[PGT] Flames win in Arizona 6-1

[Textcritic]

Today is a day for winners.

· I watched my son this morning pitch a shutout to win his regional cup-championship game.
· This afternoon I watched the Flames dominate and coast to an easy win on the road in Arizona.
· Tonight I watched the Calgary Stampeders exorcise their playoff demons to vanquish the Ottawa Red Blacks and hoist the Grey Cup.

Congratulations, winners.

[H2SO4(aq)]

Originally Posted by BigBrodieFan

GG destroyed a kid who was formally an elite defensive pairing in the NHL and CP made him the constant whipping boy in every thread until recently. Two years of hell for TJ, his wife, and his family and friends when they had to read about how much the fans hated him and how horrible he was. Peters saw his potential and knew he could get back to being spectacular, but the fans were fickle, and two years of saying 'good riddance' to TJ grants him a little recognition that he in fact, was never garbage. He wasn't perfect, but he wasn't trash.

Oh, and one more thing.. like it or not...



Boooo Yaaaaaa CP- I still love you all!

I’ll man up and eat crow. I have been very critical of your newphew? (I think?) the last few seasons. He’s been exceptional this year. He and gio are prime form. I’m very happy for him.

[AC]

Originally Posted by AC

Flames back into 1st in the division.

Update after Anaheim loses 5-2 to Nashville and LA beats Edmonton 4-2!

1. Calgary 24 GP, 29 PTS (+12 goal differential)
2. San Jose 24 GP, 28 PTS (+1 goal differential)
3. Vegas 25 GP, 25 PTS (-1 goal differential)
4. Anaheim 25 GP, 25 PTS (-18 goal differential)
5. Vancouver 26 GP, 24 PTS (-17 goal differential)
6. Edmonton 23 GP, 22 PTS (-12 goal differential)
7. Arizona 22 GP, 20 PTS (-9 goal differential)
8. Los Angeles 23 GP, 17 PTS (-23 goal differential)

[Ziggy Lidstrom]

Wow I haven't posted in a while.

Text critic: congratulations on your boys success. And this is a day for winners. Killed in fantasy football. Finished shooting an an amazing film with amazing friends and family. The stamps defense is vindicated by two deserved champions who each had good voodoo on us. Dickenson gets his first grey cup as a pro. Bo goes out a winner. Flames win big today. I have more to say on this however today is a day for winners. Caloo calay. Caloo calgary. Caloo mohkintsiss.

I have witnessed a week where everything is finally going right for the flames as well. That trade I concur as well is "one of the greatest trades in flames history."

This team is flat out the best team I have ever seen to the quarter mark. If smith rebounds and bsd continues his comfort in the blue paint this level we are in for some incredible dynastic hockey.

We have goalies who are lotto tickets steeping in the farm. Mason has looked better Schneider is surprising. Then the two usual high ranking prospects are trying to get their health better and u see a real depth on this team. Smith could rebound too. He has a lot of fire in that belly and dave bsd plays better with him around anyway. And competition is good for all life and especially a deep hockey team. More on bsd later.

Kylljngyon looks fantastic. Valimaki was a great bpa pick and Noah hanifin, who plays defence, is an elite skater in the tj renaissance.

Tj I will get to more soon.

Hanifin is the key to this deal. He is 21. He is signed for 6 years and under 5. He is 63/4. He skates like the wind. Hes a better skater than skates like a deer Doug. Deer in the headlights back in the dzone Doug more like. More on him. Jokes. Back to Noah. He is a generational American defensive talent. Look at his pre draft resume. He played top minutes in bc * as a 17 year old he is 21 to reiterate. He is in the best hockey market for a star to emerge. The offense will come but he is growing by leaps and bounds on defense already. Harmonic and him are true pros. His influence has been huge. More on him later since I will eat some crow. But Noah is the key piece to the 4 th or 5th greatest flames trade all time. This grade is in flux imo. This core is so beautifully set up. Layers of veteran leadership and dynamic young talent at all positions. And if we know anything about goalies 26 is young. More on bsd later. Basically I'm so confident with this 2nd! Pairing of ours and he is a big reason. Zebulon don't get me started because you and your bloom is a big reason for the offensive resurgence this season.

Eliason lindholm is not the best player in the trade but he is special. He is like a mix of hudler and versteeg without the baggage personally and injury wise respectively. He has brought a shot of life into this top line and this team getting out a the gate the way they have. He is versatile. A shrewd pick in my waiver wire claim. He is 24 . He is sound and a 2 way winger and center. He is right handed and skilled driven by a high hockey IQ a tenacious work ethic on the ice and he is named zebulon. Oh yeah bye the way, he was a 5th overall player drafted ahead of some guy named money hands. I imagine if we drafted him and mony how we would have rejoiced that draft day, no need now. We have him signed for 6 years at under 5. That's what we are seeing in asset management from Tree. More on him later. Oh yeah he is signed for 6 years at under 5. Nylander who? This kid is a stud. I remember video on his draft thread that showed him riding a unicycle and stick handling and juggling. Can we say high IQ areobically and sentiently? The fact we swapped 2 assets for 2 assets with far less cost certainty with less pedigree and so far less results we should be thanking our lucky stars for this cap situation.

The depth on this team, especially offensively is the best I have ever seen the flames have since the Gretzky oiler days. 4 lines that can score. That Oilers begrudging praise comment someone sourced is proof. Jay feaster is smiling somewhere and patience is a virtue with Benny and some guy named byng is just a beating heart in this team as a 20 year old kid who 3 teams will regret passing on while he hosts cup after cup. Only because of the defence which I believe hanifin will be a true number one in for years to come eventually. Pronger light perhaps. This team is stacked. Poor oil. Poor superstars that never play in a smart climate. At least pitt has bottomed out right. 2 superstar team after 2 superstar teams. But I digress. Flames have no arguable superstars but salivating levels of depth at all positions. Book it. Rasmus valimaki Oliver TJ. Brad is the oz in this. This team is in real good shape going forward to his stewardship of all things assets.

Brad treliving is a wizard. He is front running for executive of the year. It hurts to lose big mike. But in life to get you must give so as to receive. Thank God glen gulutzan did what he did to tj and built hamiltons value the way he did so we could make the trade. No way wadell makes this trade if zeb and Noah are playing like this there. No way in heck. Wadell was fleeced. Fox even becoming a contributing piece doesn't even come close to tipping the scales when mike is asking for 6 next year. I'd rather have zebs and byng. Plus a guy named Noah over doug anyday. I don't like Hamilton its plain to see. He was a fwd masquerading as a dman but we have him to thank for being the main piece in this amazing trade. Noah is in a perfect place to play behind the captain and beside hammer. It has also allowed tj to remind the world how valuable his elite right side skill sets are in this league. His rush and backhand vision is exemplary from The right side offensively and defensively. He avoids big hits more often as well on the opposing forecheck. Health is a skill. He is skilled at preserving his on the right side to allow his natural abilities to shine offensively and defensively. Brad knew it but let gully build dougie to maximize his value. Well done Brad and now you can have your number one pair back in gio I mean Norris and brodie.

I love tj brodie. He is a great number 2/3 dman. That's why I bought his jersey years ago and wore it with pride while dougie hogged gio and tj looked lost under gilutzan. He is a right side dman he sees the ice better from that side period. He compliments gio perfectly. Look how gio even looks on Norris from. More on him later. Tj I'm so proud for due to all his family troubles with his partners health in question as it was. He toiled while dougie built value and we could pull off the crime of the offseasons. This team could go farther than ever. Byng needs to be paid and we need cheap contracts to reinforce our fantastic deals already dancing away to 1st in the Pacific. He has really returned to form. I'm proud of him. I am now willing to eat crow on hammer.

What he has done playing with hanifin has rendered me a believer. He is a major force in our blue line and a major contributor to this teams depth and ultimate success...
Much like Brodie. These two look rejuvenated this year. Success and confidence are funny bedfellows. I was harsh on harmonic last year. I knew he is a person and was going through struggles with his mom in light of him losing his father tragically so young. The team hasn't won anything vital yet but man is this team going good and is he a big part of it or what? He has been a warrior for us. He is everything we paid top dollar for. Hes more than an f150. He looks like he might be a hemmi. kudos to Brad and travis for stepping up by coming closer to home in Manitoba and seeing so many early positive trends he is directly influencing. Congrats hammer. I'm proud to bestow that to him after Roman. Sorry hammer last year it was tough to see what I thought. You looked pretty mortal but now look like mjolnir. Skol.

I have so much to say about all players but it's late. So on to Bbed but first bsd.

Big Save Dave!. Was and is a beacon to the team firing on all cylinders as it is when we needed traction the most. He is studded tires on the icy roads of life for this team. He is a such a great story. Never drafted. No national shine. Just a crazy lotto ticket goalie who has earned a fantastic name of adoration from our beloved hockey community here. Rittich has given smith the time he needs to get back to high level tending. And this team and us couldn't be happier. Hes found money. Like a lot, like in a wall where a secret compartment opened after a crazy old loon died and no one to give it to then a new family struggling and moved in only to find it when they needed that the most.

Well good to be back CP. I was always reading those of you who know. Bingo all my best. You really have kept this great source of flames pride alive with all your mods. You guys are awesome. All my best with your recovery bingo. And where moon? Who's his new moniker? Lol jks I will play nice.

GFG and Peter's reminds me of badger bob but cooler. And he played for the hobbema hawks. Hes such a g taking that puck off the dome. That woke our boys up and will bond them all even tighter. Peter's looks like night and day to gg. Good game gulutzan you boosted dougie enough to finally help this team. Good luck with that oil spill. What an exon sized Valdez mess. Poor cap strapped teams.

GFG

And gio may win that Norris he should a won before he injured his bicep. But he keeps this up this year and it's a no doubter. Reilly doesn't come close to his wholistic stats. Okay now I'm done. But our paesano number one dman is having a resurgence on a team he deserves to captain and set the standard for.

[megatron]

Missed the Vegas game, but it was cool to see Flames in red in away game (except for that secondary camera that made the Flames jerseys look infrared).

- You usually win when your best players are better than the opponents best players, and even though Moneyhands scored, it's great when the secondary scoring happens. Hanifin and Janko were great. Even Neal, Bennett and Hamonic have looked great the last 10 games or so.

- Big rebound (pun intended) game from Smith. He looked calm and hopefully that builds his confidence. I'm sure it helped it was against his former team.

- Bill Peters is a boss. Like everyone else has already said, he is miles better than GG. Brodie looks like a completely different player. I wanted Brodie traded as well, but he looks like he's back to 2014-15 Brodie. I'm sure playing with Gio has something to do with it, but he's skating is crazy. Also, all the goal scoring is such a welcome change. I don't remember so many dominant games the last couple of years, but there have been 3-4 in the past 2 weeks.

Go Flames Go!

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

At what point can we just agree to be happy with have a new coach and just stop talking about Gully?

When thinking about those years stops hurting.

I'm not even over Brent Sutter yet.

[JohnnyB]

I sure could get used to this whole having a good team to cheer for thing. Is that too much to ask for? Kind of feels like it as a Flames fan, but the team has got me starting to believe again. What's that feeling I have now? Confidence?

[bubbsy]

Great to see the flames get the win. A very manageable schedule going forward also, i think we get 3 straight games against teams coming off back to backs.

So... How bout dem oilers?

[UKflames]

It wouldn't surprise me to to see Janko on a similar path to Bennett. Good first season, maybe a step back in scoring this season but improvements in his overall game, then once he gets used to how best to use his size and reach properly he will take off in a big way. Loved the shg last night.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

At what point can we just agree to be happy with have a new coach and just stop talking about Gully?

Pretty much the moment we stop talking about Brodie playing well again, since the change in his play, and Glen Gulutzan's incompetence are inexorably linked.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

At what point can we just agree to be happy with have a new coach and just stop talking about Gully?

Well Gulutzan and his rocking chair tactics did kill two years that this franchise will never get back. Only fair the era be looked upon as it should be - a horror house of ineptitude. The only saving grace is that the franchise dealt with the problem relatively swiftly and intelligently.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Today is a day for winners.

· I watched my son this morning pitch a shutout to win his regional cup-championship game.
· This afternoon I watched the Flames dominate and coast to an easy win on the road in Arizona.
· Tonight I watched the Calgary Stampeders exorcise their playoff demons to vanquish the Ottawa Red Blacks and hoist the Grey Cup.

Congratulations, winners.

Congrats on the family level up! Wins like this can really power up a kid's confidence! Best feeling as a dad to see the nuggets succeed!

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

Well Gulutzan and his rocking chair tactics did kill two years that this franchise will never get back. Only fair the era be looked upon as it should be - a horror house of ineptitude. The only saving grace is that the franchise dealt with the problem relatively swiftly and intelligently.

I agree with Jiri - it's getting tiresome to see random posts about GG, usually a propos of nothing really. It's similar to when Rittich starts and there's a whole bunch of random posts about Smith.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

At what point can we just agree to be happy with have a new coach and just stop talking about Gully?

Same time we stop talking about Keenan, Brent Sutter hell, even Daryl!

He was last year's coach and was largely lampooned for being aloof and ineffective and then he became an Oiler, the statute of limitations on discussing him is likely far, far from over.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Locke

Same time we stop talking about Keenan, Brent Sutter hell, even Daryl!

He was last year's coach and was largely lampooned for being aloof and ineffective and then he became an Oiler, the statute of limitations on discussing him is likely far, far from over.

So now? No one posts much about any of those coaches, unless it's to say they want Daryl back.

I'm perfectly happy to see a relevant post about him coaching the Oilers. But the others aren't "discussing" him. They are usually just random and meaningless posts by people itching to complain about something that doesn't exist any more.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Lindholm is playing great - so impressed with him. He might have a little Steve Yzerman in him (should check out Stevie's highlights) especially the Scotty Bowman coached Stevie Y.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Oh, good luck with not having people mention Gulutzan

The better the Flames are this year, individually or collectively, the more different they are from last year. And what has changed?

Jiri made his point, but I don’t believe you really see a CP consensus coming.

Keep trying though, I guess, if you really want it that badly and think you can make it happen

[Locke]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

So now? No one posts much about any of those coaches, unless it's to say they want Daryl back.

I'm perfectly happy to see a relevant post about him coaching the Oilers. But the others aren't "discussing" him. They are usually just random and meaningless posts by people itching to complain about something that doesn't exist any more.

The fact of the matter is that this team is naturally going to be compared to last year's team and one of the biggest changes was the hair behind the bench.

He was the head coach last season and went not only to a Provincial rival, but a divisional rival.

The comparisons are inevitable going to continue. The Brodie example is a perfect one.

Ol' Gul kept on trying to pound a square peg into a round hole because he thought he was the smartest person in the room and that if you repeated something enough times it would eventually work....just the way he told everyone all the time.

Except it didnt and with one flippant move of putting Brodie back on his natural side we had someone go from being a useless liability to a top defender.

Real simple stuff. That Gulutzan couldnt grasp because he was too concerned about being smarter than the average bear.

Either way, he was head coach of this team for 168 games, 24 games into a new season with largely the same roster and its not like we're going to forget he existed.

We can stop talking about him when they take his stint as Flames head coach off his Wikipedia page, otherwise its work that he did and was duly compensated for and he will be be judged for it.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Oh, good luck with not having people mention Gulutzan

The better the Flames are this year, individually or collectively, the more different they are from last year. And what has changed?

Jiri made his point, but I don’t believe you really see a CP consensus coming.

Keep trying though, I guess, if you really want it that badly and think you can make it happen

New, and better, coach, that's true. But also 8 new players, not even counting Prout, Peluso and Kylington. Plus a changeover in net from Smith to Rittich.

I'd rather talk about the new than the old, that's all. GG is history to me.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Oh, good luck with not having people mention Gulutzan

The better the Flames are this year, individually or collectively, the more different they are from last year. And what has changed?

Jiri made his point, but I don’t believe you really see a CP consensus coming.

Keep trying though, I guess, if you really want it that badly and think you can make it happen

Just seems to me that every joke and point has been made at this time, and at some point we should just like having a better team and talk more about that, then past mistakes.
But if people still want to talk about Gully they can do what they want. I think there are more interesting things to talk about but so be it.