. Plus, losing a tough game last night should give them enough motivation to come out strong. If they start the game flat, that should tell you all you need to know about the Flames mentally. They have enough talent to be a winning team, but this team has just not been as mentally strong all year long. Here's hoping they at least play with some desire tonight.

The Canucks have been middling along for awhile now, slowly dropping in the standings playing .500 hockey. 4-3-3 in their last ten is the very definition of mediocrity. A lot of that is due to some very poor secondary scoring. The Sedins are having yet another very productive year offensively, Daniel scoring 44 points in 51 games and Henrik with 37 in 45. The problem is looking for anyone besides those two to provide consistent offense. Jannik Hansen has 15 goals and 26 points, but he's going through Anson Carter syndrome playing on the Sedin's wing. Horvat and Vrbata have been ok scoring 23 and 22 points, but they sport a woeful -24 and -22, the worst on the team by a large margin. Give Baertschi some credit for adding a little offense every other game or so with 18 points in 43 games, and is a decent -2. Another of their hopeful young players, Jared McCann, has all of 12 points on the season and has just 1 point in his last 12 games. Not uncommon for young players to have prolonged periods of struggle, especially at this point of the season, but it seems like the Canucks' prospects are not as great as they hoped for and tried to make everyone else believe. It doesn't help that several Canucks veterans have fallen off the cliff. Burrows is sitting at 14 points. Chris Higgins hit the wall and was put on waivers. Yannick Weber couldn't cut it on a weak defense group and was also put on waivers. Brandon Sutter has been injured for much of the year with a sports hernia. Dan Hamhuis has been out for the last 21 games with a facial fracture, but is slated to return to their lineup tonight. However, even when he was playing, he was less than stellar with just 4 points in 27 games. Their goalies have been solid, but not spectacular.

Basically, nothing has gone extremely well for the Canucks this year, but they haven't completely fallen off the map either. A lot of credit has to go to Willie Desjardins for getting so many wins from such an unproductive lineup. It would be easy for this team to tank and get a top 5 picks, but he keeps them competitive enough to be in that 9-12th spot in the conference. Good. Middling territory is where they deserve to be.

Roster Notes: Nothing reported for the Flames in terms of lineup changes, although on back to backs you might see a couple players substituted to allow Bollig and Granlund a game, especially after a loss. Also unsure if Ramo will go on back to back nights. The Canucks will get Dan Hamhuis back tonight to solidify their 2nd pairing a little better. With that, the Canucks are officially injury free.


Flames
Gaudreau-Monahan-Hudler
Bennett-Backlund-Frolik
Ferland-Stajan-Jones
Bollig?-Granlund?-Bouma?

Giordano-Brodie
Russell-Hamilton
Smid-Engelland

Ramo?

Canucks
D. Sedin-H. Sedin-Hansen
Baertschi-Horvat-Vrbata
Burrows-Vey-Etem
McCann-Sutter-Dorsett

Edler-Tanev
Hamhuis-Sbisa
Hutton-Biega

Miller




Go Flames Go!!!!!!

[killer_carlson]

i'd like Engellend to have a chat with Hamhuis tonight.

[AC]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

i'd like Engellend to have a chat with Hamhuis tonight.

Not sure Hamhuis would be interested as he's just returning from shattering his face.

I'd like to see Nakladal tonight.

[Brick]

Put Sam Bennett at centre and let's have a look at Nakladal.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Yeah Hartley is on record saying they will go with the veterans until they're out of the playoffs, but honestly, if they lose this game tonight against a team that is directly ahead of them in the standings, I don't know how Hartley could honestly view this team as having a chance at the playoffs. If they haven't made a big push by Valentine's day (and by "big push" I mean winning every game), they should cut bait on this season, move some veterans, and play some kids.

[dissentowner]

The team needs to accept the season is a wash and start trying some things out. I would move Bennett to C because he needs the reps there and Backlund is useless as a 2nd line C. Put Granlund in and scratch Colborne or even better yet find a way to launch him into the sun. Scratch Engellend tonight and put Nakladal in as I think Smid is better than Engellend. Start Hiller. Drop Backlund to line 4 to send him a message his game has been garbage all year, promote Stajan to line 3.

Gaudreau/Monahan/Hudler
Granlund/Bennett/Frolik
Bouma/Stajan/Ferland
Jooris/Backlund/Jones

Gio/Brodie
Russell/Hamilton
Smid/Nakladal

Hiller

[Trailer Fire]

I'm headed to game night with my nerds, so I'll be missing the game. If Calgary wins I won't watch another game this year in hopes that they win more without me. A few more Edmonton points wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

[Puppet Guy]

Well it's a whale of a tale, I tell you lads...

Spoiler!

Go Flames

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

The team needs to accept the season is a wash and start trying some things out. I would move Bennett to C because he needs the reps there and Backlund is useless as a 2nd line C. Put Granlund in and scratch Colborne or even better yet find a way to launch him into the sun. Scratch Engellend tonight and put Nakladal in as I think Smid is better than Engellend. Start Hiller. Drop Backlund to line 4 to send him a message his game has been garbage all year, promote Stajan to line 3.

Gaudreau/Monahan/Hudler
Granlund/Bennett/Frolik
Bouma/Stajan/Ferland
Jooris/Backlund/Jones

Gio/Brodie
Russell/Hamilton
Smid/Nakladal

Hiller

Backlund has 22 points, the same amount as Sam Bennett. He's only behind the top unit of Gaudreau, Monahan, Giordano, Hudler, and Brodie. He's one of the few plus players on the team despite taking the harder matchups. That's the very definition of a 2nd line center. He might be better suited to 3rd line duties, but to say he's useless on the 2nd line or his game has been garbage is hyperbolic and shows your bias against him.

[socalwingfan]

The emergence of PuppetGuy in the GDT threads is right behind Bennett's development in ranking of the feel good stories of this season. Love all the ramdomness of the pictures - pure genius

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Backlund has 22 points, the same amount as Sam Bennett. He's only behind the top unit of Gaudreau, Monahan, Giordano, Hudler, and Brodie. He's one of the few plus players on the team despite taking the harder matchups. That's the very definition of a 2nd line center. He might be better suited to 3rd line duties, but to say he's useless on the 2nd line or his game has been garbage is hyperbolic and shows your bias against him.

Backlund has the same amount of points as a 19 year old kid, exactly. Actually he has not had the harder matchups, Hartley has mostly played 1st vs 1st line or 3rd vs first line. It is time for people to stop defending a player people at one time hoped would become a good two way C. It isn't happening. I watch every game even if it was pvr'ed and the eye test does not lie. He kills offensive plays, he hurts the PP every time he is out there on it. Before this season I would agree he was very good at shadowing top players or used in a defensive role but this season he has been terrible. Why would I have bias against him when I have been always supportive of the guy since day one? Just because he is a Calgary Flame does not mean he gets a free pass from me like it seems to be for other fans. I see absolutely nothing he currently brings to this roster right now. Can't win faceoffs, can't backcheck well, turns over pucks, can't do anything in the offensive zone. What does he bring?

[442scotty]

Ho hum... Don't know if I can stomach watching the flames while they continue to play useless veterans. All this while Vancouver fires theirs into the sun. If suffering means we get a chance at 1 st overall I guess it will be worth it. ����

[locsofblu]

Another 4 point game for draft position. I hate cheering for loses especially against the nucks. Soooo go Flames Go!

[Moneyhands23]

I'll be at the game! Wèeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

[Yrebmi]

That last photo is all sorts of awesome.
GFG

[N-E-B]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Backlund has the same amount of points as a 19 year old kid, exactly. Actually he has not had the harder matchups, Hartley has mostly played 1st vs 1st line or 3rd vs first line. It is time for people to stop defending a player people at one time hoped would become a good two way C. It isn't happening. I watch every game even if it was pvr'ed and the eye test does not lie. He kills offensive plays, he hurts the PP every time he is out there on it. Before this season I would agree he was very good at shadowing top players or used in a defensive role but this season he has been terrible. Why would I have bias against him when I have been always supportive of the guy since day one? Just because he is a Calgary Flame does not mean he gets a free pass from me like it seems to be for other fans. I see absolutely nothing he currently brings to this roster right now. Can't win faceoffs, can't backcheck well, turns over pucks, can't do anything in the offensive zone. What does he bring?

I don't think Backlund is quite that bad, he brings some stuff to the table, but he's a poor 2nd line Center. I'd like to see Bennett start playing Center and move Backlund to the 3rd line.

I hate Vancouver. 10-0 Flames. Burrows gets ejected for doing something stupid.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

Usually I can get my hatred going pretty good on Flames/Canucks gamedays. Finding it hard to do that today.

This team is so disappointing.

[Erick Estrada]

I just hope the Flames don't make the Sedins look like superstars as they have been prone to do.

[taxbuster]

Flames, disappointed in their outing last night come out hard and score three - on themselves.

OK - I had to do that...I hate it when this team doesn't play up to its potential, but that seems to be the story of this season. What will happen tonight? Sheesh - who knows which team will show up. If the hard-working, desperate one shows up they'll win - handily. If the pooped-out one does, forget it. I can't even make up my mind how to call it.

Maybe the whole Wideman thing has rattled them more than one might expect. I simply can't cheer for losses, and I don't seem to be able to stop watching the games. Hopefully Spring arrives early here in BC and I can get outside instead to do some good acreage work instead of watching bad hockey.

[GranteedEV]

I'm at a point (again) this season where all I want is for prospects to play, for Bennett to play center, for best possible draft position, etc.

But HNIC vs VAN?

Please Win.