Something's gotta give

[Igster]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

Do NOT underline words that don't lead to links.

[Caged Great]

The Flames need to maintain a .615 winning percentage the rest of the way to hit 54 points, which is what we'll need give or take just to hit 8th.

For reference, only the Blackhawks, Ducks, Canadiens, Penguins, and Bruins to this point in the season have out performed the .615 mark.

So, ask yourself this. Do you see this team realistically being able to perform at a clip similar to the top 5 teams in the entire NHL when we play these teams for 13 of the remaining 26 games.

Chicago X2
Nashville X3
Anaheim X1
Phoenix X1
Vancouver X2
Detroit X2
Los Angeles X2

Half our schedule is against teams that we don't tend to have that high of a winning percentage against.

[Igster]

I wish management would read your post CG and realize it's time to start trading.

[Sakari]

Our last 7 : 4-2-1

Canucks last 7 : 2-3-2

We've picked up our game as of late, we've got games in hand in front of everyone. Nothings going to give, my friend, not until Ken King, Jay Feaster, and everyone else are fired. The coaching staff is not the problem, the mentality is. We're not playing bad hockey right now. One loss does not mean the season, as frustrating as it may be.

[Sakari]

Originally Posted by stormchaser

I'm convinced the brass is doing the best they can with what they have. No need to panic people, stay the course. The Flames are going to have some transition pains as we continue to recover from the Sutters.

Recover from the Sutters. Lol. If Phaneuf played the game he's playing in Toronto right now, on the Flames, we definitely won that deal. Stajan has been playing great. That's the only leftover piece from that deal, but right now, Stajan is one of the key pieces for the Flames. I would rather have this Stajan than Torontos Phaneuf any day of the week. Without Sutter, we wouldn't have Kiprusoff. Sutter was terrible at drafting, sure. But thats the only thing this management is good at. They aren't even re-tooling this roster.

As much faith that I have in this team right now, this year will be the only year we have a shot at making the playoffs. Our core is too old. If we would have traded Iggy after 10-11 and raked in a huge profit I honestly thing we'd be in a playoff spot right now. But we didn't. So we aren't.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

The Flames need to maintain a .615 winning percentage the rest of the way to hit 54 points, which is what we'll need give or take just to hit 8th.

For reference, only the Blackhawks, Ducks, Canadiens, Penguins, and Bruins to this point in the season have out performed the .615 mark.

So, ask yourself this. Do you see this team realistically being able to perform at a clip similar to the top 5 teams in the entire NHL when we play these teams for 13 of the remaining 26 games.

Chicago X2
Nashville X3
Anaheim X1
Phoenix X1
Vancouver X2
Detroit X2
Los Angeles X2

Half our schedule is against teams that we don't tend to have that high of a winning percentage against.

I don't need to. Management had promised they'd do this themselves when they blabbered on about "intellectual honesty".

[vektor]

We are 2 points from last in the league. Could be interesting if we lose the next 2

[Yamer]

It's definitely an overreaction to start calling for people's heads to roll at this point, but there has to be some accountability eventually. However, it needs to be in the form of facing some cold hard facts. Namely, that an aim for 7th-8th place isn't good enough and, if you're hovering in that 9 to 12 range yet again come deadline day, it's time for some major turnover and restructuring.

There's a reason the Kings were the first 8th seed to raise Lord Stanley...because it's the most difficult route you could make your team take.

I hate boiling things down to binaries, but this team has to confront the reality of two positions. Either you stay the course, which has repeatedly been mediocrity, and finish just out of the playoffs (or eliminated in the first round to a powerhouse like the Blackhawks or Ducks) and wind up with another mid-round pick...rinse and repeat. Or, you understand that a breaking down of the roster is required and you sell your assets for maximum return at the Trade Deadline and see what a real change will do for your hockey club.

Believe it or not, fans aren't going anywhere. This is Calgary in 2013, not 1996...or places like Florida and Phoenix. They are ready to accept a rebuild or major re-tool. Hell, I bet a substantial amount of the fan base would even support it.

[vektor]

Originally Posted by Yamer

Believe it or not, fans aren't going anywhere. This is Calgary in 2013, not 1996...or places like Florida and Phoenix. They are ready to accept a rebuild or major re-tool. Hell, I bet a substantial amount of the fan base would even support it.

I'd agree, as long as there's still beer and a bar I'll still watch the games.

[WessThompson]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

The Flames need to maintain a .615 winning percentage the rest of the way to hit 54 points, which is what we'll need give or take just to hit 8th.

For reference, only the Blackhawks, Ducks, Canadiens, Penguins, and Bruins to this point in the season have out performed the .615 mark.

So, ask yourself this. Do you see this team realistically being able to perform at a clip similar to the top 5 teams in the entire NHL when we play these teams for 13 of the remaining 26 games.

Chicago X2
Nashville X3
Anaheim X1
Phoenix X1
Vancouver X2
Detroit X2
Los Angeles X2

Half our schedule is against teams that we don't tend to have that high of a winning percentage against.

We're only a few dozen bounces away. There are many positives to draw from. They can do it!!!! After all...they know every game matters.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by WessThompson

Yes, those of us who see this team for what it is are not true fans and are being too hard on this team. It's hilarious. Some fans are completely delusional...perhaps as much as the players. If you read their comments today along with Hartley's it's alarming. The mentality seems to be why change anything, we were the better team...and we're so close. Hmmm...how has that worked out? This team has had such a raw deal and no luck since 2004. Ugh.

Instead of a rebuild this team will mortgage what's left of our future for that key missing piece to put them over the top...

I can't believe fans are still buying what they're selling

Haha so you can't stand fans who've painted you with the brush of being too hard on the team... Then use the same brush to paint others as being delusional.

Top drawer post.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

There's a lot of anger surrounding this team lately. Every single loss brings out a crazy amount of haters. I can't imagine other team's fan bases reacting this way after every single frikkin loss. Are the Flames not allowed to lose any games the rest of the way before people call for everyone to be fired? Absolutely ridiculous.

As for the topic at hand; I recognize that this team isn't good enough to make the playoffs this year. Part of it was the bad start, part of it is the loss of Kipper for 13 games in a shortened season with no real backup on the team, part of it is the lack of centers and Backlund's injury. But that is on Feaster for not giving Hartley a roster that can actually compete with other teams in a tough west.

Feaster is temporarily trying to plug holes in a sinking ship, but it's obvious that they will have to blow it up in a big way to turn the franchise in the right direction. That's not to say that he hasn't made some smart moves along the way, but it's just not enough after the lineup that Sutter gave him to work with. It's been slow and steady improvement to the roster while reducing our salary cap, but it was such a mess when Feaster took over.

I am however upset that Feaster hasn't found enough center-men to help defensively in our own zone. To me that is the biggest reason why we are losing these days. All respect to Cammalleri, Cervenka, Tanguay, Comeau, and Begin, but they cannot handle the opposing team's centers down deep in their own zone. I can tolerate Cervenka at center if he plays like he did last night because he creates a lot offensively and wasn't too bad in his own zone, but none of those other guys are centers: "plain simple" as Hartley says.

We had to let Jokinen walk because I really felt he constantly let the team down in big games and wasn't even a 2nd line center anymore. Besides, we wanted a change in direction and it started with him.

Anyways, I think the plan for this team has always been to keep the good players you have, get rid of the truly lousy ones, go after the good ones that you think will truly help your team, and let the chips fall where they may. This is good in theory, but it doesn't build a winner unless you have a specific plan to fill holes on your roster. To me, this is the only failure Feaster and co. have made so far. The only move I haven't loved is the return for Regehr, but then you see how far he's fallen and you can only assume that Feaster did pretty well there.

I think this is the year for painful decisions to be made in terms of trading away veterans. I don't think Iginla goes and I think he may even finish his career here, but just about everyone else is trade bait IMO. You can understand why they would hesitate to blow it up with a 9th or 10th place finish, but if we end up in the basement the tough decisions need to happen.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

nm-double post.

[WessThompson]

Originally Posted by Cali Flames Fan

Are the Flames not allowed to lose any games the rest of the way

You do know they've lost more than half of their games right?

[nik-]

Basically this is going to be the team until the Iginla era is finished. Whether that's through trade or retirement has yet to be seen. I love Jarome Iginla, and appreciate that he's been a soldier and is a great human being. So what I'm about to say sounds terrible, and kind of feels terrible to type it, but he's like this ominous cloud hanging over the Flames at this point. Decisions are all made through the lens of succeeding while he's here, and it's just not going to happen. As a result this is what we're left with. Who knows how many more years this goes on.

Maybe some miracle happens and they stop making decisions based on Iginla and things change, but I doubt it. It's too bad the drafting and development was so piss poor for the last 20 years so we didn't have to be stuck in the "Iginla is the man and everything revolves around him" mindset that is just killing us for the last 5 years.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by WessThompson

You do know they've lost more than half of their games right?

oy.....[shakes head]

It's no shame to lose to the 2nd best team in the league, on the road, in a building that we haven't had any success in during the last decade, playing a decent overall game and dictating the play for most of the game. The Flames are not the Blackhawks...they are simply not going to win every game or have prolonged winning streaks. Beating the crap out of them after a game like last night's is irrational. They are what they are; they're not a great team. No need to get so upset over it when it doesn't go our way.

[Northendzone]

I was at the dome last night to watch the roughnecks, we wre Ina suite and ordered some pizza at 6.50 and the pie was not delivered until 8.50.....make sure the pizza guys are out with faster, king holditch, convoy and everyone else.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Yamer

It's definitely an overreaction to start calling for people's heads to roll at this point, but there has to be some accountability eventually.

Why is it an over reaction? The flames started the season with a terribly assembled lineup. They've made puzzling to absurd roster decisions. The team has largely under-performed even for their less than lofty expectations and goals. They've attempted to move a top 10 draft pick in a good year to be picking top 10, then refused to discuss it when it turned out to be a colossal pr disaster. There is 4.5 million worth of defenceman sitting in the press box with no trade clauses and the organizations best centre prospect is in the minors playing on the wing.

This is the fourth year in a row the team will miss the playoffs and the and the second year in a row they've missed with feaster as official gm (once as 'interim' with half a season in the control chair). The teams gm appears to exert little control over th direction of the team and national media has reported that he is not directing hockey operations.

Cap jail, fool me once, ntc's like candy, answers in the room, comeau and Babchuk, trading down to 'recoup', horseback ride contracts. It all reeks.

If now is not the time for heads to role and for the organization to move Ina different direction, when is that time? When the franchise bottoms out below Edmonton in the standings?

What is your rock bottom, because I'm pretty much at mine.

[Caged Great]

By the way, the Flames record this season against the teams that I listed above is 3-4-2

That equates to a .444 point percentage. If that continues through the remaining games, that means that to get 32 points that we need to hit 54, we'll need 20 of the 26 possible points against the rest of the teams that we play.

10 Wins out 13 against

Edm X 3
STL X 2
CBJ X 2
DAL X 1
COL X 2
MIN X 2
SJ X 1

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Cali Flames Fan

oy.....[shakes head]

It's no shame to lose to the 2nd best team in the league, on the road, in a building that we haven't had any success in during the last decade, playing a decent overall game and dictating the play for most of the game. The Flames are not the Blackhawks...they are simply not going to win every game or have prolonged winning streaks. Beating the crap out of them after a game like last night's is irrational. They are what they are; they're not a great team. No need to get so upset over it when it doesn't go our way.

Great post, I didn't like the Flames losing but I thought they played hard and just didn't get the bounces. It was nice seeing the team try and play hard for each other, I think GIO might be trying too hard and he stops thinking about making the best spur of the moment decision. Hopefully the coaches will talk with him about working that. I tend to stay away from the forum when they lose but a great place to be when we win..

If they can keep bringing the kind of effort they did in the first period and a half we should win our share.