No Heart
Posted 1:49 AM ET | Comments 3
I'm from Calgary. I have lived my whole life living and dying with the Calgary Flames. I have seen more hockey games than many people see in a lifetime. I truly am blessed with the exposure I get to the greatest game on the planet. I came out east for University, in London, Ontario, and now am blessed with getting to see Tavares play whenever I want.
Over the weekend however, I finally got to see my first NHL game outside of Calgary, at the ACC, Leafs vs Penguins, Doug Gilmour night. I came dressed in #39, Calgary flames, full out Gilmour, no one stopped me screaming "where'd you win your cup killer?" Basically the crowd was appreciative that I was respecting gilmour's past, and I was very happy about that. What I was appalled about was two different things, each that deserve a paragraph to it's own. I'll start with the Pittsburg Penguins.
So I came into this game expecting to see the greatest talent in the game. Malkin. Crosby. Doesn't get better than this right? Well, after watching 60 odd minutes of this team, I have to say, it gets MUCH better than this; WAY better than this. This team has 0 heart. Maybe it was the fact they were playing the Leafs. Maybe it was the fact that it the long run, this game wasn't #1 in the players mind. But in my mind, this game showed the difference between the western conference and the eastern conference. I didn't see a hit until midway through the second when Shenn just nailed Malkin, then went on to destroy Kennedy in a one sided fight. I guess it takes a western boy to actually make a game of hockey a true game of hockey, because up till then I think I saw more contact in a Peewee 4 game between Crowchild and Bow Valley (repping calgary sorry). Basically my point in this rambling is that when Pittsburg lost to Detroit last final, I truly believed it was a loss that would spawn a dynasty. I thought it would breed desire like the 1983 Stanley cup finals bred desire in the the Edmonton Oilers, and spawned a dynasty the likes the NHL has never seen since. What I saw Saturday however was a team that didn't care; a team that was all skill and no heart; a team that had learned NO lesson from last year, and most importantly, a team that did not deserve to make the playoffs. This team has a lot to learn before it even has a hope at deserving to win the cup. I know people call the calgary flames a hard working team, but until saturday night I didn't realize what a different level the flames are on compared to the stanley cup finalists. These guys did not care about hockey. I know i've only seen one game of Pittsburg's, but if anyone votes Malkin the MVP of the year, I will personally shoot the man who does, because a replica of Marc Savard circa 2002 I do not want as the most valuable player in the nhl.
My second point I was going to say was that the atmosphere in the ACC reminded my of the saddledome circa 2001, but i've ranted enough on the penguins that I think I should save the lack of passion from the Leafs fans for another day. I did love the passion for Killer though, I won't take that away from you guys. You definitely picked a true hockey player as a historic icon. I love the guy, even if this he has about 10 in-laws.
Bottom line, the Penguins do not deserve to make the playoffs. Good night flames fans.
Over the weekend however, I finally got to see my first NHL game outside of Calgary, at the ACC, Leafs vs Penguins, Doug Gilmour night. I came dressed in #39, Calgary flames, full out Gilmour, no one stopped me screaming "where'd you win your cup killer?" Basically the crowd was appreciative that I was respecting gilmour's past, and I was very happy about that. What I was appalled about was two different things, each that deserve a paragraph to it's own. I'll start with the Pittsburg Penguins.
So I came into this game expecting to see the greatest talent in the game. Malkin. Crosby. Doesn't get better than this right? Well, after watching 60 odd minutes of this team, I have to say, it gets MUCH better than this; WAY better than this. This team has 0 heart. Maybe it was the fact they were playing the Leafs. Maybe it was the fact that it the long run, this game wasn't #1 in the players mind. But in my mind, this game showed the difference between the western conference and the eastern conference. I didn't see a hit until midway through the second when Shenn just nailed Malkin, then went on to destroy Kennedy in a one sided fight. I guess it takes a western boy to actually make a game of hockey a true game of hockey, because up till then I think I saw more contact in a Peewee 4 game between Crowchild and Bow Valley (repping calgary sorry). Basically my point in this rambling is that when Pittsburg lost to Detroit last final, I truly believed it was a loss that would spawn a dynasty. I thought it would breed desire like the 1983 Stanley cup finals bred desire in the the Edmonton Oilers, and spawned a dynasty the likes the NHL has never seen since. What I saw Saturday however was a team that didn't care; a team that was all skill and no heart; a team that had learned NO lesson from last year, and most importantly, a team that did not deserve to make the playoffs. This team has a lot to learn before it even has a hope at deserving to win the cup. I know people call the calgary flames a hard working team, but until saturday night I didn't realize what a different level the flames are on compared to the stanley cup finalists. These guys did not care about hockey. I know i've only seen one game of Pittsburg's, but if anyone votes Malkin the MVP of the year, I will personally shoot the man who does, because a replica of Marc Savard circa 2002 I do not want as the most valuable player in the nhl.
My second point I was going to say was that the atmosphere in the ACC reminded my of the saddledome circa 2001, but i've ranted enough on the penguins that I think I should save the lack of passion from the Leafs fans for another day. I did love the passion for Killer though, I won't take that away from you guys. You definitely picked a true hockey player as a historic icon. I love the guy, even if this he has about 10 in-laws.
Bottom line, the Penguins do not deserve to make the playoffs. Good night flames fans.
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02 No Heart
One thing I will admit is that hockey games out west are far more exciting to watch and far more exciting to go to. In the East, the only really passionate teams here are Montreal, with their play style and of course their energetic fans, and the Rangers, who have been playing somewhat slow hockey styles lately, but their fanbase makes up for it. The Devils...well we're not trapping anymore, and our style of hockey is more amusing to watch, but our sections are more deprived of human life than Death Valley...
Great blog OTH... Funny that Devils hockey also gets more exciting once a Sutter is at the helm, coincidence? To all the Eastern fans who get sick of our whining out west, get your ass West of Thunder Bay and come watch some real hockey...
The East was dominant physically at one point and now it's the West, this trend will continue, oh and wait till the flames play the Bruins. Remember the Philly, Boston, Toronto, Montreal teams that where all tough? Detroit isn't tough so to speak but they won the cup so I'm kinda missing the point.