I have always been a firm believer in "three and out" when it comes to sports.
If a head coach can't make significant progress within three years time... whether it be winning a championship or making the playoffs depending on your goal, or ever just a significant improvement in the standings... then it's time to make a change.
Therefore, it certainly did not surprise me (not that it surprised many others) to see the Calgary Flames and Brent Sutter go their separate ways.
As much as I like Brent as a coach, he really did do a great job while trying to succeed with an extremely inadequate Flames roster, the time for change was obvious. The scary question for Flames is what kind of change is in store?
Earlier this week, Sutter made it clear that he would be more than comfortable in coming back next season to guide a younger, rebuilding Flames team. Days later, he is on the outside. Does that mean GM Jay Feaster (along with President Ken King and principle owner Murray Edwards) are stuck in the 're-tool not re-build' mindset? You have to think that's the case otherwise Sutter would be an ideal candidate to lead such a rebuild given his track record of working with younger players.
That being said (as first tossed out there by @reb_rebellion) would Sutter be a good fit behind the bench in Edmonton? He probably would.
Anyhoo... Brent will no doubt take plenty of time before deciding on his next move. Don't rule out the possibility of him coaching Canada's entry at the World Hockey Championship.
One thing I can most certain of... Jesse Wallin isn't going anywhere. He is firmly entrenched at the Red Deer Rebels' General Manager and Head Coach. And deservedly so as he's doing an admirable job in both roles (though I did have some fans actually tell me he should have been fired after this past season). If Brent does not end up working in the NHL next season, my expectation would be to see him carry out his role as Rebels Owner / President with more of a first hand presence... while also doing a bit more ranchin' out at the homestead.
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Good to see the NHL come down on Vancouver's Byron Bitz, suspending him for two games for his hit to the head on Los Angeles forward Kyle Clifford (who, by the way, will not be playing for the Kings tonight in game two).
Sadly, Sheriff Shanahan dropped the ball by not doing the same with Nashville's Shea Weber. At a time when the NHL is supposedly taking hardline stance on head shots, Weber essentially got a free pass for driving Henrik Zetterberg's head into the glass (from behind at that). Regardless of the fact that the Detroit star forward was not seriously injured on the play, Weber's intent to inflict injury was apparent. It was a potentially dangerous play that is simply unacceptable... will be quite interesting to see what happens should a similar incident happen again at some point during the playoffs.
Showing posts with label Calgary Flames. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Calgary Flames. Show all posts
Friday, April 13, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
What's Left To Play For?
(NOTE - The latest episode of 'Southside Dodge Rebels This Week' is now online)
Even with their main goal of earning a WHL playoff spot no longer possible, there are still a few things on the line for the Red Deer Rebels this week.
If they somehow manage to win their remaining three games starting tonight in Medicine Hat, they would salvage a .500 record for the season. They enter tonight 30-33-1-5 on the season.
But I'm going to have a closer eye on the team scoring race... which is still very much a race in the final week of the regular season.
John Persson currently leads the way with 56 points (23 goals, 33 assists) in 67 games played. He is just two points ahead of Mathew Dumba who sits with 54 points (20 goals, 34 assists) in 66 games.
By no means are the totals overwhelming. But it could make for a interesting bit of team history.
No defenceman has ever led the Rebels in scoring through an entire regular season despite some rather impressive performances...
- Darren Van Impe (1993-94) had 20 goals and 64 assists for 84 points in 58 games (that translates to 104 points over 72 games). Craig Reichert led the team with 119 points.
- Ross Lupaschuk (2000-01) had 28 goals (team record for d-men) and 37 assists for 65 points in 65 games. Justin Mapletoft led the Rebels and the WHL with 120 points.
- Dion Phaneuf's best total was 56 points in his final season with the Rebels in 2004-05. Roman Wick led that team with 70 points.
You can draw your own conclusions as to what it would mean to have the Rebels team scoring leader possibly finish with under 60 points. (Brandon Sutter led the team with 49 points in the much maligned 18 win 07-08 season) But should Dumba finish as the team leader it would still be an impressive feat.
For his part, Dumba told me he doesn't think that he will end up winning the team scoring race...
"I think Johnny's got that. He's a great player, and he's a forward. I think he's gonna rack up more points than I will in the last few games here. I'm not too concerned about it."
We'll see what happens.
The Rebels visit the Medicine Hat Tigers tonight at 7pm. Cam Moon has the pregame show on 106.7 The Drive starting at 6:50pm.
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Oilers fans... help me out if you could.
You continue to show an incredible amount of patience despite the fact your team continues to pile up the losses one after another.
I get the fact that the Oilers are a young team with some impressive talent and plenty of potential. But how long should it take before progress is made when it comes to actually winning some games.
The coach has finally lost his patience (for what it's worth) and the Edmonton media is quickly losing it's patience (for what it's worth) but yet the fans for the most part have remained patient while waiting for results to come around at some point.
Perhaps it's the promise of yet another elite prospect soon coming in the form of another high draft pick. The Oilers appear to be a lock to finish 29th overall meaning they'll likely pick 2nd overall this June in Pittsburgh. Heck, if they win the draft lottery they could pick 1st for the third straight year. Nail Yakupov would create quite a log jam of talent in the Oilers forward ranks. Wouldn't do much for their sagging defence or leaky goaltending though.
For the record... my NHL allegiances do lie with Calgary. But also for the record... I've long desired for them to start a rebuild of their own. Sven Baertschi creates good reason for excitement... but the Flames could use a few more like him.
Even with their main goal of earning a WHL playoff spot no longer possible, there are still a few things on the line for the Red Deer Rebels this week.
If they somehow manage to win their remaining three games starting tonight in Medicine Hat, they would salvage a .500 record for the season. They enter tonight 30-33-1-5 on the season.
But I'm going to have a closer eye on the team scoring race... which is still very much a race in the final week of the regular season.
John Persson currently leads the way with 56 points (23 goals, 33 assists) in 67 games played. He is just two points ahead of Mathew Dumba who sits with 54 points (20 goals, 34 assists) in 66 games.
By no means are the totals overwhelming. But it could make for a interesting bit of team history.
No defenceman has ever led the Rebels in scoring through an entire regular season despite some rather impressive performances...
- Darren Van Impe (1993-94) had 20 goals and 64 assists for 84 points in 58 games (that translates to 104 points over 72 games). Craig Reichert led the team with 119 points.
- Ross Lupaschuk (2000-01) had 28 goals (team record for d-men) and 37 assists for 65 points in 65 games. Justin Mapletoft led the Rebels and the WHL with 120 points.
- Dion Phaneuf's best total was 56 points in his final season with the Rebels in 2004-05. Roman Wick led that team with 70 points.
You can draw your own conclusions as to what it would mean to have the Rebels team scoring leader possibly finish with under 60 points. (Brandon Sutter led the team with 49 points in the much maligned 18 win 07-08 season) But should Dumba finish as the team leader it would still be an impressive feat.
For his part, Dumba told me he doesn't think that he will end up winning the team scoring race...
"I think Johnny's got that. He's a great player, and he's a forward. I think he's gonna rack up more points than I will in the last few games here. I'm not too concerned about it."
We'll see what happens.
The Rebels visit the Medicine Hat Tigers tonight at 7pm. Cam Moon has the pregame show on 106.7 The Drive starting at 6:50pm.
---
Oilers fans... help me out if you could.
You continue to show an incredible amount of patience despite the fact your team continues to pile up the losses one after another.
I get the fact that the Oilers are a young team with some impressive talent and plenty of potential. But how long should it take before progress is made when it comes to actually winning some games.
The coach has finally lost his patience (for what it's worth) and the Edmonton media is quickly losing it's patience (for what it's worth) but yet the fans for the most part have remained patient while waiting for results to come around at some point.
Perhaps it's the promise of yet another elite prospect soon coming in the form of another high draft pick. The Oilers appear to be a lock to finish 29th overall meaning they'll likely pick 2nd overall this June in Pittsburgh. Heck, if they win the draft lottery they could pick 1st for the third straight year. Nail Yakupov would create quite a log jam of talent in the Oilers forward ranks. Wouldn't do much for their sagging defence or leaky goaltending though.
For the record... my NHL allegiances do lie with Calgary. But also for the record... I've long desired for them to start a rebuild of their own. Sven Baertschi creates good reason for excitement... but the Flames could use a few more like him.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Road Warrior Rebels Visit Moose Jaw
The Red Deer Rebels are quickly approaching a point that no team wants to get to.
The point where the number of games they have left is equal to the number of points they need to make up in order to make the playoffs.
That is exactly the situation the Rebels will find themselves in if they are unable to get any points out of tonight's game in Moose Jaw... ten points out with ten games left.
Anyone hoping for an easy game for the Rebels had best look elsewhere. The Warriors are second in the WHL Eastern Conference and are 7-2-0-1 in their last ten games. It wasn't so long ago (Feb 11 to be exact) that the Warriors scored eight times in an 8-5 win at the Enmax Centrium. But the Rebels, much to my frustration more often than not, have a habit of playing up/down to their opponent's level. So we'll see how this one turns out I guess.
The Rebels expect to have Conner Bleackley in their lineup tonight.
Game time tonight from Moose Jaw is at 6pm. Mooner has the pregame show on 106.7 The Drive starting at 5:50.
The four game Saskatchewan roadie wraps up tomorrow night in Regina. The Rebels return to the Enmax Centrium for a Friday night tilt versus Swift Current and a Saturday night game versus Saskatoon.
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Let's chat a moment about the Calgary Flames...
Last week, Flames GM Jay Feaster promised to clean house if his team didn't its act together for its final two games before the NHL trade deadline.
The Flames then proceeded to blow leads in back to back games... losing to both Phoenix and Philadelphia on home ice.
That would have led one to believe that Feaster might follow through on his word and make some big time changes to his club... which sleepwalked while going winless in its entire four games home stand).
But alas, trade deadline day came and went without so much as a ripple from Flames camp much less a tidal wave.
And now Flames fans are left to suffer through the rest of the season...which will most likely end with missing the playoffs for the third straight time.
But Feaster is suddenly happy with his team. Mere days after (rightfully) lambasting them for lack lustre play on home ice he decides to stick with what brought him to the dance.
Problem is... there are no pretty girls at this particular dance.
Feaster beams with pride about his two deals in January to bring in Blair Jones and Mike Cammalleri... but the fact is the Flames remain a sub-par team barely capable of scoring more than one goal per game. Were it not for #34 between the pipes the Flames would, as Mr. Feaster so eloquently put it himself, be somewhere worse than 30th place.
I'm not particularly surprised by Feaster's inaction. He has shot his mouth off before and is sure to do it again at some point.
Flames nation will simply have to wait until the end of the season... when Brent Sutter falls on the sword for not leading this non-playoff worthy roster into the playoffs... and when a number of overpaid / underachieving free agent eligible players leave town... for changes to occur.
At least they got a head start by re-signing Tim Jackman for two more years...
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It's now up to Kevin Koe to keep Alberta's perfect curling season intact...
The Wild Rose Province has already laid claim to both of this year's Canadian junior titles (Brendan Bottcher and Jocelyn Peterman) as well as the Scotties (Heather Nedohin) so it seems only fair that Koe and Co. follow suit and win the Brier in Saskatoon.
Not that it will be easy for Koe, who does already have one Brier title to his credit. Brad Gushue (NL), Glenn Howard (ON), Brad Jacobs (N ON) and Rob Fowler (MB) are also among the favorites. The Brier gets underway this Saturday.
Meantime... Red Deer's Jocelyn Peterman, Brittany Tran, Rebecca Konschuh and Kristine Anderson leave today for Sweden where they will represent Canada at the World Junior Curling Championship.
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The point where the number of games they have left is equal to the number of points they need to make up in order to make the playoffs.
That is exactly the situation the Rebels will find themselves in if they are unable to get any points out of tonight's game in Moose Jaw... ten points out with ten games left.
Anyone hoping for an easy game for the Rebels had best look elsewhere. The Warriors are second in the WHL Eastern Conference and are 7-2-0-1 in their last ten games. It wasn't so long ago (Feb 11 to be exact) that the Warriors scored eight times in an 8-5 win at the Enmax Centrium. But the Rebels, much to my frustration more often than not, have a habit of playing up/down to their opponent's level. So we'll see how this one turns out I guess.
The Rebels expect to have Conner Bleackley in their lineup tonight.
Game time tonight from Moose Jaw is at 6pm. Mooner has the pregame show on 106.7 The Drive starting at 5:50.
The four game Saskatchewan roadie wraps up tomorrow night in Regina. The Rebels return to the Enmax Centrium for a Friday night tilt versus Swift Current and a Saturday night game versus Saskatoon.
---
Let's chat a moment about the Calgary Flames...
Last week, Flames GM Jay Feaster promised to clean house if his team didn't its act together for its final two games before the NHL trade deadline.
The Flames then proceeded to blow leads in back to back games... losing to both Phoenix and Philadelphia on home ice.
That would have led one to believe that Feaster might follow through on his word and make some big time changes to his club... which sleepwalked while going winless in its entire four games home stand).
But alas, trade deadline day came and went without so much as a ripple from Flames camp much less a tidal wave.
And now Flames fans are left to suffer through the rest of the season...which will most likely end with missing the playoffs for the third straight time.
But Feaster is suddenly happy with his team. Mere days after (rightfully) lambasting them for lack lustre play on home ice he decides to stick with what brought him to the dance.
Problem is... there are no pretty girls at this particular dance.
Feaster beams with pride about his two deals in January to bring in Blair Jones and Mike Cammalleri... but the fact is the Flames remain a sub-par team barely capable of scoring more than one goal per game. Were it not for #34 between the pipes the Flames would, as Mr. Feaster so eloquently put it himself, be somewhere worse than 30th place.
I'm not particularly surprised by Feaster's inaction. He has shot his mouth off before and is sure to do it again at some point.
Flames nation will simply have to wait until the end of the season... when Brent Sutter falls on the sword for not leading this non-playoff worthy roster into the playoffs... and when a number of overpaid / underachieving free agent eligible players leave town... for changes to occur.
At least they got a head start by re-signing Tim Jackman for two more years...
---
It's now up to Kevin Koe to keep Alberta's perfect curling season intact...
The Wild Rose Province has already laid claim to both of this year's Canadian junior titles (Brendan Bottcher and Jocelyn Peterman) as well as the Scotties (Heather Nedohin) so it seems only fair that Koe and Co. follow suit and win the Brier in Saskatoon.
Not that it will be easy for Koe, who does already have one Brier title to his credit. Brad Gushue (NL), Glenn Howard (ON), Brad Jacobs (N ON) and Rob Fowler (MB) are also among the favorites. The Brier gets underway this Saturday.
Meantime... Red Deer's Jocelyn Peterman, Brittany Tran, Rebecca Konschuh and Kristine Anderson leave today for Sweden where they will represent Canada at the World Junior Curling Championship.
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