[PGT] Flames 2 - Oilers 1

[Barnet Flame]

I groaned this morning when I saw Berra in net even though I expected it.

But he really had a solid game and it hurt watching him get so close to the shutout. Still, it was a great response from the team to get the winner in OT so that Berra at least got the W he deserved last night.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by dino7c

"big point for us" -David Parron

guess he hasn't seen the standings

You're talking about the shuffling of chairs on the Titanic.

Oiler nation is grasping for anything that might give them hope

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Dion

You're talking about the shuffling of chairs on the Titanic.

Oiler nation is grasping for anything that might give them hope

How bad is it?

The Oilers are currently playing their best hockey of the season, and have posted a 6-3-1 record since their record-setting home shutout stream. The night that they came to Calgary, they were 14-points out of a playoff spot, and 14-points away from #4 in the Pacific division—which was promoted at the beginning of the season to be an acceptable target for them to finish the season.

After last night's game, they are an insurmountable 14 points out of a playoff spot, as well as 14-points away from #4 in the Pacific division.

At this point, playing .500 hockey from here on out will have the Oilers finish with 74 points, which is right around where they finished last year in a pro-rated 82-game season, and matches their total from the 2011–12 season. It will be a miracle for the Oilers to finish much better than bottom five, which has to be considered a truly epic failure.

[Dion]

So this is how you get rid of the flu

[P-DAZZLE]

Originally Posted by Dion

So this is how you get rid of the flu

Be careful. I got a warning for posting a photo of Hudler in the bath when we signed him.

[FBI]

I am pretty appalled at the people saying Butler had a "good" game lol. What a joke. Goes to show you how terrible he is if that was a good game for him. Blatant turnovers, senseless icings, -1. I guess that is above average for him.

Special thanks to the guy reporting on Butler from the game that saw what 98% of us saw.

[Goodlad]

Originally Posted by dino7c

CBC Edmonton news just reported Larry Hudler scored the winner in OT lol

Oilers seem pretty happy with their effort "live to fight another day" was the quote from Hall. Do these guys even realize how far away they are from even a sniff at a playoff spot

Are you sure that quote wasn't referring to him backing down from Giordano?

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

To be frank, most of the Flames defensive prospects are simply not yet ready for NHL time. Perhaps by the end of the season, but based on reports, it is almost certainly better for everyone to just continue to play and do well in Abbotsford. I just don't understand the rush to get Butler out and another player in to essentially do the same job, in light of the fact that the difference this will make in the long and short term is negligible.

In short, expending as much hatred towards Butler as CP's usual suspects love to do seems to me to be futile, since "fixing" this problem doesn't really fix anything.

Having a better defenseman play is futile? Then I suppose having any players this year is futile...

It's not hatred by "usual suspects", it's a reaction to epically bad defense we observe time and again

[Mr.Coffee]

Butler isn't a 5/6 guy being put in a role above his head. He is an AHL quality player being slotted in a 3/4 role and it's the most ridiculous thing this team has done this year.

How can anyone say that it isn't in our prospects best interest to play in the NHL? You can't because you don't know because none of them have been given the chance.

People defending Butler is the epitome of fans on here just defending anything Calgary because it's Calgary. It's so blatantly the wrong decision it's insane. The top flight AHL D we have in Abbotsford are better, and to say they couldn't get better in Calgary is spoken out of assumption with no basis. What's best for this team right now isn't to keep slotting Butler in the NHL.

Hell he may struggle in the AHL. He is awful. And even if what any of the Butler defenders say is true, you sure as #### don't put him out with 2 mins left. That isn't a "over his head" problem, it's a poor coaching decision problem. It's not like the Flames had no other defensive options with the last 2 minutes.

[Lanny'sDaMan]

Originally Posted by Kaine

Sorry so late Not the best game played by either team. Just glad the right final outcome happened.

[Lanny'sDaMan]

Originally Posted by Dion

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by OzSome

Giordano was -1 too so I don't see your logic. Are you saying Gio did not have a good game? Wow...

Giordano had a pretty below average game tonite. Can't blame him though. Who was his partner?

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Giordano had a pretty below average game tonite. Can't blame him though. Who was his partner?

Gio was far and away the biggest reason the PK went 6/6. ES he looked great. Gio was a -1 because of butler's crap

[Flash Walken]

Butler is STILL better than SOB.

When there is depth to displace butler, he'll be easily displaced, until then, this is what a rebuild looks like.

[stemit14]

It's so frustrating to hear how people say that the oilers, on paper, should be better than the flames. Why? I'll take the flames defence over the oilers defence any day. And I'll take the flames forward depth over the oilers "young guns" and their complete lack of depth.

It's the assumption that all their years of sucking will lead to these kids fulfilling their potential... That arrogant attitude that it's inevitable that the oilers are going to be a powerhouse. At this point, I see it more likely the oilers become like Columbus was with Rick Nash... No matter how many high draft picks they had, they just had one star who under achieved and ended up wanting out. I imagine yakupov wants out already. I could see hall wanting out in about 2 years after they keep finishing bottom five with no improvement. The more I see RNH , the more I think his ceiling will be closer to that of Derek Roy or Thomas Fleishman in their prime.

The flames have been accused in the past for not having a lot of prospect depth... But it's incredible how little prospect depth the oilers have in their system considering how many years they have been loading up draft picks and picking high in the draft. I can only think of klefbom and nurse as guys that they have coming that are projected to be NHLers.

Flames have only been at this "rebuild" thing for not even a year. There are obviously no guarantees but they have a lot more guys who are projected to be NHLers than the oilers do at this point. On top of that, the flames have more legitimate NHLers actually playing on the big club than the oilers do.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

I think there a couple of things going on with that. One, people tend to try and "prove" or back up their previous assertions. For the past few years, many in the media jumped on the Oilers bandwagon, "this is how you rebuild" mantra and don't don't want to be shown up or proven wrong. So they look to make excuses as to why things haven't gone as they thought so far, and will likely continue to do so until things actually do work out, or all hope is truly lost.

One thing about the Oilers rebuild though that can't be denied is that at least up front, their prospects are playing the "key" roles for their club. That is not the case on mass in Calgary. When healthy, you can argue Monahan is playing a key forward position for us! but other than that it's simply not the case. Roles being played by Hall, Eberle, RNH are being played by vets down here, like Cammy, Stajan and Stempniak. I think the Oilers have gone too young, so you ca argue which style is better, but you can't argue that the Oilers key positions are being held down my much younger players than in Calgary at this point in the rebuild, something that has to reflect positively for them in regards to how close they are to competing.

[Burner]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Giordano had a pretty below average game tonite. Can't blame him though. Who was his partner?

Do you actually watch the games or just make comments to support your pre concieved ideas or to get maximum reaction???

[jonesy]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Never in doubt!!!!!

i find this gif annoying

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

I think there a couple of things going on with that. One, people tend to try and "prove" or back up their previous assertions. For the past few years, many in the media jumped on the Oilers bandwagon, "this is how you rebuild" mantra and don't don't want to be shown up or proven wrong. So they look to make excuses as to why things haven't gone as they thought so far, and will likely continue to do so until things actually do work out, or all hope is truly lost.

One thing about the Oilers rebuild though that can't be denied is that at least up front, their prospects are playing the "key" roles for their club. That is not the case on mass in Calgary. When healthy, you can argue Monahan is playing a key forward position for us! but other than that it's simply not the case. Roles being played by Hall, Eberle, RNH are being played by vets down here, like Cammy, Stajan and Stempniak. I think the Oilers have gone too young, so you ca argue which style is better, but you can't argue that the Oilers key positions are being held down my much younger players than in Calgary at this point in the rebuild, something that has to reflect positively for them in regards to how close they are to competing.

It's true our younger players aren't playing as big a role yet but the bigger point is that the oilers as a team is not getting any better. Their no better of a team now than they were in the days of Hemsky, O'Sullivan, Penner, Cole, Brule, and Cogliano... Min fact they are worse. The organization seems to have done very little to make their team deep at forward or defense.

Meanwhile, the flames have made smart moves to acquire players like colborne and Russell... Guys who are still young and being depth to the team... Don't need to be top line guys but can be players who can move up and down the line up when needed.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Lanny'sDaMan