This is what happens when you open the season with one win in six outings.
This is what follows when you allow twice as many goals as you score to follow up a year of unforeseen momentum with embarrassing efforts in front of the hometown crowd.
Fans start to grovel, the media start to finger-point, players get on edge and things start to snowball.
Rumours start to fly.
Management did its part to try breaking the cycle following the Calgary Flames' fourth-straight loss at the Dome by putting goalie Karri Ramo on waivers Wednesday. No bites from the other 29 teams on the Flames' US$3.