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Calgarypuck Rates the Flames Position: Left Wing Towards the end of the season general manager Craig Button, and newly appointed head coach Greg Gilbert continued to hit on a common theme ailing the Calgary Flames. Accountability. Clearly that's a message not missed on the fans. How else can you explain a blue collar veteran grinder like Dave Lowry topping the lists at left wing this season? The left side is a weakness in Calgary, which can plainly be seen by the fact Lowry leads the category, and the runner up has been traded. For the Flames to take that next step names like Oleg Saprykin and Sergei Varlamov have to be at the top of this list in January of 2002. Dave Lowry:
Notes:Â Team Rank - 7th Dave Lowry had a great season in personal terms for the Calgary Flames. He tied his career best goal total at 19, and was named captain after Steve Smith retired. But the fact of the matter is; with Dave Lowry rated the team's best left winger paints a grim picture. Lowry's rating fell from a bloated 3.1 average to a 2.69, which still represents a strong showing in the "average" category. The Sun had Dave Lowry at 12.5, which placed him in a position shared with other players like Tyson Nash (St.L), Brian Rolston (Bos), and Todd Warriner (T.By). Cory Stillman:Â
Notes:Â Team Rank - 8th As pointed out in our analysis of the Center Position, it was quite ironic to see Craig Conroy and Cory Stillman equate in the ratings given the controversy surrounding the deal involving the two veteran players. It points out that their must be Craig Button supporters amongst the disenchanted populous. Stillman's rating did fall from an impressive 3.43 average to 2.76, moving him out of the "above average" category and into the "average" classification. The Sun poll had well down the list league wide, aligned with players like Daniel Sedin (Vcr), Rem Murray (Edm), and Scott Gomez (N.J.). Ronald Petrovicky:
Notes:Â Team Rank - 13th For a player that missed the first half of his rookie season with a wrist injury, Ronaly Petrovicky wasted no time winning over fans upon his return. The plucky winger finished third on the team in terms of left wings (2nd when you take Stillman out of the mix), and 13th overall on the team. Petrovicky finished the season playing alongside Marc Savard and Jarome Iginla on the number one line.
 Oleg Saprykin:
Notes: Team Rank - 14th While Petrovicky was returning from an injury to rise up the rankings, Oleg Saprykin was getting injured and heading the other way. The Russian rookie fell from an average of 2.58 to 2.33 with his concussion and reduced ice time down the stretch. Given the fact most of the team moved down to a large extent, his 4.8 point drop is hardly alarming. The Sun had Saprykin rated as a center, in a range habitated by other players like Travis Green (Phx), Tim Connolly (NYI), and Michael Nylander (Chi). Bill Lindsay:
Notes: Team Rank - 28th The feeling is mutual? In the end Bill Lindsay wanted out of Calgary, because he wasn't getting any playing time. Looks like the fans agreed he should go. With Lindsay riding the pine through the last half of the season his average dropped from 2.08 to 1.43, a move that represents a definitional change from "average" to "barely holding on". The Sun looked at Lindsay more favorably with an adjusted rating of 48.0. He was directly compared to players like Adam Graves (NYR), Greg Adams (Fla), Martin Gelinas (Car). Dwayne Hay:
Notes: Team Rank - 29th Dwayne Hay's rank and rating reflect what he brings to the table, an honest effort with limited skills. The rangy winger showed great foot speed, but hands of stone around the net, yielding him an average of 1.30, down from 1.93. The Sun poll had Hay at 9.0 (36.0), which puts him a class of player similar to Andre Roy (Ott) and Rob Ray (Buf). Niklas Andersson:
Notes:Â Team Rank - 34th The Calgarypuck.com whipping boy. Niklas Andersson could take some solace in the fact that his rating only fell 1.0 points (an average of 0.06) from January to April. That is until you find out he finished dead last in the rankings of all the players that played a game in Calgary this season. Andersson wasn't ranked by the Calgary Sun. Back to the Rate the Flames Start Page
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