The "TRADES" That Rocked the Dome

Read down for Analysis of Potential Jokinen-Kotalik Deal




To Toronto:

Dion Phaneuf- 7 Mill
Fredrik Sjostrom- .750 Mill
Keith Aulie- Prospect

Total $: 7.750 Million

To Calgary

Niklas Hagman- 3 Mill +2 yrs
Matt Stajan- 1.75 mill-UFA
Ian White-.950 mill-RFA
Jamal Mayers-1.4 mill-UFA

Total: $7.1 Million

When I first heard about the deal I went through a series of emotions from shock, to anger, to curiosity, and finally acceptance. Here is how the trade breaks down in my eyes.

The Flames lose a player in Dion Phaneuf who has loads of potential and at the ripe age of 24 has yet to fully reach his prime. He will most likely move on to Toronto and flourish, much like other players that have moved on from Calgary and matured into the players that Calgary originally had hoped they would become (Stillman, St. Louis, Giguere to name a few). Dion was the best player in the deal, and in saying that I think the Flames lost the deal skill wise. They lost a dynamic player who could change the game in an instant, whether it was a monstrous hit or a laser beam point shot to the top corner. He was and is a game changer. The problem that he brings is that he has defensive deficiencies that most of the time overshadows his incredible ‘game-changing’ abilities. He also has an enormous ego, that has been well documented, that clearly went ‘head-to-head’ with a couple of the other personalities in the room, including that of his line-mate and perennial team leader Robyn Regehr. Phaneuf was clearly causing problems in the dressing room and this move was needed both for the player and for the team. Phaneuf was also the Flames point shot on the powerplay and demanded respect with the shot that he possesses, even if it does not hit the net every time. That being said, the Flames powerplay isn’t exactly top grade and maybe this will force them to switch their strategies with the man-advantage. The Flames were in need of a desperate shake-up after going winless in 9 and this, I believe, was the smartest move as it takes a bona-fide ‘hot head’ out of the dressing room and installs fresh blood into the system.

The Flames also traded Freddy Sjostrom and defensive prospect Keith Aulie. Sjostrom had a couple of good games but rendered replaceable in the end. I was upset to see Aulie go as he was our ‘blue-chip’ prospect that, I thought, the team was very high on. He had tremendous upside with his size, 6’5” and 208lbs. He clearly has the potential to be that shut-down defensemen all teams want when he showed what he could do in the 2009 World Juniors. I understand the Flames have immense depth on the blue line, but I believe this kid had the most potential of them all and it surprised me when Sutter included him in the deal.

In return, the Flames receive three players that can make an immediate impact with the team, with the fourth (Mayers) more just window dressing for the deal. Stajan and Hagman provide that offensive depth that the Flames have been desperate for ever since the scoring well went dry early in December. Hagman comes in as the Flames 2nd leading goal scorer with 20 goals, while Stajan comes in 41pts, which ranks him 2nd in team points and a 51.6 face-off percentage (higher than any other Flame, not counting Backlund who has only played 3 games). The Flames add the offence they need and Stajan is still young at 25. They also added Ian White, who at age 25 provides the Flames with another puck moving defenseman. Now White is no Phaneuf, but he might be able to provide some stability (he was a +1 on Toronto!) to a back end that, at times this season, has looked iffy at best.

The Flames needed a shake-up and Sutter provided them with exactly that. He also allowed the Flames a little wiggle room in the salary cap as three of the four players are free agents come July 1st and it gives the team some options when re-signing players like Bourque.

This trade can not help me think of the infamous Gilmour-Leeman debacle in the early 90’s as the Flames gave away the biggest player in the deal and that trade ultimately crippled the franchise for a decade. Phaneuf has a ton of potential and I will not be surprised if and when he flourishes in his new surroundings where he will have more freedom to make the big hit or take the big shot.

The winner and loser of this deal won’t be known until a few years down the road. Hopefully it isn’t 2020 and we look back on this deal thinking, “If only we hadn’t traded away Dion Phaneuf.”

This has been,

Newman on the Flames

Wait!

It has just been announced that the Flames just pulled off another deal sending much criticized center Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust to the New York Rangers for Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins.

Shocking? Yes. Like it? Yes!

We send a guy away who simply just did not fit with this team. Jokinen never gelled properly with this team and never fit on the top line with Jarome Iginla; probably the biggest problem considering this was the role that he was brought in to do. Good riddands to this super underachiever. The funny part of this whole thing is that Sutter said, when he acquired Olli last winter, was that he had been trying to get him for three years and he had to make the deal…”Hey Darryl, how does your foot taste?” I am just glad Sutter was man enough to realize his error and did what he could to fix it.

Brandon Prust most likely goes into the record books as the only player to be traded by the same team mid-season, two seasons in a row. Astounding! But not a real loss as we have numerous players that can fill his role, including the newly acquired Jamal Mayers.

Calgary gets Kotalik which immediately gives them a solution to their point shot on the powerplay, which was lost with Phaneuf. Kotalik has a cannon of a shot and will be a nice addition to the unit. He makes $3 million a year for the 2 seasons after this one. With the potential to be a better player, Kotalik is probably slightly overpaid at this time, but will hopefully thrive in his new surroundings. Higgins has struggled since being injured in the 08-09 season and never was able to find his footing in the big apple. He becomes an UFA at the end of this season and could end up being a rental player. These two players coupled with the three forwards from Toronto definitely bolster the depth of the Flames forwards.

This has been an amazing day for Flames fans and will definitely be a turning point in the Flames season. I am glad that Sutter pulled off these trades now rather than later as it gives the new players added time to gel with their new team.

Olli and Dion gone in a day…I guess there is a giant red PANIC button in Darryl Sutter’s office.

This, once again, has been,

Newman on the Flames

Someone Has To Win, Right?

Well if this is not the perfect time to face the lowly Oilers, I do not know what is. Coming off of 9, yes 9, consecutive losses, the Flames look to ‘bump the slump’ against the worst team in the NHL on Saturday night. The only solace Flames fans have these days is the fact that the Oilers have lost more in a row (12) and occupy the very bottom of the NHL standings (Ouch). That being said at least the Oilers are due for a top pick in this years upcoming NHL Entry draft, whereas if the Flames continue to slump they have no such guarantee( The Flames traded their Number one pick in the Jokinen deal last year). Good news is that the Flames have feasted on the Oilers this year, winning all five match-ups thus far. They have outscored them 19-10 in those games. Large in part to the play of the powerplay(That must be a typo). The Flames have gone 6-18 with the man-advantage against the Oilers and should hope that another meeting rekindles that lost magic touch.

The Flames have issues, which are painstakingly evident. It’s the solution that the Flames must focus their attention on.

Well the saviour is here! Or maybe it just seems that way as Mikael Backlund, the Flames 07’ first rounder, is going to be centering the top line with Captain Jarome Iginla. Coming off his first career goal in the desert on Thursday night, Backlund will look to help ignite Iginla and the Flames into a prolonged ‘non losing’ skid. When drafted in 2007, Backlund was thought of to be ‘that guy’ who could solve the Flames number 1 center problems. Well, whether this is too soon or not, Flames fans will get a close up look at what the young Swede can do. I for one am quite happy with the move, as every other first line combination either gets kyboshed by the coach(Langkow-Glencross-Iginla) or worked 8 years ago(Conroy-Iginla) or will never work(Jokinen-Iginla-Any Player). Backlund provides a much needed boost of enthusiasm and energy as he is eager to prove to the world that he is an NHL calibre player.

When trying to be optimistic about Saturday night’s game you need not look further than Flames record on Saturday nights which is a very modest 9-2. Coincidentally their last win came on a Saturday night against the Canucks in early January. Also, if the Flames somehow beat the Oilers they will have captured points in 3 straight games, something they haven’t done for almost three and half weeks.

A warning to the Flames though: If you do not win tomorrow night, prepare for the biggest chorus of boos and hisses you have ever heard. Losing 9 straight is one thing, but losing to your provincial rival in your own building, who have lost 12 straight themselves, will not be acceptable.

This has been,

Newman on the Flames

Source of Photo: http://www.oskaya.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Calgary-Flames-vs-Edmonton-Oilers.jpg

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Make it Eight

Heartbroken. Disappointed. Frustrated.

All words that describe how the Flames must feel right now. The Flames lost their 8th consecutive game tonight despite holding a lead going into the final period. They fought hard in the 2nd, arguably their best period, but let one squeak by them with only 24 seconds left in the period to cut their lead in half. This event, one of two goals to bank off of Flames defensemen tonight, was the turning point of the evening. The Flames went into their ‘prevent defence’ formation in the 3rd and let Dallas dictate the flow of the period. The Flames managed only 5 shots in the 3rd and overtime before falling in the shootout.

For the first time in 11 days the Flames held a lead going into the final period. However, for the 2nd time in 11 days, they relinquished said lead. They simply have zero confidence in themselves and it shows on the ice. Once their friend ‘adversity’ shows up, the Flames players seem to run for the hills. You can not expect to win hockey games by allowing teams to dominate you in the final period when the game is on the line.

Due in part to a bonehead play by Rene Bourque (you are supposed to drop your stick when it breaks), the Flames were forced down a man. Thirty seconds later Bouwmeester joins Rene in the sin bin, giving Dallas their much needed opportunity to tie the game. They did not miss. The Flames were ‘white-knuckling’ the steering wheel and it cost them the chance to snap the drought. The Flames can not win if they only show up for a half, or two-thirds of a 60 minute affair; they are not that good of a team. The Flames must bear down and play a full game.

A few positives out of this game was the play of the Captain and his moustached comrade, Olli Jokinen. Both players scored goals tonight which was a great sign for a team in desperate need of scoring help. For the first time since November 30th the Flames scored two powerplay goals in a single game. This was thanks in part to Mark Fistric for using Nystrom’s helmet as his own personal Billy club. That had to be one of the most bizarre things you might ever see in a fight. Another bizarre happening was Miikka Kiprusoff getting awarded back-to-back slashing calls in overtime. Kipper clearly getting frustrated but at the same time, they were very, very soft calls.

The silver lining is this: they have a chance to get right back on that dilapidated horse and try it again against the Coyotes. If they can finally get a win and come away with 3 of 4 points on this mini road trip, than maybe, possibly they can turn this runaway train around.

Otherwise they might as well make this their theme song:

“Pants on the Ground, Pants on the Ground, looking like a fool with your pants on the ground!”

This has been,

Newman on the Flames

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Source of Photo: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/stars-rally-to-beat-flames-in-shootout/article1446889/

Lucky Number Seven

Question: What is the difference between a falling tree and the Calgary Flames?

Answer: A tree never gets booed out of its own forest.

Lucky consecutive loss number 7 for the Flames tonight, as they were shut out for the 2nd time in 3 games on home ice. They have scored a staggering 2 goals in their last 4 games at the Saddledome. They must be reading the Tiger Woods book on "How to ruin your image," because the Flames have fallen out of a Northwest division lead and into a logjam of teams fighting for the final playoff spot. The good news is, at this pace, the suspense of waiting to see if the Flames make the playoffs will not last long.

On the verge of sounding redundant, the Flames simply have one single solitary problem that is hindering them from posting “W’s” instead of loser symbols; scoring goals. This team simply is not able to put the puck into the yawning cage. It seems like the last 7 Vezina trophy winners have rolled over the Flames. Yet, Conklin, Niemi, Nabokov, Hiller, Ellis, Fleury, and Anderson do not posses any hardware of that nature. This is an extremely fragile hockey team right now as was evident in the loss tonight. Once the Blues scored that second goal with 8:39 left in the 3rd period, the Flames sails went limp and there wasn’t enough Cialis, Viagra, or ‘transgressions’ in the world to lift their spirits. It is as if they lost all hope for victory, and fans knew it as well, because two goals in the span of 8 minutes is something this hockey team is currently not capable of doing.

Who is to blame? Is their a point in blaming anyone? This is a team game, is it not? So, the Flames, as a team, have to crawl out of this mess or face a continuing chorus of boos as they play in their home rink, not unlike tonight.

They go on the road for two games this week before returning home to play the Oilers on Saturday. Phoenix who sits 5 points up on the Flames for fifth in the West and Dallas who are looking up on Flames but only 3 points in arrears. The Flames have split both affairs with Coyotes; both games ending in 2-1 decisions for the home team. In both games against the Stars, Flames back-up Curtis McElhinney has started. Expect more of the same as they face the Coyotes the following night. Maybe changing the one thing this team does not really need to change will spark them…than again I heard Taylor Hall is pretty good...

Maybe Brent Sutter should call up Coach D’Amato for a talk about inches…

“That's a team, gentlemen and either we heal now, as a team, or we will die as individuals.”



This has been,

Newman on the Flames

Welcome to 9th Place!

Well, despite a stronger effort the Flames lost for the 6th straight time and the 8th time in 9 outings. This was also the 3rd straight loss to the Blackhawks this season and 7th straight, not including the post season. That was the Flames 5th straight loss at home to boot; the last win coming on January 2nd against the Toronto Marlies. To think, this team should have come hard out of the gate, however they only mustered a measly 5 shots on net in the opening frame. The Grinch (Sutter) really knows how to spark his troops up for a crucial home game; a real encouraging sign!

The Flames faced the leagues best tonight, and failed to throw that giant ape of the top of the Saddledome roof. The Flames were shut down offensively again, as they only had 20 shots on net and a single goal; the 4th time in 5 games they failed to score more than 1! Now, give credit to the Hawks, as they do possess the 2nd GAA in the league, but the Flames are out of excuses. They have apparently run into every hot goaltender in the league on this never ending slump.

Oh Captain my Captain! Want to guess the number of shots Jarome Iginla had on net tonight? Go ahead, guess…give up? I will give you a hint; it starts with Z and rhymes with hero (something this guy is supposed to be). He had two shots at the net, yet they were blocked. He did contribute an assist on the lone Calgary marker, but that is not even close to the production Calgary needs from him. He even tried shaving his head, ala Setoguchi, yet proved ineffective.

Glaring Weaknesses

Two categories: face-offs and shots on goal. The Flames rank 30th in face-offs won. That is dead last for those who are counting. That means every time the Flames step in the dot, they are unlikely to come away with the puck. This means that they possess the puck less and have even less control over the game as they are constantly trying to play defence. San Jose, Minnesota, Chicago and Washington are the top four in this category. Not surprising that all of them, save Minny, are top teams in the league. You control the puck, you dictate the flow of the game; it is that simple. In shots on goal, the Flames rank 28th in the league. Once again, set aside the Leafs, and top teams like Chicago, Pittsburgh, Washington and San Jose rank highest in this category. The more shots you throw at the net, the better chance you have of scoring a goal. It is not rocket science as to why the Flames constantly struggle to find the net. They rarely control the pace of the game and therefore have to wait for their chances, and when those atypical opportunities do come, they seldom convert. Think about how many unreal saves Kiprusoff had to make tonight; I can think of at least 3 or 4. The Hawks goaltender Antti Niemi made saves, but none, and not nearly as many or as nice, as Kipper had to make. #34 is constantly left out to dry by his team, and I am sure its beginning to wear thin.

Cory Sarich might have played his way out of Calgary tonight displaying his sluggish speed on the penalty kill being beat to the puck by a much quicker Jonathan Toews. Sarich was weak at the (to use a Maguire-ism) ‘point of attack’ and Toews quickly passed the puck to Kane, who then opened the scoring. Just another glaring example of the Flames defence being too slow for the game right now. Doesn’t Keith, Seabrook and Campbell sound better then Bouwmeester, Phaneuf and Regehr. Comparable, yes, but everyone knows who they would choose.

At least Flames fans spring season will be less stressful…


This has been,

Newman on the Flames

Source of Photo: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/ct-spt-0122-blackhawks-flames-chicago--20100121,0,4040895.story

Steamrolled!

Everybody raise your hand if you thought that the 7-1 beat down on November 19th against the Chicago Blackhawks would be low point in the season? I would venture to guess that most everyone’s hands would be in the air. Well, the Flames have shocked us once again with their ability to look like a minor affiliate. 9-1…was that a rouge we scored? Was that a football game? Who allows an opponent to hang 9 on them? Maybe the Leafs, but definitely not the Flames, right? According to Rogers Sportsnet this was a match-up of two of the top teams in the Western Conference! Clearly they thought the Sharks were playing the Blackhawks, and not the lowly Flames. What, if any excuse can the Flames have for their fans? “We failed to convert on a couple of chances.” “We made one bad mistake on defence and it cost us.” Or maybe, “we were asleep and let monkey look a likes play in our place”…possibly the only logical explanation.

Losers of 5 in a row and 7 of their last 8 games, the Flames are in a serious tailspin with no recovery in site. If this isn’t rock bottom, I do not want to see what is. Maybe they just do not want to play for a hard nosed Coach. A team with this much talent does not lose this badly, this often. Something is seriously wrong. No more excuses about how it’s almost there, and if they “keep at it” things will start going right. Something has to change and it has to change quickly!

Someone in that dressing room has to step up and take charge, and it should be no one else but the man wearing both ‘C’s’ on his chest. Jarome Iginla is in the midst of his biggest scoring slump since 1997. Granted he did tally one assist against Anaheim, but he still remains goalless in 9 straight games, and only 2 points to show for in that whole stretch. What happened? What has changed? Since December 3rd, he has scored 4 goals in 24 games. Is this really the guy who scored 50 goals twice? What is different this year than in years past? Well, for starters he has nobody to pass him the puck. In years past he has had playmakers like Tanguay, Cammalleri, Huselius, Lombardi and two guys still on our team in Langkow and Conroy. Now I know that Conroy is a third/fourth line guy, but in 2002, he fit quite well with number 12. All in all, we have had a slew of Centremen/Left wings come through this town that either were not good enough or had a good year and chased more money because the Flames were unwilling to give it to them. Over the past year we have watched Keenan and now Sutter try and force the chemistry between two bona-fide goal scorers in Iginla and Jokinen. It simply has not worked, so please give up the dream. As much as I despise Jokinen though, I still think he can be a valuable asset, but possibly on the 2nd line and at a much cheaper cost. That being said, Iginla should have enough skill to lead this team on his own, until they come to their senses. People say he is one of the great leaders in the game today; well now would be an opportune time to show that skill.

The defence is another whole issue that I have picked at time and time again. The Flames D-Core for the past 5 years has been too slow to compete with the quicker forwards on all of the other teams. Darryl Sutter compiled what was supposed to be the best defensive units on paper, yet results have shown otherwise. Regehr, Sarich, Pardy, and throw in Kronwall while you’re at it, are all too slow. Phaneuf is also slow, but not on his skates; it’s the 6 inches between his ears that he lacks. The game is fast paced now, if you have not noticed, and puck moving defensemen are very in fashion right now. If Sutter has yet to realize this, I doubt he ever will, and if that is the case, the Flames are in a world of pain as teams like San Jose and Chicago are going to continue to steamroll them every single time they step on the ice!

This has been,

Newman on the Flames

P.S. Congrats to Robyn Regehr for his first goal in over 2 years...a little bittersweet I am sure




Source of Photo: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/flames-ripped-to-shreds-in-san-jose/article1435769/

Where Have All the Goal Scorers Gone?

The Flames lost again last night. The Flames have now lost 5 of their last 6 games. They were shutout last night for the first time all season. They are averaging only 1.33 goals per game over this slide. It is hard to win games 1-0 every night. Iginla is pointless in the last 6 games and a -3 over that span. All in all, there are very few positive things coming out of Flames land these days. About the only thing that isn’t worrisome is the play of Miikka Kiprusoff. Kipper is continuing his stellar play in goal and is the one Flame player who deserves no blame for this current losing skid. What seems to be the problem? Where did all the scoring go? What is wrong with Iginla? Will the Brothers Sutter shake things up?

As much as I would like to have the answer to the situation, I am not sure I do. But, in saying that, there some things I would like to say.

The Flames powerplay has been an interesting topic this year. After dispensing with the Keenan/Preston mantra of not practicing the powerplay, many thought that this year the Flames man-advantage unit would be much better. Well, they started the year quite well, scoring with regularity and sporting a 27% success rate in October. Then, in early December they fail to convert in 5 straight games with the extra man, going 0-19. Now, the Flames are struggling again. In 25 chances, they have scored only 2 powerplay goals in all of January. Its not lack of effort as the Flames have been firing all sorts of pucks on goaltenders. They simply have no finish. Iginla, as mentioned before is pointless in 6. Jokinen has 2 goals and 1 assist in his last ten. Bourque has 3 goals in his last 8, and only 1 other assist. Langkow has 1 goal in his last 15 games. Moss has 1 goal in his last 21. The Flames rank 21st in the league in goals for per game (Edmonton is scoring more than the Flames!). Sutter tried to spark the team with the call-up of Lundmark, yet that spark has gone out, as Lundmark has only the one goal since re-joining the big club. Relying on a career minor-leaguer to ignite your team, should not be the solution.

So what else is there to do? Mix it up with a big trade? Bench a star player? Will that help? Sutter has been known to pull off a big deal at deadline time, who could be moved and who will be moved?

Many fans would like to see Dion hit the road, yet I find it hard to believe that Sutter will trade his estranged love child. So apart from Phaneuf, who else could be traded? Sarich is a likely candidate to be playing somewhere else soon, as his $3.6 million contract is looming large for a player that is simply too slow and has been passed on the depth chart by near everybody. Kronwall could easily step up and play the same role. Robyn Regehr has clearly lost a step and maybe it is time for the lifelong Flame to find a new address. He is a player who would possibly bring back some scoring punch. The Flames are in need of a top six forward, and in a perfect world, a number one centerman. The Jokinen experiment has clearly not worked. Remember that guy who played here last year…what was his name? Calimari? Caligula? Oh right, Cammalleri! Who would you rather have: #13 or Olli “I skate like I am constantly out of control” Jokinen?

All I am saying is that something has to change and if the Flames do not recover quickly they are going to fall, and fall fast in the Western Conference standings.

This has been,

Newman on the Flames

Source of Photo: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/predators-withstand-the-flames/article1433518/

Fleury Stonewalls Flames

The Calgary Flames lost tonight to the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Stricken by a slew of bad penalties and untimely giveaways, the Flames could not handle the strength and of a better Penguins club. The Penguins are faster, bigger, stronger and compete harder in every battle, and it showed on the scoreboard. Despite being able to outshoot the Penguins 38 -27, the Flames were stymied on every chance, save one, by Marc-Andre Fleury.

Fleury looked every bit as good as he did in the Stanley Cup run last year and proved to the fans of Calgary that he was very deserving of the of the Olympic roster spot. He stoned the Flames on numerous chances including a barrage of 16 shots in the final period, including the first 8 minutes of the period where the Pens could not even muster one for themselves. The Flames controlled most of the third but could not slide one past Fleury, who looked phenomenal. An interesting thing I was able to witness tonight when watching Fleury during the warm-up was that he competes just as hard in the pre-skate as he does during the game. He makes a full effort to stop the puck every time, sliding back and forth in the crease, and is a clear example of the saying “practice like you would play.” He carried that work ethic into the game and it paid off with a much needed win for the flightless birds from Steel-town, USA.

The Flames took penalty after penalty in the latter half of the second period (holding, hooking, tripping, holding), and it cost them the game. Four ‘lazy’ penalties that cost the Flames a chance to win the game as the Penguins were in better positions on the puck, which forced the Flames to take the minors. For example: Regehr gets beaten on a rush by Malkin, so he trips him; Dawes gets out muscled in the corner so he grabs the jersey of the Penguins player. The ‘compete’ level of the Penguins was much higher than the Flames in those situations and that was the difference. Now, it is debatable as to the quality of the penalties, but referee Stephane Auger (not a good week for this guy) also had some questionable calls on Pittsburgh to even it up. As long as the refereeing is consistent, than there should be no qualms as to the quality of the officiating, although most fans would rather see them just play. Unfortunately though, the NHL feels the need to enforce the clutching and grabbing to a greater extent in certain games.

The Flames have now lost four of the last five and have the exact same record as the Avalanche for the division lead and sit 2 points up on Vancouver. Nashville, Anaheim, San Jose and Chicago are the next four opponents for the fledgling Flames. If they can stay out of the box and keep peppering goalies with rubber than they should do alright in one of the toughest four game stretches they will see all season.

This has been,

Newman on the Flames

Source of photo: http://www.studyofsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/fleury14.jpg

Five in a Row

In case you missed it last night, and since the Junior Gold Medal game was on, I’m betting most did, the Flames won their fifth game in a row with a 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators. The win put the Flames into first place in the Northwest division at the halfway point of the season. Not only was it the fifth consecutive victory, but also the fifth consecutive game the Flames only allowed one goal. Miikka Kiprusoff, having played four of those, is 4-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA and a .964 save percentage. First star of the week anybody?

In last night’s game, the Flames played a solid first two periods, which gave them a 2-0 lead going into the final frame. In the third, a couple of defensive lapses led to a few Predator scoring changes and one goal, but Daymond Langkow was able to score an empty netter in the final minute to put the game away for good. The first two goals were scored by David Moss and Olli Jokinen who both ended month-long scoring droughts. I keep expecting to see Jokinen break out, but it just doesn’t seem to happen. Halfway through the season, he now sits at 8 goals and 20 assists; on pace for his first sub-20 goal season since 2001-2002. For a comparison, and a nod to my colleague, Lombardi is at 7 goals and 19 assists, for $3,500,000 less per season.

Tonight, the Flames take on their divisional rival, the Minnesota Wild. It may be another game not seen by many Flames fans, as it won’t be available on local television. I always find it hard to believe that we still have Flames games that aren’t on television. Most US teams, whom practically nobody watches, have every game on local television. Yet here in a hotbed of hockey there are still games we can’t watch due to restrictive television contracts with TSN and CBC. Of course, as always, tonight’s game will be on the Fan960, so tune into the broadcast and be treated to perhaps the best play-by-play man in hockey, Peter Maher.


- TheRev

Bring on January

December has come and gone, and another month is in the books for the Calgary Flames. Well, how’d they do? After a very slow start, winning only three games in their first 11 in December, the team was able to turn things around a little bit, by winning the final three games of the month. Heading into the new decade, the Flames find themselves in fifth place in the Western Conference, and second place in the division, only one point behind Colorado with two games in hand.

Let’s take a look at the numbers for December:


Record: 6-6-2
At Home: 4-2-2
On the Road: 2-4-0
Record against Edmonton this season: 5-0-0
My Record watching the Flames live: 7-0-1
Record Against the Eastern Conference: 5-0-1

Goals For: 28
Goals Against: 31
Shots For: 384
Shots Against: 405

Face Offs Won: 365 (48.34%)
Face Offs Lost: 390 (51.66%)
Powerplays: 82 (7.32%)
Penalty Kills: 81 (95.06%)
SH Goals: 1

Jarome Iginla: 3G, 6A, 9P
Olli Jokinen: 2G, 5A, 7P
Dion Phaneuf: 2G, 2A, 4P
Rene Bourque: 7G, 7A, 13P
Curtis Glencross: 2G, 2A, 4P
Daymond Langkow: 2G, 6A, 8P
Kipper's #'s: 2.01, .932% 5-5-2
McE's #'s 2.27, .916% 1-1-0
Conroy Goals in 1st 36 games: 0
Conroy goals in last 2 games: 2
Regehr games w/o a goal: 132 and counting



Now it’s on to January and 2010, beginning with a game against the Maple Leafs in the Saddledome tonight.


Hope everybody had a good holiday season…Happy New Year!