OffThePost.org

Lots of interesting storylines here:

• Is the rivalry dead? If it isn't, it's certainly on life-support. A team that's been underperforming badly for several years now, the Phlegms just don't seem as intimidating as they once did and whatever rivalry still remains just doesn't ignite the same kind of passion on either side that it had in the past...
• Iggy vs. Hamhuis? Really? Mitchell and Ohlund are gone... Can we expect Hamhuis out against Iginla?
• Kipper vs. Luongo: I think Kipper wins this one easily...
• A win by the Phlegms and they are just three points back of 1st in the NW - hard to believe given how poorly they've performed. The CalPuck faithful are seeing the six games against Vancouver as perhaps making or breaking their season... WIn the series and no matter what happens, they can at least claim superiority over the Canucks - whatever else happens during their season will be more acceptable... Win all six games and that's 12 points the can gain in the NW.
• WIll the real Vancouver Canucks please just step up? They've won convincingly against San Jose and Colorado, but lost badly against Chicago and came up short against Phoenix. If they are truly SC contenders, I think they need to step up and play like it.
  Giordano / Babchuk / Regehr / J Bo vs. Sedins / Kesler - should be interesting to see how this turns out.

Just win, dammit. 4-2 Vancouver.

Even I have to admit, this is pretty awesome as Photoshop jobs go:


EDIT: More courtesy of CalPuck:

Raymond gives us the early lead. Man I've been pretty desperate for Canucks hockey!

Those are pretty good TCL

looks like a pretty even game 3-2 half way through it for the good guys. We're way ahead on powerplays though so the even ups could be killers

A five minute PP and no goal, not even any consistent pressure... That could be a HUGE turning point...

MayRay makes it 4-2 with a shorty...

Burr makes it 5-2...

turns into a bit of a laugher in the 3rd, raymond gets the hatty and hopefully on track. 7-2 final, next we look to make up for the embarrasment Chicago handed us.

7-2 F. Kipper gets absolutely no support in the third period. The Canucks go 1 for their first 6 PPs thought but for some lucky bounces finish 3 for 8... Sounds like they had nothing going until late in the game when the Phlegms had given up. MayRay with the Hattie and four points tonight.

It's official: Ollie Jokinen is cursed. The Phlegms not only are two points from the West basement, but they are 11 points behind last season's pace - when they missed the playoffs. Oh, and 66+ pages of sweet Schadenfreude...

Darryl Sutter has to go.

The rivalry is not dead...the Flames, however, are.

The Jokinen and Tanguay signings were proof positive that Sutter has no cards left to play. He should've been fired the very moment he even thought about bringing Olli back.

Ownership has already become more vocal in the last few weeks than they've been the entire time Sutter's been in charge. Change is coming very, very soon.

Try the moment he made the Jokinen trade...

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Thanks Chuck, E.L. and Harmy!

Did anyone see Brent Sutter's pre-game comments? It sounded like he didn't even know which Flames team would show up... A clear sign that the team has all but tuned out the coaching staff... Is anyone from ownership even listening? How long can this go on? If they could bring back OJ and Tanguay, is it too farfetched to bring back Mike Keenan to clean house?

I hear it all but until the day ownership actually makes a move on the infallible Sutters i'll be snickering at this team from my couch in the Man's area. And uh....snoozing on games half way through.

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Read today on TSN that the Owners are fully behind the Sutters... Way to spend to the cap on a team that is even worse than last season's team...

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