A few short years ago the NHL Entry Draft was an event you read about in the paper the next day and that was it.
You have never heard of any of the players, you certainly didn’t get to watch it on television, and there was hardly a lead up to the event to wrap your head around.
Today is completely different.
Completely.
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Do you remember April 17th, 2004? Game 6 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in Calgary; the Flames were leading the series three games to two and had the chance to garner the series win on home ice and earn a date with the Detroit Red Wings in Round number two. As you all recall, Vancouver won that game in triple overtime and forced a game 7… sending Flames fans home heartbroken, wondering what could’ve been. But at the end of the day, after the sting had subsided everyone was proud of the effort in the series and whatever happened in game 7 wouldn’t sour the experience. A win would’ve been great, but people could have accepted a loss and still be overjoyed with just making the playoffs and making it to game seven. Well… what happened after that night transformed the city, and revitalized the whole professional hockey scene in Calgary as the team marched straight to the Stanley Cup Final, eventually running out of gas in game seven against Tampa Bay. That run left a lasting impression on the city that could never again be duplicated…
Having watched the highlights of the last time the Flames and Sharks tangled this past weekend (thanks Bingo) you can’t help but think of the comparisons that can be made between then and now. How have these two teams changed in the past 4 years? How does that impact what our view of the series from then to now? San Jose is still playing the same type of game in my opinion, but have they become more dangerous with the additions of players like Joe Thornton and Brian Campbell? Are the Flames anything near the type of team that stormed the HP Pavilion in the spring of 2004?
If you look up and down the lineups you can’t help but think that the Sharks should win this series, maybe not as handily as the Red Wings, but they should be able to beat Calgary, on paper. How the Sharks deal with that pressure, and the pressure of being labled Stanley Cup contenders will be interesting to watch.
All these answers and what should be one heck of an entertaining series starts on Wednesday night!
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San Jose Sharks (2) vs. Calgary Flames (7):
For the Sharks to win:
Just keep playing the way they are. They have been virtually unstoppable since acquiring Brian Campbell at the trade deadline, losing only twice in regulation in the last 20 games or so. Campbell is the best answer any team has for Dion Phaneuf, and he has to be as good if not better than Phaneuf for the majority of the series. If Campbell can dominate a game or two, the Sharks have a great chance at winning given their goaltender Nabokov should be tough to beat after a potential Vezina winning season and Joe Thornton is always dangerous, scoring 94 points to lead their team in 2008. The Sharks need to play physical, as the Flames star players are easily goaded into combat, sometimes resulting in 5 minutes of Iginla or Phaneuf (or both) landing in the penalty box. Jeremy Roenick scored 14 goals this year, and 10 of the were game winners. That’s a scary stat come playoff time. You can bet the Sharks want a guy like JR out on the ice if overtime hits. Play fast, play physical, and try not to tick off Jarome Iginla too much…and the Sharks should win hands down.
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Given the inconsistency of the Calgary Flames this season, I’m not sure any team in the first round would leave club followers with an abundance of self confidence.
Given the fact they have drawn the circuit’s hottest chapter just adds to the concern.
The Flames are a very good hockey club that doesn’t always play that well, so it seems almost perfect that they are soon to clash with one of the NHL’s best regular season teams that always seem to lay an egg in the post season.
Calgary Flames of 2008 meet the Calgary Flames of 1995.
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