Sun, Surf and hopefully Some Wins! The California Road Trip

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Do we know if they have put cancellation insurance on their Napa Valley wine tour?

Reservation was obviously under Iginla's name, so who cares

[SeeGeeWhy]

Monahan scores 5, including the GWG, in San Jose and rides Thornton's face like a toboggan so he can Tea Bag him while sliding across centre ice.

[RyZ]

1-2-2 for 4pts would be nice. I could see it going worse than that though. 2 pts wouldnt suprise me. California is death valley this year.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by jonesy

Do the Flames do another Cali road trip? I seem to have missed the boat on this one, but always had it in the back of my mind to tag along one of these days.

They play Anaheim and LA on November 29 & 30. It's Thanksgiving weekend in the States, so the Anaheim game is on a Friday afternoon.

That would be a good trip to make because it's back-to-back nights without any travel required in between. A few years ago, I went down for an Anaheim Friday night game and Phoenix Saturday night game. It was good, but it meant basically heading right back to the hotel after the Friday game to get some sleep before driving 5 hours to Phoenix.

[To Be Quite Honest]

4 points.

This team works well when we don't believe they can do it.

[genetic_phreek]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Am I alone in left field in thinking that this early season trip will be critical in defining who this team is?

I should also note that I hope the flames let joe t score four goals in a game. I'd love to hear Kerr call, and there goes Thornton, reaching into his pants and pulling out his python.....

I don't want to know how you know he has a python, and I also do not want to see or hear of anyone pulling out their python.

Just sayin.........

[Stanley]

Just win in Anaheim FFS!!

[Stanley]

Will be interesting to see how the goalie situation plays out on this road trip...does Hartley ride Joey Mac in Anaheim? When does Ramo draw back in?

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Bingo

The ten point posts are clearly in jest, but the "5 points and I'll be happy" crowd concerns me. I love the start and it's fun to watch, but 5 points for a "going for the playoffs with Iginla and a veteran laded crew" squad would also have made me happy.

This team is bound to sputter, I hope the great start hasn't blurred the reality of the situation.

Three points is a good trip at this point, and keep them on that bubble through ten games.

This one does not believe..

Burn him at the stake! haha.

[D-Red]

Originally Posted by Stanley

Will be interesting to see how the goalie situation plays out on this road trip...does Hartley ride Joey Mac in Anaheim? When does Ramo draw back in?

Saw Steinberg tweet today that they're stickin with Joey in ANA. Imagine Ramo is between the pipes for either LA or PHX.

[stemit14]

I like the game the flames are playing now so I think they could very well pull out 8 points on this road trip. I think San Jose could be the toughest game on this difficult road trip. I know lots of you like to criticize iginla but over the years, it was always him and kipper that seemed to pull off those great wins against the sharks. I still remember that awesome game 3 years ago where iggy got the Geordie Howe hat trick against the sharks in Calgary. He one-punched Ryan Clowe in the 3rd period... What game! What a player! Hopefully the flames can find a way to keep up their hard work and keep the streak going. GFG!!

[ah123]

Originally Posted by stemit14

I like the game the flames are playing now so I think they could very well pull out 8 points on this road trip.

You are far more optimistic than me; I just hope the Flames don't get blown out three times. Calgary's defense & goaltending hasn't been that great that they can stop two red-hot teams such as the Ducks and the Sharks

[strombad]

I'd say 5 is generous, 3 is likely, but I think it'll be 4. 1-2-2.
I think we beat Dallas or Phoenix, the other goes to overtime, get trounced by the Sharks, and lose in overtime to LA.
I want so BADLY to beat Anaheim though.

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by Bingo

The ten point posts are clearly in jest, but the "5 points and I'll be happy" crowd concerns me. I love the start and it's fun to watch, but 5 points for a "going for the playoffs with Iginla and a veteran laded crew" squad would also have made me happy.

This team is bound to sputter, I hope the great start hasn't blurred the reality of the situation.

Three points is a good trip at this point, and keep them on that bubble through ten games.

In the 1500's Copernicus suggested that the earth was not at the centre of the universe and likely would have been burned at the stake for being a heretic had he not died shortly after pronunciation. of course we later learned he was unfortunately correct.

When I first the above quote, I was ready to invite bingo over for a BBQ; however, I believe that like Copernicus, Bingo will be proven correct by this time next week.....

As an aside, Tyco Brahae is my all time favourite olde thyme astronomist guy....Sagan obviously leads the young guns.....

[dissentowner]

How many others predicted moon would vote zero? I don't care what you say moon, there is no way in hell you actually are a Flames fan. I have never seen somebody who is a supposed die hard fan of a team crap on them so much. I really don't get it.....

[moon]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

How many others predicted moon would vote zero? I don't care what you say moon, there is no way in hell you actually are a Flames fan. I have never seen somebody who is a supposed die hard fan of a team crap on them so much. I really don't get it.....

Well luckily for me, and the Flames, what dissentower thinks ranks about 0 on the list of qualifications to be a Flames fan.

It is a tough road trip for a bad team that has got a lot of breaks to get the points they have. I think the bubble will burst and the team will struggle to get out of a losing streak when they inevitably hit it.

I haven't really crapped on the team that much since the season and pointed out the stupidity of the article that Lambert wrote on yahoo. If I actually disliked the team and wanted to "crap on them so much" that would have been an easy time to back up that article.

[Badgers Nose]

I love watching them, but I think they get a dose of reality this trip. 0 points.

Cali teams manhandle them, then Coyotes choke them. Maybe get a couple of points against Dallas.

Hope I am wrong though.

(I am not cheering against them, just being realistic)

[UKflames]

Over the past few years this trip has always been the first nail in our coffin that became the season, so I am hoping for a different Cali trip this year.

If we can go at least .500 on this trip I will be happy esepcially if we can get the win in the Honda centre, which seems to be a graveyard for us.

[Enoch Root]

according to the poll, the over/under is 4 1/2... I have to take the under there (and then hope I lose).

Here I how I am looking at this trip:

7 (or more): phenomenal - Cinderella time (giant high with a huge crash pending)
6: amazing - good enough to actually start thinking that there might be a chance for the playoffs
5: an excellent road trip - the good start is more than just a flash
4: a good / expected road trip, absolutely nothing wrong with 4 pts on this trip
3: nothing to be ashamed of - still over .500
2: well, it was a nasty stretch and I am not going to lose any sleep over it - let's see how they recover
1: reality has set in early
0: uh oh

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

according to the poll, the over/under is 4 1/2... I have to take the under there (and then hope I lose).

And that's why I love slapping polls on these things ... you get your bell curve and you can see where sentiment lies.

I'm at 3 points, but it would be fun to pleasantly surprised