2008-09 Calgary Hitmen/WHL thread - Page 12 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Resolute 14 · 01-17-2009, 12:12 AM

The one thing I noticed in the first was that the Giants simply weren't making very many mistakes, especially as compared to the Hitmen. And really, no mistake could top MacDonald inexplicably pushing the puck into his own net as Jones was about to cover it. I had visions of a 2-1 final after that.

But as the game went on, Calgary got stronger and stronger. It's been the story for about the last four home games.

Jagger · 01-17-2009, 12:41 AM

The Hitmen's unbridled success this season has been astonishing to me. I knew that they would be somewhat competitive this year but their level of play is unbelievable quite frankly. Dave Lowry is doing a fantastic job with this team.

R14, preseason what were your honest expectations for the Hitmen?

Resolute 14 · 01-17-2009, 08:37 AM

I figured at best we might be competing with Medicine Hat for home ice. Really, everyone in the Dub figured Lethbridge would be where we are. The Canes have been as big a disappointment as the Hitmen have been a surprise.

As far as Lowry goes, it would be a crime if he doesn't win the coach of the year award.

Cowboy89 · 01-17-2009, 01:09 PM

Good game last night. That's why the Hitmen are #1 in the CHL despite a lower winning percentage.

moon · 01-17-2009, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

Good game last night. That's why the Hitmen are #1 in the CHL despite a lower winning percentage.

They are #1 in the CHL rankings because the CHL rankings are ######ed.

Are you telling me that some idiot journalist in Sudbury thought that despite having a much better record the Giants would lose to Calgary last night and therefore that the Hitmen should be ranked higher than the Giants for most of the season?

Hell Hitmen fans on this site that have season tickets weren't sure the Hitmen would win.

Even after this victory I am not sure that a home win over the Giants who were on a tough road trip through Alberta should trump the better record the Giants have.

The Hitmen won last night which is great for them but lets not use that win as some sort of justification for the farce that is the CHL Rankings.

Resolute 14 · 01-17-2009, 03:23 PM

Now you just sound bitter, Moon. The Giants don't have a "much better record" than Calgary. They have all of two fewer losses. That's it. They have a better record, but really, not by much.

I wouldn't disagree for a second if it was Vancouver #1 and Calgary #4 (though that would have switched based on last night alone in a subjective ranking) but the two teams are very close, and I think that was proven last night.

604flames · 01-17-2009, 03:28 PM

One more note about last night..

Kamloops can have Ross and Rodgers back. Ross looked lazy in the Giants' end and Rodgers was invisible too.

About the rankings, who cares really? Sure it's nice to be #1 for a while, but it only counts at the end of May.

moon · 01-17-2009, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Now you just sound bitter, Moon. The Giants don't have a "much better record" than Calgary. They have all of two fewer losses. That's it. They have a better record, but really, not by much.

I wouldn't disagree for a second if it was Vancouver #1 and Calgary #4 (though that would have switched based on last night alone in a subjective ranking) but the two teams are very close, and I think that was proven last night.

Hey I don't care if it was Lethbridge #1 I still wouldn't like the crappy CHL rankings, which year after year have moronic rankings.

Also in terms of being bitter I hate Vancouver more than I do Calgary so I am actually happy with the result that happened last night.

Coming in to last nights game Vancouver had half the losses of Calgary and were on pace to likely be roughly 8 points up on them if each team had played the same amount of games. In my view that is much better.

Really my point in that post was that no matter what the rankings say with Vancouver and Calgary that they are terrible to begin with and that result doesn't do anything to justify them.

Either way I am more than comfortable playing a top ranked Calgary team in the play-offs. Hopefully this year the Hitmen would win a game!

Resolute 14 · 01-17-2009, 05:52 PM

We'll see. The Hurricanes have pretty much proven themselves to be a myth this year. Certainly with everyone healthy they are a good team, but truthfully, the only Western team that has shown any ability to compete with the Hitmen is Kootenay. Until they prove otherwise, the Hurricanes just aren't a threat, since really, it isn't Calgary who needs to figure out how to win a game between the two this year.

Jagger · 01-18-2009, 01:32 PM

Heh. Nice to see some barbs flying in this thread. It doesn't happen too often. The Canes are a dangerous team imo. They have underachieved tremendously this season but are stacked enough to make some noise. Disregard them at your peril.

See what I was saying about it being a long night for the Rebels. 5-0 Giants after the first. I knew it would be bad but perhaps not that bad!

Flickered Flame · 01-18-2009, 07:33 PM

The Bruins knock off the Hitmen tonight 5-4. Based on what I watched online a very poor effort from the Hitmen for much of the game.

Resolute 14 · 01-19-2009, 07:52 AM

Indeed. Anyone who looks at the shot totals will be badly deceived about the Hitmen play. I'd say at least 30 shots were from the outside with no screen. Even Roloson is going to stop those... most of the time. Not sure if they finally started to believe their own hype, but it just felt like the Hitmen weren't all that interested in battling for pucks. Chilliwack was, and that earned them enough chances to pull out the win. I didn't notice a single Bruins player really standing out, it was a good team effort for them.

Feel bad for Snyder, because he was terrible last night. The kid has done well as our backup, but we might as well have just played with an empty net. He'll bounce back though.

Bobblehead · 01-19-2009, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Indeed. Anyone who looks at the shot totals will be badly deceived about the Hitmen play. I'd say at least 30 shots were from the outside with no screen. Even Roloson is going to stop those... most of the time. Not sure if they finally started to believe their own hype, but it just felt like the Hitmen weren't all that interested in battling for pucks. Chilliwack was, and that earned them enough chances to pull out the win. I didn't notice a single Bruins player really standing out, it was a good team effort for them.

Feel bad for Snyder, because he was terrible last night. The kid has done well as our backup, but we might as well have just played with an empty net. He'll bounce back though.

First game I went to this year. Snyder played the game on his knees and the Bruins went high. And every Chilliwack PP, Howse went to the slot and got at least 4 great shots from in there. Other than a few short stretches and the last 5 minutes, the Hitmen didn't seem to have any intensity. Even then, I though there were 2 glorious chances to tie it in the final minute.

Jagger · 01-19-2009, 11:03 AM

Really surprised with the Hitmen result as the Bruins were really BAD in Red Deer. They looked a real poor team which is saying something when you consider that the Rebels looked elite against them. Then they go to Edmonton and get trounced 8-1. No way would you expect them to go into the Saddle and beat the dubs best team.

Guess that's why they play the games eh?

Resolute 14 · 01-19-2009, 11:20 AM

No kidding. Flames-Sharks on Thursday, then Hitmen-Giants on Friday were, in my very biassed opionion, the best games all season at the NHL and WHL levels. Then both Calgary teams follow those up with this weekends stinkers, lol.

Gotta love hockey.

Flickered Flame · 01-20-2009, 09:27 PM

The Hitmen rebound with a fairly complete game and a good effort. The result is a 7-1 domination over the Oil Kings. Brett Sonne with a hat trick.

FallingMeTook · 01-20-2009, 09:37 PM

Interesting to note that as of right now, the Hitmen lead the WHL website poll asking which current division leader is most likely to win the WHL championship. The Hitmen currently sit at 43% of the over 1000 votes, while the Giants are in second position with 35% of the total votes cast.

Resolute 14 · 01-21-2009, 07:32 AM

Probably on the strength of last Friday's game.

Good rebound effort last night. Especially the last two periods where Calgary got back to their usual dominating selves.

40 wins now in 50 games. As great as this season has been for the Hitmen, it really puts into perspective how good the 1999-00 team was. To match their point total, this team would have to go 18-3-1 in the last 22 games...

604flames · 01-21-2009, 12:14 PM

Backlund and the Rockets are on Shaw tonight against the Giants in Kelowna. 8:00 MT.

Prototype · 01-21-2009, 02:31 PM

Last night, the Hitmen did not play hockey... they played chess. The first period was horrible, but they learned where Edmonton's holes were. The second period started off slow, the passes still were not crisp, shots still not hitting the net. The first half of that game was horrible hockey IMO. But one team took something out of it, and turned it into a 7-1 romp. The other relied on bush league tactics to get out of the Saddledome quicker. The hands and elbows got up, and that hit after Sonne's goal was horrible sportsmanship.

I've only seen 2 games this season, and I know Edmonton's Oil Kings aren't anything to write home about... but, the Hitmen are played how I see Detroit playing... they stay as close as they can in the begining to fine the flaws, and they expose them late, when the other team is gassed.

Great showing, but where was Burma (that's his name, right?). I saw him on the ice, but he didn't make it on to the scoresheet from what I saw. Physical presence was there, but the scoring touch wasn't.