Gameday Jan 21 vs CHI

January 21

CHI @ CGY
Gametime 7:30pm

you came to take us
all things go, all things go
to recreate us
all things grow, all things grow
we had our mindset
all things know, all things know
you had to find it
all things go, all things go

The Blackhawks got rid of some shitty free agents, recreated their team by acquiring high draft picks, came out with a competitive mindset to end last season and start this one, and have found what so many cities in the NHL are looking for: a bonafide, elite level club. A club that doesn't blow a 5-0 first period lead, a club that doesn't lose 9-1 against a team's third and fourth lines. We here in Southern Alberta can only imagine what that would be like.

In the 1996 NHL playoffs, whenever a goal was scored by the Florida Panthers on home ice, fans would throw thousands of plastic rats onto the ice. These were a homage to Scott Mellanby at the time, who early in the season killed a rat with his hockey stick in the dressing room and then scored two goals that night, coining the term "rat-trick".


Patrick Roy, netminder for the Avalanche at the time, refused to duck under his net like opposition goaltenders during game three of the Stanley Cup Finals when the rats came raining down after he allowed a goal in the first period. During the intermission, he said to his teammates the famous words: "no more rats". He delivered on his promise, allowing no goals for the rest of the game and then shutting out the Cats in Game Four to finish the sweep.


But what does this have to do with the 09-10 Calgary Shames?


Brent Sutter, by all accounts, is a serious man. And what he offered up for a post-game interview after the San Jose loss reminded me of Roy's quote. When asked about the loss, all the coach said was, "enough is enough".


Let's hope so. I am beginning to lose faith in the Flames, and whenever I do there is only one icon that I turn to...

Flames Cat, lead us.