Stanley Cup Playoff Pick 'Em 2007

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Asher

Whenever your post is discussed, your squirm and change topics. Read the thread history.

At some point, the poster needs to be reprimanded for such classless activity.

You're not the one who hands out reprimands around here, sweetheart.

I'm wondering how many times you get to launch into personal invective before you receive some discipline.

[Flubber]

err back to the game--

About the best thing I can say is that I had good seats -- The flames got owned in every department except goaltending and deservedly lost. I am not shocked at all

They do however ruin what had been a perfect run at predicting series winners. IF I was picking based on anything other than homerism, I would have picked Detroit but c'est la vie

[Flubber]

Flames for next season

1. Kipper is awesome--

2. D?? Tough to think they will keep all the d they have particularly since Ference and Regehr number twos should still be available for spot duty. I like what Stuart brings and Phaneuf and Regehr--Hammer could be a question mark

3. Up front

Huselius-- he disappeared this series-- can that be forgiven?

Amonte?? Seemed to try hard but can you keep him around

Friesen?? Hard worker and I love that he blocks shots but not enough offensive upside

Primeau-- I like him but I don't know where he fits



Now Sutter ?? How does he come out of this? he has created a deep team but a team that was still owned throughout this playoff. He picked the coach AND the players. I don't see anywhere on his lineup a pleasant surpriuse like Cleary for the Wings-- NHL minimum salary IIRC-- he kills penalties, takes the body better than any Calgary forward and chipped in 20 goals.

PLayfair?? Its been beaten to death-- IF a team does not mneet expectations there are those that want his head on a platter-- right Asher??

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Detroit vs Calgary: Detroit 4-2
Anaheim vs Minnesota: Anaheim 4-1
Vancouver vs Dallas: Vancouver 4-3
Nashville vs San Jose: Nashville 4-0

Buffalo vs NY Islanders: Buffalo 4-1
New Jersey vs Tampa Bay: New Jersey 4-2
Atlanta vs NY Rangers: NY Rangers 4-3
Ottawa vs Pittsburgh: Ottawa 4-2

Eastern Conference Champions: Ottawa
Western Conference Champions: Anaheim
Stanley Cup Champions: Anaheim

Apparently I agree with Grapes

Not doing too bad so far.

Missed one series completely (Nash-SJ)

Six correct picks so far
Four of those in the right number of games

Depending on what happens Monday I'm going to have either 10 or 12 points.

Not too bad.

[Asher]

PLayfair?? Its been beaten to death-- IF a team does not mneet expectations there are those that want his head on a platter-- right Asher??

Yup, if he's not gone next season I'm going to switch my allegiance to the Pens until he is gone.

But it's widely speculated he is gone. I think with the players he was given by Sutter, a LOT more was expected of this team. And if Playfair truly did have a 'defense-first' system like he claims, clearly that's not what happened looking at the incredible shot counts in this series.

Bring in Brent Sutter...please....

[Asher]

Originally posted by notyoueither
The fact remains, Calgary can't hold the jock strap of the City of Edmonton.

Judging by the NHL player exodus and the player polls that pit Edmonton among the worst cities to play for, I'd say "jock strap" is an accurate description of your city.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Asher


Yup, if he's not gone next season I'm going to switch my allegiance to the Pens until he is gone.

Really? While I will enjoy watching that young Pens team develop, they will never get MY allegience!! Given your location why not cheer for the Leafs ?

Originally posted by Asher

But it's widely speculated he is gone.

It wouldn't shock me if he is gone- it wouldn't shock me if they give him a second season

Originally posted by Asher


. I think with the players he was given by Sutter, a LOT more was expected of this team.

Well Calgary did get pretty badly outplayed . .. . . The questions then comes down to whether the coach got as much from the players as could be expected OR were the views of the players a bit optimistic.

Also how many years does Sutter get? This is two early playoff exits in a row. The glow of the 2004 deep run is still fresh but looking at what he has done "lately", I am not seeing many jewels in what he has done


--Tanguay-- good signing that added a strong playmaker-- I think this season we got from Tanguay pretty much exactly what you could expect

Stuart and Primeau-- Pretty good rentals-- both were among the stronger Flames in the playoffs and the reality was that he gave up an underachiever (Kobasew) and an undersized but useful defenseman (Ference)

-- crafted a team without ONE physical presence up front-- the Flames idea of a hard forecheck is to skate quicker towards and oppopnent before peeling off

-- Conroy-- while he was an emotional lift when he returned, his best days were in 2004 and while he wasn't BAD, he wasn't a leader now either

Freisen-- hard to dog the guy since he dug hard and blocked a hell of a lot of shots. He was actually decent on the PK but was another no-score-no-hit type of guy

[Asher]

Originally posted by Flubber
Really? While I will enjoy watching that young Pens team develop, they will never get MY allegience!! Given your location why not cheer for the Leafs ?

Because that's hopeless...

Also how many years does Sutter get? This is two early playoff exits in a row. The glow of the 2004 deep run is still fresh but looking at what he has done "lately", I am not seeing many jewels in what he has done

He has 1 more year. After next year, the core of this team is out of their contracts and if we don't win by then, it's time to try a new angle. Including the GM.

Unlike the Oilers, I don't see the Flames ownership as being happy losers for years.

--Tanguay-- good signing that added a strong playmaker-- I think this season we got from Tanguay pretty much exactly what you could expect

Yup. Liked him.

Freisen-- hard to dog the guy since he dug hard and blocked a hell of a lot of shots. He was actually decent on the PK but was another no-score-no-hit type of guy

Friesen kind of grew on me throughout the season, but he's not worth $1.4M.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Asher


Yup. Liked him.

Tanguay? Me too. He was one of the few forwards that semed to compete really hard in game 6-- He worked his behind off.


Huselius to me should be gone. While I love some of the creative things he does-- its fun to watch-- I expected he would disappear in the playoffs and sure enough he did

Originally posted by Asher

Friesen kind of grew on me throughout the season, but he's not worth $1.4M.

Nope another 400K kid could fill the role

Oh and Asher do you have a link to the Flames payroll including who is an UFA this year. I saw it once on tsn butI con't recall where .

[Asher]

http://www.nhlnumbers.com/cgy.html

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Asher
http://www.nhlnumbers.com/cgy.html

THanks-- Great chart

[Flubber]

My quickie take

Iginla, Jarome 7.000 UFA -----KEEP
Tanguay, Alex L 5.375 5.375 -----KEEP
Langkow, Daymond 2.442 UFA -----KEEP
Amonte, Tony UFA *****DROP*
Friesen, Jeff L UFA *****DROP*
Yelle, Stephane 1.250 UFA -----KEEP
Huselius, Kristian 1.400 UFA Trade if you can get any value-- he has a reasonable salary for his regular season points production
Nilson, Marcus UFA *****DROP*
Conroy, Craig 2.394 UFA Likeable guy- on the bubble -- Langkow was much better for the same salary
Lombardi, Matthew RFA -- sign!! Young speedster
McCarty, Darren UFA *****DROP*
Ritchie, Byron UFA ??? sometimes useful depth forward
Primeau, Wayne UFA Sign if possible
Moss, David RFA Sign if possible -- lots of upside here
Nystrom, Eric RFA
Godard, Eric RFA Sign if possible -- never hurts to have an enforcer
Boyd, Dustin 0.650 0.675 -----KEEP
Prust, Brandon 0.550 RFA -----KEEP
Germyn, Carsen RFA
Maki, Tomi RFA



Hamrlik, Roman UFA --I would take Stuart over Hammer if we get the option
Warrener, Rhett 2.500 2.500 -----KEEP
Regehr Robyn 2.052 UFA -----KEEP
Zyuzin, Andrei 1.475 UFA -----KEEP
Phaneuf, Dion 0.942 RFA -----KEEP
Stuart, Brad UFA Sign if possible
Giordano, Mark RFA Sign if possible
Regehr, Richie RFA Sign if possible
Hale, David D RFA Some stupidity -- probably ley drop
Ference, Brad UFA


Goaltenders 3.958
Kiprusoff, Miikka 3.600 UFA -----KEEP
McLennan, Jamie UFA
Irving, Leland 0.850 0.850 KEEP
McElhinney, Curtis RFA Sign
Krahn, Brent RFA Sign

[Asher]

Lombardi, Matthew RFA -- sign!! Young speedster

He's already been signed for 2-3 years about a month ago. The chart hasn't been updated.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Asher

Lombardi, Matthew RFA -- sign!! Young speedster

He's already been signed for 2-3 years about a month ago. The chart hasn't been updated.

Excellent-- He's young and fast. He impressed me a LOT in game 3 when it looked like he could bust through a concrete wall, he was so intense. He wasn't as good in the other games but I think that a player with his speed is always welcome

[Asher]

http://fiveholefanatics.blogspot.com/2007/04/requiem-for-team.html

By the end of the year, the Calgary Flames weren't particularly good at anything. They didn't score more than 3 goals in the month of April. They allowed a lot of shots and generated very few. They weren't particularly physical or fast or intelligent. Their forecheck proved to be limp and ineffectual. Their break-out was easily stuffed. They trapped at times, but did so poorly. Their scorers were silenced. They lost their composure in critical games at critical times. Only Kiprusoff, operating alone, managed to maintain some vestige of excellence.

To put it plainly, the team lacked a cohesive, successful strategy. The fact that the Flames played their hearts out and were still embarrassingly over-matched yesterday speaks volumes about the will and mind of the man who was directing traffic behind the bench. The roster didn't lack skill and it didn't lack effort and it was still out-shot more than 2 to 1 in an elimination game in it's own building. If this isn't the clearest, most damning indictment of the coaching staff, I don't know what is.

My condemnation of Playfair is not a knee-jerk reaction to the disappointing round 1 loss. I was loudly questioning his abilities as far back as February. And the same issues I was harping on then - questionable roster decisions, terrible road performance, lack of consistency, lack of cohesion - proved to be the team's undoing in the post-season. In fact, not only were the aforementioned failings still evident come April, they were magnified and exploited by a comparable roster and a superior coach. This wasn't a series won by a chance bounce or questionable officiating. It was won decisively through a successful strategy carried out consistently by an adequately skilled and motivated line-up of players. Detroit's methods and goals were plain upon viewing - puck control and puck possession. Generate as many shots as possible while allowing as few as possible. Force players to the boards in the defensive end, double-team Iginla, two men on the puck at all times.

In contrast, I can't adequately detail what the Flames gameplan was. I'm not sure whether this is due to the fact that it was absent, poorly matched to the opponent or just not executed properly. Were the Flames trying to trap and take advantage of neutral zone errors? Create chances on the transition? Because they did none of those things competently. I think the trap was sorta part of the equation - due to the limp 1-2-2 forecheck Calgary frequently employed - but the Red Wings escaped the neutral zone with the puck so easily I can't really be sure.