[GDT] Flames vs Predators - 6:00 - SNet-W

[indes]

Flames icing two centers? Cervenka and begin. Can't believe they took backlund out, that's the one I definitely have a problem with.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by opendoor

The Predators lineup is due to injuries though. As far as I'm aware they're not healthy scratching anyone. I believe all of Fisher, Wilson, Hornqvist, Bourque, Gaustad, and Yip are legitimately injured.

They have a few players out for the rest of the season but so do the Flames. I see 4 questionable players that aren't playing and we all know that these mysterious upper/lower body injuries can easily be excuses not to play the players. Mike Fisher is day to day with a bruised hand? Really? Has a player ever missed weeks of hockey to a bruised hand?

[Kaine]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

There is also a huge difference between icing a team that has a chance to win and icing a team that is telling the players and fans that the franchise doesn't give a ####.

I have accepted the team sucks. I have accepted that a top 5 pick is a possibility. But I won't accept icing a team that probably wouldn't meet minimum requirements for a pre-season game. This does not send a good message to the players.

Really? Despite the fact that the Flames for a number of weeks now have been icing the worst team in the league on paper, they have been on quite the little streak. I guess the players must have realized in that time that nobody gives a crap. The fans, we've got to enjoy some of the most exciting hockey we've seen in years as fans, guess that means nobody gives a crap.

It's quite obvious they are in the "hey hopefully we lose out" position but they are still giving the players the nod to go out and give 100% effort and give the fans again, some of the most entertaining Flames hockey we've had in years.

They are simply treating these final few games like the start of training camp. If you really are this upset I can't imagine you've enjoyed the past few weeks much nor will you enjoy the next couple seasons I suspect because in that time we will continue to have one of the worst teams in the league, on paper at least.

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by saillias

HAHAHAHA

And we're accusing the other teams of tanking...

This is shameless. I wouldn't be surprised if the Flames brass get an angry call from the league after this.

If the league wants to investigate this, I'd point them in the direction of the teams below us first. Every single one has an astonishingly bad record given the amount of high profile young talent and top 5 picks between them. They may not be the strongest teams but they have a hell of a lot more talent than the Flames. Those are the teams who should really be embarrassed.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by saillias

Quote:
Originally Posted by icarus
We're still going to get a higher draft pick than we've had for a long time and I have confidence our scouting staff can get a top guy.

Well we picked up Baertschi with 13 and before that Phaneuf with 9... so not really. And I don't really have that confidence at all. Still Tod Button in charge? Yeah.

Wait...I'm sorry...are you saying Baertschi was a BAD choice at 13? Phaneuf was also a BAD choice at 9? Despite Phaneuf's lack of progression after a certain point in the NHL, he was always the right choice at the time. The drafting group was under the influence of Sutter for years, and consequently Button drafted to the priorities Sutter emphasized in young players. Button has done just fine co-ordinating the draft for the new management's emphasis on certain players. It was always a problem of bad priorities to evaluate prospects by. That has been fixed it seems.

...next!

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by krynski

Kipper doesn't let in 6 goals a game very often. Kipper is a bonafide NHL goaltender. Kipper has experience. He really has nothing to play for, but still keeps the score close and is a valuable, wise asset.

Irving is young. Not proven. He is inconsistent. As a up-and-coming NHLer, you have to out-compete who you are replacing (someone who plays MUUCH more than you, and is worn down from a season of play). If you can't do that by a significant margin, you are not going to replace him. It's a business.

Think about it. If you and your coworker are competing for a promotion and you might have a sliiiiiiiiiiight edge on performance, but your coworker has 10 years of experience and knows how everything works -> will you get the promotion? No.

my point was it's stupid to trash one player for poor numbers and defend another in spite of theirs. You always see Kipper's numbers defended with the defense getting the blame, but yet the defense has no part to blame for leaving a rookie goaltender out to dry as well?

I am not suggesting Irving has earned anything, but he gets unfair hate around here.

[Robbob]

At least as a STH I didn't have to pay to see a line up like that...sucks to be a Nashville

[Kaine]

Originally Posted by indes

Flames icing two centers? Cervenka and begin. Can't believe they took backlund out, that's the one I definitely have a problem with.

I would say he is a lock to be resigned and will be with the team. They likely wanted to give this ice time to evaluate some young players that will have to fill spots next season to see what they can bring rather than doing it at the start of next season when games will mean much more.

[sun]

Wow, that's an embarrassing lineup. Who's a healthy scratch and who's not? We're gonna win regardless. 3-1 Flames.

[sun]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

How many times does it have to be said;

WINNING AT GARBAGE TIME HAS ABSOLUTELY NO BEARING ON FUTURE SEASONS. THERE IS NO CORRELATION WHATSOEVER BETWEEN WINS UNDER NO PRESSURE AND WINS UNDER THE PRESSURE OF MAKING THE PLAYOFFS. FEASTER HIMSELF HAS DONE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE FOR HIS TEAM TO LOSE BRINGING UP HEAT PLAYERS AND PUTTING THEN IN THE LINEUP. THIS IS WHAT FLAMES MANAGEMENT WANTS AND RIGHTLY SO.

There is no correlation with the Oilers and their futility. They are the extreme and not the norm. There is a reason even well run franchises like the Devils, Hurricanes, and Predators are tanking. It's akin to folding a bad hand in a game of poker. Playing a bad hand to the end results in losing.

umad?

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by indes

Flames icing two centers? Cervenka and begin. Can't believe they took backlund out, that's the one I definitely have a problem with.

Begin's not playing tonight, but Horak, Byron, Jones, and Reinhart have all been playing centre this year.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Kaine

Really? Despite the fact that the Flames for a number of weeks now have been icing the worst team in the league on paper, they have been on quite the little streak. I guess the players must have realized in that time that nobody gives a crap. The fans, we've got to enjoy some of the most exciting hockey we've seen in years as fans, guess that means nobody gives a crap.

It's quite obvious they are in the "hey hopefully we lose out" position but they are still giving the players the nod to go out and give 100% effort and give the fans again, some of the most entertaining Flames hockey we've had in years.

They are simply treating these final few games like the start of training camp. If you really are this upset I can't imagine you've enjoyed the past few weeks much nor will you enjoy the next couple seasons I suspect because in that time we will continue to have one of the worst teams in the league, on paper at least.

Like I said I was fine with the previous lineup because we were not sitting players that contribute. But having 4 of your top 5 healthy (regular) forwards as scratches is an abomination.

This lineup likely wouldn't even be allowed to participate in the pre-season and that says alot.

[You Need a Thneed]

8 Calgary Forwards:

McGratton
Reinhart
Jones
Hanowski
Street
Byron
Aliu
Bancks

have 8 combined NHL points this season.

[Muta]

Despite the lineup, I still see Calgary winning this one.

A 3-2 Calgary win in regulation.

Feaster throws up after the game.

[Kaine]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

Like I said I was fine with the previous lineup because we were not sitting players that contribute. But having 4 of your top 5 healthy (regular) forwards as scratches is an abomination.

This lineup likely wouldn't even be allowed to participate in the pre-season and that says alot.

Well clearly you are pretty upset by this and considering a pre season game you can ice whatever you want I doubt further discussion will produce anything meaningful. To each his own.

[SofaProfessor]

If any of you play the Fantasy Hockey Challenge on the Flames website here's a fun challenge:

Try to get to the $20M cap using tonight's lineup, without selecting Kipper or Hudler.

[DuffMan]

Maybe this is just a way to call Nashville's bluff.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Kaine

Well clearly you are pretty upset by this and considering a pre season game you can ice whatever you want I doubt further discussion will produce anything meaningful. To each his own.

No you can't ice whatever you want in a pre-season game. There is a minimum requirement for veteran players each game to try and keep the games more entertaining for fans.

[opendoor]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

They have a few players out for the rest of the season but so do the Flames. I see 4 questionable players that aren't playing and we all know that these mysterious upper/lower body injuries can easily be excuses not to play the players. Mike Fisher is day to day with a bruised hand? Really? Has a player ever missed weeks of hockey to a bruised hand?

Given that Fisher first came out when the Predators were in the thick of the playoff race, came back for two games but couldn't play center because he couldn't take a faceoff, and then sat out again, I'm inclined to think his injury is legitimate.

As for the other "questionable" injuries, they've all sat out of a long period of time with a couple of them hitting IR when the Predators were still 2-3 points out of a playoff spot:

Bourque (out since Apr 1st)
Gaustad (out since Apr 4th)
Hornqvist (out since Apr 14th)


There's really no comparison between the Predators' situation and the Flames healthy scratching 4 of their 5 highest remaining scorers.

[TurdFerguson]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

If the league wants to investigate this, I'd point them in the direction of the teams below us first. Every single one has an astonishingly bad record given the amount of high profile young talent and top 5 picks between them. They may not be the strongest teams but they have a hell of a lot more talent than the Flames. Those are the teams who should really be embarrassed.

Players not playing up to there potential is a lot hard to prove or make a case for tanking then a team who makes almost all of its better players healthy scratches.