Give the Flames the CREDIT!

Allow me to do a sports rant: 

I'm very tired of the negativity. I don't think Canuck people are giving Calgary enough credit. Everyone is talking about how Vancouver failed, or choked, or can't over come the difficult pressure. 

Some of that is true. But what's really true is how incredible Calgary has been and not just this season but all season. This is a very young talent who have played the right way and are having success. They have drafted well, worked hard, and believed in themselves. I'm not a fan of the Flames but I'm a fan of what they have done as an organization. 

Am I disappointed being up 3-0 and lose Game 6? Of course but give Calgary the credit, they didn't quit. All series they skated hard, they hit hard, they blocked a ton of shots, and they found ways to score. I was impressed by this young talent that had no business being in the playoffs never mind beating the more experienced Canucks. Vancouver's issues are still the same, we can't score in the playoffs to compete. Tonight was an exception but Game 1, 3, and 4 were poor offensive performances by Vancouver but I'm not blaming the Canucks as much as I'm giving the Flames some incredible credit. Good for them. Hiller has been fantastic (minus Game 6). Ferland hits everything and was a significant in the series. Bennett and Gaudreau are full of high ceiling potential. Russell might as well be Bill Russell with all those blocked shots. 

I still trust in what Linden and Benning are doing overall. It will be an interesting offseason with the draft and free agency. But I think it's time to part ways with Higgins. I don't mind having Hansen around. But I want to see Jake Virtanen and Hunter Shinkaruk in the lineup next season. I wish we didn't give contract extensions to Sisba and Dorsett. I do like Bonino and Vrbata and the twins had a bounce back season. I'm encouraged by the development of Lack and Miller showed he's a world class goalie. And of course everyone has been impressive with the year Horvat has had. The Canucks are trying to change on the fly and we will see if that will work. But rebuilding is more difficult that people understand. Look how long it took the Islanders to rebuild, decades. Calgary took a 6 year playoff break and look to be headed in the correct direction. But look at the Oilers with their 9 year drought without being in the playoffs. There hope lies in the hands of Chiarelli and McDavid. Rebuilding is easy to say but a massive up hill grind. 

I picked that whoever won this series would lose to the Ducks but if Calgary can play this way I'm not so confident any more. Ducks might need the flying V to beat these physical Flames. 

Of course I could be wrong but I doubt it.