Calgary Flames • NHL • Tampa Bay Lightning

Flame Outs and Dead Bolts

And so it goes that the NHL post-season came to an end for two more cities yesterday, ironically two cities that faced one another in the Stanley Cup finals just a few years ago.

Down in Tampa the Lightning lost their series in six games after getting beat 3-2 by New Jersey. Martin Brodeur came up with 32 saves while Brian Gionta proved to be the difference maker on offense scoring twice for the Devils.

Now I know that the Bolts have developed into regular playoff contenders and won the Stanley Cup back in 2004, and so the good people of Tampa now have hockey fever, but did you see the ice conditions at the St. Pete Forum? The sheet was so thin that crews had to patch holes during intermission where the concrete was showing. Seriously, if you can’t maintain a sheet of ice because it is too tropical then you shouldn’t have a hockey team, no matter what Gary Bettman and his bean counters think.

On the other hand, the Devils are in to the second round. Ho hum, wake me when it’s over.

Last night, meanwhile, the Calgary Flames were playing for their lives, but not even a rowdy home crowd could motivate them past the Red Wings one more time. The Flames played well enough to fend off Detroit for 80 minutes as they took a 1-1 tie into a second overtime, but Johan Franzen eventually found a way around Miikka Kiprusoff for the game winner.

Now I’m sad to see Calgary out of the playoffs because that means there’s only two teams left to try and defend Canada’s honor and end the 14-year sojourn of the Cup, but really the Flames could not have been a worse playoff team. Sure at home they played well, but it was like night and day seeing them away from the Saddledome. Even if the Red Mile had found a way to get past the Red Menace, Calgary would have been going down in the second round anyway.

On the other hand, Detroit is in to the second round. Ho hum, wake me when its over.

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