"A Post For Jessica"

I have been told that I need to be writing in here MORE. Bossy, I know. I also thought that I would have been able to give you an excellent update however, all I can tell you is that the Flames have been on their longest losing streak of the season and sliding down that slippery slope at quite the rate. After losing to Anaheim on Sunday night we had officially lost 4 in a row for the first time this hockey year and had our butts handed back to us last night after a staggering 9-1 loss in San Jose. The sad part is that we haven't won a single game in Anaheim in six years, so why stop now? Doesn't that seem a little out of control?

The last time we went through something that ridiculous was with the Nashville Predators, having gone seven years + without winning a single game against the team, period. Fortunately we broke that standing a few years back (2006-07 season? I can't remember, maybe earlier than that. Someone correct me if I'm wrong) and have not established a consistent record of winning or losing since. Anaheim is another story. It's unfortunate when you walk into a game knowing what your statistics are and can't seem to hold down the fort you thought would be sturdy enough to turn the tables. I was unable to watch that game although I caught the first twenty and the last ten on the radio. (OH, FAN 960...I can always count on you!) All of the announcers kept saying that Anaheim played terribly, that the Flames were all over them, however we couldn't keep up with the scoring and fell to the Ducks 4-3. I can't make any judgment calls, but I did hear that Curtis just wasn't on top of his "A" game. Let's not give him any hard times before we discuss the game I did watch, shall we?

What in the land of Hockey Gods happened last night?! I pretty much stopped watching after the halfway point of the second period. Then I told myself that was no way to be and turned the TV back to see that it was 7-1 for the Sharks. I missed the lone Calgary goal, but it's not like it was anything triumphant, and from what most articles are saying this morning, Regehr's efforts to shut down what would have otherwise been a shutout for Nabokov, didn't seem like anything worthy of reward.

The Official Calgary Flames website declared, "Calgary has lost five straight for the first time since November 2007" after last night's embarrassment in San Jose. Everyone who knows me is aware of my passionate dislike for the Sharks... so my hockey ego is a little sore today. I think everyone's ego's are slightly out of shape, or at least they should be. WAKE UP, CALGARY! This isn't the team we started out with this year, so unless something is done and fast, we aren't making history in our 30th year. Yes, we have a cup in our possession but let's get real about that simple fact. 1989 was 21 years ago and unless we can make a run for it like we did in '04, I don't think I'll be able to use that line on anyone anymore. This is the team we have been building since we acquired Jarome Iginla fifteen years ago from Dallas... this is the team that SHOULD be able to get us anywhere. What is the problem? HA!

I still stand by my beliefs and look at how my predictions became a terribly sad reality this season. I was the one who said NO to Olli Jokinen. I wanted to keep Michael Cammalleri and trade Jokinen to free up money that we should have paid someone who was already WORKING for this team. Except Jokinen made two fancy goals and passed a pretty puck here and there. Dazzling. Cammalleri has 22 goals so far this season with the Montreal Canadians, surpassing our Captain, Jarome Iginla by one. Jokinen has less than half that with 10 for the season. Still Dazzled? I'm not a fan and people with more "experience" with the hockey world told me to settle down because he would be far better than Cammalleri for my team. Oh really, well thank you for your wisdom. I was right. You and Darryl Sutter, well, you were wrong.

While I'm at it I might as well tell you how I feel about Bouwmeester. I like him, I do. However, we already have Dion Phaneuf, so if you wouldn't mind staying out of the penalty box and leaving that up to him and Adam Pardy that would be lovely. I like my defensemen on the ice and I think we could all learn a thing or two from Mark Giordano in that area. He's one that I don't talk a lot about here, but he's becoming a far better player before my eyes and another thing that I think he's accomplishing well is leadership skills. I'm not saying that Jay isn't a great player at all, he takes some penalties when he has to and that is part of your job on the ice defending our net minder. No one did their job last night. We can't claim first place in our division anymore and we're going to need a lot more than focus to regain that title anytime soon. As it stands, we are barely in the running for a playoff spot and whether there is time to regroup or not, anything can happen between now and then. Last season we went into the playoffs with a severely injury stricken team and sank. This season we are strong and healthy with the same future ahead of us. That, to me, makes no sense whatsoever.

This is our 30th anniversary, boys! I know that we can make some history with the team we have now, so let's act like it! We have a few days off before we host another of the leagues most effective and talented teams this Thursday night. Chicago is going to march into our 'Dome thinking they can walk all over us. Let's take this streak and end it with them. We are not done here. We will not lay down and die! And Jarome? You are an Olympic athlete! Get out there and show this team how to play like Olympians! We can't allow or expect Kipper play all by himself. Thursday we start a winning streak and we play like 2010 NHL Playoff Champions! Capeesh?

GO FLAMES GO!

T