(8) Calgary vs (1) Detroit Articles and Discussion

B.A.R. · Apr 9, 2007

No easy task for Wings against 8th-seeded Flames

Monday, April 09, 2007 By Ansar Khan

DETROIT -- For exceeding expectations with another terrific regular season and once again securing the best record in the Western Conference, the Detroit Red Wings earned a first-round playoff matchup against a Calgary Flames club that:

features Miikka Kiprusoff, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL's top goaltender.

boasts one of the biggest, most physical defenses in the league, led by Dion Phaneuf.
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.1 src="http://ads.mlive.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/www.mlive.com/xml/story/S/SPRW/@StoryAd"></SCRIPT>

</NOSCRIPT>
has one of the premier power forwards in the game, Jarome Iginla.

was once offensively challenged, but scored more goals than the Wings this season.

is probably better than its season record and eighth playoff seeding indicates.
"That's a nice reward for finishing first -- you play Calgary in the first round,'' ESPN analyst Barry Melrose said. "If Calgary beats Detroit, I wouldn't even call that an upset. They're that good.''
As the Wings learned last season -- the last three playoffs, really -- there are no easy marks in the postseason anymore, especially in a highly competitive Western Conference that features seven teams that had more than 100 points this season.
Calgary didn't hit the century mark after fighting off a late surge by Colorado to maintain its playoff spot. The Flames have underachieved a bit under first-year coach Jim Playfair, developing a split personality, leading the league with 30 wins at home but posting the worst road record among all playoff teams.
These clubs know each other well. Calgary defeated the Wings in six games during the conference semifinals two seasons ago and went on to lose in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals against Tampa Bay.

"Calgary only plays one way,'' Melrose said. "They're going to pound everybody, finish their checks, they'll try to knock you around, beat you up.''
The Wings believe they're better prepared for a grinding, physical series than they were last season, when they lost to Edmonton in the opening round.
The acquisitions of forwards Todd Bertuzzi and Kyle Calder made the Wings tougher to play against, a team that plays less on the perimeter and gets into the hard, inside areas on the ice. Second-year forward Johan Franzen has been more physical and Danny Markov adds some much-needed abrasiveness to a defensive corps that will miss the injured Niklas Kronwall's big hits in a series like this.<SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.1 src="http://ads.mlive.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/www.mlive.com/xml/story/S/SPRW/@StoryAd"></SCRIPT>

</NOSCRIPT>"Bertuzzi is one guy who can change things,'' Melrose said. "That's why they got him, for series against teams like Calgary.''
"Top to bottom, we can skate and we're a lot more physical,'' Wings forward Dan Cleary said. "I think we're more gritty, I believe we're more playoff-ready.''
The Wings and Flames split their season series, with each team winning twice at home.
"They're a chippy team, they work hard, play strong defensively, back-check real hard, make it tough on you to get scoring chances,'' Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "We have to use our quickness up front. We can draw penalties or create scoring chances that way.''
Kiprusoff has not been as strong this season, as the Flames opened up their offense at the expense of their usually suffocating defensive game. But, he still commands respect.
"He's one of the top three NHL goalies,'' Wings goaltender Dominik Hasek said. "Great butterfly style, quick.''
Wings center Kris Draper summed up his team's task at hand.
"Kiprusoff is a guy who can steal games,'' Draper said. "They have a strong defense, a mobile defense. This year, they've done a good job scoring a lot of goals. Jarome Iginla is a game-breaker, a guy that loves playing in the playoffs. And their team has basically been battling the last three weeks.''

B.A.R. · Apr 9, 2007

Bertuzzi has to be cleared for Game 1 because of concussion

Sunday, April 08, 2007 By Ansar Khan

DETROIT -- Detroit Red Wings forward Todd Bertuzzi must pass a series of neurological tests before being cleared for Game 1 of the playoffs, after being diagnosed with a concussion.
Wings coach Mike Babcock said he thinks Bertuzzi will be ready for the opener, but he's not 100 percent certain.
"Anytime a doctor deems somebody has a concussion, whether that be true at the time, then you got to do the baseline testing and all that,'' Babcock said. "So as soon as his tests are done -- he had tests yesterday and more tests today -- then we'll get the information and do the right thing.''
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.1 src="http://ads.mlive.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/www.mlive.com/xml/story/S/SPRW/@StoryAd"></SCRIPT><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=420 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=383>

[FONT=Arial,sans-serif]Advertisement[/FONT]

</TD><TD width=85>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=420 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=410 bgColor=#e7efef>

</TD><TD width=10></TD></TR><TR><TD width=420 colSpan=2>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

</NOSCRIPT>Bertuzzi was injured during a hard collision with his own goaltender, Chris Osgood, five minutes into Thursday's game in Chicago. Bertuzzi played the rest of the period before leaving the game. He practiced on Friday but didn't play in Saturday's 7-2 victory against the Blackhawks.
Babcock reiterated that forward Henrik Zetterberg, who missed the last 18 games of the regular season with an inflamed disc, will play in Game 1 of the playoffs.
If all their forwards are healthy for Game 1, somebody who's been playing regularly is going to be extremely disappointed to be scratched from the lineup.
Who's going to be the odd-man out once Zetterberg returns? Mikael Samuelsson made a strong case Saturday to avoid being the player who gets pulled, picking up a career-high five points (two goals and three assists).
Samuelsson had been struggling since returning from a seven-week absence due to a broken foot. He had gone 13 games without a goal, picking up four assists, and his ice time had dwindled to between 10 and 12 minutes a game.
"It's great for Sammy because he's hurt so much this year and then you come back and things don't go exactly the way you want,'' Babcock said. "He's a big, powerful man, can really play the game intelligently, can shoot it a ton. Sammy's an important player.''
Rookie Jiri Hudler is the most likely candidate to be scratched, despite his much-improved play in Zetterberg's absence. Hudler, capitalizing on more ice time, has six goals and seven assists in the last 18 games. Babcock would likely play fellow rookie Valtteri Filppula over Hudler because he's a better skater, defensive player and penalty-killer, even though he doesn't have Hudler's finishing touch.
Dan Cleary needed 14 stitches to close a cut over his left eye after getting checked into the glass from behind by Cameron Barker at 15:05 of the third period. Barker received a five-minute major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct. "Senseless, what's the real point?'' Cleary said of the hit. . . . Babcock said defenseman Kyle Quincey will be sent back to Grand Rapids (AHL) until the Wings travel in the first round of the playoffs. "If we need him we can get him, but we want to keep him playing vs. just sitting around and getting stale,'' Babcock said. . . . The Wings finished with the best home record in the league (29-4-8, 66 points). . . . Nicklas Lidstrom was the Wings' leader in plus-minus rating (plus-40). . . . Mathieu Schneider and Robert Lang led the Wings with 66 penalty minutes. It's the first time since 1961-62 that a Wings player did not accumulate at least 100 penalty minutes.

B.A.R. · Apr 9, 2007

After 7-2 win, Wings feel they're better equipped for playoffs

Sunday, April 08, 2007 By Ansar Khan

DETROIT -- The regular season was slightly less successful, but in many ways, much more satisfying for the Detroit Red Wings.
They had to battle and grind out wins on more nights than last season, when they led in the overall NHL standings from start to finish. They faced a little more adversity because of injuries and gained a little more depth because of it.
They hope this makes them better prepared for the playoffs, which, for them begins either Thursday or Friday. The top-seeded Wings will play No. 8 Calgary in the first round.
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.1 src="http://ads.mlive.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/www.mlive.com/xml/story/S/SPRW/@StoryAd"></SCRIPT><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=420 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=383>

[FONT=Arial,sans-serif]Advertisement[/FONT]

</TD><TD width=85>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=420 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=410 bgColor=#e7efef>

</TD><TD width=10></TD></TR><TR><TD width=420 colSpan=2>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

</NOSCRIPT>The Wings had already wrapped up the top playoff spot in the Western Conference before their 7-2 season-ending victory against the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday afternoon at Joe Louis Arena. They didn't win their third consecutive Presidents' Trophy for the best record in the league because Buffalo defeated Washington.
That's fine with them. They're happy to have exceeded expectations.
"We weren't one of the favorites going into the year, I think we were ranked seventh or eighth or to be fighting for a playoff spot,'' Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "As a group we knew we have a good team and we wanted to have a strong finish and have it carry into the playoffs.''
Said center Kris Draper: "Everyone thought we were going to be middle of the pack. I think it's a credit to everyone in this dressing room for the consistency we showed.''
Playing without forwards Henrik Zetterberg (inflamed disc) and Todd Bertuzzi (concussion), and with starting goaltender Dominik Hasek watching from the bench, the Wings' only objective was to come away healthy and not develop any bad habits on Saturday. They scored three goals in the first period and led 6-0 late in the second. They reached 50 wins for the fourth time in franchise history.
Mikael Samuelsson collected a career-high five points with two goals and three assists. Kyle Calder had a pair of goals, giving him 100 for his career. Tomas Holmstrom scored his career-high 30th goal of the season, Kyle Quincey scored his first NHL goal and Danny Markov also scored.
Goalie Chris Osgood made 19 saves and has earned his team at least one point in his last 12 starts (7-0-5). The Wings tallied two power-play goals in a game for the first time since March 2.
"We wanted to finish on top (in the West),'' Lidstrom said. "We know we can't just turn on the switch when we get (to the playoffs), we knew we have to be playing well going in. That's why we're happy with today's win.''
The Wings and Sabres, who finish their season today in Philadelphia, each have 113 points, but Buffalo is No. 1 overall because of more victories, the first tie-breaker.
Coach Mike Babcock's main concern is having his team fresh, healthy and prepared for the playoffs.
"As much as the regular season is enjoyable, this (the playoffs) is what it's all about,'' Babcock said. "This is the most fun you ever have as a professional athlete or a coach.''
Since winning the Stanley Cup championship in 2002, the Wings have twice exited from the first round of the playoffs and were ousted once in the second round. Draper has reason to believe it will be different this time.
"We're a different team -- bigger, stronger, faster. I think we're a tougher team to play against night in and night out,'' Draper said. "Our goaltenders have a ton of confidence. That's exciting.''

Santacapper · Apr 9, 2007

DENVER -- The Calgary Flames know what they're up against.
Standing between them and the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is a giant. A team that stands atop the Western Conference and fell a tiebreaker short of the Presidents' Trophy given to the best club in the NHL.
The Flames kick off their best-of-seven quarter-final series Thursday night in Detroit against the Red Wings and it won't be easy to topple the top-seeded Goliath.
"We know our work's cut out for us, playing a great team in Detroit," said Tony Amonte minutes after his Flames fell 6-3 to the Avalanche in their regular-season finale last night. "Best team in the west. It's going to be a challenge."
The veteran knows the Western Conference is strong from top to bottom. He also knows it's quite an accomplishment to reign supreme, which Detroit did with a 113-point campaign.
"It's up to us to go in there and outwork them," Amonte said. "Play our game."
Playing their game means being physical but avoiding unnecessary penalties.

Every Flame in the locker-room already seems to know that and their head coach said the physical game and discipline are an automatic focus in the post-season.
"Those things are just One and One-A in playoff hockey," said Playfair, who was an assistant coach with the Flames when they ousted Detroit from the second round in six games during the 2004 run.
"When you look at the history, we had success in that building a couple of years ago when we played. We understand what kind of team they are and it's just about making sure we're ready to compete really hard for 60 minutes. That's against anybody but you look at Detroit's record, that's the type of team they have.
"We'll be ready for them."
Craig Conroy expects the grinding style they used to beat the Wings in the 2004 playoffs and in the 2-1 win at the Saddledome a few weeks ago to be their key to victory.
As long as they avoid the Wings' deadly powerplay, which has the ability to break games wide open despite ranking No. 21 in the league this season.
"That's where they can excel," said Conroy. "With all that skill ... we want to stay out of the box, play five-on-five and make it an ugly hockey game."
Former Wing Darren McCarty agreed.
"We can't get in a shootout with them," he said. "We've got to make them earn everything they get and capitalize when we get opportunities."
Alex Tanguay hopes the skilled forwards the Flames boast will be able to keep the puck away from the Wings, who thrive on puck possession while keeping the shot count low on goaltender Dominik Hasek.
"They didn't finish first in our conference for no reason. In order for us to be successful we have to be playing with the puck," said Tanguay. "Hopefully we can do that."
The Wings aren't known as a big-bodied team but the addition of Todd Bertuzzi and Kyle Calder before the trade deadline certainly upped their ability to push back.
"They're obviously physical enough to have won the conference," said defenceman Rhett Warrener, who agrees with Tanguay's idea of keeping possession away from the Wings.
"I think our centremen are going to have a challenge winning draws and making sure we've got the puck instead of them controlling the puck." The underdogs are keeping their goals simple at the moment. That means winning one game early to give them the upper hand heading home

B.A.R. · Apr 9, 2007

At the same time, the Flames are very different because they can match the Red Wings' puck possession:

"They didn't finish first in our conference for no reason. In order for us to be successful we have to be playing with the puck," said [Alex] Tanguay. "Hopefully we can do that."
...
"They're obviously physical enough to have won the conference," said defenceman Rhett Warrener, who agrees with Tanguay's idea of keeping possession away from the Wings. "I think our centremen are going to have a challenge winning draws and making sure we've got the puck instead of them controlling the puck."

The Red Wings believe that they've balanced out their skill enough grit to answer the Flames' challenges:

April 9, Detroit Free Press: "They're a chippy team," Nicklas Lidstrom said. "They all play strong defensively. It's tough to get scoring chances on them. They come back real hard, back-check real hard. That's something we just have to battle through."
...
"They've got the goaltending, they've got the big defense, and they've got some forwards that you've really got to pay attention to," Dan Cleary said. "For us, we've just got to get as much pucks and traffic to the net as we can."

The Flames aren't as stacked up front as the Wings, whose depth allows them to roll four lines, each fitted with a scorer. And while Regehr has pounded Datsyuk in the past and may do so again, Regehr can't play effectively against both a Datsyuk-Zetterberg line and a Bertuzzi-Calder-Robert Lang line.

Helene St. James says that the Wings will prevail:

I see the Wings beating the Flames in five or six games, with the usual caveats about health. Should the Wings exorcise their Western Canada playoff ghosts, they'll establish the sort of swagger a team needs to go deep into the playoffs.

The Wings have an X factor in Dominik Hasek, as well as a rejuvenated defensive game:

Santacapper · Apr 9, 2007

DENVER -- Four straight losses isn't the kind of finish to the regular season the Calgary Flames imagined.
Especially after piling up six straight victories on their most successful road trip of the season before the current slump started.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Detroit Red Wings, the team the Calgary Flames are about to face in the opening round of the playoffs, gained points in each of their final eight games, losing four shootouts to go with four regulation wins.
"I think everybody can breathe a sigh of relief now the regular season is over. Now the real deal starts," said Flames winger Tony Amonte last night. "We know we're going to have to be better than we played in the last week."
The Flames sputtered with three opportunities to clinch their playoff spot, losing at home to the Avs and Oilers with a tough contest in San Jose sandwiched in between.
Last night's 6-3 loss to the Avs was meaningless in the standings but they would have loved a victory to head into the playoffs on a high note.
"We would have liked to go out on a winning note," said Craig Conroy. "We've got to be at the top of our game. These last four are done and now we've got to lay it all on the line. We've got to get things accomplished."

The beauty of the playoffs, he says, is the reset button.
"Maybe we're in a little bit of a down right now but that's all behind us," Conroy said. "It's a fresh start. That's the way everyone's got to look at it. Everybody's all at zero and we can move forward from here."
Alex Tanguay admitted the team's focus has been missing recently. He believes the Flames are good enough to overcome that when the situation calls for desperation.
"It was a little hard to get motivated. We knew that unless a miracle would have happened we'd get into the playoffs," said Tanguay. "We're extremely happy we're in. This is a new season, hopefully we can be extremely good in that season. "I think we've got a lot of experience in the dressing room. ... We know that it's a different season now, what you've done in the past doesn't really matter. Any team's got a chance to win."

B.A.R. · Apr 9, 2007

Wings' grit should snuff out Flames

April 9, 2007
I don't think this Western Canada playoff series is going to have the same outcome as the last two have for the Red Wings. The Wings are such a different team now than they were a year ago, much less in 2004; they should be able to advance this time.
It isn't just the Dominik Hasek factor that's different. The Wings have, in this second year under Mike Babcock, really been playing the style of hockey he wants, with an emphasis on back-checking and getting tons of shots to the net, which has made them tougher to play against.
<TABLE id=articlead><TBODY><TR><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Advertisement
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript> OAS_AD('ArticleFlex_1'); </SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=JavaScript>OAS_rn = '001234567890'; OAS_rns = '1234567890';OAS_rn = new String (Math.random()); OAS_rns = OAS_rn.substring (2, 11);</SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.1>document.write('<SCRIPT LANGUAGE=JavaScript1.1 SRC="http://gcirm.gannettnetwork.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/gci-mi-detroit.com/promo/all/' + '1' + OAS_rns + '@160x600_1?cid=detnews&&AID=/20070409/SPORTS05/704090369/1053"><\/SCRIPT>');</SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.1 src="http://gcirm.gannettnetwork.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/gci-mi-detroit.com/promo/all/1387819886@160x600_1?cid=detnews&&AID=/20070409/SPORTS05/704090369/1053"></SCRIPT>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Tomas Holmstrom used to be one of the few players who could be relied upon to go to hard places like the front of the net, but recent acquisition Kyle Calder does that, too. The type of goals those guys score -- going into corners to dig out pucks and then rushing to the net -- are what wins playoff games.
What will be important for the Wings is handling how the Flames play in front of Miikka Kiprusoff -- establishing a forecheck is of utmost importance, as is using their quickness to force the Flames into taking penalties.
"They're a chippy team," Nicklas Lidstrom said. "They all play strong defensively. It's tough to get scoring chances on them. They come back real hard, back-check real hard. That's something we just have to battle through."
This Flames team isn't relying on Kiprusoff and defense like they were when they beat Detroit in the 2004 playoffs; these Flames have, in fact, outscored the Wings over 82 games -- and Kiprusoff has kept the goals-against down.
Health, of course, will play a key role in how the series unfolds. There's no way Henrik Zetterberg will be in peak form right away, because even though he has been practicing for a couple of weeks, he hasn't played a game since Feb. 24. However, if his teammates can buy him time, he'll soon be a menace. Todd Bertuzzi is expected to be cleared from a concussion early this week and be ready to play; his size is crucial up front.
This really is a series where the Wings could have used Niklas Kronwall because he's the only open-ice hitter on the team, but he's out six weeks with a fractured sacrum.
The Flames, though, are dealing with their share of banged-up players, too: Elite defenseman Robyn Regehr, whose imposing play has neutralized Pavel Datsyuk in the past, is bothered by a knee injury. He is supposed to be OK for the playoffs, but may not be ready right away. Jeff Friesen, a speedy forward who thrives at this time of year, has a torso injury but should be ready for Game 1.
Former Wing Darren McCarty, who had sports hernia surgery a few months ago, may be ready for the playoffs, but his effectiveness has been greatly reduced.
The Flames field one of the NHL's genuine, high-end power forwards in Jarome Iginla, a man who scores, hits and fights. He, Kristian Huselius and Daymond Langkow each have 30-plus goals. Calgary has a great defense, too, though Regehr, Dion Phaneuf and Roman Hamrlik each have had an inconsistent season, but that holds true for the team as a whole.
It took the Flames until the final weekend of the regular season to secure the eighth spot. Their winning six games in late March helped -- but that streak was book-ended by three-game losing streaks. Beating them four times in a short amount of time will be imposing, but not impossible.
"They've got the goaltending, they've got the big defense, and they've got some forwards that you've really got to pay attention to," Dan Cleary said. "For us, we've just got to get as much pucks and traffic to the net as we can."
The Flames aren't as stacked up front as the Wings, whose depth allows them to roll four lines, each fitted with a scorer. And while Regehr has pounded Datsyuk in the past and may do so again, Regehr can't play effectively against both a Datsyuk-Zetterberg line and a Bertuzzi-Calder-Robert Lang line.
The Wings haven't beaten a team from Western Canada in the playoffs since Vancouver in 2002, losing to Calgary in round two in 2004 and Edmonton in round one last spring. I think the trend ends in 2007.
I see the Wings beating the Flames in five or six games, with the usual caveats about health. Should the Wings exorcise their Western Canada playoff ghosts, they'll establish the sort of swagger a team needs to go deep into the playoffs.

Santacapper · Apr 9, 2007

really been playing the style of hockey he wants, with an emphasis on back-checking and getting tons of shots to the net

This is where I think the key to the series becomes. If Bertuzzi plays the way he can and gets in front of the net then those barrage of shots become of more importance. If he doesnt and Kiprosoff sees the point shots then they are a non factor. IMO Wings get shots yeah, but most are just to get a shot on net. Kiprusoff is too good for those...

Losing 4 straight going in is a concern for Flames, but its a whole new season

B.A.R. · Apr 9, 2007

The Wings M.O. in postseason play has been the lack of toughness and scoring. Of course the goaltender gets the blame each year(lol). Well, some of those non-playoff producers are gone. Its put up or shut up time.

Totally agree with you Santa...thats the key to the series.

Santacapper · Apr 9, 2007

<TABLE width=627><TBODY><TR><TD width=500>[SIZE=+1]Detroit Red Wings[/SIZE]
Team Page | Roster | Stats
Regular Season Record: 50-19-13, 113 pts
Head-to-Head Record: 2-2
Last Stanley Cup Win: 2002
Last Stanley Cup Final Appearance: 2002
Last Postseason Appearance: 2006
Players with Stanley Cup Rings: Kirk Maltby (3), Kris Draper (3), Tomas Holmstrom (3), Nicklas Lidstrom (3), Chris Chelios (2), Mathieu Schneider, Chris Osgood (2), Dominik Hasek.

Team Analysis: Even without Brendan Shanahan and Steve Yzerman, the Red Wings haven't missed a beat in their competitiveness. The team played some of its best hockey in the final stretch, led by one of the league's highest-scoring blueline squads. Nicklas Lidstrom makes all the big and little plays necessary to keep the Wings strong at puck control, while Mathieu Schneider enjoyed his fourth straight season of 45 or more points. Chris Chelios seems to get better as he gets older, leading a more than stable corps that includes Danny Markov, Niklas Kronwall, Brett Lebda and Andreas Lilja. With a strong blueline contributing offence and limiting scoring chances, it's no wonder that Dominik Hasek's numbers have been so good this season. But when the pressure's on, the Dominator can still make that game-saving stop. If Hasek is out for any reason, Chris Osgood, who backstopped Detroit to a Cup in 1998, can fill in without missing a beat. If you can find one Achilles Heel with the Wings, it might be up front. Henrik Zetterberg missed most of the stretch run with a back injury, and the point totals from forwards take quite a dip after scoring leader Pavel Datsyuk. But at playoff time, every goal scored is a big one. And the Wings had plenty of clutch performances from Tomas Holmstrom, Dan Cleary, Mikael Samuelsson and Jiri Hudler. Kyle Calder found his offensive game after arriving from the Flyers, and the team will obviously look to Todd Bertuzzi to create space and scoring opportunities for his new teammates.
</TD></TR><TR><TD>[SIZE=+1]Calgary Flames[/SIZE]
Team Page | Roster | Stats
Regular Season Record: 43-29-10, 96 pts
Head-to-Head Record: 2-2
Last Stanley Cup Win: 1989
Last Stanley Cup Final Appearance: 2004
Last Postseason Appearance: 2006
Players with Stanley Cup Rings: Alex Tanguay, Darren McCarty (3), Stephane Yelle (2).

Team Analysis: The biggest issue going into this season for the Flames was scoring goals, and the team addressed it well throughout their campaign. Alex Tanguay was a great addition up front, joining Jarome Iginla, Kristian Huselius and Daymond Langkow as the team's top four scorers with at least 70 points each. That's a huge improvement from last year, when no players hit the 70-point plateau at all. Strengthening the offence down the middle are centres Matthew Lombardi - who set career highs in goals and points - and Craig Conroy - who re-discovered his offensive touch after being re-acquired from the Kings in February. Team defence is something that hasn't been lost, with Wayne Primeau, Stephane Yelle and Marcus Nilson making up an effective checking line that can hold off the opposition at both ends of the ice. Dion Phaneuf is the cornerstone of the Flames' blueline, and leads the defence on the ice and the scoreboard. Roman Hamrlik has also enjoyed a fine season, putting up points on the power play and sitting among the team leaders in plus-minus. Robyn Regehr, Rhett Warrener, Mark Giordano and Brad Stuart all excel at keeping opposing forwards out of the Calgary zone. In goal, Miikka Kiprusoff is as good as any other money goalie out there.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Santacapper · Apr 9, 2007

<TABLE width=627 border=1><TBODY><TR class=one align=middle><TD>1</TD><TD>Thursday, April 12, 7pm et</TD><TD>Calgary Flames @ Detroit Red Wings</TD><TD><X name="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=163587&hubname=nhl">Recap | <X name="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/scores/boxscore/?id=6978">Box</TD></TR><TR class=one align=middle><TD>2</TD><TD>Sunday, April 15, 1pm et</TD><TD>Calgary Flames @ Detroit Red Wings</TD><TD><X name="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=163587&hubname=nhl">Recap | <X name="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/scores/boxscore/?id=6978">Box</TD></TR><TR class=one align=middle><TD>3</TD><TD>Tuesday, April 17, 10pm et</TD><TD>Detroit Red Wings @ Calgary Flames</TD><TD><X name="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=163587&hubname=nhl">Recap | <X name="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/scores/boxscore/?id=6978">Box</TD></TR><TR class=one align=middle><TD>4</TD><TD>Thursday, April 19, TBD</TD><TD>Detroit Red Wings @ Calgary Flames</TD><TD><X name="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=163587&hubname=nhl">Recap | <X name="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/scores/boxscore/?id=6978">Box</TD></TR><TR class=one align=middle><TD>5</TD><TD>Saturday, April 21, 3pm et</TD><TD>Calgary Flames @ Detroit Red Wings</TD><TD><X name="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=163587&hubname=nhl">Recap | <X name="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/scores/boxscore/?id=6978">Box</TD></TR><TR class=one align=middle><TD>6</TD><TD>Sunday, April 22, TBD</TD><TD>Detroit Red Wings @ Calgary Flames</TD><TD><X name="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=163587&hubname=nhl">Recap | <X name="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/scores/boxscore/?id=6978">Box</TD></TR><TR class=one align=middle><TD>7</TD><TD>Tuesday, April 24, TBD</TD><TD>Calgary Flames @ Detroit Red Wings</TD><TD><X name="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=163587&hubname=nhl">Recap | <X name="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/scores/boxscore/?id=6978">Box</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Santacapper · Apr 9, 2007

Dominic Hasek

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=ysptblthbody1 align=right><TD class=yspdetailttl align=left width="24%" height=18></TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>GP</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>GS</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>MIN</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>W</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>L</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>T</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>OTL</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>EGA</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>GA</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>GAA</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>SA</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>SV</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>SV%</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>SO</TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR class=ysprow1 align=right height=16><TD class=yspscores align=left> Last game vs CGY</TD><TD class=yspscores>1</TD><TD class=yspscores>1</TD><TD class=yspscores>59</TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD><TD class=yspscores>1</TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD><TD class=yspscores>2</TD><TD class=yspscores>2.03</TD><TD class=yspscores>23</TD><TD class=yspscores>21</TD><TD class=yspscores>.913</TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR class=ysprow1 align=right height=16><TD class=yspscores align=left> Career vs Calgary</TD><TD class=yspscores>16</TD><TD class=yspscores>16</TD><TD class=yspscores>960</TD><TD class=yspscores>8</TD><TD class=yspscores>7</TD><TD class=yspscores>1</TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD><TD class=yspscores>3</TD><TD class=yspscores>35</TD><TD class=yspscores>2.19</TD><TD class=yspscores>416</TD><TD class=yspscores>381</TD><TD class=yspscores>.916</TD><TD class=yspscores>1</TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR class=ysprow2 align=right height=16><TD class=yspscores align=left> Home (this year)</TD><TD class=yspscores>33</TD><TD class=yspscores>33</TD><TD class=yspscores>2009</TD><TD class=yspscores>24</TD><TD class=yspscores>3</TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD><TD class=yspscores>6</TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD><TD class=yspscores>59</TD><TD class=yspscores>1.76</TD><TD class=yspscores>766</TD><TD class=yspscores>707</TD><TD class=yspscores>.923</TD><TD class=yspscores>6</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

mikka Kiprusoff

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=ysptblthbody1 align=right><TD class=yspdetailttl align=left width="24%" height=18></TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>GP</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>GS</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>MIN</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>W</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>L</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>T</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>OTL</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>EGA</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>GA</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>GAA</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>SA</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>SV</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>SV%</TD><TD class=yspdetailttl>SO</TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR class=ysprow2 align=right height=16><TD class=yspscores align=left> Last game vs DET</TD><TD class=yspscores>1</TD><TD class=yspscores>1</TD><TD class=yspscores>60</TD><TD class=yspscores>1</TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD><TD class=yspscores>1</TD><TD class=yspscores>1.00</TD><TD class=yspscores>31</TD><TD class=yspscores>30</TD><TD class=yspscores>.968</TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR class=ysprow1 align=right height=16><TD class=yspscores align=left> Career vs Detroit</TD><TD class=yspscores>13</TD><TD class=yspscores>12</TD><TD class=yspscores>681</TD><TD class=yspscores>5</TD><TD class=yspscores>5</TD><TD class=yspscores>1</TD><TD class=yspscores>1</TD><TD class=yspscores>1</TD><TD class=yspscores>30</TD><TD class=yspscores>2.64</TD><TD class=yspscores>336</TD><TD class=yspscores>306</TD><TD class=yspscores>.911</TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR class=ysprow2 align=right height=16><TD class=yspscores align=left> Away (this year)</TD><TD class=yspscores>35</TD><TD class=yspscores>35</TD><TD class=yspscores>2070</TD><TD class=yspscores>12</TD><TD class=yspscores>15</TD><TD class=yspscores>0</TD><TD class=yspscores>7</TD><TD class=yspscores>4</TD><TD class=yspscores>98</TD><TD class=yspscores>2.84</TD><TD class=yspscores>1101</TD><TD class=yspscores>1003</TD><TD class=yspscores>.911</TD><TD class=yspscores>3</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Santacapper · Apr 9, 2007

B.A.R. · Apr 9, 2007

Thanks for the series breakdown w/Juice from the earlier meetings. Very interesting.

I'll try and grab some recaps from each when I get home.

Santacapper · Apr 9, 2007

One back to back Apr 21/22 w/ travel from Detroit to Calgary. Of more importance of the 15 times Detroit faced back to back situations Hasek started ZERO of the second legs

<TABLE class=data cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2><TBODY><TR class=datahead><TD width=110>Team</TD><TD width=80>W/L</TD><TD width=80>ATS</TD><TD width=80>Money</TD><TD width=80>After W</TD><TD width=80>After L</TD><TD width=80>O/U</TD></TR><TR><TD class=datahl2>Calgary</TD><TD class=datacell>6-4-1-0</TD><TD class=datacell>4-7</TD><TD class=datacell>-578.0</TD><TD class=datacell>3-0-0-0</TD><TD class=datacell>3-4-1-0</TD><TD class=datacell>7-2</TD></TR><TR><TD class=datahl2>Detroit</TD><TD class=datacell>4-7-2-2</TD><TD class=datacell>5-10</TD><TD class=datacell>-834.0</TD><TD class=datacell>4-3-1-1</TD><TD class=datacell>0-4-1-1</TD><TD class=datacell>7-5</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

B.A.R. · Apr 9, 2007

Santacapper said:
One back to back Apr 21/22 w/ travel from Detroit to Calgary. Of more importance of the 15 times Detroit faced back to back situations Hasek started ZERO of the second legs

<TABLE class=data cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2><TBODY><TR class=datahead><TD width=110>Team</TD><TD width=80>W/L</TD><TD width=80>ATS</TD><TD width=80>Money</TD><TD width=80>After W</TD><TD width=80>After L</TD><TD width=80>O/U</TD></TR><TR><TD class=datahl2>Calgary</TD><TD class=datacell>6-4-1-0</TD><TD class=datacell>4-7</TD><TD class=datacell>-578.0</TD><TD class=datacell>3-0-0-0</TD><TD class=datacell>3-4-1-0</TD><TD class=datacell>7-2</TD></TR><TR><TD class=datahl2>Detroit</TD><TD class=datacell>4-7-2-2</TD><TD class=datacell>5-10</TD><TD class=datacell>-834.0</TD><TD class=datacell>4-3-1-1</TD><TD class=datacell>0-4-1-1</TD><TD class=datacell>7-5</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

:shake:

Good stuff.

Back to back is ridiculous. I read they wanted to start this series Wed but NBc wants DET-CAL on its 1pm est start Sunday so they couldn't have it be a game in Calgary(11am local start) so they pushed the games to Thurs-Sat

Santacapper · Apr 9, 2007

Its the travel that gets me... 2 other series have back to backs... Atlanta has 2. but to go from a game in Detroit and fly to PST and play a game that could be of Huge importance being game 6 is ridiculous..

Satyr · Apr 10, 2007

Excellent stuff guys. I'll join in with the thoughts later today, or early tomorrow. Have several bets going for the playoffs

.

:cheers:

Santacapper · Apr 11, 2007

- Detroit ranked 21st in the league on the power play, with a 17.1% success rate. Calgary ranked 10th at 18.2%.

- Detroit ranked 7th in the league in penalty killing, with an 84.6% success rate. Calgary ranked 18th at 81.8%.

- Kirk Maltby (125), Danny Markov (111) and Johan Franzen (110) are the Red Wings' leading hitters.

- Dion Phaneuf (197), Brad Stuart (165) and Robyn Regehr (146) are the Flames' leading hitters. Stuart's totals include games with the Bruins.

- Kris Draper is the Red Wings' top face-off man -- 57.3%.

- Jarome Iginla is the Flames' top face-off man -- 53.0%.

- Detroit's Robert Lang ranked third in the league with 104 giveaways.

- Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk led the league with 107 takeaways.

- Calgary's Alex Tanguay ranked third in the league with a 20.6% shooting percentage.

- Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom ranked third in the league with 27:29 of ice time per game.

- Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom tied for third in the league with a plus-40.

- Detroit's Dominik Hasek ranked second in the league with a 2.05 goals against average.

- Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg tied for the league lead with 10 game-winning goals.

- Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk tied for the league lead with eight clutch goals. Datsyuk led the league with 20 clutch points and Zetterberg ranked second with 18.

- Alex Tanguay led the Flames with six points in four games against the Red Wings this year.

- Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom led the Red Wings with five points in four games against the Flames this year.

- Detroit's leaders in power play ice time (per game):
Nicklas Lidstrom 5:39
Mathieu Schneider 5:19
Tomas Holmstrom 4:07
Henrik Zetterberg 4:05
Pavel Dstsyuk 3:59
Robert Lang 3:34

- Calgary's leaders in power play ice time (per game):
Dion Phaneuf 5:34
Jarome Iginla 5:03
Roman Hamrlik 4:48
Daymond Langkow 4:30
Alex Tanguay 4:04
Kristian Huselius 3:38

- Detroit's leaders in penalty killing ice time (per game):
Chris Chelios 4:50
Nicklas Lidstrom 4:32
Kris Draper 3:34
Andreas Lilja 2:57
Danny Markov 2:55
Henrik Zetterberg 2:51

- Calgary's leaders in penalty killing ice time (per game):
Robyn Regehr 4:38
Brad Stuart 3:55
Rhett Warrener 3:20
Stephane Yelle 3:16
Roman Hamrlik 2:49
Jeff Friesen 2:32

catfood · Apr 13, 2007

Man I cant believe the amount of empty seats in detroit last night.

Santacapper · Apr 13, 2007

catfood said:
Man I cant believe the amount of empty seats in detroit last night.

made a couple comments in the in game thread... the crowd was dead. If Calgary had any emotion whatsoever they kill the Wings that game.

Its like they expect to be in the Conference finals at least... then they'll cheer:down:

catfood · Apr 13, 2007

Santacapper said:
If Calgary had any emotion whatsoever they kill the Wings that game.

Its like they expect to be in the Conference finals at least... then they'll cheer:down:

Good point, Calgary missed a golden opportunity to make it hard for detroit to gain any momentum in the series, but with the way they been playing, Ive changed my mind and I think Detroit takes the series.

I remember now hearing that because of the new border regulations (passports, long waiting at the border etc) that many from Windsor are not bothering to go to the games anymore as it is too much of a hassle.

(8) Calgary vs (1) Detroit Articles and Discussion

CTG Partner

CTG Partner

CTG Partner

Pretty much a regular

CTG Partner

Pretty much a regular

CTG Partner

Pretty much a regular

CTG Partner

Pretty much a regular

Pretty much a regular

Pretty much a regular

Pretty much a regular

CTG Partner

Pretty much a regular

CTG Partner

Pretty much a regular

Paster of Muppets

Pretty much a regular

Flying Frenchman

Pretty much a regular

Flying Frenchman

Similar threads