If they were playing the Sabres, they would have lost 7-1. They were listless, they gave the puck away, they didn't seem to care about each other. It was awful. Blaming the refs on this one is as weak as a limp-wristed Roman Hamrlik clearing attempt. They have no one else to blame but themselves.
The only thing more boring than a Flames game is another team beating the Flames by doing the exact same thing, only better. Simply put, the Flames were out-Flamed, Kipper was out-Kippered, and Sutter was out-Suttered.
That being said, they had a terrific season otherwise, beating up on their division like Beauchemin beat up Iginla. Kiprusoff established himself among the goaltending elite and the Flames defense could be considered the best in the game. Plus, they made the playoffs for the second year in a row. These are no trifling matters.
Still, weaknesses remain. The most obvious is the lack of supplementary scoring. When Joe Thornton was traded to San Jose, Flames fans were asking, Why not us? Indeed. We did gain a capable backup in Brian Boucher at the deadline, and I'd take Lundmark any day over Wiemer, but where was the first-line centre which had been lacking even during the 2004 run? I like Langkow and I think Huselius is only going to get better. But Iginla needs someone willing to set him up as well as someone big and talented enough to clear space in the offensive zone.
Sutter's got his work cut out for him. If he doesn't realize that, then his tenure in this town will be shorter than Barry Bonds' credibility.
As a fan of the Roughriders, it is easy for me to say, We'll get 'em next year.
