My Usual Playoff Experience, Only Now in Calgary

So, after last nights defeat at the hands of the Mighty Ducks, I got to see what another city looks like when its team gets knocked out in the first round. Many things are similar to Ottawa in this way, mainly people wondering what went wrong, how could this happen after a great year, what changes need to be made, you know the drill. Well after living in Ottawa for so many disappointing seasons, I have answers for those Flames fans, and here is One Ottawa Man's point of view:

1) What went wrong?
Simple, the Flames got caught looking ahead. There was so much being made about a Flames-Oilers 2nd round, that they misread that they had to get by the Ducks. The last two games were lacking in emotion and they didn't seem to want it as much as the Ducks, they wanted nothing else but to play the Oilers. The press here didn't help as well, writing more about a possible series than the series at hand. That was the ammo that the Ducks needed.

2)How could this have happened after such a great year?
Playoffs are different. Look what happened the last time with the Flames, nobody thought they would go to the final. Also, if you look, the Ducks were one of the best teams in the 2nd half. Not a big surprise.

3) How did Bryzgalov outplay Kiprusoff?
He didn't. Much like seasons ago when the press (re:Toronto) was praising Belfour for shutting down the Sens, it wasn't that he played that well (don't get me wrong, he played well), but when the few shots he faced were at his chest. The same here, Bryzgalov played very strong for the Ducks, but a good part of his credit could go to the Flames themselves for taking such little shots and not trying to figure him out.

4) What happens next year?
Easy, and not easy. The Flames defence and goaltending is solid, it is their scoring or lack there of. They need a number one centre - someone who can lead with Iginla. Langkow is a good player, but he is no more than a number 2 centre, a problem that the Sens had for a number of years until Spezza really arrived (Yes, Yashin was a number one centre - but in the playoffs, he couldn't score on John Grahame). They have to get this, or they will continue to suffer the same fate. You can only win so many 2-1 games.

So I walk to work this morning, feeling like I was walking by a state funeral, the way everybody's face looked. But by this afternoon, the weather got a little nicer, a little warmer, and those frowns seem to switch a little upward. It's not the end of the world, it just seems like it for a few hours. Now my thought process can try to figure out why these people should be buying theatre tickets. What else are you going to do?

With the Flames out, I can now cheer the Sens out in public without fear of being abused, and will possibly hear people agree. And as I watch my team from another city, I wonder what will happen with the rest of the playoffs, and wonder what could have happened had the Flames played like they could have and ended facing the Oilers.

Oh well, go Sens go!!