Seriously, what do you say after the Penguins debacle? The deep reality is that this team is not good. In all aspects of their game, the Flames are suspect to awful.  

Mike Smith

Mike Smith must have taken some ugly pills, to put it mildly. Mike Smith's confidence level is at an all-time low. His positioning is struggling, getting caught out the net. He is having trouble controlling the rebounds. Generally, he lets the weak shots handcuff him.  But the biggest fear is his teammates losing confidence in him, which leads to more mistakes and players overcompensating in their defensive zone.

The Power Play (the joke of the League)

This powerplay is awful, lethargic at best. No energy to the puck, no imagination in the execution of the powerplay. Everyone knows what the Flames are going to do. The players are acting like they're on a picnic and have all the time in the world to get the puck in the corners. They are getting outmuscled and outskated for the puck.  They are not getting the loose pucks, which is extremely embarrassing when they have the extra man.

Lazy Play

The Flames continue to try to take the easy way out in their zone.  They seem to spend to much time holding and slashing, instead of getting in front of the opposition.  If they do not put in the work, this team will be a lottery pick contender instead of a playoff contender. You notice I did not say cup contender, because even at their best, they are not a cup contender.

Flames and Jackets have had discussions

The Flames have contacted the Jackets about the availability of Bobrovsky, the Jacket goalie.  The Flames have been told that Bobrovsky is not on the market at this time, but the Flames have an interest in making this happen. The problem is the Russian goalie is going to test the market for making a player rental. How much do they pay for a player who is going to stay for one year?  Are they willing to give up on Smith?  Have they given Smith enough time to turn this around?   How many assets will they have to give up?  Is it worth the price? Even with a goalie, is this team close to being a contender?

Welcome to the NHL

Welcome Dillon Dube and Juuso Valimaki to the NHL!

Juuso Valimaki

No wonder Juuso is on the Flames. He has the ability to pass the puck the forward. He is beyond his years in his ability to stay cool under pressure.  I have never seen a dman keep his cool in his own zone like Juuso. I admire his smarts in the defensive zone.  He understands his responsibility in the defensive role. He has some very good offensive skills. He knows when to pitch in and when not to. Juuso earned his place in the NHL and had to beat out the previous top prospect Rasmus Andersson to do it.  He is a nineteen-year-old who plays like a grizzled vet.

Dillon Dube 

Dillon is a playmaking forward who has skills to burn. His biggest asset is his quick release. He shoots the puck so fast the goalies are often caught off guard.  I love the fact he has the heart of a lion. He will do what it takes to be a winner.

Last year, the Flames were known for their careless attitude. Lazy play was the norm; they were a huge disappointment. No one knew it better than Brad Treliving, who was determined there would be no passengers this year. He did this by bringing in Hanifin and Lindholm. Mr. Neal Hustle and no-nonsense play do not hurt either.

Talking about Ellias Linholm, it looks like the Flames have finally found the right-wing answer to Monahan and Johnny. Ellias made a nifty play to snag the tying goal in Colorado. The major part of that goal was that the Flames were shooting high most of the night, Ellias kept low to even the score. It is the first time he has been looked to as the sniper.  Monahan and Johnny are probably the two most gifted players Linholm has played with it for some time.

The main concern for the season has been the inconsistent play of Mike Smith. He has either been very bad or very good. In the Canuck game, he was simply horrific, yet in that same game, he made the save of the game, a split glove save when it was still tied. In Nashville, he was tested with 43 shots and, of course, the shutout.  He was then awful in St. Louis the next night with a loss of 5-3. To be fair, none of the team showed up until the third period. Too little too late.

The Flames have to put an effort of sixty minutes a night. They gave up two goals because of mistakes in Denver; luckily they tightened their belts and came back. The Avs game was their best of the year; it should not have gone into overtime.  But again, the Flames let up for those first three minutes and were behind 2-0.  The key to success is hard work and playing a full 60 minutes. They have enough talent to win every night, but they can't do it without working. Talent does not always win; the Habs and Sens have been proving that this season.