The Drive for 30th

[Ashasx]

Rebuilding is not tanking.

[Ped]

Semantics.

It could certainly be argued that tanking is rebuilding when a team trades its top blueliner (in minutes played) and the face of the franchise for mid-level prospects who will not impact this season to go with 1st round draft choices.

[Rhettzky]

Well carolina got a point at least.

[bubbsy]

ughh, flames have been leafs 2.0 for a while.

This was standard post lockout leaf behaviour, suck, then when the pressure's off win with no pressure on, but screw up getting top draft positions.

I can't believe we're outside of drafting top 5.

if the flames win even 1 more game i'm going to be pretty annoyed.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Players and coaches aren't tanking seasons. There's no motive to do so on their part unless someone can demonstrate they're getting paid under the table bonuses for sub par play and secondly, that they would be 100% compliant in keeping it quiet.

No chance.

A GM can manipulate a roster to make some strange, negative things more likely. Go ahead and make a specific case in the last two or three years.

Most probable thing is that poop happens.

All this winning by the Flames is probably helping them rescue their season ticket base while helping lower the percentage likelihood of a new franchise player. Flames owners are probably exhilarated and depressed all at the same time.

Cowperson

Not intentionaly, but how a coach treats his players down the stretch when there is nothing on the line makes a difference. Look ar Guguires comments in colorado. After them they go out and put in a good effort. So are their coaches and GMs who have agreed to allow their star players to slack off without consequence. I believe there are.

There are really 3 things that teams can do to tank
GM puts young kids in the lineup to get them experience
Coach puts young kids in key situations and top minutes
No accountability amoung top players.

The first two are acceptable but to allow your players to play without pride is not acceptable.

I do like the idea that on deadline day the draft order is set. It takes away the advantage you get by trading your vets for picks and in theory all teams should be playing hard up to that point.

[saillias]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

if the flames win even 1 more game i'm going to be pretty annoyed.

I've already accepted that the Flames are not getting any one of Drouin, Mackinnon, Jones, Barkov, Lindholm or Monahan. It's fate. We're getting the next Daniel Fataczuk at 8. (Nichushkin will go 7)

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by GGG

Not intentionaly, but how a coach treats his players down the stretch when there is nothing on the line makes a difference. Look ar Guguires comments in colorado. After them they go out and put in a good effort. So are their coaches and GMs who have agreed to allow their star players to slack off without consequence. I believe there are.

There are really 3 things that teams can do to tank
GM puts young kids in the lineup to get them experience
Coach puts young kids in key situations and top minutes
No accountability amoung top players.

The first two are acceptable but to allow your players to play without pride is not acceptable.

I do like the idea that on deadline day the draft order is set. It takes away the advantage you get by trading your vets for picks and in theory all teams should be playing hard up to that point.

For the bolded part i think its the opposite.


Kids come up and give 100%. Veterans that have contracts for the following years and know they are part of the team going forward have nothing to play for. I think the flames are the only team out of the bottom feeders that have brought up 3-5 kids and played them in all situations.

The other part for the flames is that opposing teams see that Calgary got rid of Iggy and JBO and Tanguay is hurt. They feel they can mail it in. In reality, 2 of those 3 players mentioned were 2 of the biggest floaters on the team and now have been replaced with players giving 100%.

[Corral]

i'm sure this has been said before - but I don't have the patience to run thru 72 pages on this thread.

iginla, kiprusoff, fleury, nieuwendyk, Roberts, macinnis .... none of these guys were top 5 picks as far as I recall.

way too much concern here on picking top 5. if it happens, great. but the fortunes of this franchise do not even remotely hinge on it.

[Wolven]

Results from last night were not very good. The Islanders and Senators got two points each so they are still right under the Blues but the Blues win prevented either team from jumping over.

Carolina earning an OT point brings them closer to the Flames but they are going to need to win a game soon.

Tonights games:
DAL vs StL
NAS vs CHI
EDM vs COL (OT plz)
ANA vs CGY

No games with implications for the Blues pick aside from the actual Blues game.
Nashville needs a win. Obviously they should do it in the game where no one expects it.
EDM and COL both need to win but an OT win for COL would be best for us to get back into the top 3. The Oiler's win wouldn't be bad as it would give us some breathing room to avoid moving above them.

[Erick Estrada]

The Flames will have to lose that game to Nashville in regulation as it's the only game the Predators can win down the stretch.

[Caged Great]

We can realistically pick no lower than 8th with the lottery going badly.

Everything will be fine.

[puckedoff]

I don't think we'll catch Colorado, I'd rather have EDM win in OT tonight.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

The Flames will have to lose that game to Nashville in regulation as it's the only game the Predators can win down the stretch.

You can say the same thing about our schedule. We play a top team in the West at home then 4 in a row on the road where we are absolutely terrible and play 3 playoff teams.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

You can say the same thing about our schedule. We play a top team in the West at home then 4 in a row on the road where we are absolutely terrible and play 3 playoff teams.

Yeah but the Flames are still playing hard and trying to win hockey games. Predators have shut things down.

[_Q_]

I think the Flames need to seriously throw that Nashville game. I'm talking, putting an AHL goalie in net, resting all our vets, etc.

That game is as big of a must lose as there is.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by _Q_

I think the Flames need to seriously throw that Nashville game. I'm talking, putting an AHL goalie in net, resting all our vets, etc.

That game is as big of a must lose as there is.

I would not be at all surprised if we see exactly that.

Obviously Kipper goes tonight and the Flames will likely put in a great effort in front of him.

However, once they hit the road, it should get interesting. The Heat's last game is Saturday and a few more of them will join the Flames fold after that.

Look for Cundari, Nemisz, Byron (if he is playing) and Jones to get some action.

And I would not be at all surprised if we see Irving get at least one of the games. And if so, bet on the fact that it will be against Nashville. (and yes, if that does happen, you can bet your last dollar that he will play the game of his life)

[_Q_]

Yeah I can see them saying Kipper has the "flu" and they recall either Irving or Taylor for that game. This flu thing does seem like a pretty easy excuse to get an AHLer to replace you.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Look for Cundari, Nemisz, Byron (if he is playing) and Jones to get some action.

And I would not be at all surprised if we see Irving get at least one of the games. And if so, bet on the fact that it will be against Nashville. (and yes, if that does happen, you can bet your last dollar that he will play the game of his life)

I'd consider Irving for a few of the remaining games. Maybe get Taylor up here too.

I know his performance is saying otherwise but I still feel that at 25 years old it is still too early to give up on Irving. It'd be nice to see him in action again trying to prove that he deserves to stick around.

[Duke43]

Sure seems to me that the greasers are making a late season surge to get as close as possible to selecting number 1 again. They definitely have more experience at tanking than do the the locals.

[The Swedish Flame]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Look for Cundari, Nemisz, Byron (if he is playing) and Jones to get some action.

You're already 1/4