Despite the bleak news that her beloved Calgary Flames failed to qualify for the playoffs, Janine Jones won’t give up on her favourite team.
“I’ll still support them,” said Jones after the Flames dropped a 2-1 decision at home to the San Jose Sharks last night. “I’ll still have my Flames jersey on next year, but I’m feeling sad right now.”
While the loss didn’t officially eliminate the Flames from the playoffs, they were ousted a short time later when the Colorado Avalanche secured a 4-3 shootout win in Vancouver against the Canucks.
“We just didn’t cut it,” said Tom Merkley, who joined Jones and three other friends at Jamesons Restaurant and Bar to watch the game. “I’ll still be cheering for them next year, of course.”
Prior to the contest, Jones still believed that the Flames could string together three straight victories and somehow pass Colorado in the standings.
“I had hope and I thought they’d be up for tonight’s game,” she said. “They’re a lot better than they’re playing. They’re not doing as good as they should be.”
While Jones and her friend Allyson Johns proudly wore their Flames jerseys, none of the other 60 or so patrons at Jamesons showed the same faith. “The Flames have a lot of bandwagon fans,” Jones said.
Johns encouraged other Flames fans to find a way to put this season behind them.
“It’s our team,” she said. “We’ve got to support them.”
