Gameday - Chicago

Hey, that's new!

So some of you may be wondering what that thing I've installed on the side of my blog is (or not, I don't know if anyone else really cares what I put on my site). I received an email yesterday from a company called Schmap, which creates widgets that show a team's schedule, as well as a map of where the team's games are (were). I've never been one to think of myself as a corporate shill, as I usually figure myself to be a bit undermotivated to do things for myself, let alone somebody else, but some things require an exception. Most of the emails I receive about putting things on my blog are asking me to promote something, which sounds a lot like work on my part. But this will save me time and effort (and probably you too), which I think is a good thing. If you want to know the upcoming schedule without navigating your way through other sites, or if you want to know when the Flames are coming to a town near you, its pretty easy. It also lets you know where the Flames won't be playing this season (the Northeast and Atlantic divisions), since they don't show up on the map. In addition, if you click on the game it will take you to the ESPN preview for the game (ESPN still previews hockey games?). All in all, a very handy tool to have...

They are going to use me as a sample site, which mean I could use some feedback from my readers (I do have readers, right?). Of course it also means that I will have to forego my occasional reluctance to post when the team is performing poorly (did you miss me the last couple of weeks?), and I will have to keep the language above board (not that I swear all that often anyway)...

End of corporate spiel... ; D

The Flames have won a couple of games of late (including finally topping the Avalanche), so I'm a little less disgruntled than I was a week ago, and from their performance on Tuesday night, I think they might actually be rounding into shape (of course, I also said that a few weeks ago)...

Actually, on the topic of Tuesday's game, I'm wondering how often Roger Millions over-anticipates a play. At one point in the second period (or maybe the third), when the Flames were in the offensive zone and the Avs got a hold of the puck, he assumed that they would get it out and said that the Avs cleared the puck out of the zone. But they didn't. Rhett Warrener kept it in at the line and dumped it back up the boards to where Tanguay and a Colorado player were battling it out, causing the Rog to proclaim that Warrener kept the puck in the zone for a couple more seconds. Obviously he was assuming that one of the two Colorado players between Retro and Tangs would get the puck and clear it out again. But they didn't and play continued in the Avs zone for another twenty seconds or so, until Theodore eventually covered it. I know that anticipating a play is part of the play by play guys job, and they do guess incorrectly on occasion, but I would think that two sentences in a row is a bit much. You'd think he would have learned after Rhett stopped the clearing attempt, not to assume on the next play, wouldn't you? I'm sure that anyone that was listening to that on radio would have thought that Calgary kept on regaining the zone...

Of course, most of you probably all know all about Mr. Millions already, and I may just be showing off my new and limited exposure to him...

I have mixed feelings heading into tonight's game. The Nolan line is the one that has been producing as of late, which is good, but the top lines have all but disappeared. Iginla is obviously still putting up numbers, but what of Tanguay and Langkow? We need the big guns to get back on the scoresheet with greater frequency. Especially in tonight's game, with one of the only goalies with numbers comparable to Kipper's horrendous start is coming into the Saddledome. The Blackhawks are probably one of the only teams comparable to the Penguins in terms of youth and talent, so the Flames will need to find their feet, as this should prove to be a fast flowing game (unless our blueline can slow them down)...

Flames win 3-2, with goals from Lombardi, Tanguay, and Iginla. Toews and Keith answer back for the visitors...