"Buff" <will.TakeThisOut@not.say> wrote in message
news:Lo5Cc.853505$oR5.190240@pd7tw3no...
> Mario R wrote:
> > Iginla will be there. Kipper will continue to play well. I also think
> > Giguere will recover for Anaheim. Additions of Phaneuf and all the
players
> > injured like Reinprecht will surely help the flames which showed monster
> > depth at every position.
> They have almost redefined what depth means. Recently with the splurging
> of big money spending teams it felt that depth meant that a team had
> plenty of 30-50 goals scorers. Look no further than this years Avs for a
> team that had this so called depth.
I can't tell you how much I agree with this. I recently had a long thread on
Vancouver ng where I argued the merits of players with grit and skill who
can play any role assigned. The conversation veered into an analysis of
traditional Canadian hockey vs a historically less physical variety in
Europe. The flames to me played traditional CANADIAN hockey(even the
europeans) using skill, speed, physicality to wear the other teams down.
They regularly won battles of attrition and seemingly could inject any
player into their system and not miss a beat.
It was hilarious at times watching the opponents try to win cute instead of
actually trying to battle. Players like Zetterberg and Datsyuk were horribly
outmatched physically as was the team they played on. Calgary simply had
more guys that could battle than the other team. The Calgary success this
spring was a classic example of taking advantage of the weaknesses of your
opposition. It seems all the good western teams had totally bought into the
lets get a bunch of 30goal scorers and watch the high scoring fun. Didn't
turn out quite like that as Sutters boys showed there are different ways to
win and that the all-star teams had an achilles heel in the form of grit.
The other teams chronicically lost battles, had lapses in concentration
whereas the flames played their system to a tee.
>
> The Flames showed that depth meant having players on their roster who
> can fill in and be effective when others go down to injuries. This is
> what depth used to mean, and still did to an extent,
I've compared this flames team to the cup winning Islanders team. Some skill
players, some grinders but EVERYBODY fully buying into a team system. This
winning formula isn't new, it was just discarded in the haste of teams
acquiring the high priced all star help
but if you compared
> the Flames to a team like the Avs, Stars, or leafs you'd say that the
> Flames didn't come close in depth. No, not in big money performers, but
> like I said, they had the guys who could step in and make a difference
> when somebody else went down with an injury.
The Flames had a whole team that could outskate, outhit, and outwork, the
opposition. They also had the foresight to realize they needed a strong
supporting cast capable of stepping in as players went down playing their
demanding system. Star players are typically exposed when the opposition
work ethic is this high.
Like I said I welcome what happened in the playoffs this year as two teams;
Calgary, and Tampa, found a different winning formula than the plodding *old
veterans + stars* win methodology.
Great post Buff!
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