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Provincial Awakening

by IwoCPO on 04/10/07 at 05:10 PM ET
Comments (7)

Updated 1836 CST:  The Real Deal (see below) is taking a staggered approach to their analysis.  I know it’s early, but I’m finding the Calgary bloggers to be a different animal than their Oil counterparts.  A little less sarcasm, a little more analysis. 

The Flames bloggers are slowly recovering from a regular season rollercoaster.  A few days to drink their stress away and they’re ready for some analysis.  Metrognome at Five Hole Fanatics breaks down the Wing/Calgary first rounder.

Besides the glaring difference in record/points, these two teams look surprisingly evenly matched. Of course, thanks to the league’s unbalanced schedules, comparing two teams across different divisions can be rather challenging - kinda like comparing grades across two vastly different grading curves. To stretch the analogy further, Detroit was an overcheiever in a class of special needs kids while the Flames were stuck in a room full of brainiacs (aside from the lone dork in the corner wearing a blue and orange dunce cap).

Read the rest here.  Gnome provides some balanced ideas across the board, but I offer a couple of counterpoints:

-The Wing defense, while still very good, has been hurt badly by the loss of Kronwall.

-We know Pavel Datsyuk is a legitimate question mark, but if Detroit wins this series he’ll be the player that leads the Wings.  And IF Detroit wins this series, that 47 million dollar contract is going to be looking very good to the rest of the league because he’s going to have a Conn Smythe-like playoff.  If, if, if…

-Dominik Hasek’s physical health, while a concern, isn’t the only health issue Wing fans worry about.  He’s clearly insane and not the good kind of insanity that used to steal games.  I may be alone when I say this, and I have…many times, but I’m not convinced Hasek won’t be a scapegoat if Detroit bows out early.

-Another Calgary analysis (whether it’s a mainstreamer or blogger) with no mention of Johan Franzen.  His name recognition is going to jump in the next week.

Kyle at The Real Deal breaks down the coaches.

Just as regular readers know I’m not a Playfair fan, they also know I am a true Babcock fan. I love his demeanor (when asked about his PP after a game last season, which had failed to convert that game, he remarked: (paraphrased) “The PP? Oh ya, what are we ranked in the league? Number 1? Thanks, next question.” He guided the Ducks to within a couple goals of the Stanley Cup. If you say he rode Giguere’s tail, I say he identified his team’s strength and exploited it. He has won Gold medals coaching Team Canada in 1997 and 2004. He has found a way to keep this team winning despite breaking in newer players and dealing with older ones. I will say though, Babcock got outcoached by Craig MacTavish in the first round last year.

Edge: Detroit

I’ll tell ya Kyle…Mike Babcock’s a lightning rod for discussion amongst Wing fans.  We like the fact that he talks…and talks, and talks, and talks.  Interestingly, he sometimes talks for hours and says, well, nothing at all.  That doesn’t stop our deep diggers from hanging on (and printing) every word, every syllable. 

Great point about Babs losing the strategy battle to MacTavish last year.  That’s true and it can’t happen again if he hopes to stay in Detroit.

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Comments

re: Hasek, I agree.  Goaltending that has often actually been above average has been blamed for early Detroit exits lately, and I think that Hasek is set up to be the next scapegoat for one reason (headcase) or another (injured).

Posted by Kyle from Calgary on 04/10/07 at 05:50 PM ET

Not too sure how your campaign is going to enlist the Oiler blogosphere’s Calgary hatred - but if you’re coming up empty, just point them in the general direction of the ‘gnome’s comment “...(aside from the lone dork in the corner wearing a blue and orange dunce cap).”  Ouch.  That ought to tip the scales in your favor…

Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula on 04/10/07 at 06:56 PM ET

See Hoser?  You recognize my subtle psy-ops techniques.

Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 04/10/07 at 06:58 PM ET

While you may be letting your day-job creep into your real life’s work - thank heaven you’re not letting the day job interfere with what’s going on here anymore!

Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula on 04/10/07 at 07:01 PM ET

Don’t get too comfy.  I’m only on leave until tomorrow night.  Then it’s back to two or three posts/day.

Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 04/10/07 at 07:03 PM ET

Heck, 2 or 3 posts a day is a bonanza!

Seriously, thanks for doing what you do on your day job - we can’t say it all the time or your head wouldn’t fit in that fine Dominator helmet replica you hide in your closet.

I see you infected the ‘gnome with the ‘bubba’ entry from the glossary.  Now that it’s spread to Canada, it’s an official part of hockey lore - congrats!

Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula on 04/10/07 at 07:14 PM ET

I have not been comfortable with Hasek all season.  I could see him being the scapegoat because it seems that goalies seem to get the worst of it when the Wings have playoff problems.  He either gets to be the hero or the goat, there doesn’t seem to be an in between.

Posted by hockeychic from Denver, CO on 04/10/07 at 09:03 PM ET

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