ESPN’s NHL player survey results have been released for 2008/09, and Jarome Iginla came out of it looking pretty good this year.

ESPN contacted every team in the NHL and got responses from over 20% of the players in the league for this survey.

Iggy was named both the best leader, as well as the player who would make the best president/prime minister. He also garnered votes as a player that his colleagues would like to trade lives with. None of this comes as a surprise to Flames fans, but it’s good to see that he’s getting that recognition from his colleagues league-wide.

Other notable Calgary inclusions:

• Todd Bertuzzi is considered one of the worst complainers in the NHL, although he trails far behind Sidney Crosby
• We Flames fans are considered among the “most disruptive” in the league
• Kerry Fraser was selected as the best referee in the league. This would suggest that votership was low from the Flames roster

With only 2 wins in their last 7 games, the Flames are back in action versus one of their division rivals, the Colorado Avalanche. Their last setback, was an embarrassing 6-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks, and after 5 days rest, look for the Flames to come back firing on all cylinders.

During the break, the Flames have been focusing heavily on defensive aspects of the game… not just by the defensemen, but by all positions. The Flames have given up an incredible 24 goals in the past five games (nearly 5 goals per game!) and have hung Kiprusoff out to dry more than once. The team’s original goal for this year was to decrease the average goals against per game by .5. If they expect to achieve this goal by the end of the year, they are going to have to become the best defensive team in the NHL for the remainder of the season.

Darryl Sutter has to be scratching his head, wondering what needs to happen in order to motivate his team. The game against San Jose was an excellent test to see how the Flames could handle an “Elite” hockey club and, as the final score indicated, the team failed miserably. The good news? The Flames now know what level they need to play at and what they need to do to get there. If they don’t do that quickly, I think we can expect to see some adjustments to the Flames lineup.

Each year, the excitement mounts as I count down the days until the Flames season opener. However, after last night’s game, I think I am going to skip future season openers, and count down to the second game of the season.

Let’s face it, with the exception of a portion of the first period, the Flames were dominated by the Canucks last night and the final score was reflective of this. But really, should I be so surprised that the Flames lost their season opener? In the past 14 seasons, the Calgary Flames have marked a “W” in the win column only once in their first game.  In Kiprusoff’s 5 attempts in a Flames uniform he has 5 straight losses.

This team seems to be cursed when it comes to season openers:

Season            Score     Outcome     Opponent
2008-2009         6-0              L              Canucks
2007-2008         3-2              L              Flyers
2006-2007         3-1              L              Oilers
2005-2006         6-3              L              Wild
2003-2004         4-1              L              Canucks
2002-2003         3-0              L              Canucks
2001-2002        1-0              W             Oilers
2000-2001         4-3              L              Red Wings
1999-2000         5-3              L              Sharks
1998-1999         3-3              T              Sharks
1997-1998         3-1              L              Red Wings
1996-1997         3-1              L              Canucks
1995-1996         3-3              T              Lightning
1994-1995         3-3              T              Jets

Saturday, luckily, is a new day and a new game. A different Flames team must show up to the Saddledome in order to regain their confidence. In the past, Kiprusoff has been known to bounce back “big-time” after significant losses - this is one trend that I hope will continue.

When the Flames made their run at the Stanley Cup in 2004 they showed a surprising amount of depth on the blue line. Even as injuries mounted, the supporting cast stepped up their play to keep the Flames in the post-season. This year the defensive depth cannot be questioned. Here’s a quick rundown of who is currently on the roster:

Adrian Aucoin - a big shot and good offensive zone awareness make Aucoin a good two way player. Rumours abound that Sutter would like to deal him to Los Angeles to shed his $4M salary.

Anders Eriksson - A minus-5 last season, Eriksson was rather inconsistent in his play. At times his defensive zone play was outstanding, but other times he seemed to disappear. He is a career plus-41, though, suggesting that he gets the job done in his own end of the rink.

Mark Giordano - Giordano showed great promise with the Flames two seasons ago, but departed for Russia last year as a restricted free agent after not coming to terms with the Flames. He is another young defenceman with good skating ability who can score the odd goal; a good player to have providing depth.

Dion Phaneuf - Calgary’s premier defenceman begins the first year of his new contract this season. Phaneuf has quickly become the cornerstone of Calgary’s blueline, quarterbacking the powerplay, scoring goals with his big shot and strong skating, and using his size to throw huge hits.

Robyn Regehr - This guy is the reason the Theo Fleury trade was totally worthwhile. Consistently in the 20 point vicinity and in double-digit plus-minus, Regehr is a solid two way player who can play in any situation.

Cory Sarich - If you don’t hear about Cory Sarich, he’s doing his job. I hear a lot of negative about Sarich, but I think it has mostly to do with him not putting up offensive numbers. We’ve got Aucoin, Phaneuf, and Regehr doing that, folks; Cory Sarich is a defence-first player who serves well in penalty killing roles or in a tight game. Oh, and he can throw a hit now and then as well.

Jim Vandermeer - Or as we call him: “Vandeneuf”. Vendermeer is another former Red Deer Rebel who has a physical presence on the ice. This guy won’t put up scoring numbers, but he will make life miserable for the opponent in Calgary’s zone.

Rhett Warrener - Warrener has the dubious track-record of losing in the Stanley Cup Final with three different “Cinderella” teams (Florida, Buffalo, and Calgary). A veteran presence comes with him, but he has averaged 25 games missed per season in his time with the Flames. Given Calgary’s depth and Warrener’s injury frequency, buy-out talks were rampant this summer. Evidently, the team still sees him as a valuable member of the team, and you can bet he’ll be out to prove them right.

Obviously, even beyond the star defencemen (Phaneuf and Regehr) the Flames are carrying a bevy of talent on defence. If these guys can stay healthy, Calgary’s defence should be among the best in the league. Remember too that TJ Brodie, John Negrin, Adam Pardy, and Matt Pelech are among the promising prospects that are currently developing in the CHL or AHL.

With today being the second pre-season edition of the Battle of Alberta, let’s take a look at the NHL’s second greatest rivalry (save only the Habs/Leafs).

Last year’s Battle of Alberta was dead-even with both the Flames and Oilers winning four games, each taking two at home and two on the road, and both sides scoring 18 goals in the season series.

In 2007/08 the Oilers took exception to Robyn Regehr’s rough handling of Ales Hemsky and have now enlisted the help of veteran tough guy Steve MacIntyre to provide some protection. One would think this will be an improvement on the type of “enforcement” the Oilers carried last season [Exhibit A, Nolan vs Stortini]. The Flames, despite losing Owen Nolan and Eric Godard, still have some toughness of their own. Stars Regehr, Jarome Iginla, and Dion Phaneuf aren’t the type to shy away from the rough stuff, and the addition of Andre Roy and Todd Bertuzzi makes the squad a little more intimidating.

It’s been said that the Oilers are a team built to compete in the Eastern Conference, while the Sutter era Flames are the quintessential Western team. The contrast in styles, combined with the enduring rivalry should keep this series intriguing this year, as the Flames’ tough style meets the Oilers’ speed. The Battle of Alberta can often set the tone for these teams, which makes these head-to-head match-ups something to watch in 2008/09. And what’s better is that all six games will be televised for viewers in Western Canada, so even if you can’t get a ticket, you can still watch the live action:

• October 17 in Calgary (Sportsnet West)
• October 18 in Edmonton (CBC)
• December 31 in Calgary (TSN)
• February 21 in Edmonton (CBC)
• April 10 in Edmonton (Sportsnet West)
• April 11 in Calgary (CBC)

Things could be worse. Tomorrow is the final day of first round NHL playoff action, and up to this point the Flames are still alive. Games four and five were winnable hockey games for us, so we could be in better shape than we are, but given the pre-series outlook, a seventh game can hardly be considered disastrous.

So what does game seven mean? For Calgary, a loss would not be catastrophic. Disappointing, yes, but most pundits didn’t expect the season to last this long. The Sharks, on the other hand, have been perennial playoff blunders, seemingly unable to reach their potential on the NHL’s biggest stage. It’s safe to assume that big changes could be afoot in San Jose should they fall to the Flames tomorrow night. The same cannot be said of their counterparts. A first round departure would likely result in the typical minor off-season tweaks for which Darryl Sutter is known. But let’s not dwell on the “what if we lose” scenario. Instead, let’s ask “what do we need to do to win?”

Here are my keys to victory on Tuesday night:

• Shut down the stars - when the Sharks have been successful, it’s been on the efforts of Thornton, Cheechoo, and Marleau. The Flames can win this game if they continue to pay close attention to shutting those guys down.
• Keep the shots down - it’s hard to win games when you’re getting outshot 40-15. Make life easy for Kipper by keeping the shots down to low 20’s.
• Energy through all the lines - all four lines need to contribute, as they did last night. Guys like Lombardi, Nystrom, and Vandermeer providing a spark could be the difference.
• Let’s get physical - as we saw in game three, big hits can swing the momentum of a game. Laying the body to the Sharks early and often will set the right tone for the Flames.

There’s too much snow to golf, so let’s keep playing hockey!

What a night, eh? I’m glad we don’t play again until Tuesday so that I can enjoy this victory for an extra day before getting caught up in the emotion of another game.

After a Habs loss and three Sharks goals in the first 3:33 of the Calgary game, I was ready to start drinking a little harder. Indeed, Trevor and I were counting the Flames out of game three. A friend of mine who happens to be a Flames fan transplanted to Vancouver watched the game with us in our hotel out here on the coast. A diehard he must be, for he kept the faith, regardless of the bleak outlook. What’s worse than the 3-0 deficit is that the transplanted Vancouver Canuck supporting Brit we brought along with us insisted “you guys will come back from this.” What does he know, right? He’s a limey, and this is hockey; he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

And then the hit. And then THE HIT! You know the ones I’m talking about. First Dion Phaneuf introduces Patrick Marleau to the end boards, cutting him above the right eye. Good tough Canadian boy that he is [nod to Don Cherry here], he gets it taped shut and heads back out on the ice. Soon after he starts up the ice, into the trolley tracks with his head down. Corey Sarich makes Marleau pay for it, crushing him with one of the biggest hits I’ve seen this season, bloodying the Shark captain’s nose.

I know you want to see it again:

Go ahead, rewind it and watch it a few more times. Savour this beauty of that bone crunching and momentum changing hit. I can wait.

That hit got the crowd back into the game, and by extension, it got the Flames back into the game. Once they scored that first goal, they knew they could win the game. Once again it was Owen Nolan pulling the trigger on the big goal (you’ll recall he scored the goal to eliminate the Oilers from playoff contention).

So who do we call the hero of this game? Is it Sarich for his timely hit? How about Nolan for the winning goal and two assists? Maybe Cujo for being perfect in relief for Kipper? I think the answer here is that Calgary is most successful when no single player is the hero. Heroic efforts from several players contributing to the collective is what makes any hockey team truly great. If Calgary’s key players can share the hero role around like this some more, this will be a very winnable series.

Any what of Kiprusoff? I would contend that he didn’t stand much of a chance on those three goals. That said, I think Captain Hook was wise to pull his star goalkeeper after that third goal. Allowing a goaltender to be shelled behind a weak defensive effort can hurt his confidence and potentially catapult him into a rut. Sitting Kipper down before things got ugly somewhat allows Mikka to save face and rebound with confidence in the next game. Meanwhile, a new goalkeeper provides a different look for the Flames, causing a situation that the Sharks may not have been fully prepared for. I can’t see why Keenan wouldn’t go back to Kiprusoff in game four, but regardless of who starts between the pipes, I think it’s clear that Calgary has two goalkeepers who can rise to the occasion.

Now get some rest, and bring back these heroics again on Tuesday. I’ll be watching from Vancouver, wishing I was in the Sea of Red.

One night down in the NHL playoffs, and what a start it’s been. Let’s take a look around the league at the series that opened this evening:

• It’s been 19 years since Gary Roberts won a Stanley Cup with the Flames, and he looks like he wants to win another. It also looks like he enjoys playing the Senators. Adding his performance to those of Crosby, Malkin, Sykora, and Hossa and these guys really have the firepower to make this a short series.
• Didn’t see much of the Rangers/Devils game, but it looks like Sean Avery is having an impact in this series already.
• Minnesota/Colorado made for an exciting start to the playoffs; A penalty shot and eventual overtime make for plenty of drama. If I had to pick an Avalanche player to score in OT, Joe Sakic would be my pick every time.
• Big play from Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff came to play tonight. The final few seconds of the game seemed to last an eternity as the Flames fought to keep a tying goal off the board. As Eklund said in his predictions, when Iggy and Kipper are involved anything can happen. If the Flames can play full series like that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them win this series. So far it’s been a much better start than last season in Detroit.
• And in the WHL: The Calgary Hitmen and Lethbridge Hurricanes moved a step closer to meeting in the conference finals. Each with 3-1 leads in their respective series now, my dream series is starting to look like a reality. And yes, I’ll think about the road trip to support the ‘Canes in Calgary in that series.

… my wife really hates this time of year.

Here we go, it’s playoff time! The time of the year when televisions in homes across the world are illuminated for hours each day with the exciting sport that is Hockey. Sports bars everywhere are filled with crazed hockey fans, cheering on their team and jeering the rival fans. And I go into hiding each night in front of my Television, remote in hand, flipping giddily between games.

This year, the Flames have the daunting task of taking on the San Jose Sharks, who have been outstanding lately with only three regulation losses in their last 23 games. The addition of Defenseman Brian Campbell at the trade deadline seems to have heightened the skill level the already extremely talented San Jose Sharks turning them into the hottest team down the stretch.

Although the Flames have a winning record this year against the Sharks (3-1), they are definitely the underdogs going into this series. The Flames slid butt-first into 7th place in the Western Conference (thanks Oilers!) and are really going to need to pick up their game play this first series if they want to move on. What do the Flames need to do if they want to win this series? (1) The Defense will need to be stellar and (2) the forecheck will need to be intense. (3) They will need at least their top 2 lines (3 would be nice) contributing to the scoresheet on a nightly basis and (4) they need to out-play the Sharks physically.

Go Flames Go!

Okay, i’ve already got my consolation prize.

Tonight’s victory against the dastardly Oilers reignited my hatred for those blue shirted devils. Okay. Maybe it was their beer swilling tube jockeys that punctuated a predominantly Flames crowd tonight at the Zoo. Playoff hockey began for the Calgary Flames last week and by my count we are still down 2 games to 1. This was a character win for the Flames who had their hands full with an energetic Oiler crew. Make no mistake about it, the Oilers would be in the playoffs if they did not lose 3 to 4 of their veteran players for the season. They will be a better team next year. For now, i’ll savor in our victory and cross that other bridge when we get to it.

Mikka Kiprusoff responded as usual with a sparkling performance after a lackluster performance in the last game against Vancouver. Matthew Lombardi is contributing more to our offense as the playoffs looms (always a good time to get hot). The ‘cagey’ vets have elevated their game as well; Owen Nolan came up big when the team needed him the most. We played a disciplined game tonight, limiting our time spent in the box and capitalizing on the PP as well. These are all metrics for success for the Calgary Flames.

Go Flames