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Staal's Hit Deemed Clean/ Re-build All that Much Worse?

Matt Stajan got creamed last night by Marc Staal and the hit has been reviewed and was legal. Given Staal's history and the circumstances of the hit I would have been surprised if he received more than a game anyway but with Colin Campbell you have to wonder if he thinks Stajan is "a little faker", guess so. The controversy behind the hit is that Stall doesn't appear to leave his feet but does appear to lunge into Stajan's chin, not chest. This was evidenced by Stajan doing his best Bambi on ice impersonation after the hit. he wasn't winded, he was concussed. If this was a shoulder to shoulder hit I would have applauded Staal for cranking him, I love a huge hit as much as anyone, I just don't want to see anyone loose their brains on the ice.

So with our premier shut down defenseman out due to injury the Flames allow two goals against. That is a bright spot at least. if the rumors are true and Regehr is being shopped at least we know J-Bo can play 30+ minutes! All kidding aside Calgary does have a few D that are able to come up and play some minutes in addition to Pardy who is closing on being healthy again.

The record keeps sliding at a rate of one win for every four losses after the most recent 10 games. As fans we think this is unacceptable, imagine being an owner spending millions and millions on players, coaches, management and staff to get that result. We are lucky that our ownership will spend mega millions to have a winner so trust me they feel just as ripped off as we do. The fact is that as they slip to three games under there is a point where the owners will ask management to clear house and start over. Where that point that the owners step in is a guess. Is it 5 games under? 10 games under 500? We don't know but as the season rolls on time runs out on the Flames.

Calgary is in that group with the Islanders, Oilers, Toronto, Buffalo and Florida that are perennial losers. The standings speak for themselves.

When we say "re-build" there is a cringing that goes on like they are being gutted. How many seasons did Colorado miss before they got back to the top of the north west division? If you draft well you get the players you need to be successful right away. More and more junior players are making the jump to the NHL so the turn around is not as long as it has been in the past. If the Flames decide to blow it up and start over, it doesn't necessarily mean they will take ten years to make it back. Players like Bourque, Backlund, Giordano and Kipper will help whatever tough times we have moving forward. If you argue that re-building would be bad because we would lose more then please ask yourself if losing 1 in 4 isn't just as bad?

S>O>

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