TSN says Flames 14th

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

This would be the year the Flames will finish dead last, lose the draft lottery and end up picking 5th overall instead of 1st.

Edit: Is that possible? To drop a maximum of four spots?

Nope. Well I haven't actually read the new CBA but from what I've heard of how it works you can drop a maximum of one spot just like before.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Sure it does. He always had to cover Butler. If he takes a slapshot and it gets blocked it's a 2-on-1 the other way against Butler who is dead meat. Sutter always played it safe. He didn't even let Phaneuf take a slapshot during the Worlds.

He's got a good, low, deflectable slapshot. I think we'll see more of it this year.

Gotta side with the others on this one. I'm a Bouw fan and I'll readily admit his slapshot is nothing to write home about. Most of his Florida goals were from pinching down and scoring within 10 feet from the net. He just doesn't possess that big boomer from the point. He does have a nice wrist shot that can be deflected.

Wideman so far in camp has shown a much better slapshot. He'll be our go to guy for that.

[SeoulFire]

Originally Posted by AC

Bouwmeester has a bad shot from the point if he's trying to score, but he has one of the better shots when it comes to shooting for deflections.

The puck is much easier to deflect when it is only moving 12 mph...

My beef with the predictions is not with the end ranking but with the complete lack of thought put into them. It seems as though most of the clowns who are making the predictions can't be bothered to do any actual analysis or thinking beyond the party line. I am not sure if it is that they are afraid of being wrong when speaking against the grain or if they are just too damn lazy to do the work for teams they are not readily familiar with (ie the East).

A couple of things stand out for me from last year - fun facts!

1. Calgary had as many or more regulation time victories as 6 playoff teams (SJ, LA, FLA, WSH, OTT, NJ).
2. Calgary had 4 less regulation time wins (32) than the mighty Canucks (36) just a fyi - STL had the most reg wins at 42.
3. The Flames were 2-7 in OT and 3-9 in SO
4. The Flames were the only team with less than 30 losses to miss the playoffs

My simple conclusions:
- the Flames are pretty good at hockey but quite terrible at modified hockey (4 on 4)
- the coin flip let them down.

The margin between good and bad these days is miniscule and a few net positive player changes can be the difference between missing and being a mid to high seed (not just squeaking in). Couple this with the fickle nature of extra time and the extra points the Flames are not a bad team. This being said, C is still a problem of course. Sure they need a few things to go their way to make the post-season but can that not be said for at least half of the playoff participants?

Edmonton - rehashed over and over here but I still do not see what they did as an intentional rebuild. To me, "scorched earth" implies there was actually something productive or valuable to burn to the ground. Looking back at the Oiler's roster moves I just don't see it. They rebuilt by sucking from the management right on down to the players.

I am also unable to see nor have I heard any reasonable justification on how two players with 0 NHL experience will improve the club by 20 points. Maybe the other players matured a bit and can put it together but it would be quite a story if they can indeed make the playoffs.

From Sportsnet:
Jarome - It is not a secret that Nick Kypreos is a blowhard idiot but his comments about Iginla were brutal. It may be tough for a former plug like him to understand but Iginla potentially staying in Calgary is not due to a lack of desire to win a cup. Iggy has always been the go-to guy in Calgary and perhaps he wants to win a cup on his team under his leadership - anything else would be a hollow victory. For a star like him, being the final piece of the puzzle is a far cry from being the lynchpin and may not simply mean as much. Do it here or die trying - I find that view incredibly refreshing in today's era of mercenary 'champions'.

I don't expect Kypreos to understand this as he was never an integral part of a team and probably has not been the go-to guy since intramural league in elementary school.

Go Flames.

[Steveyoto]

Hmm I am a little disappointed I am far from shocked. The Flames have long been hated by TSN, not too sure where the hatred comes from, but it does seem to exist.
GO FLAMES GO.... But you aint getting my money.

[Sylvanfan]

Well the Flames were pretty good against their own Division last year 15-6-3. Division play accounted for just under 30% of the schedule, this year it's 38% of your games. The Flames were awful against the Eastern Conference last year. This year they don't play the Eastern Conference. Flames had 73 points against the West which was the 8th highest total in the Conference.

I think TSN had the Wild, Avalanche, Oilers, and Flames as finishing 11 to 14...which given the schedule and how much more Division play there is I don't know if that will happen. If there are this many bad teams in the Division Vancouver would finish 1st because they'll win all their Division games. Someone in the other Divisions will suffer because they'll play even up against each other.

[CaptainCrunch]

I look at the lineup and if healthy this is just plain a better team then last years team that finished in 10th. Its probably going to be a better skating club and a younger club then last years, and a lot more skilled.

The Center depth is a massive concern, but I'm looking at teams in our division and with the exception of Minny, none of the other teams blow me away down the middle.

The question is did the non playoff teams improve that much more then the Flames and did all of the playoff teams do enough to stay in their spots?

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by dino7c

funny thing is none of these guys ever mention these predictions again

Agreed. If my prediction that the Oilers finish ahead of the Flames fails, I have to wear an avatar and signature of a Flames' fan's choice for a few months. I wish those prognosticators had to endure such shame, it would be more satisfying for the rest of us.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I look at the lineup and if healthy this is just plain a better team then last years team that finished in 10th. Its probably going to be a better skating club and a younger club then last years, and a lot more skilled.

The Center depth is a massive concern, but I'm looking at teams in our division and with the exception of Minny, none of the other teams blow me away down the middle.

The question is did the non playoff teams improve that much more then the Flames and did all of the playoff teams do enough to stay in their spots?

?????

You don't think Sedin and Kessler in Vancouver is way better?

What about the Av's with O'reiley, Stastny and Duchene?

The oilers with Hopkins and Gagner. Even Horrible Horcoff is better than half our centers.

The flames have the worst collection of centeres in the league hands down.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Iginla

Back2back2back2back first overall picks is my prediction for the Oilers, just my opinion.

I'd bet you a lot of money that doesn't happen. Seriously. You wouldn't, however.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

?????

You don't think Sedin and Kessler in Vancouver is way better?

What about the Av's with O'reiley, Stastny and Duchene?

The oilers with Hopkins and Gagner. Even Horrible Horcoff is better than half our centers.

The flames have the worst collection of centeres in the league hands down.

keep up Jimmy!

Kesler and O'Reily are no where to be found. and the Oilers are still overrated.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by trackercowe

So essentially the same team as last year that finsihed 29th with the addition of two rookies? Gotcha. Yup, they will be unstoppable

You're forgetting the likely natural development of those kids. I'll be very surprised if they don't gain at least two or three spots just on that.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

?????

You don't think Sedin and Kessler in Vancouver is way better?

What about the Av's with O'reiley, Stastny and Duchene?

The oilers with Hopkins and Gagner. Even Horrible Horcoff is better than half our centers.

The flames have the worst collection of centeres in the league hands down.

Kesler's not playing so no their centers aren't great.

O'reilly isn't signed and Duchene fell off the map last year so no.

Hopkin's is great, Gagner is a third liner with a streak that defined what was a meh season last year. Horcoff is hot garbage, so no

I'm not saying the Flames are better, I'm saying that none of the teams in our division have great or even good center situations.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

keep up Jimmy!

Kesler and O'Reily are no where to be found. and the Oilers are still overrated.

Sure but the same can be said about Cervenka.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

Sure but the same can be said about Cervenka.

We don't know yet, but I'm betting he's playing hockey long before Kesler and long before O'Reilly

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

I was hoping your ignorant trolling of the forum would stop after the lock out but it appears your the 2013 Calgarpuck version of Eklund. When the lock out ends, your BS still goes on.

You like to call people a troll a lot. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't make him a troll.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

Sure but the same can be said about Cervenka.

Yes but the original argument was about the OTHER teams in our division.

[GreenLantern2814]

We get it. Nobody is giving us a shot to do anything. Not like we've given anyone reason to believe the last three years.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Kesler's not playing so no their centers aren't great.

O'reilly isn't signed and Duchene fell off the map last year so no.

Hopkin's is great, Gagner is a third liner with a streak that defined what was a meh season last year. Horcoff is hot garbage, so no

I'm not saying the Flames are better, I'm saying that none of the teams in our division have great or even good center situations.

Duchene did fall off the map last year and is still better than anything Calgary has.

As for your other post we really don't know who would be back first between the 3.

O'Reilly could be signed tomorrow and in the lineup the second he gets back.

I heard that Kesler could be back in 2weeks. At least thats waht some of the Vancouver media is saying.

Cervenka might get cleared on Monday to play, he might be told he needs another 2 weeks. I don't think anybody knows what is going on with him.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Gotta side with the others on this one. I'm a Bouw fan and I'll readily admit his slapshot is nothing to write home about. Most of his Florida goals were from pinching down and scoring within 10 feet from the net. He just doesn't possess that big boomer from the point. He does have a nice wrist shot that can be deflected.

Wideman so far in camp has shown a much better slapshot. He'll be our go to guy for that.

Perhaps they have changed how they track NHL scoring but I was certain that if Bouwmeester took a shot and it was deflected by someone (on the Flames) Bouwmeester would be credited with an assist and not a goal.

Her point is is that because his shot is not hard but fairly accurate it would be easier for forwards to deflect.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

You like to call people a troll a lot. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't make him a troll.

Don't you have multiple usernames you should be having fake conversations with?