The Mike Rogers Blog

FLAMES FINALLY IN PLAYOFF SPOT

Mike Rogers — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:22:48 +0000

It has taken awhile, but the Flames are finally in the eighth and final playoff spot. So, what does it mean? You would think with 23 games remaining in the schedule, it does not mean very much. But I take a different approach. With the rash of injuries the Flames have suffered this year, and the inconsistancy in their play for the first 45 games, it is amazing this team is where it is at. First of all you have to give the coaching staff a lot of the credit. Brent and his coaches have been able to get the most out of the team and for the first time since Sutter took over, the Flames are playing as a team. Secondly, the leadership group has done a terrific job both on and off the ice. Their committment to team defense has been a key and they have been a positive influence in the dressing room. Third, and definitely not least, is the “all-world” goaltending of Mikka Kiprusoff. I don’t know where the Flames would be without him, but I know one thing for sure, they would not be in a playoff spot. Over the last month he has saved and stolen several games for the Flames and has done it without much fanfare. It is about time that people throughout the NHL recognize that Kipper is one of the elite goaltenders in the league and should be considered for the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player if the Flames are in the playoffs come April 7th.

FLAMES LOSE GLENCROSS TO INJURY

Mike Rogers — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:24:30 +0000

Just when you think the Flames are getting healthier with the return of Matt Stajan and Scott Hannan and Brendan Morrison getting closer, they lose their top goal scorer to what the Flames are calling a lower body injury. After seeing the hit a couple if times, it seems that Curtis Glencross suffered a knee injury and could be out longer than short term. Glencross has been one of the Flames best skaters all year and his absense will definitely will be missed. As I mentioned, he leads the team with 18 goals, but also is their best penalty killer and plays in all situations. On the good news front, Alex Tanguay has begun to skate but their is no timetable on his return. Tonight the Flames meet the high flying Los Angeles Kings. Under Darryl Sutter, the Kings have gone 8-1-5 and now find themselves comfortably in a playoff spot. If the Flames can bring the same game they played against the San Jose Sharks, they have a chance to hand the Kings their second regulation loss under Darryl.

TOUGH SCHEDULE AHEAD

Mike Rogers — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:25:10 +0000

The Flames play 6 of their next 9 games on the road, with 8 of those 9 games as tough as they come. On this first three road games, they play San Jose,L.A. and Edmonton. After the trip they return home to face San Jose,Detroit and Chicago. After that, they play Anaheim,San Jose,and Phoenix. The Flames have been able to dominate the Oilers, but other that that they have struggled against the other teams. What makes this stretch even tougher is that the Flames have a road record of 8-14-3 and must be around the .500 mark if this team is to get into the playoffs. Tonight the Flames meet the Sharks and San Jose is playing well, as usual, going 10-2-1 in their last 13 games. On a side note, management and the scouting staff are here in California to go over where this team is at and where they are headed. It would be great to be a fly on the wall to hear what is being said, but one thing I know for sure, this is not a holiday in the sun, Jay Feaster is going to make sure that when these meetings conclude, the team will know exctly which direction they will take in making this team as competitve as possible.

IS CAMMALLERI THE ANSWER?

Mike Rogers — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:57:26 +0000

Jay Feaster pulled off a trade that he believes will help push the Flames into the playoffs. A good trade, but is it a difference maker? Fans and media alike remember how good Cammalleri was for the Flames when he scored 39 goals and 43 assists for 82 points. But the one thing that should be pointed out is that was the 08-09 season. Since then his goal totals have dropped dramatically. The next year in 65 games he scored 26 goals, the year after, 19 goals in 67 games, and this year he has 9 goals in 37 games. Some will argue that he has had injury problems, but for some players their game drops off sooner than they anticipated. I am not comparing myself to Cammalleri, but for smaller players I believe it is harder to bounce back and get to where you were 2-3 years ago. I went through it, and when goal and point totals start to drop off, you begin to question yourself. Cammalleri keeps himself in tremendous shape and I think he is as mentally tough as any player in the NHL, but you still have to wonder if he can rekindle the magic he had here the last go around. Everyone in Calgary including management, coaches, players and fans hope that it does happen, but what happened once before, does not always guarantee it will happen again.

FIRST OF 20 AGAINST PACIFIC DIVISION

Mike Rogers — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:50:22 +0000

Tonight the Flames face the Anaheim Ducks in the first of twenty games against the Pacific Division. In that division, the Flames are fighting for a playoff spot against three of those teams, Los Angeles, Dallas and Phoenix. I believe that San Jose will win the Pacific and Anaheim is too far back(as of today they are 17 points out of a playoff spot) to make a run. Let’s take a look at how the Flames faired against the Pacific Division last year. Anaheim 0-1-2(2 points), Dallas 4-0(8 points), L.A. 1-1-2(4 points), Phoenix 0-4-0(0 points), San Jose 1-2-1(3 points). Out of a possible 40 points, the Flames registered 17. If the magic number to get into the playoffs this year is 96, the Flames must achieve 51 points in their remaining 38 games. So if they do what they did last year versus the Pacific Division, the Flames must go 17-1-0 against all other teams to make the playoffs. I’m no rocket scientist, but the Flames playoff hopes hinge on dominating the Pacific Division down the stretch, which is no easy task.

FLAMES TOP “D” PAIRING MUST PICK UP THEIR GAME

Mike Rogers — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:51:01 +0000

With the injuries to the backend, the Flames top pairing of Jay Bouwmeester and Chris Butler are counted upon to be the glue that holds the defencemen together. It is their responsibility to play aginst the other teams top lines and and to shut that line down as much as possible. On this road trip it did not happen, In the six games after the Christmas break, this pairing was a combined minus 21(Bouwmeester -13 and Butler -8) and contributed 2 points(Butler-1 goal, Bouwmeester- 1 assisit). If the Flames are to get back into the playoff hunt, these two must elevate their game and be better at both ends of the rink. Looking back at these last six games, I thought T.J. Brodie was head and shoulders above everyone else on the Flames as their top player. How do you explain a player being even in a 9-0 loss and playing over 25 minutes? It is because he played insipred hockey and did not quit until the final buzzer. One last thing. Is tonight the night for Jerome to get his 500th career goal? I hope it is because they need him to get back to scoring, but more importantly, it would be great to see him score it in front of the home fans who have cheered ans supported Iginla since he arrived here.

INJURIES TAKING THERE TOLL

Mike Rogers — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:45:00 +0000

Since the Christmas break, the Flames are 1-2-1 and are playing uninspired hockey. The biggest reason may be is that the injuries the team has suffered may be affecting the players. The list of walking wounded reads as follows: Matt Stajan, Alex Tanguay, Mark Giordano, Derek Smith, David Moss, Henrik Karlsson, and Brett Carson. The two “D-men” mentioned, Smith and Giordano are arguably the Flames best two defencemen, and you may be able to get by with one of those players injured, but tough to get by with both out of the lineup. Stajan had become a servicable fourth line center, and Alex Tanguay creativity on the offense is missing. Moss’ versatility is much needed and if healthy could give that big body presence at the center ice position. The Flames wil not use the injuries as an excuse, but for a team that is not all that deep when healthy, you have to believe that the injuries are a big reason we are starting to see the Flames slide in the standings.

“D” MUST GET INVOLVED IN OFFENSE

Mike Rogers — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:30:33 +0000

The Flames rank 25th in goals for and rely on a handful of players to do the bulk of the scoring. Some players do not have the touch to score goals so you can’t expect them to supply a lot of offense, so if your forwards fall into that category, then the defencemen must help in that area. Jay Boumeester leads the Flames “D-men” with 14 points which ranks 55th amongst defencemen in the NHL. Mark Giordano may have had more points but an injury has curtailed his season. The six defencemen dressed for tonights game have a combined 4 goals on the year which is just not good enough. Talking with Brent Sutter this morning, he stated that he does need more offense from his group, but also stated you can’t expect Hannan and Sarich to score very much. Bouwmeester has been the biggest disappointment with only 1 goal on the year and seems very tentative with the puck. With his great skating ability, there should be games when he is like a fourth forward out there, but is reluctant to do so. There are many people out there that believe the coaching staff does not allow the defencemen to get involved in the offence but nothing is further from the truth. All the “D” have the green light to join the rush as long as it is prudent to do so. Let’s hope it starts tonight.

TOP PLAYERS MUST BE SHUT DOWN

Mike Rogers — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:56:26 +0000

The Flames play their best hockey when they commit to shutting down the opponents top players. When the Flames defeated Minnesota, Detroit, Vancouver and Columbus, they kept their best players at bay and did not give them a chance to be difference makers. Last night the Flames allowed the Islanders skilled players to decide the outcome of the game and the Flames ended losing 3-1. Play without the puck is still the key to the Flames success and when they get away from moving their feet and play a passive game, they usually come out on the short end of the stick. Brent Sutter continually stresses that the Flames must have a committment to compete and when they get away from that, top end players control the game. The Flames are not as skilled as many teams in the NHL, so work ethic is what will separate themselves from other teams. Tonight against the Ottawa Senators that must happen.

JONATHAN TOEWS-NHL’S MOST COMPLETE PLAYER

Mike Rogers — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:21:04 +0000

Tonight the Flames not only face the powerful Chicago Blackhawks, but they also face the NHL’s most complete player in Jonathan Toews. Many will argue that Sidney Crosby is that guy, but when you break down the numbers, the nod has to go to Toews. He is 10th in scoring, he is at plus 12, leads in the NHL in faceoff efficiency, and plays with a drive few others play with. At 23 years old, he is looked upon as one of the premier leaders in the league and has captained the Hawks for three years. He is one of those rare players that make other players around him better. A perfect example of this that Joel Quennville, the head coach of the Hawks, is putting Patrick Kane on the line with Toews. The reason why? Kane is struggling right now with only one goal in his last 13 games, so why not put him with “Captain Serious”, who I am sure will do all in his power to snap Kane out of his slump. The Flames have not won here in Chicago in their last 10 visits, going 0-9-1 in those games, and one of the reasons why is the leadership provided by Toews.