Thoughts on the Sharks vs. Flames…

Probably the most disciplined, energetic, close to perfect period I have ever seen from the modern day Calgary Flames (Post Lockout)… They jumped on the Sharks, were hungrier and stole the puck in the neutral zone a half dozen times.

I don’t get excited when Bertuzzi carries the puck into a zone but give it to him behind the net and good things happen… the first Daymond Langkow goal looked like it was scored in slow motion… as Don Cherry would say, “Kids, keep your stick ON the ice and good things will happen!”

Funny scene was 4 Maple Leafs fans in full Maple Leaf wardrobe sitting a row behind us…

This Sharks team doesn’t get discouraged easily and a lot has to do with their new Head Coach… Todd McLellan is the Anti-Wilson and will not call out a player publicly and you can see the team enjoys him as a coach…

Kept on hoping for a repeat of the Corey Sarich hit on Patrick Marleau but instead got 2 rounds of Alexei Semenov vs Andre Roy and although the first one was a quick tussle that ended in a 2 minute roughing call for each, the second tilt in which Roy landed a nice left to knock back Semenov, that was also 2 minutes each for roughing… Roy won the fight but the Sharks LOVE their 4 on 4 hockey…

Kipper stops ‘em when they need him to…

Mike Grier took a nasty tumble after scoring his goal, head first falling back into the boards… ouch!

Dion Phaneuf is clearly fighting some mental battles and Darryl Sutter mentioned a point that he’s now playing against the best of the opposing team game in and game out, which he wasn’t doing in his first 2-3 years… and also that he’s now paired with a guy like Adam Pardy where before he’d have a guy like Bryan Marchment or Roman Hamrlik to guide and protect him.

Who’s gonna sit when Vandermeer returns? Or should they keep things status quo? My bet is that Pardy and Giordano will take turns sitting.

Who would you rather have now? Husselius, Nolan, Tanguay, Nilson and Yelle OR Bertuzzi, Cammalleri, Glencross, Bourque and Roy??? AWESOME pick-ups for Darryl Sutter…

Michael Backlund (Swe) was in attendance tonight, wonder if he was irked when they showed highlights of Team Canada at the World Juniors (by the way, the Flames have 9 players that have played in that tournament… Iginla, Aucoin, Langkow, Cammalleri, Boyd, Phaneuf, Regehr, Nystrom [USA] and Kipper [FIN])… Backlund is headed for the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL but is eligible to play in Quad City and also Calgary if the chance ever materializes… as confirmed by Darryl Sutter today.

Notable stats: Jarome Iginla had NO POINTS; Corey Sarich and Mark Giordano were each +3 and Dion Phaneuf a whopping 26+ minutes on the ice…

David Moss is impressive with his speed and quick shot, but comes with the odd lapse in judgment…

Adam Pardy is making the most of his opportunities, although Darryl Sutter wasn’t impressed with him in the Chicago game (pointed to 2 goals that were a result of bad play by Pardy)

Had a great guy and his wife sitting next to me from Red Deer, Alta. Just cherrished every minute he was at the Dome…

Flames Alumni night as they honoured Lanny McDonald and it was funny when the crowd stood to it’s feet for Lanny, he just lay back in his club seat and waved indifferently… maybe his heart is still with the Maple Leafs? Nah, he won the Cup with Calgary! Good to see him at the Dome!

Thoughts for the remainder of the homestand… Will the Flames lower their intensity against the Islanders? It’s happened too often where Calgary will play down to the opponents level… (see losses vs. the Stars, Jackets, Coyotes…etc.) Same question when the Blues come to town… The last time I saw St. Louis play at the Dome, Jason LaBarbera was their goalie and Jarome Iginla got the shootout winner!

Iginla Shootout Winner March 12, 2007 vs St. Louis  (I took this bad quality video myself…)

Always a pleasure!

500pts couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy!

But what is it that Connie brings to the Rink game in and game out? A friend of mine we’ll call MKB is zealous about the Flames. A season ticket holder for some time now, he was here when the Flames acquired Conroy from the Blues (with a draft pick that ended up being David Moss) for Corey Stillman. For every game I attended and sat next to MKB, I would hear stories of the players they meet and who signs autographs while leaving the players parking lot and who doesn’t… stuff like that. MKB developed a closer relationship with Craig Conroy, why? Because Conroy appreciates every fan that comes to the rink to support the team. MKB met a family at the Saddledome and the families’ daughter was the biggest Craig Conroy fan so they took her after the game to meet him and he didn’t disappoint. Not only, did they get a poster and stick signed, but they also got pictures and spent a good 20mins talking with him (MKB was entertaining the Conroy kids and even gave each of them a pink Flames touque!).

Craig Conroy brings passion, energy and a ‘lead by example’ mentality that is contagious. Reporters and fans alike LOVE him for his quotes and interactions but coaches like Keenan (coached Conroy in St. Louis), Sutter, Quenville and even Jaques Demers know exactly what they’re going to get. A guy who brings it to every game and doesn’t make excuses when things slump or look grim. Someone who delights in the success of his teammates over his own and someone who can thrive under hard nose coaches like Quenville, Sutter and Keenan.

Was it a coincidence that Iginla scores 96pts (A Rocket Richard Trophy winning 52 goals) in his first full season with Conroy (who had a career high 75pts)?

500pts may not get Conroy a ticket to attend the HOF induction ceremony but when it’s all said and done, Craig Conroy will never be declined for a free dinner at Flames Central and while he’s there, he will never decline a person who wants to sit and talk shop or thank him for playing is heart out for the city of Calgary. I’m sure he won’t forget the fans like MKB who have a deep love for athletes that offer nothing but their best to the team, the city and the fans!

Congratulations on point #500, Craig Conroy!

Always a pleasure!

Thoughts from my FIRST Battle of Alberta at the ‘Dome!

Before I could even get comfortable in my seat, the Oilers score and their fans make sure to turn to every Flame fan and let them know they scored.

The Flames kept their composure coming back from every 1-goal lead the Oilers took.

The difference between the Oilers and Flames? The Flames seem to EARN every goal they scored last night.

I found out why Zack Stortini has the name “Huggy Bear” (the good ‘ol Clutch and Grab)

Wasn’t impreseed with Craig McTavish sending out Stortini for the last minute of the game… Thankfully the Flames ignored his calls for a fight… what a BUFFOON! (Both McTavish and Stortini)

Flame fans were there for the challenge! (For every “let’s go Oilers” chant, they would immediately respond with “Oilers Suck!”

I had the honour of seeing my first Oiler fan vs. Flame fan fight (although the Flame fan seemed to be the instigator, the Oiler fan was ejected… hehe)

I always have room for a Mike Cammalleri one-knee, one-timer… love those!

The Saddledome Scoreboard crew need to update their sports information because they still have the Oklahoma NBA team listed as the “Sonics”

Thankfully, Dwayne Roloson does not play for the Flames… PAGING Tommy Salo! PAGING Tommy Salo! (Salo’s still 37 yrs old, why not give him another chance?!)

 Best Video of the night: Oiler fan with a mullet is discouraged in Edm with a ball and chain and stops at the “City of Champions” sign and drinks, then tries to cut off the ball in Chain in Red Deer and finally, gets to the ‘Dome and has Harvey cut his hair, change his clothes and the final scene is a newly rejuvinated Flame Fan entering the ‘Dome with 2 Calgary Ice Girls!

Mike Keenan chews through ice like a Coffee Grinder…

Do the Flames need a 3rd Jersey?

Never get tired of hearing Johnny Cash at the end of the game! (Ring of Fire? Timeless!)

What’s one area the Flames need to upgrade? Backup Goalie… Still not convinced McElhinney can do what Joseph did in last years playoff… come in to hold the fort.

Was VERY impressed with Dustin Boyd’s goal… flashes of his World Junior HC days…

Still kind of nervous seeing Pardy paired up with Phaneuf… can’t wait ’til Vandermeer gets back!

Who leads the Flames in HITS? Curtis Glencross (who’s second? Rene Bourque!)

Eric Nystrom can play for me anyday… a player who knows his limited role and excels in it!

Quick thoughts on the Oilers… Craig McTavish is probably gone at the end of the season… Sheldon Souray is overrated and the core group of Horcoff, Moreau, Cole, Souray, Visnovsky, Pisnani, Staios and Garon are all 30yrs or older… Will Hemsky be around when he becomes an RFA or UFA?  Gagner is fast but he’s struggling this season…

Thoughts moving forward… The Preds start a 5 game homestand against Vancouver and Calgary is next on Jan. 3… I don’t see the Preds in the Playoffs this year and they’re having a very ‘average’ season… Wouldn’t be surprised to see Curtis McElhinney get the start to see if he can get his 1st win!

The Flames play a back-to-back with their 2nd game against a rested Blackhawk team who remind me of the 2006 edition of the Edmonton Oilers (slightly overachieving and very FAST!).  They will have a stinging after a GREAT outdoor classic game against the Wings and will be rested to play the Flames at the United Centre.

The Flames finally come back home but take no comfort in taking on the San Jose Sharks.  Nabakov is playing about 5 games less so far this year compared to last year and is always a headache for Flame fans… no Torrey Mitchell and no Jeremy Roenick as of this blog and I’ll have the honour of being in attendance again for this game and hopefully Conroy will have point no. 500 by that time and we’ll be on a 6 game win streak gunning for no. 7!

Always a pleasure!

Iginla doesn’t score and Kiprusoff saves the day…

Sounds like we were transported back to the days of Darryl Sutter’s coaching… It literally was on many occasions with the relentless checking by everyone and commitment to good ‘ol fashoined elbow grease.  Knowing that Minnesota just played the night before and got creamed by an up and contending Blackhawk team, Calgary took to the body and didn’t let up except for the occasional break here and there.  Phaneuf started the hit parade dishing out a vintage check early in the 1st period and the Flames didn’t get lulled into Minnesota’s neutral zone trap (Agh! Lemaire!) but kept on getting the puck deep into Wild territory and won in typical Darryl Sutter fashion… a throw-the-puck-to-the-net goal that went off Langkow’s skate and a hustle play by Nystrom that lead to a SHG!  All the meanwhile, Mikka looking calm and collected while standing his ground against a late onslaught by the Wild.  It’s not that Iginla was struggling, far from it but it wasn’t on him to carry the team to a victory… I’m sure if we ask him, a hat-trick with a loss vs. no points and a win, he’d take the latter.  Being in Calgary since the summer of 2004, I’ve seen this team with three different coaches and I can honestly say that this years squad is the one that resembles the Cup-run team of 2003-2004, only this year, there is more talent and more strength.

When you replace Donovan, Leopold, McAmmond, Gelinas, Clark and Saprykin with Phaneuf, Moss, Cammalleri, Glencross, Bourque and Bertuzzi, you’ll see that you haven’t lost grit but you’ve simply added talent and consistency to Iginla, Regehr, Conroy and Kipper!  I can say this much after watching tonight’s game at the Dome, many fans weren’t that worried with a 2-1 score because the tenacity and grit and a solid Kipper held the crowd together.  Although there was much outrage when the ref’s called a delay of game penalty to Mark Giordano, after the tying goal was scored… (the Ref’s blew it and knew it! and hoped it wouldn’t affect the game in anyway… this according to the Hot Stove Lounge on the FAN 960 post game show)

Good to see that we don’t need to rely on Iginla to bail us out when we have 3 solid lines that can contribute consistently with a fourth line that keeps opponents on their toes.  Looking forward to watching my first Battle of Alberta at the Dome on Wednesday!

In closing, I’d hate to be a season ticket holder for the Minnesota Wild… that neutral zone trap tempts you to slip into a coma… It almost happened tonight ’til Langkow ignited the crowd!

There was a moment from last night, sitting in the Dome having just watched Jason Spezza score a nifty goal to put the Sens up 2-0, where I was thinking (and the gentleman next to me was vocalizing) how wimpy the Flames were playing.  A team as frail as Ottawa (Little Alfie fell like a tonne of bricks just skating into Robyn Regehr, on which Regehr was penalized…), should not have been winning the battles on the boards and pushing our D-men around… Then something changed… maybe it was the 2-0 score but the spark was lit and out came the line of Rene Bourque, with Iginla and Langkow battling hard pushing around the all-of-a-sudden helpless Sens and Langkow fed a pass to Bourque who finished the wrap around to get the Home squad on the board.  This sparked turned a low fire into an inferno as Calgary scored twice in the next 3 minutes to take the lead.   Each time, they had out muscled Ottawa on the boards and in the corners.  To overpower and win battles is what Calgary needs to KNOW if they are to take on the Wings, Sharks and Blackhawks for the Western crown and a chance for the Cup!  There was a time when a one goal lead was never feared by fans because Darryl Sutter had instilled this knowledge that they WERE stronger and just as quick as any team in the league… Last night, I got that shiver back when Adrian Aucoin from one knee one-timed the go-ahead goal!

Tomorrow, they’re playing a Wild team that is playing the Hawks tonight so if they KNOW they’re stronger and just as quick, tomorrow will be a walk in the park… if they choose to mull things over and THINK they might be a strong team, it’s going to be a long night.

Just a question for Flame fans to ponder… is Dion Phaneuf playing too much to the point of ineffectiveness?  Last night, he looked sluggish, couldn’t get any Dijon (mustard, Anchorman Ron Burgandy would pronounce it as Dion…) on his shots to finish one-timers or quick passes and is currently sporting a very UN-Norris like -10… what’s going on?