Keenan to Calgary? It\'s a possibility

[lanky522]

Well put Z.

I like this point of view and let\'s all hope this is how things turn out... Lord knows they have the talent to get to the stanley cup finals again with the proper coaching and/or motivation.

[Chuk]

First off, I actually like Keenan as a coach. He can get the best out of players but he has also wrecked a few along the way. I would ask \"what have you done for me lately\" when it comes to 87Flyer\'s comments as the rules and the game have changed a lot since the Hextall/Belfour/Richter playoff runs. What also became of these teams afetr their respective runs? Obviously the Rangers won, so who cares but where did PHI and CHI go after their cup runs?

My post was stricly based on a \"what if\" he has a conflict with Kipper. Without Kipper (or with a disgruntled Kipper) I do not believe this team makes the playoffs.

Lanky522 - I am wondering where you rank this team in the west? I do not see them in the top 5 at all. (ANA,SJ,DET,NSH,MIN,LUONGO err...VAN)That is also assuming all is well in Kipperland, the defense returns to a once formidable unit and Huselius has matured enough to respect Keenan even though he battered him in FLA.

If I am a Flames fan I am definitely jumping on the bandwagon, I mean what choice do you have. I just think that there were other coaches that would have been good motivators that do not have the same reputation when it comes to conflict. (eg.- pat burns from my first post)

If nothing else we are in for a whole lot of forum threads about CAL this year. Woo Hoo!

[lanky522]

Chuk wrote:

I am wondering where you rank this team in the west? I do not see them in the top 5 at all. (ANA,SJ,DET,NSH,MIN,LUONGO err...VAN)That is also assuming all is well in Kipperland, the defense returns to a once formidable unit and Huselius has matured enough to respect Keenan even though he battered him in FLA.

If (and this is a pretty big if) Keenan can return this team to the defensive style that made them so successful (and terrible from a fantasy perspective) in the 05-06 season, I think that Calgary can be a top 5 team, without a doubt. The northwest is by far the tightest division in the west, and ANY team can win it ANY year. Calgary won it in the 05-06 season, and if they win it this coming season with good coaching, they\'ll be a top 5 team (inherant in winning a division).

I mean honestly. Why do you think that Vancouver and Minnesota are better teams? Neither have the depth at defense, goaltending, AND offense that Calgary does... Calgary has two legitimate scoring lines (something neither vancouver or minnesota can boast), a comparible goalie to both vancouver and minnesota, and when they played their hard nosed style in 05-06, could probably out defense both vancouver and minnesota.

What reason (aside from a possible internal collapse because of keenan) whould you not consider Calgary a top 5 team in the west?

P.S. It also depends on what you consider to be the best 5 teams... I think that even though Detroit and Nashville will likely finish with more points in the standings than Calgary, that doesn\'t make them \"better.\" The central divison is terrible outside of these two teams... If Calgary played the likes of Chicago, Columbus, and St. Louis as many times as Detroit and Nashville do, I\'d say that Calgary could put up 105+ points in the standings easily...

Despite scoring a combined 223 points in the standings, neither Detroit or Nashville made it past the second round in the playoffs... I think that in itself displays how inflated their \"rankings\" are.

===================

To answer your original question... my 5 top teams in the west (in terms of how deep they could go in the playoffs) would be:
Anaheim, San Jose, Vancouver, Calgary (playing a 05-06 style), and Nashville.

Detroit is always good, but until they address their lack of multiple scoring lines upfront, and need for reliable goaltending, they won\'t win another cup. Minnesota has a goalie controversy, no inherant powerplay quarterback, and only 3 scorers on their team (Rolston, Gaborik, and Demitra). Niether of these teams will make it past the first or second round in the playoffs without fixing these problems.

Calgary has the players, they now have the coach, they just haven\'t had the motivation and the discipline the last season or so. If Keenan can give them that, they can make a huge splash come post season.

Post edited by: lanky522, at: 2007/06/14 16:38

[repenttokyo]

actually, detroit did make it past the second round in the playoffs, but I know what you meant.

[87Flyer]

The point behind the goalies was that Keenan can and has had a workable relationship with goaltenders who then perform(at very high levels) when called upon. Sure he hasn\'t been behind a bench in quite some time but i don\'t think you lose your motivational skills just because you got a bit older and haven\'t been yelling and screaming at players in a while lol.

As for where did the Flyers and Hawks go, Philly was a Chelios elbow away from making another run the year after that and the Hawks let go of one of the best floppers in NHL history, who knows what would\'ve happened if they kept Hasek instead of Belfour.

In the end the biggest factor to me is that he\'s coaching not doing the GM thing and the fact is at one time he was a great coach and with this type of team, dam, this could be a career year from Iginla as well as the rest of the Flames who want to buy in.

[Chuk]

I hear ya Flyer, and maybe Kipper and Keenan will be a fantastic combo. That is just as likely as them hating each other.

I also do not know what being compatible with Hextall and Belfour says about anyone.... lol
All goalies are a bit weird but those 2... If they weren\'t in hockey, my next guess would be mandatory, court imposed, anger management.


On another note:

But can you explain this CAL defensive depth that you and my 2 buddies seem to be harping on...

Phaneuf is an All-star and then...... what?

Post edited by: Chuk, at: 2007/06/14 23:15

[87Flyer]

LMFAO, well said, both loose cannons. Crazy thing is Hextall is the reason i\'m a flyer fan, good thing to or I might\'ve fallen into the trap with the rest of ontario and been a leaf fan rofl. It\'s definitely gonna be touch and go there, don\'t think it should take long for us all to see how it\'s gonna be tho. Think this is the classic boom or bust scenario.

[Orrfan]

Theres only one little fly in the Huselius in Flo. theory and that he underachieved. That would be the lockout yr when he played in the Swede league and was running away with the scorin title. He always had the talent he was not a Keenan guy and became the designated whippin boy. Keenan likes to have a whippin boy!