[PGT] Preds 6 - Flames 5 ... so close, so fun to watch.

[puckluck2]

Byron man handled Weber in the corner tonight. Let's clone him.

[prizefighterinferno]

Mikael Backlund's last 19 games:
10 goals, 8 assists, 18 points, + 7

[OzSome]

Not really upset about the lost because Nashville is ahead of us in standing and they are still fighting for playoff spot that Canucks are trying to get.
Pretty wild 2nd period but that made the game exciting though. It was also an exciting finish. Here I am thinking this is going to be a low scoring game because they are playing Nashville. What a surprise!! 6 goals scored by Preds and 5 for Flames.

- Kenny Agostino i thought looks good out there. He was very much aware of his defensive game and when he gets a chance to get the puck, i thought he did okay. It is his first game so I am looking forward in seeing him against the Coilers.
- Tyler Wotherspoon. Normally you don't notice the guy much which is a good thing also. But tonight I thought he played really well. He really fits in well with Ladislav Smid.
- Paul Byron. i love this guy speed. He is very aware of his positioning defensively and offensively. He is also not afraid to hit or get hit tonight. Good line with Backs and Cammy.
- Joni Ortio. He was a bit shaky tonight and that was the first time I've seen him did not play well. Oh well the veteran Rinne on the other side played awful also.

[Blarg]

I'm giving Glencross a pass for awhile because he's probably gun-shy after getting his knee injured twice in the same year. Hopefully he comes back raring to go next season.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by prizefighterinferno

Mikael Backlund's last 19 games:
10 goals, 8 assists, 18 points, + 7

Where are you, WhereareyouChrisOsullivan?

[codynw]

Originally Posted by prizefighterinferno

Mikael Backlund's last 19 games:
10 goals, 8 assists, 18 points, + 7

This guy going to dominate the KHL next season.

[Gaskal]

Man Glencross has surpassed Butler levels of fails leading to goals against.

3 tonight if I'm not mistaken. 3!
Weber's first (let him sneak in off blueline)
Weber's second. (Bad penalty leads to bullet of a PP goal)
Cullen 3rd period. (Loses his man again)

[Deegee]

Thanks to the ticket exchange was able to bring my son to the game. Lots of fun, but the crowd seemed pretty quiet. Was in PL seats and watched some jerk in PL3 Row 1 Seat 1 toss assorted stuff for the first little while over the cover onto the people in the second level of the bowl. Then watched security deal with him. Then he and his buddy tried to argue with security and were then removed.

[Where ru Chris O'Sullivan]

Originally Posted by flameswin

Where are you, WhereareyouChrisOsullivan?

I'm here, don't worry!
Backs has had a good run of late, but this doesn't change my assertion that he's ppg when the team is an afterthought, and pp2.6g when teams aren't looking past us.

The stat you should be trumpeting is the 69GP

[calgarywinning]

Yeah Glencross was like a bungled burglar at the crime scene every time there was a goal. I noticed that big time. Stajan was a step off. Other than that, the Flames showed no quit and it was a very entertaining game!

[Hockey_Ninja]

Originally Posted by prizefighterinferno

Mikael Backlund's last 19 games:
10 goals, 8 assists, 18 points, + 7

#KHLbound

[Enoch Root]

Wotherspoon is already better than Erixon!

[Cole436]

Originally Posted by Where ru Chris O'Sullivan

I'm here, don't worry!
Backs has had a good run of late, but this doesn't change my assertion that he's ppg when the team is an afterthought, and pp2.6g when teams aren't looking past us.

The stat you should be trumpeting is the 69GP

So by that logic, shouldn't all our NHL forwards be at higher than a PPG in the last 20 games?

[CaptainCrunch]

Its funny when all the talking heads talk about the Flames being a lunch bucket low skilled team, doomed to clog up the center ice zone and dump the puck in until the bells ring and the apocalypse dooms us all. but this is probably the best passing team that I've seen in years.

I'm not too upset at the loss tonight, this year for me has been all about evaluating individual players and looking to the future. I'm very happy with what I'm seeing.

Oh and Mac Davis can s$$$ it

[driveway]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

If they are going to trade him then they better do it in the summer. Cashing in on deadline rentals seems like a thing of the past.

I think this year was a slight aberration as opposed to the beginning of a trend. The combination of an unusual number of top-line wingers being available, the cluster-sexual-intercourse that is Vancouver and Kessler, and the lowered cap and lack of cap-space combined to make it a buyer's market.

Next year teams will have more cap-space to play with and, looking at the list of UFA's on the bottom 8 teams in the league, here's who could be available at next year's deadline:

NSH
Mike Fischer
Matt Cullen

OTT
Jason Spezza
Bobby Ryan
Clarke MacArthur

CAR
Andrej Sekera

CGY
Curtis Glencross

NYI
Lubomir Visnovsky
Matt Carkner

FLA
Thomas Fleischmann
Scottie Upshall

EDM
No one really ... Fasth?

BUF
Chris Stewart
Drew Stafford

Now, it's probable that some team other than these eight will be near the bottom next year, of the likely candidates: Winnipeg, New Jersey, and Vancouver;

Winnipeg has no 2015 UFA's to speak of, the Canucks have David Booth - whose value is, I think, lower than Glencross'. Only New Jersey has interesting UFA's in Michael Ryder and Damian Brunner.

I think the value of Glencross will depend hugely on how Ottawa, New Jersey and Nashville are all doing around the time of the deadline. If those three teams are in the hunt enough to not be sellers, you're looking at the available forwards being Glencross, Stafford, Stewart, Upshall, and Fleischmann.

If Glencross has a healthy year, it's entirely possible we'll be going into the trade deadline with one of the best wingers available, and a player who has a reputation around the league as having 'grit.'

If Ottawa has decided to have a fire-sale, all bets are obviously off, but I think it's reasonable to expect a good or very good return for Glencross next year.

[formulate]

Entertaining game!

Brodie was magnificent tonight. Nothing that will show up on the scoresheet, but his play getting the puck out of the defensive zone was brilliant. There was one particular instance in the first period (3:30 remaining) where he took the puck from behind the net fending off Bourque, turned back to regain control, then turned right back up the ice, shaking off Bourque and boom, wide open ice. It was beautiful. If AC is reading this and wants to gif it (about 36:20-36:28 on the GC Calgary feed), that would be much appreciated. I would do it myself if I had any idea how...

Agostino and the kid line looked, well, just okay. Never really got much going in the offensive zone, but weren't giving up too many chances in their own end either. Hopefully they'll only get better with more time together.

Cammalleri-Backlund-Byron looked awesome all game. They seem to know where to be, and where each other will be. I wouldn't mind seeing them together next year, or Hudler taking Cammy's spot if he ends up testing free agency. Backlund is going to hit 50 points next year (assuming health). All in the NHL.

Wotherspoon played more assertively than I've seen from him, actually making him more noticeable. Must have been cool for him to play against his former partner in Seth Jones. It's gonna be interesting to see who out of him, Butler and Wideman is on the opening day roster next year.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

Man Glencross has surpassed Butler levels of fails leading to goals against.

3 tonight if I'm not mistaken. 3!
Weber's first (let him sneak in off blueline)
Weber's second. (Bad penalty leads to bullet of a PP goal)
Cullen 3rd period. (Loses his man again)

And we may just have a top 5 pick to thank him for. Tonight's blunders alone may actually keep us far enough back from passing Nashville.

Tankface!

In reality, though, if we somehow #### up vs the Oil tomorrow, then Edmonton will leap Florida and the 2nd-4th last place teams will all be within 3 points of us.

[AcGold]

Put butler in net. Tankmode engage

[PIMking]

some teams just suck like edmonton and are not fun to watch, this team for the most part has been very amusing to watch.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by StrykerSteve

Darren Haynes ‏@DarrenHaynes_CP 1h With 2 assists tonight, Giordano has 13 pts in March (3 g,10 a). That's fourth in NHL behind: Seguin (6-9-15), Giroux (5-10-15), Duchene (3-11-14)

Some GM's should be kicking themselves for not ponying up a little more for little Cammy.