Pre-Game Talk: Calgary Flames @ Nashville Predators

[YMCMBYOLO]

Most important game of the season, game is tomorrow, thought we could talk about it.

Flames win 4-2

Click to read more...

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

It might seem odd to people but I really don't like the Preds this year. I think they're the pretenders in the west. Remember that year they traded a 1st for Gaustad and people were picking them to make the SCFs?

I think the Flames win this one.

 

[DCDM]

It might seem odd to people but I really don't like the Preds this year. I think they're the pretenders in the west. Remember that year they traded a 1st for Gaustad and people were picking them to make the SCFs?

I think the Flames win this one.

I have to say I feel similarly. I want them to succeed but they actually don't scare me very much.

We have a very real chance to win this game. Let's make it happen.

 

[Gritty]

Nice to see the Preds playing today and winning.

If they lost today, there might be some extra desperation on their part to right the ship... Hopefully we play a tired Preds team and take a regulation win.

Also, maybe we won't see Rinne because of the back-to-back!

 

[NHLGuy1]

Nice to see the Preds playing today and winning.

If they lost today, there might be some extra desperation on their part to right the ship... Hopefully we play a tired Preds team and take a regulation win.

Also, maybe we won't see Rinne because of the back-to-back!

i hope so

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

I'm not big on Rinne either. I might seem like a hater but I'm just not a believer. Rinne seems to get blown out more than any other "top goalie" in the League. He'll have stretches of dominance and then give up 5 and get pulled.

 

[Bosnian Beast]

I'm not big on Rinne either. I might seem like a hater but I'm just not a believer. Rinne seems to get blown out more than any other "top goalie" in the League. He'll have stretches of dominance and then give up 5 and get pulled.

Kipper was this way too, though. The only difference is, Kipper was rarely pulled back in the day.

Anyway, I actually have a good feeling about this game tomorrow unlike the last two. Hope the Flames will be able to pull out a big win tomorrow!

 

[Mobiandi]

Morale is probably at an all-time low right now, likely similar to how it was when Gio got injured.

Players could really do with a win tonight.

 

[Mobiandi]

Kipper was this way too, though. The only difference is, Kipper was rarely pulled back in the day.

Anyway, I actually have a good feeling about this game tomorrow unlike the last two. Hope the Flames will be able to pull out a big win tomorrow!

That's because we had the most inept and unreliable backups in the league. And I think that's partly why Kipper had some of those kind of nights; it was just plain tiredness.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Kipper was this way too, though. The only difference is, Kipper was rarely pulled back in the day.

Anyway, I actually have a good feeling about this game tomorrow unlike the last two. Hope the Flames will be able to pull out a big win tomorrow!

That's because our only other option was McBackup. Kipper had no choice but to be THE guy.

 

[Bosnian Beast]

That's because we had the most inept and unreliable backups in the league. And I think that's partly why Kipper had some of those kind of nights; it was just plain tiredness.

That's because our only other option was McBackup. Kipper had no choice but to be THE guy.

Entirely true, but even when we had competent back-ups for Kipper in short stints (Cujo, Toskala, McLennan) they didn't start many games (Noodles played quite a few games in 2003/2004 actually, but that was also the year that Turek went down and we traded for Kipper) and Kipper would still have bad games in his prime. To argue that Rinne is not an elite goalie on the basis of having five goal games is unfair, since many goalies that are considered elite have had those kind of games as well. Just my $0.02.

 

[Lunatik]

we're boned

 

[Tofveve]

One thing I want to point out . . .

Many of the the league's top teams have been struggling over the last while: NYI, Pitts, Nash (hit and miss a bit), and even NYR over the last couple games. Others like Chi and Ana have been a bit up and down too. And yet we hope for near-perfection from Calgary.

I think the reality of our situation is we need some of the teams we're competing with to just be a bit more human. Stay the course. We do likely need 10 points in 7 games but it's not impossible.

 

[Tofveve]

The biggest thing we can hope for is that one of the following tank and play below 500 down the stretch: Van, Winn., LA. We only need one to drop out. Not impossible.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

I've never bought the "over working your goalie" argument. None of the other players on a team need nights off, and I'd argue that skaters exert themselves more than a goalie does. I honestly don't understand why barring injury that a goalie doesn't play 82 games except to keep your backup warm.

 

[Johnny GODreau]

I'd like to see these lines...

Gaudreau-Monahan-Hudler
Granlund-Backlund-Shore
Bouma-Stajan-Jones
Byron-Jooris-Colborne

Ideally I'd like to see Ferland and Wolf as well.

 

[KingPuckChoo]

you know, just to let you guys know if it were up to me...i'd have LA and CGY make it...and VAN out

i feel mushy

 

[Mobiandi]

I've never bought the "over working your goalie" argument. None of the other players on a team need nights off, and I'd argue that skaters exert themselves more than a goalie does. I honestly don't understand why barring injury that a goalie doesn't play 82 games except to keep your backup warm.

It's more mental exhaustion than anything else. He's out there for the full 60 minutes, and has to constantly read the game, anticipate, and adjust accordingly. As the last line of defense, a lot of responsibility falls on him to help the keep the team in the game, more so than anyone else. He's hardly ever inactive; the only prolonged breaks he has during a game, to collect himself, is when his team's on the powerplay. Likewise, an average skater spends about two-thirds of the game on the bench and has a greater opportunity to settle down and calm himself down. It's may seem like a weak comparison, but being a goalie is a lot like NASCAR and F1 racing. It just progressively wears you out, and you have to have a great deal of mental toughness and composure to stay competitive in the race for its entirety. Which is why if you'd ask a professional racer if they could do it all over again the next day, hardly any of them would be able to.

 

[Johnny GODreau]

you know, just to let you guys know if it were up to me...i'd have LA and CGY make it...and VAN out

i feel mushy

If it were up to you would Vancouver also have a 0% chance at the Lottery?

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

It's more mental exhaustion than anything else. He's out there for the full 60 minutes, and has to constantly read the game, anticipate, and adjust accordingly. As the last line of defense, a lot of responsibility falls on him to help the keep the team in the game, more so than anyone else. He's hardly ever inactive; the only prolonged breaks he has during a game, to collect himself, is when his team's on the powerplay. Likewise, an average skater spends about two-thirds of the game on the bench and has a greater opportunity to settle down and calm himself down. It's may seem like a weak comparison, but being a goalie is a lot like NASCAR and F1 racing. It just progressively wears you out, and you have to have a great deal of mental toughness and composure to stay competitive in the race for its entirety. Which is why if you'd ask a professional racer if they could do it all over again the next day, hardly any of them would be able to.

Yeah the mental part is the argument I hear often, I just don't know if I buy it. I think goalies want to play every game, these are professional athletes, it's not like a pitcher in baseball who would throw his arm out by pitching every game.

Elite starting goalies in my mind should be playing 70-75 games a year. I know I'm in the minority though, I doubt it every changes.