Good day sports fans! Today is a very big and important game for the Calgary Flames as they look to avoid going down 3 games to none in the 2nd round of this playoffs series.

And let me be blunt for a moment – if the Flames lose tonight, they’re done.

I’d like to consider myself as a very optimistic, but also realistic fan and when I’m trying to assess any team’s future, I take all conditions in to account. This series has not been kind to Calgary so far and depending on what game footage you watch, it almost seems as though the Ducks aren’t always at full force.

Call it what you will, but so far in this series the Ducks have pushed the pace of the game and have outmatched the skill and depth of what the Flames have offered thus far. But all is certainly not lost. This team has been one which continues to prove the masses wrong, and while things are certainly not going their way at the moment, could impress once again!

Whether or not a big home win could change the pace of the game and try and pull the Ducks in to a “dump and chase” style over the “hit, dump, chase, hit, get puck, hit” style that has been displayed so far is left to be seen, but don’t count on it.

What this series has possibly done for this organization, however, has been showing them the value of both size and skill as a guy like Johnny Hockey is being sat, and guys like David Wolfe are being utilized.

"Our best guy can’t hack this kind of hockey. We know it. You know it. So, we’re sitting him down."

The only chance that the Calgary Flames have against this Anaheim Ducks team, home crowd aside, is trying to utilize their speed to create offense but also force Anaheim to make mistakes in their own end.

They are certainly not going to beat them at the physical game, and two games has been enough to determine that. It will be interesting to see if Hartley makes any changes to his lines or system to try and play to his strengths rather than bringing a butter knife to a sword fight.

Too harsh? Yeah maybe…but I can see some serious times where Calgary is outmatched and doesn’t stand a chance in the corners and even in front of their own net.

So at this point in the series and the year, the Flames are going to need all the positive energy from their fan-base and some luck from the Hockey Gods with respect to bounces/calls, and perhaps they can extend their lives and odds!

Thanks for reading!

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