That being said, it is a tall order for the Flames to actually make the playoffs. So today’s blog is a Flames panel. Our esteemed guests are regulars, Mike and Dearen, and first time guest Rob. The question put out there is:

What needs to happen for the Flames to make the playoffs?

First up, my fellow blogger, Dearen you can follow him on twitter DKAY1987.

Craig Hartsburg got brought in because he believes the same fundamentals as Brent Sutter. And the players now will have two strong voiced mouths cramming the “systems” into their heads. Last year, a few players did not buy in, I believe Regehr was one of them. This year, the players will have no choice. Familiarity issues won’t be there, since 95% of the team is back. Needless to say, all the excuses are out of it for the players, and it is now time to perform. And if certain players are not capable or choose not to buy in, they need to be held accountable. The team has more depth than it has in the past five years, which should allow the coaches to send some messages to players that are not playing the way they want them to. I also believe the fact that many players are in a contract year; we could see some a strong campaign out of a few. Iginla and Tanguay will not have the same success; at least I don’t believe so. So a fully committed team night in and night out will be the key.

In addition to buying in, the Flames will need some surprises. The players I put in this category are the three “B’s); Backlund, Butler, and Bourque. All three of these players will need to provide the Flames with that secondary talent that is so greatly needed in the NHL for success. Karlsson will need to be a sounder goaltender and put some pressure on Kipper while making the coaching staff use him more.

The Flames do not have a bad roster and can be a playoff team, but unless they toss the excuses and play the way they can, another disappointing year is ahead.

I totally agree on your first point. Players have to be held responsible for their play. Too often last year, the coaches let the players off the hook. That has to stop this year. If you put Hartsburg in another room and asked him about the system, he would say the same thing. If the players don’t buy into it, this will turn ugly. The problem is trying to figure out whether or not they will buy into it. Great insight Dearen.

Next let’s move onto Mike. You can follow Mike on twitter mwalsh20

In my opinion, the Flames are a playoff team with the current roster. But in order to remain a playoff team, here is what has to happen. First, they have continue where they left off. They earned points in something like 35 of their last 46 games or something close to that, they really cannot afford a major slip up from that. Second, the Flames have to stay healthy, especially up front. With most teams who battle all season long just to make the playoffs, the Flames do not have enough depth. The prospects who are closest to playing and pushing for time with them are blue liners. If the Flames lose a couple key guys for a prolonged period of time, it could really hurt the Flames’ chances of making the playoffs. Third, they must get the balanced contributions that they received last season. Iginla needs to be in the 80-90 point range and Tanguay the 70-80 range. The secondary scoring forwards: Jokinen, Bourque, Glencross, even Morrison all need to be in 40-55 maybe even 60 point range. Mikael Backlund needs to take another step forward, I’d settle for 40ish points. It would be a real bonus if one of Stajan or Hagman could rebound as well. They must get more scoring from the blue liners, Bouwmeester must improve on his 4 goals and 24 point season. And finally, there must be a better commitment to team defense. As a 5 man unit on the ice, they all need to be committed to help keep the puck out of the net. The Flames will finish anywhere from 5-10th in the conference, I will say they finish 6th and play Vancouver in the first round.

I agree, Mike, the Flames have to start off fast they must not start slow again this year. Injuries do play a major role and Flames losing any of their core would be devastating. The secondary scoring is huge for this team the top 6 must get help from the last two lines. Some fans would say the Flames don’t have enough top 6 forwards. As I said in one of my earlier blogs, Jbo has to take on a major role this season. He has a lot of responsibility. Great insight ,Mike. As usual, you are right on again.

I would like to welcome the last member of the panel, Rob, our first time visitor. You can follow him on Twitter as etchysketch.

If there’s one thing that has plagued the Flames post-2004, it’s the inability to be consistent. In fact, if you look at the stats, the Flames have been fairly consistent at being inconsistent. After last year’s amazing record of 26-11-9, following the Darryl Sutter era, the Flames looked to be a contender following Boxing Day 2010. Unfortunately, losing Morrison during the final stretch didn’t help the team’s cause and everything seemed to fall out of place. That being said, the Flames finished the season strong, going 3-0-1 in the final 4 games. If the Flames can play like they did in the second half of the season, for the entire season, I can see them making a serious bid for a playoff spot come next Spring. And although a lot of us may not really understand the Flames’ strategy this off-season, there’s one thing we can all agree on… Only 32 days until pre-season.

Watching the Flames last year was like watching Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The Flames last year totally blew it in the first half so much so that they could not overcome it in the second. I totally agree. Can they play the first half like it’s just as important as the last half?

Now for my answer. As I sat and thought about this, two major thoughts came to my head. The Flames’ strength on this team is the goaltending. Kipper and the Tower can, and probably will, steal at least 10 games this season. That is the key point. Karlsson has to play 20 games and win half of them, if not more. Last year, like every year, Kipper got worn out. We need a fresh Kipper the last part of the year.

My last point is that Iggy and Tangs need to repeat last year, and if Lanks can return to his numbers, the Flames will have a major first line. If the offense can add a little more numbers, mainly if Stajan and Hagmen can produce, then yes, it can happen.

I would like to thank the guests Rob, Dearen, and Mike. They are great guys with huge hockey knowledge. I will try to keep this a regular event. Thanks again guys.

Until next time, take care.

Randy

The problem with this is that the Flames really do not have the assets to put off the acquisition of a first line center. Unless we are thinking of trading people like Backlund, Giordano, Kiprusoff, Bourque, Iginla, or Tanguay, and let me say on behalf of all Flames fans — fat chance.

Actually, I could see the Flames trading Bourque and maybe Bouwmeester. Of course, Jay’s cap may be hard for teams to take on. The main problem is Iggy really needs a center – or does he? Bear with me; Iggy had a great year taking passes from Tanguay. Alex could be as good as any other center out there.

This is the confusing part. Why are the Flames going after a first line center instead of a top 6 forward? I would really love to get a winger like Booth from the Panthers. Maybe even Alexander Semin.

All I have heard lately is that Feaster wants a first line center. Dare I say a top 6 winger may be more appropriate for the Flames this season.

Other question fans may ask is why did Feaster put all of his eggs in one basket? It really seemed that the Flames were caught off-guard and took no other precautions to pick up another center.

Yes, there are also 14 defencemen on the team. This direction I like. You can never have too much defense. The problem is there are too many 5,6 and not enough 3,4.

The problem with having to many 5 and 6 defencemen is: Can they be trusted in enough in pressure situations? The Flames will be relying on some young defensemen, hoping they mature in a hurry. I feel confident that they will do enough to get by. But if they do falter, this Regehr trade may very well haunt them for some time.

So yes, I am quite confused with the direction this team is going. You really cannot call it a rebuild, but you cannot say they are going for it. We really need to pick a direction and stick with it right now. That is not happening.

Randy

With the NHLPA collective bargaining agreement up soon, no-one is going to want to take a long term contract on unless it is really in their best interest to do so. The only way the Flames are going to get a team to take Stajan’s contract is if the Flames make it worth a team’s while to do so.

The problem with that, is that next year draft is very deep, and Jay has already traded his second round pick away in the Regehr deal. That was done so that the Flames could get rid of Kotalik off the books. If it costs a second to get rid of Kotalik, how much would it cost the Flames to get a team to take a $3.5 million multi-year contract in Stajan. The Flames really cannot afford to sell a team that bad of a contract.

The Flames really don’t have much wiggle room here. We don’t have that many assets. In fact, most of the ones we do have are not on the market. You can pretty much take out Gio, Iggy, Tangs, and more than likely, Kipper.

Then there is the Jaybo situation. Do we trade him? Or more to the point, would there be a team that is willing to take his $6.67 million dollar cap hit? The other problem is that he is basically the second-best dman on the team. I hate to say this, but I am predicting Jaybo to have a break-out year. I really feel strongly that he will return to his Panthers numbers. The main reason that I feel so strongly is that Sutter will adjust the system to him.

The options to trade are very limited and I am about to go in a radical direction. By that, I mean the free agent route, and here comes the bombshell — Alexander Yashin. Bear with me for a second. Yashin is going to be motivated to prove his worth. And really, the Flames won’t have anything to lose, because his cap won’t be huge either. The Flames have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Sutter has the ability to turn careers over like he did with Morrison’s. I feel he can do the same thing with Yashin. The Flames really need a number one centre. Yes, they have plenty of them, but none who are can be a number one centre.

Feaster went after Richards for a reason, no matter what he says. He feels we need a number one centre. The Flames may have quantity, but they do not have quality. They really don’t have the assets to pick up a huge player, so their best option may very well be — gulp — Alexander Yashin.

Randy

In Butler, the Flames get a potential stay-home dman who has some potential for being a top 5 dman on the team.   That won’t happen for a bit, but the potential is there.  From what I have heard, Butler has some solid defensive zone play. He hits hard and plays his game.   He is a typical stay-home defensemen with a no-nonsense style.

In Bryon, the second player, you have small, talented winger who has some great offensive upside.  His disadvantage is his size, but on the bright side, have been small players who have made it in the league.   Bryon has soft hands and has put up impressive numbers in the past.

Obviously the Flames lose one of the best stay-home defensemen in the league.  Robyn is known for his character, and his leadership will be missed.  It is common knowledge that it is no fun playing against Regehr; he hits you again and again.  He clears people in front of the net and plainly hurts people.

Of course, the Kotalik part is giving Flames straight cap relief.  This move was to save the Flames owner some cash. In reality, Alex would never have played for the Flames. The Flames were basically going to eat his hit with the Heat.

The immediate reaction from the Flames fans is: you have to be kidding! But in defense of the Flames, there was a need to make room for Tanguy. It is a necessary evil of the cap world.

The Flames used the cap relief to sign Alex Tanguay to a 5-year, $17 million contract, which I assume has an NTC .   The Flames really needed to do this. There was a lot of pressure on them seeing as Iggy wanted it done. To add to the pressure, Alex went public that he wanted to stay, so you had to know that come hell or high water, this deal was going to be done. Unfortunately, it was hell, with the loss of one of the best stay-home defensemen in the league.

The Flames were willing to pay the price, but was it the right one?  Before I answer that, I thought I would clarify what Jay meant when he said the Sabres had the best offer.  I suspect that they were the only offer where there was no cap coming back. The offer from the Sabres is what  the Flames needed in order to fit Alex and Babchuck under the cap.  As a result, it hurts me to say, but yes it was the right move.

I would be shocked if the Flames are done. I am still expecting the Flames to be going after another forward. The main reason is that I do not believe the Flames will keep Hagman and his $3 million dollar cap hit on their roster.   There is also Matt Stajan’s awful $3.5 million contract hindering the Flames.  There are a lot of questions still to be answered.  Now comes the fun part, as we wait for the answers.

Randy

Darren Says Regehr has to waive the trade first.  The Flames look like they are clearing cap to make room for Tangs.  Detail blog when the details become public.

What have the Flames have told the media and the fans? The problem is that it is all up for the interpretation. This much we do know – the Flames are not going to use buy-outs.  Which means that Kotalik or Hagman will not be bought out.

Jay Fester also has been quoted as saying that the Flames are open to the option of moving up or down in the draft. The Flames could easily move up with their two picks in the second round. But I don’t want them giving up the two second round picks to do it; the Flames need those picks.

The Flames do have plenty of options to shop Regehr or Bourque, plus their first round pick to move up.  This is the way I think the Flames should go, not by trading their second round picks. The Flames really also need to clear cap for the signing of Tangs.

I firmly believe that the Flames are desperate to sign Tangs. Iggy really wants him; from what we have heard, it is the money that is stalling negations in the Tangs talks.

What would I do if I was Feaster?  Move down a couple of spots for extra picks.  I also would go after Sven Bartschi, a skilled winger.  There are plenty of skilled forwards later in the draft, who would fit the bill.

I would also make every effort to sign Tangs and dump some major cap to do so.

Of course I am not the Flames GM, so watch them do the exact opposite to what I say. It will be interesting to see what the Flames do in the draft next week. After the draft, I will try to address free agents.

Randy

If the Flames  really wish to go after Tangs hard, they have two options.  The first one is to trade to make room for his cap hit.  Which more than likely would mean trading one of the core, something that Jay has said he has no interest in.   In reality, a General  Manager usually plays it close to the chest, and rarely leaks what he is really thinking.

I really like this option of bringing in some young talent and clearing cap room.  The problem with this option is that the core all have  either no-movement  or no-trade clauses.  Regehr seems to be the best option.   Robyn is one of the best stay-home defencemen in the league.    The other key point here is that the Flames have plenty of young defencemen who are ready to take the plunge into the NHL.

The other asset the  Flames could trade is the streaky forward Rene Bourque.   Rene has all the tools to be a star. He is very fast skater with a wicked and heavy slap shot.   He was often used on the penalty kill, because he has good speed and he can score.  Bourque was also used on the second powerplay unit; he would definitely be missed . At times, he had great chemistry with Oli and Scarface. In fact, the line was often tagged as  1A.  The main problem with this solution is that the Flames really don’t want to trade offense. They want to add offense.  In other words, trading  Bourque and keeping Tangs is almost a wash.

The other asset I have heard they are thinking about trading is Kipper.  The main reason I really oppose this is that I am not sure that Karlsson is ready to be a full-time number one goalie.   The Flames would have to get a number one goalie and re-sign Tangs.  If they took this option, it would put them in worse shape cap-wise than they are now.

Some people have asked me if the Flames are trading Sarich.  While there is nothing wrong with this  choice, the return would not be as high as Regehr.   At times, I thought Cory was the Flames best dman on the  team.  The biggest obstacle in trying to trade Cory is his 3.6 million dollar price tag. The price might be too steep.

Trading Jbo and his $6.5 million would be terrific.  He is a great dman.  He is a solid player, but his contract is really hurting the Flames’ salary cap hit. The major problem with trading him is that the Flames are obviously going to have to take cap back.  I am not to sure the Flames could save enough cap to keep Tangs.

The second option as is buyouts, or sending players down to the farm. There were a few players who really struggled last  year, such as Kotalik or Hagman.  If the Flames use this option, I suspect there will only be one player sent down, which means Hagman will more than likely be on the roster.  Kotalik might very well playing in Russia and might not cost the Flames any money  in the long run.

In the long run I would like to see Alex Tanguay on this team. For one thing, he brings the best out in  Iggy. He is our best player. As a general manager, it is my job to keep my best player happy.

The next question is: How would I go about doing it? I would consider moving Regehr. Not because of his play, but simply because it would have the best return.

So I went to my Flames panel with two questions.  Here are their thoughts.

The first of my guests is Dearen Tiest Van de Velde.

Should the Flames sign Tanguay and why? If yes at what cost?

I want to begin by saying that I preferred the Jokinen signing over the Tanguay one last year when the news broke…This probably makes me crazy but in hindsight, in my opinion both were “good” signings but clearly Tanguay was a steal!

My view is that the Flames HAVE to sign Tanguay. With the weak UFA class, no #1 Centre for Iginla, and the attitude that we want to be a winner next season, Jay Feaster has no choice. So my quick and simple answer is “YES”.

At what cost is the real question, $4.5 million per year is too much (for Calgary) but $3 million will not get it done. Can we afford him at $4 million? We can with the cap going up, but Feaster keeps saying he does not want to start the season up against the salary cap. So I assume a contract will be moved; perhaps Regehr, although I highly doubt it, or Bourque. Easier said than done, but possible, I know Bourque got a recent contract, but he is not “Feaster’s” guy, and his lack of emotion and drive last year could see him moved. Then there are Kotalik and Hagman. Moving both to the AHL roster or buying them out could open some serious money, but I do not believe that will happen to both.

I predict Tanguay signs a 3 year $11.2 million dollar deal, and Bourque is dealt at the draft.

Dearen makes some good points. Iggy needs a slick playmaker to work with, and Tangs is better than any other free agent on the market. Bourque could fetch a pretty decent return, and Hagman and Kotalik both cleared waivers.

My second guest also has his own thoughts on Tanguay. Here are Mike Walsh’s thoughts on the situation.

Should the Flames sign Tangs and why?

I think they should sign him, as long as there is no rebuild in the future. He has great chemistry with Iginla, and seemed to be a more complete player last year.

How should we do it? Trade one of the core? Or buyout Hagmen or Kotalik?

First of all, I am hoping that the Flames would be able to sign Tanguay to a 2 year deal for about $3-$3.5 million per season. However, rumors have surfaced that is it likely going to be a much longer term deal with no home-team discount; I am not for it. Those type of deals got the Flames into their current mess. I truly believe that Regehr will be moved at the draft. Possibly for a pick and a younger defenceman. I also believe Kotalik ends up going over to Europe, which would give the Flames some cap relief. I would like to see Hagman waived if he is unable to be traded. Matt Stajan is another guy who can be sent packing, but at that cap hit, I doubt he can be moved for anything of great value. I’m hoping that Feaster moves Regehr and is then able to sign James Wisniewski.

Mike made a great point; Iggy scored most of his goals with Tangs. They formed a powerful twosome on the first line. Trading Regehr makes sense. His cap hit for a top 2 dman is reasonable. Kotalik is rumoured to be going to play in Europe, and Hagman should clear this year.

Conclusion

There it is in a nutshell. The Flames need to sign Tangs, and do it quick. I would like to thank Mike and Dearen for their thoughts and contribution today. They are great and knowledgeable hockey men.

Randy

Most of my friends consider me a real downer, and say I should have more faith in the Flames. I prefer to think of myself as a realist. The Flames are a playoff contender, and for that I give them credit. There is no way I would have even considered them that in December. The concern I have is that they may not be a cup contender. I am not sure this team can beat the Wings and Sharks, and especially the Canucks.

I wonder if another first round is in the future. If this is in the cards, I wonder if planning for the future would have been the better part of valor. I love the prospects we have, but what really worries me is the lack of picks. Too many times, this team has traded its picks for a kick at the can.

I am really getting tired of the Flames either just falling short of making the play-offs or losing in the first round. I would have loved to see the Flames stop this cycle of madness. The one good thing is that Jay did not trade any high picks, which is an improvement.

Another question that came to my mind is: What is Jay telling us about how he feels about the team? It tells me that he feels this team is capable of making a run. It also makes me think that he wants solidarity in the dressing room; a policy of “united we stand, united we fall,” to give the players the confidence that management is behind them. You never know what that could do in a locker room. A boatload of encouragement might just be the medicine this hockey team needs.

So Jay feels this team is good enough to make a run, which is fine. But hanging on to Glencross is a gamble; we could lose him for nothing. In the market right now, he could very well demand upwards of $4 million a year. Now he wants to stay in Calgary, so hopefully that would mean he might take a discount. The other question mark is Babchuck, who has a bullet shot from the point. How much of a raise will he demand?

So Jay decided to play Russian roulette and keep both players, to see if the Flames play for one more kick at the cat. Ah, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

The Flames made two more deals by simply adding two more players, a young defencemn and a vet at the forward position. The first acquisition was Brett Carson from Carl. A stay-home dman, a solid 6:4 210 no-nonsense defender. I wonder where this puts Brendan Mikkelson in the pecking order? I guess only time will tell.

The last acquisition was the trade which brought Freddy Modin from the Thrashers for a seventh round pick. It pretty much cost the Flames nothing, while putting some pressure on Hagmen and Kostoppoulos by having someone looking over their shoulders. Mostly Hagmen. It will be interesting to see how they respond for the rest of the season.

The game against the Blues started out well, and ended as the Flames had a terrific first period, firing 16 shots. I thought Bishop was very good in the first. They were solid in their own zone, and they continued the pressure. A great steal by Ibby to set up Tans nicely late in the period, to give the Flames a 1-0 lead. It was a very hard-hitting first period, with a playoff atmosphere.

The Blues were very good in the second period, and probably deserved to be tied going into the third. The main problem the Flames had was taking too many penalties. The penalty killing was very solid as Sarich and Regehr were both solid. The Flames were caught at times, but generally pretty solid defensively through 40 minutes. The Flames only allowed 14 shots in the first 40.

The Flames had the best third period of the season as they pounded the Blues for 5 goals in third period. On a sloppy line change by the Blues, Morrison sets up Iggy on a two-on-one breakaway to put it 2-0. The pp, which has really struggled, gets on track with a great deflection by Moss to put it 3-0. Then the Flames get another 3-on-1 as Morrison sets up Iggy for another one-timer. Bishop has no chance, and it is 4-0. The Blues continue to make silly penalties as Sutter rewards Sarich and Regehr on the pp and Roybn rewards him with blast from the point to put it 5-0. Backlund makes a give-away and Hagmen scores on a semi breakaway to put it 6-0.

The front line in the third period could do no wrong as they were all over the puck. They took advantage of the breaks scoring on every chance they had Morrison really might have had his best game of the year making some beautiful passes to Iggy. I have to mention the save by Kipper off Bergland in the third was outstanding. Kipper isi in his zone right. the final score 6-0.

Randy.

The announcement of the Flames and Canadiens was simply awesome. The feeling was hard to explain. I was more nervous about this game than any other game of the season. It felt like a playoff game. All I know is that watching a game out doors had a feeling all its own. In fact, the whole weekend had that feeling. The weekend started Friday with a Heat game, and continued Saturday with the Legends.

Watching Roberts, Newy, and Lanny really brought back the memories of that 89 team. It was so nice to remember the Flames history, and to listen to the stories of the Flames and Canadiens players. I especially enjoyed watching Lanny and listening to him. Seeing him doing the opening face-off was a nice touch. Saturday itself was awesome for the Flames and Canadiens fans.

As I watched the first period, in which the Flames pretty much dominated early in the game, I felt bad for Gio trying to control the puck during the Flames powerplay. He could not control the puck in the offensive zone. The Flames powerplay looked very good in the first period. On a two-man advantage, there was a nice set up by Tangs to Bourque, and the Flames took a one nothing lead. The ice was not the best, and both clubs took some time to get use to the bouncing puck.

During the second period, the Canadiens threw everything at Kipper but the kitchen sink. I have always wondered about that saying. Who really does throw in the kitchen sink? But I digress. The Habs were basically all over the Flames for most of the period. The Flames scored a great short handed by Babchuck. Bourque scored on a breakaway with a great move on Price, to put it 3-0 in the second period.

In the third period, Kipper continued to shine. The Habs, to give them credit, never gave up. Iggy makes a perfect pass to Tangs on the Flame pp and puts it 4-0. Tangs and Bourque were spectacular this evening. Borque really needed this game, as he has been struggling lately. But the real story had to be Kipper: he made 39 saves for the shutout. 4-0 Final.

As for the event, I will let a follower of mine, Jessica Fisher, whom I also follow, to sum it all up: “Thank you #heritageclassic for exceeding all of my expectations, and then some. Amazing game and amazing day!! @NHLFlames.”

I could not have said it better NHL. You did yourself proud this afternoon and made me proud to be a Flames fan.

Randy

The Flames’ second line (if you really want to call them that), Olli, Glencross. and Moss, have been red-hot in carrying the Flames this season.  Of course, some goalie on the Flames has pretty good too.  Kipper has been outstanding for the Flames this season.

Meanwhile, the Flames’ opponent, the Canadiens come in the walking wounded, although they got some good news today as Cammy is being dressed for Sunday’s game. The Habs have been really unlucky with injuries. They seemed to be disinterested, losing to the Oil 4-1. Price will have to be at his best if the Habs want to stay close.

The Heritage Classic weekend actually started Friday night, as the Heat started off against the Barons in AHL play.  It’s the first time the Heat played in front of the Flames crowd. As I am writing the blog, the game is tied 1-1.

Saturday, the Flames and Habs practice in the morning. In the afternoon, the end with an alumni game between the Habs and the Flames. The contest starts at 4:30. I am almost as excited about this game as I am the classic.  It’s kind of fun to watch the legends play against each other. One thing is for sure: Vernon will be in net as he makes his comeback for the Flames. Connie is playing for the Flames.

On Monday, the Calgary Hitmen will finish the event with the Regina Pats on Monday afternoon. Monday is a holiday in Alberta, as it is Family Day.

The Flames are playing the best they have all year. They have been doing everything they can do to make the playoffs, and doing it right. That really tells me that just maybe they should not mess with anything.

A good example of how good this team is playing was the first period in Colorado. Moss opens the scoring putting it 1-0. Babs wires a howitzer to put it 2-0. Iggy then puts it 3-0 on a great pass from Bourque. Glencross puts it 4-0 on the powerplay. The goal of the night came from Olli as Glencross set him up on a great give-and-go. The line of Moss, Olli, and Glencross put the period together like no other I have seen all year. All three got three points in the first period, as the Flames ripped five first period goals. Olli was the victim of a knee-on-knee by Dupis. There is no need for this crap. It was totally uncalled for in this league. Olli ties a Flames record of 4 points in one period.

The first period was the best period of the season. The Flames did nothing wrong throughout the first. They were skating like I have never seen them before. The problem is that the Flames really did waste the second period. Kipper was awesome. He made several saves, to hold the score to 5-1. I know the score was still not close, but it worries me that they wasted a period.

The Flames regrouped in the third. It was like watching a boys vs men game. They continued to dominate the Avs. The most important impressive stat in this game is that the Flames never let up in the third period. The Flames get a sixth goal by Tangs, a seventh by Glencross, and an eighth by Iggy. Then Bourque steals the puck and sets Stajan up with a perfect pass, and the Flames put it 9-1. It was just one of those nights The Flames score the most goals of the season in a rout 9-1.

Three stars

1 Olli This is the Olli that we thought we had when we acquired him from the Coyotes. He has been one of the best forwards on the team.

2 Glencross Curtis is on a five-game goal streak. He is playing the best hockey of his career. He is on a career high — each time he scores it is a career high. He is skating like his life depends on it. He scored two goals again tonight.

3 Iggy Iggy rips his fourth two-goal game of the season. He was a leader again tonight. He was terrific again tonight.

The second period was pretty much the same, except the Flames made one mistake, and Towes and Kane made them pay. I have to admit, I like the Flames’ penalty kill. They were awesome in the second period. They have eased up on the penalties. The kill bailed them out tonight, and stopping the number one kill is no easy task. The Flames and the Hawks tied 1-1 at the end of the second.

In the third period, Kipper was steady. He might not have had much action, but when he was called on, he was there. They did not get off their game, they simply stuck with it. No matter how many saves Crawford made, they stuck to their game. The penalty kill was perfect. Again, outstanding coverage in their own zone. A great pass by Olli to Glencross, and an even better wrist shot by Glencross to put the Flames ahead by one. Bourque scores an empty net goal to put the game away. 3-1 final.

Three stars:

Robyn Regehr

Regehr was steady. I know no one really notices him; we really take him for granted. He is really on his game. I love his leadership right now.

Lance Bouma

Bouma gets a point in his first game of the year. I really like his potential with his skating, as he has shown tonight that he can pass with the best of them.

Miikka Kiprusoft

Kipper was very good. When called upon, he made the save. He was outstanding when he was asked to be. Kipper is really on his game right now.

I have two special memories about Connie which I would like to mention in honour of Craig. This will probably be one of the hardest blogs I have done, because I am going to miss Craig.

One of my fondest memories of Craig was during the 2004 cup run. A fan who was heading down to S.J called the Fan 960 wanting to know how he could get tickets for the Flames/Sharks playoff game. Well, Craig called the radio station and told them that he would have the tickets for the fan, if he made it in time for the game that night.

Although Connie will be best known as a Flame, his best year was with the Kings in 05-06, when he had 78 points. But I have to mention the 01-02 season he had with the Flames when he had 27 goals and 48 assists. You see, that was the same year that that his linemate Iggy ripped 52 goals and 96 points. It was no fluke that Connie had 48 assists , as he made the perfect center for Iggy that year. He will always be remembered for being one of Iggy’s best linemates. 52 goals was the most in Iggy’s career.

Connie was one of the reasons the Flames made the playoff run in 2004. He will always be remembered for the way he and Iggy worked together. One memory I have was the first goal in game 7, when Connie sent Iggy on a breakaway to open the scoring.

The next memory I want to share was when Connie was traded from the Kings back to the Flames. The Flames’ next game was against the Kings. The Dome that night was electric, and every time Connie touched the puck, the fans were going nuts. That night, Connie scored two goals, and I remember he was almost in tears when the fans gave him a standing o.

The biggest memories I will have with Connie are the times my son and I met him. He always took time out with my son when Doug wanted him to sign his card. Connie would sit and talk to him and joke with him, asking “what do you want me to sign now?” He was always willing to take time out to be with his fans. I will always remember him as the fan’s player.

He loves this game, and loves the fans. He will always be remembered as the fan favorite here in Calgary. I really do not know anyone who would have a bad thing to say about him.

I have to mention one more memory of Connie. As we went to a practice in another arena, as the Dome was booked for another event, the players came on and were shooting the puck around. Connie came out and was about to shoot the puck into the net, when he looked up and noticed my son. He wound up and blasted the puck way wide and hit the glass right in front of him. It scared the crap out of my son, and of course Connie was laughing and having a good old time at his expense. I, for one, will never forget Connie’s smile and the way he played. He loved the game and played like he did.

I wish Connie all the best as he enters into his new career with the Flames. Let me see if I get this right: Special Assistant to the Acting General Manager. Connie will be involved with all the Flames management. I think he will make a great assistant coach.

Randy

Their 11-3-3 record has brought them from the depths of the underworld into the playoff hunt. Last night they won on pure guts and determination. Kipper was outstanding in the second period, making sure the game stayed within reach at all times. On the other hand, Pekka was very good in the first period for the Preds.

The Flames scored twice from behind, a goal by Stajan, and the best goal of the night by Sarich. I really love Sarich’s play. Cory has been outstanding for most of this season. He knows his limits and his role, and plays within those guidelines. It was nice to see Matt score again. He has really picked up his play lately.

The other player who has been great during this winning streak is Moss. He puts in 100 percent every shift. Moss has the magic touch right now, because he works hard for every goal he gets. If the Flames had 18 of him, we would be one of the best teams in the league right now. He deserves a lot of the credit for the 5 game winning streak.

The key to the winning streak is that everyone is pitching in on the scoring. Iggy is getting support. When all four lines are contributing to the scoring, the Flames are far more effective. The Flames have to score by committee, as most teams will keep an eye on the first line. The role players are doing a great job, especially the third and fourth lines.

The defense is playing very well as a group; I have really liked Pardy’s play. Adam has been a great support to Cory. When 3 or 4 – or 5 or 6 defensive pairings do their part, it takes a lot of pressure off of the 1 and 2 spots.

Another reason for the winning streak is that the players are buying into the system. They are learning their roles and performing them. Whether or not they knew their roles before, they were not executing them. Sutter has this team running on all cylinders. They are doing what it takes to win.

Their best player is still Kipper. He has rebounded, and rebounded with style. He has been outstanding of late, making the saves when he has to make the saves. He is back to playing the angles and his positioning has close to perfect. He has rarely been caught out of position on the second shotHe has up on his stick game; he has been able to handle the puck better right now than he has all season.

Should we talk about the coaching? What has Sutter done differently lately? One thing I have noticed during the practices is that Sutter is easing up the control. He seems to be more at ease with the players. He seems to be having more fun.

Don’t get me wrong; they are still working hard, but the tension seems to be gone. Most people, the Fans included, benefit by not having their brother looking over their shoulders. Maybe there is some legitimacy to that.

They play the Thrashers tomorrow night without one of their forwards, as Hagman seems to have a phantom injury. No one knows how he got hurt. At any rate, that may mean Staios will in the line-up as a forward, according to the Peter Mahr, the voice of the Flames. They also have an option to bring up a forward from the Heat. I would really like them to bring up one of the young kids. Only time will tell.

There are so many rumors right now about Regehr being shopped. Mark Spector mentions the latest on his twitter http://twitter.com/SportsnetSpec. My source has confirmed that he feels the Flames are shopping him hard. Eklund also has him being shopped, yet Jay says there is nothing to that; the Flames have no intentions of trading any of the Core.

Jay seems to be in no hurry to mess with the chemistry right now, and why should he? If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. (Actually it’s “ain’t broke,” but I got my knuckles smacked last time I said ain’t

Randy

The second period, the Flames were sloppy, but their goalie was in one of his moods, and pretty much was the story of the game. He was outstanding in the second, making several saves. The Flames’ powerplay has been good, as Moss scores a goal early in the second. But then the Blues take control of the period, and the Flames stop skating. The Flames get a great goal in the last two minutes, on a great pass by Olli.

The Flames have to start skating like they did in the first period. They have to cover their own zone and be defensive. The Blues break the shutout in the third period as Phillip McRae scores his first ever goal on a scramble in front of the net. The Blues pretty much dominated the rest of the game and rob Steen and then Pietrangelo, who are going to have nightmares after this game. Kipper was outstanding in the third. He was very sharp in holding the fort. Iggy scores a empty net goal to end the game 4-1.

The Flames might have taken the Blues too much for granted. They wereflat footed a lot in the third period and had trouble with the Blues’ speed. The defence were pretty solid, despite giving up a whole lot of shots in the third period.

The Good

The powerplay has been improving of late, and they did well tonight as they got two more pp goals. I like the passing and moving around of the puck. The unit was working as one getting the puck to the net and making perfect passes. A great showing by the unit.

The Ugly

Too many scoring chances for the Blues. The defense was too timid. Flames have to stand up better in their own zone. They were not sharp in the second and third periods. If they want to continue to progress in the standings, they have to play better in their own zone.

The Great

Kipper was great with the saves off of Backes, Pietrangelo, and finally Steen. He kept the Blues’ scoring to one goal. If it wasn’t for him, this game could have been worse. You can thank Kipper for the fourth win in a row.

Final 4-1.

I thought I would tackle this question first to get rid of bad answers first. There are really not too many options. The Flames are really not going to be able to trade their captain. He is just too valuable to the Flames. Kipper is one of the best goalies in the league. Frankly, we can build the Flames around him.

Gio is far too young, and the Flames would be nuts to trade him; he is the future of the Flames. He could be a star d-man for many years to come. Mark is already the Flames’ number one defensemen. They cannot afford to trade him.

Jbo has too big of a cap, although he is a solid defencemen and could help any team in the league. His cap hit will be too much for most teams to take on, and would force the Flames to take too much cap back. But he would be a great addition to any NHL team.

That leaves Regehr. I think he is the most logical person to be trade. His cap hit is quite affordable, at $4 million a year, he is quite reasonable. He is a solid shutdown defencemen, and there are not too many defencemen who can hit like Regehr. So there is my answer: Regehr.

Travis

After Darryl Sutter’s firing, Flames nation breathed a sigh of relief as losses piled up. Action was finally being taken.  3 weeks later, and Feaster is now the ‘acting’ GM, tasked with making moves to make the Calgary Flames a more competitive team.  Since Darryl’s firing, it seems that the team is playing looser, having some fun, and putting wins together against top teams.  Looking at the current Flames roster, you have 3 core players that have been around since the magical run of 03-04: Regehr, Iginla, and Kiprusoff.  All have had their ups and downs this year, with Iginla being the first to be put under the microscope, and Regehr being on and off the hot plate, and Kipper most recently. All are into their 30′s and beginning to enter their ‘twilight’ years.  Who would you trade?  The way I look at it as this: Who would bring the best return without the biggest loss to the Flames?

The way I look at it is that the two players that would bring the best return are Iginla and Regehr. Iginla is no longer the impact player that he used to be. Yes, he is a complete player, and will do everything that he can to win, but he’s also looking for ways to cheat to get those plays made. The hard nosed, ‘I’ll do it myself’ attitude is no longer there.  It’s understandable, and natural as a player gets older. The time is right where Iginla will benefit by heading to a team that has more talent around him, somewhere like LA, who at the moment are barely ahead of the Flames.  A Brayden Schenn + 1st+3rd would make me happy, and would secure a top 5 pick for our Flames.

Regehr, on the other hand, will solidify a back-end for a cup contender.  San Jose would be a perfect fit, as their defense has not been the same since the departure of Blake.  Regehr can play big minutes, and punish any forwards that come bearing down on him.  As Doug Wilson looks to get his Sharks over that final hump this year, he should be looking to the Flames as their defense is still near the top of the NHL.  A Setogouchi +2nd trade is something to look towards, and IMO would give the Flames a decent replacement for Iginla, though nowhere near the complete player our beloved Jarome is.  The 2nd would give us a full set of picks that Feaster has said he is looking to acquire.

Kipper is too important for us to let go, and usually the returns on goaltenders have never been great. Although he has struggled this year, I still believe that he is that cornerstone that the team needs as it waits for Leland Irving to make the jump.  To top it all off, Eklund threw out a doozy today with Bourque, Bouwmeester, Backlund +1st +3rd to New Jersey for Parise, Rolston, Tedenby, Salvador, and Zharkov.  Tempting, but take out that first from us, and Zharkov from the Devils and I’d do it.

If it all went down today, we would be looking at a top line for next year of Parise – Schenn – Setogouchi.  Not bad…

Mike Walsh

After reading the recap from tonight's fan forum, I think this just got a whole lot easier to answer.

Feaster's core: Iggy, Kipper, Gio, Jay Bo and Regehr.

Based on the comments by Feaster at tonight's fan forum, those listed above are the only 5 players who Feaster considers core and chances arewill not trade. However, if I was in charge, I would look to move Robyn Regehr.

Regehr is still an attractive defensive defenceman for almost every other team in the league. He is exactly the type of defenceman that teams look for when they are hoping to make a long playoff run. I would move him because 1) He makes too much money. 2) His knee injuries have slowed him down and 3) he is that attractive asset that others would want. I think Feaster and the Flames could get a decent return, likely a good younger player, either a forward or defenceman maybe 2 and likely a
2nd round pick depending on how many younger players are included in the deal.

My gut tells me there is NOT a rebuild coming in Calgary, Feaster is going to re-tool the team to his liking. He will not lose the acting tag until the summer but if ownership is giving him 6 months of being in charge, I just don't see how they can let Feaster re-tool and then have someone else come in and maybe rebuild. There are some very good pieces here and based on Feaster's comments that he will explore all tools available to him (buy outs, minors, trades, etc.), I am expecting to see the core kept together and most of the supporting cast to change.

There you have it.  Which player would you trade?

Randy

The Flames skated with the Canucks for three periods, especially the first period. The Flames played their best period as Glencross and Morrison score for the Flames. Edler replied for the Canucks. And here is a surprise — Morrison’s goal was on the powerplay for the second game in a row. The Flames were great, especially in their own zone. Kipper was very good in the first period, but his best period was yet to come. Iggy really needs to get into the game. He seems to be not quite there tonight. So far, Morrison is very good.

The defence as a whole was pretty solid. The key point was the lower pairings did not cause the Flames too much trouble. Overall, a pretty solid period by the Flames.

The second period was probably the worst period for the Flames. The Canucks tie the game early in the second period 2-2, Edler scoring his second of the night. The Canucks outskated the Flames, and if it was not for Kipper it would have been worse. But you have to hand it to the Flames for hanging on at the end of the period. The penalty kill has been outstanding. The major problem in the second period was that at times, the Flames allowed the Canucks to control the game for the first time.

The Flames had to come out early in the third to make sure the Canucks fans didn’t get into the game. The Flames and Canucks put on a show. Up and down, each team went with their chances. The Flames score their third goal to take the lead, and of course it was Jackman. The Canucks come right back to tie the game, a short-handed goal by Kesler (who, by the way, is the Canucks’ MVP, in my opinion.) In maybe the worst penalty of the night, Jbo gets called for hooking. Whether it should have been called is not in question; it was a penalty, it doesn’t matter if it was in the last minute or not.

The Canucks could not score on that powerplay late in the third and early in OT. Kipper was back to his old self. The Flames had one powerplay themselves, but they ran out of time to score. The Canucks had more scoring chances, but really, this game was pretty even.

The shootout started out with Jeff Tambellini scoring the first goal. Bourque matches that one up to tie the shootout at one. Ollie and Kesler both miss, Olli hitting the post. The winning goal comes with Tanguay potting the winner. Was it in the net? Well, that really depends on who you ask. :) But it counts.

The game was one of the best of the year. It had everything: the hits and saves, the goalies were terrific; both were awesome, Louongo robbing Glencross, and Kipper making 41 saves. The Canucks had no powerplay goals, but had one-short handed goal. The Flames had one powerplay goal, and gave up one short-handed goal.

The best forward:

Backland was outstanding. He was flying out there. He seemed to be everywhere. We really need to find him more ice time. He was super all night. Hopefully there is more to come for the smooth-skating centre.

Best player:

Kipper make 41 saves, many of them just outstanding. Kipper was outstanding in powerplay chances for the Canucks. He continued to hold the twins at bay, among others. This might very well be his best game of the year.

4-3 Flames in a shootout.

RANDY.



Among the forwards, they have one of the most talented young forwards in the League: Kopitar. That kid can do anything. He is not alone. The Kings have a solid winger in Ryan Smith, who is a leader on this team. Justin Williams actually led this team in scoring at one time; he is a solid winger with fire power.

On the defense, the Kings have one of the best young defencemen in Drew Doughty. Drew is probably one of the best skaters and puck-moving players in the League. They have one of the best stay-home defencemen in the League in Willie Mitchell, who is very sound in his own end.

In goal, they have Jonathan Quick; the Olympian goalie is one of the best young goalies in the League. He is a quick (no pun intended), agile goalie with great reflexes. Quick is a fundamentally sound goalie who plays his angles and has all the talent to become a star in the League.

Yet with all this talent, the Kings continue to struggle. So I went to find out the scoop with this team; and who better to ask than Jon Moncrief, LA Kings Examiner? He would know far more than I would, which is not saying much. I asked Jon some pertinent questions on the Kings.

The Kings should be one of the best teams in the League with all of their talent. What is going on? I mean, what do you see as the main reason for the spiral in the standings?

They have certainly had a Jekyll-and-Hyde season to be sure, and it comes from their ability or inability to understand their talent level. They have it certain areas and are lacking in others. When they play their system for 60 minutes, they can beat any team in the league soundly. When they get away from doing all of the little things, they can have lapses that expose them as the flawed team they seem to be. With the Kings, it’s all about the confidence they have in themselves.

How are the fans feeling right now? Is there a lot of pressure on the Kings to win?

The fans are understandably frustrated because of the way thing went earlier in the season, and the promise that this season brought because of the Dean Lombardi rebuilding plan. Making the playoffs last year meant that the next logical step was contending for a division title and winning a round or two in the playoffs. You have to remember: these fans suffered through a lot of years of ownership mismanagement, trying quick fixes and selling the future to come up short, and watching the “younger brother” down the freeway in Orange County win a Stanley Cup already. So there is pressure on the Kings to win, but not nearly as suffocating as say in Vancouver or Toronto or markets like that. Still, the fans that I’ve talked to recently are disappointed in that they think more needs to be done in the short term. It’s hard to argue with what they are saying, but part of the historic problem has been the franchise’s unwillingness to take one step backward in order to take two or three steps forward.

The next question has to do with Drew Doughty. Have the injuries really affected his play? He has not been the same player as last year. Are the Kings happy with his play of late?

Doughty has certainly been the whipping boy for some fans, because it has been perceived that he came into the season unprepared to take the next step up that someone nominated for the Norris at 20 should. I think he came back a little too soon from the concussion, but the other issue has been that the Kings are a little thin on the blue line overall. Beyond Jack Johnson and Doughty, you have an often-injured Willie Mitchell who’s game is predicated on physicality, and two defensive-defensemen in Scuderi and Greene who are great defenders but contribute nothing offensively, putting a lot on Drew and JJ. Alec Martinez has been a nice find, but they are woefully thin back there. Terry Murray has been talking with Doughty regularly about playing his game more, not trying to do too much beyond what he can. His game Saturday night against Edmonton was easily his best game in the last month and arguably of the entire season. In some ways, these growing pains he’s struggling through this year I feel will only benefit his development because he will understand that everything doesn’t come easily.

Are the Kings going to be active at the deadline? Who is going to be the hired gun to get the Kings to the promise land? Or are the Kings even going to get a rental?

The answer will be determined on their upcoming franchise-record 10-game road trip. Thanks to the Grammy Awards and the NBA All-Star Game here at Staples in February, the Kings will be on the road from February 1 through February 24 and will play teams like Pittsburgh, Washington, Philadelphia and the NY Rangers during that stretch. If they are still within eight points of a spot or in playoff position by then, then they will be active buyers to a point. If not, they may be sellers in terms of vets that might fit other teams. Dean Lombardi has never been a big-name blockbuster trade kind of GM, and I don’t expect that to change, despite the reemergence of the Jarome Iginla rumors and the daily rumors of guys like Patrik Elias, Mike Fisher, and others. I think he will stay the course and look towards the summer to address some issues.

Jon Moncrief has been covering the Los Angeles Kings for Examiner.com for three seasons now, and also covers the NHL in general and baseball’s Dodgers for Examiner as well. He is also the co-host of INSIDE SPORTS, a weekly sports web-TV series, and serves as a featured contributor to the college football site Bowl Gamer. Jon has been covering sports on-line and in print for over a decade, and was lead writer for the award-winning sports documentary film 4CHOSEN

Kipper was . . . well, bad last night. Yes, he had company, but let’s face facts; he is fighting the puck like he never has before. He is acting like he is afraid of the puck. He seems to have lost his confidence. Then the team start playing nervous, like they can’t make a mistake. Which results in a 6-0 whipping laid by the Wild.

So what happened last night? Well, where do I start? Seriously, if you want me to tell you everything that went wrong, we will be here all night.

So let’s begin with the defence. Too many times standing around, fighting the puck. Gio is really having trouble right now. He looks like he is taking all of this on his own. He was caught flat-footed and has to step back and realize he can’t do everything himself. Pardy has not been the same since Regehr came back. Pardy has gone back to playing with no confidence. Jay Bo has been good most of the time, but he still looks totally uncomfortable with the system. The defence really has to pick up its speed; the Wild forwards skated circles around them.

Before we get into the forwards, let’s discuss tonight. Horrible. Glencross lost his head and made a horrible mistake, Curtis is lucky he did not get more. You have to think the League will look into it further. The Flames almost scored. They had some major momentum and looked like they were going to make some noise. The 5 minute major killed any momentum they had after that shift.

Morrison really struggled tonight, and just maybe Sutter deserves some of the blame. The coach has to put his players in position to succeed. Putting Morrison on the first line may not have been the best position. Hagman on the fourth line is a real head-scratcher. I really don’t understand it. As a result, Hagman struggled. He looks lost and totally frustrated. I am not sure he does knows what is expected of him.

The Flames had a terrible first period and gave up 2 goals in the first ten minutes. They really never recovered. But in reality, they never pushed back, they fell back. They had no get-up-and-go. The second period was Glencross’ penalty, and the powerplay let them down again. This is like a broken record. Please fix it. Because this powerplay right has too many scratches and needs to be declined. (Did you see the pun there?)

During the third period they quit. They gave up three more goals. And you know what? That really worries me. I have never seen a Sutter team give up as much as this team folded its tent. I really feel it’s time to do something quick. Please see the light, Jay, it’s time to pull the plug. 6-0 final Wild.

Randy

The best line of Hagman, Stajan, and Glencross seem to really have their acts together right now. They are beginning to work as a unit. I like the cycle they are doing. They are forcing the issues, and are getting their scoring chances.

On the defence, Adam Pardy is developing into the defencemen he is capable of being. He has taken the chance and is running with it. He has been a rock in these last two games. Sometimes, adversity brings out the best in players, and it looks like it has brought out the best in Adam. It is great to see; I have seen Adam play since he turned pro, and it is great to see him live up to his potential. What I liked most about Pardy’s play in the last two games is that he seemed to get better with each period. His minutes went over 20, compared to the 8 minutes he usually plays. He is grabbing the chance and running with it.

Of course, the top 2 have been very good. I still think that Gio will be the Flames’ leader for many years to come. I am so happy this kid is signed for the next 4 years, because he is going to be a good one. Jbo is leading the team, he is doing the little things right. Jbo’s offensive numbers might not be as good, but he is doing things that don’t appear on the score sheet.

Shall we talk about the penalty killing? Because the Flames have been doing this very well. They have been outstanding. I give much of the credit to the unsung hero Cory Sarich. He has been a stalwart in the back line. He has lifted up his play tenfold. He has been very responsible in his own end. Not only has Glencross been good playing on the 5-on-5, he has been great working on the penalty kill.

I mentioned the system in this road trip. The Flames have the players coming down to the zone again. I like their covering their zones and playing the percentages covering their men. The players are beginning to buy into this, and Jackman seems to the main reason. He is teaching the younger players. Backlund and Pardy are listening, and they are getting the vets to listen. Yes, I am seeing these players become a team, and the role players leading this team.

The goalies came to play on the weekend. And again, it seems that Karlsson motivated Kipper. Karlsson was outstanding in Ottawa. He was especially steady in covering the angles and gave out very few rebounds. He played like a vet. It is so nice to have a back-up that the Flames can win with. He is a very important asset to have down the stretch. Kipper promptly plays “anything you can do, I can do better” and was outstanding in the Flames’ victory over the Leafs. He made several saves and really came through. He was the old Kipper that the Flames fans know and love.

The Flames offence is struggling right now, but there were some positives. Stajan looks like he is improving his play. The second line was very good, and Hagman was snapping out of his slump. Iggy is his old self, the leader on this team. Let’s hope Feaster does not change his mind, and keeps him.

Randy

In the first period, the Flames deserved a better fate, as Jbo makes a great shot to open a one-zip lead. The Flames start out well, killing a 5-on-3 powerplay in the first period. In fact, Glencross almost scores on the penalty kill. Glencross had a great period, as did most of the Flames. The Canes get a shaky goal to tie it by Rutu. Iggy then put the Flames up 2-1, as the first line scores. Iggy looks like he is pumped right now. The Canes score another one as Jussi Jokinen gets that one back. The first period produces 4 goals.

Here it is: the Flames had a great first period. Most things went well, including killing a 5-on-3 powerplay. I was very encouraged.

The second period was ugly. The Canes scored early and often, as Kipper lets in 2 goals on two shots. Erik Cole scores early in the second, but the Flames are not playing that badly. But then the goal of the night (not really) as Staal scores a very weak shot. Karlsson comes in and is outstanding, despite giving up the fifth goal as Jussi Jokinen puts it 5-2. But the Flames do let up on that fifth goal; the spirit seems to go out of them. In fact, I thought it was going to be another goal, but the Flames hold the fort. Just when you think the game is over, Hagmen makes a great takeaway and shoots a great shot in the top corner, and the Flames cut it to 5-3.

If you want the truth, the Flames really have not played that badly. At times, the defence has been sloppy in their own zone, but if Kipper was his usual self, the Flames would have won this game. I wonder if this game would have ended differently if Sutter had taken Kipper out at the start of the second period. Karlsson deserved a better fate; for his play as he was very good.

The third period might have been the Flames’ best third period, as Hagman makes one of the best behind-the-back passes to Glencross to put it 5-4. A great play by Hagmen. The Flames tie the game, thanks to Bourque, a great play by Morrison to keep the puck alive to give Bourque a chance to score on the rebound. The Flames play a solid third period. They were skating and could have easily won the game in regulation, which cost them the 2 points.

The OT was all Canes, but Karlsson would hold the fort. He was outstanding. Bourque takes a bonehead penalty, but the Canes don’t take advantage of the break. Karlsson makes the save of the game at the end of the overtime, with a mad scramble in front. The Flames lose the game in a shootout as Skinner scores the only goal. As a Flames fan, I will take the point. 6-5 Canes in a shootout.

RANDY

The Flames are in fourteenth place, and have not been consistent all season. They are showing no signs of improving. The fourth line has been our best line for the last number of games, our best forward being Jackman, who is having a career year and is on a five game point streak; the highest in his career.

The owners have to really give Feaster the full-time permanent General Manager position. The temporary tag is pretty much leaving the Flames like a dead fish, or a better term, lame duck (dead fish are too smelly) franchise. The Flames owners have to give Jay the power as soon as possible, or else fire his butt and get someone in who they do trust. I know that is harsh, but at this moment, we need to have a secure game plan. Jay Feaster was supposed to give a couple of plans to the owners; one for if they are buyer and one for seller. Let’s hope the ownership likes one of the plans. If they don’t, then we are in real trouble.

There are rumors out there that the reason Sutter was fired is that he wanted to trade the core and start rebuilding If those rumors are true, then I have a problem with firing of Sutter, because frankly, I am ready for a change of pace. We all know the problems with Daryl and Brent, and obviously Brent is not willing to let go his core either. If there is a bright side to this, at least everyone is on the same page. The problem is, are they on right page or even the right book?

So what are their options? Who should they rebuild with? These are vital questions that the Flames must answer quickly. I feel their strength is defence, and their best defencemen is Gio, who is the perfect defencemen to build on. I think he is and should be groomed to be the number one man on the team. So that leaves Jbo and Regehr; I would trade at least one of the two.

The Flames have way too much cap invested in the D core, and really need to dump some cap. I really feel that Regehr could get us some good picks, and maybe even a prospect. I am really thinking realistically that Jbo’s cap might be too hard to deal, so I suspect he is along for the ride.

The Flames have some decisions to make with Sarich and Pardy, especially Pardy; they have to decide wheather to re-sign him. That is why I feel it is vital that we find a new home for Regehr, so we can sign Pardy, who is still young. It is vital that we get the cap down on the back end so we can maybe look at getting some free agents in. We also have to figure out whether or not to keep Babchuck. Babchuck is our fifth defensmen on the chart, but he has a terrific shot from the blue line on the powerplay. He is useful and should be signed if possible. Which means it might necessary to dump Sarich — hard to do at 3.6 million. Staios is gone, and I think we should think about not qualifying Mikkelson.

Our prospects in the defence are Brodie and Negrin, both could step in and are close. So it’s time to bring in our prospects get rid of some bodies. This is vital two ways: cap relief and some speed in the line-up.

We can assume that the keeping Iggy is a lock and it pretty much cost Sutter his job, as he wanted to trade Iggy. So if they are not trading Iggy, who are they planning to dump? We have four UFA’s: Conroy, Glencross, Morrison, and Tanguay. Wave bye-bye to Glencross, Morrison, and Connie. I feel it vital that we keep Tangs. The first priority is qualifying Backlund and building our future. Is there a taker for Stajan? Because we have Olli, who has one of those wonderful No Trade Clauses. Olli has been 10 times better than Stajan. But will there be someone who will take a $3.5 million cap struggling centerman? Problem one: Stajan. Problem two: Kotalik, a $3 million NTC forward, who is not worth that kind of cap. Therein lies the problem. $6.5 million of cap with Stajan and Kotalik that cannot be easily taken out. Kotalik at least only has one more year at $3 million, which means a buy-out could be an option. The assets that could be traded are Bourque and Hagmen, but I really feel that we should keep them to build the team around. Jay is pretty much determined to keep Iginla, so our options are pretty limited. The other option is trading Moss, who has been outstanding of late. He is a great role player. We have one more year on the contract of Kostopoules, but he is a useful player, and should be kept for another year. That leaves trading Bourque and Hagmen, and buying out Kotalik. Trading Stajan or Olli are really hard sells. Jay has already told everyone who will listen that he is not trading Iggy. We could trade Glencross, but he is not going to get a huge package, being a UFA at the end of the year.

So finally, we get to the goalies. Kipper has been outstanding. The Flames will get a huge package for him and it would clear up almost $6 million for next year. But is Karlsson or Irving ready to be number one? It would be a huge gamble for the Flames.

There you have it. The Flames have some options, but for goodness sake, give Jay the official position of GM, so we can start the rebuilding.

Randy

The Flames were on a roll going into the game tonight, but the second and third lines did not work. The Flames were simply awful tonight. They could not have been worse in that first period. Basically, they were not playing with any energy. The Isles deserve some of the credit; the Flames took them for granted.

Robin Regehr really struggled tonight, making mistakes that he normally does not make. Jbo pitched in where there was really nothing to pitch in on. The front line was all right, but did not offer any help for the fourth line.

Morrison and Kotalik really need to pick up their games. They have both been struggling. Even in the four-game winning streak, they were struggling. Tonight they looked disinterested. They looked like they had somewhere else to go.

Jackman and Moss continue to be the best players game after game. Moss was outstanding. In reality, he was in a league of his own. Moss was constantly skating and hitting everything he saw. He was getting the message: “play defence first, and the offence will take care of itself.” But unfortunately, the fourth line was the only line.

I already mentioned Regehr earlier on the defence, but he was not alone. Pardy and Sarich did not have the best of nights. They were often caught by the Isles’ speed. Jbo was alright tonight. He was the best of the defence, but even he was making errors, making errant or blind passes. Gio was too busy trying to force the issue offensively.

When the Flames play the speed game, they get outworked and start making lazy plays. The Flames have to remember what kind of team they are. They are a solid, hardworking team; they take care of their end first. When they forget who they are, they play a game like this. The Isles spank the Flames 5-2.

Mr. Feaster is telling everyone that will listen that the core will stay. He considers the core to be Regehr, Jbo, Iggy, and Kipper. I hate to tell you this; we really don’t have that much more to offer for a rebuild. Well, at least we’re not going to get any first or second rounders coming our way. When Bourque is playing like he can, he is worth a first or second round. So is Stajan. Hagmen might be close, if he is playing up to his abilities.

The problem is that Hagmen, Stajan, and Bourque are nowhere near their game. They are all struggling. The only players who are playing their games are considered to be the core and are untouchable. How is Feaster going to be able to talk to the other General Managers with a straight face and say he has something to offer, other than the core? Unless, of course, Jay is not being completely honest with the media. Perish the thought. I am not saying one of the core will be traded; I am just saying that Feaster would be a fool not to consider it.

Randy

To get to know this team a little more, I contacted one of my most favourites reporters on Twitter, Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune.  You can find Erik on Twitter at http://twitter.com/erlendssontrib.  So let’s get to know the Bolts, shall we?

No one really expected the Bolts to do as well as they have.  Are you surprised at the success of the Bolts?

I think you have to be surprised by their success to this point. You have a team with a brand new management staff in place, with a brand new coaching staff running a roster more than half-filled with new players. Add in the fact that Simon Gagne missed 18 games, Vinny Lecavalier missed 15 games, and Steve Downie has missed 13 games and counting, a horrible travel schedule that included a stretch of 15 out of 21 games on the road, five one-game homestands, and substandard goaltending for the most part, there’s really not much which suggests this team should be in first place.

If somebody would have said all those odds were going to be stacked against this team, I can’t imagine many would have thought they would be in a playoff position at Christmas, let alone in first place in the division.

Do you think Vinny will get traded this season or the off-season?

No way Lecavalier gets moved any time soon, because his contract and production essentially make him untradeable. Perhaps somewhere down the road, it might have to be explored, or possibly even further down the line, a buyout may be something the team looks at, but right now, if you can ignore the large annual salary, he makes a good second line center and is somebody still capable of playing an effective two-way game and win some faceoffs.

Who is the MVP:  Stamkos or Marty?  They work so well together.

As gaudy as the numbers are for Stamkos this season, St. Louis is the MVP of this team. He is the heart-and-soul, and the engine that drives the train. His tenacity and drive on the ice inspires the rest of his team; and that, combined with his skill level, forces his teammates to try to keep up with him. St. Louis is a guy who makes others around him better, and Stamkos benefits from his linemate without a doubt.

NHL Season:

I have been getting a lot of feedback on the headshots this season.  Do you feel the NHL does enough to stop it?

There is not enough being done for headshots in the NHL, and I give you the suspension earlier this year of Joe Thornton as Exhibit A. There was an outcry from many who felt Thornton did not deserve a penalty, let alone a suspension, for his hit to David Perron. But in my estimation, Thornton should have been hit harder to show to everybody that the League is serious about trying to remove those kind of targets to the head, instead it looks more passive on the League’s part. The NHL has always been more of a reactive League as opposed to proactive, and I get the feeling that nothing will be done on a more strict scale until somebody gets seriously injured as the result of a hit to the head, whether it be a life-threatening situation or career-threatening. I hope that moment never occurs, but I fear that’s what it’s going to take to get the League to make a serious crack-down on hits to the head.

I would like to thank Erik and the Tampa Tribune for the interview.
He is a great guy and I highly recommend following him.
Randy

The first period was the Flames’ type of game. It was not the most exciting first period, but the important part for the Flames was to hold the Avs in check. We have to control the speed of a team like the Avs, the Flames game have to slow down the game. During the first period, the Flames did exactly that; they kept the game at their speed and did not allow the speed of the Avs to be factor.

The fourth line continues to show a lot of energy. The Flames need to be a four line team to be effective. Every player needs to know his role. Bourque is really struggling right now, and continues to fight the puck. On the bright side, the first line continues to play well. Jackmen continues to hit everything in sight. He has help in Sarich.

The second period might have been the Flames’ best period of the year. There were not too many mistakes, as the Flames score three times in 7:30. Kostopoulos scores on a great feed. Iggy scores on a great shot, then Jackman scores on a great move on a break-away. During the second period, the Flames were nearly perfect. The fourth line was outstanding: Moss, Kostopoulos and Jackman were the story of the second period.

During the third period, the Flames fell asleep playing against a very dangerous Colorado team. The Avs made a very strong push when they scored a great short-handed goal by Winnik; a great short handed goal. A great second effort by Winnik. He broke a 18 game goal-less streak, and Tomas Fleischmann and the Flames all of a sudden are trying to hang on in the last two minutes.

The main problem with this game tonight was the Flames continue to make these brain lapses. They took their foot off the gas pedal for one period, and it almost cost them a game.

The Negative

The powerplay is terrible; too predictable. They are constantly being outworked. When the puck is in a corner, there is no excuse for two defencemen outworking the forwards and clearing the zone. When the Flames are on the powerplay, they are standing around too much. When they shoot it in, they are not moving their feet and are making it too easy for the penalty kill unit. There has to be changes in the powerplay. Get more imaginative. Get more creative.

The Positive

The fourth lines and first lines were very good tonight. Jackman was outstanding tonight; he continues to be the be the off-season signing of the year. He continues to do the little things, and chips in with the odd goal. He is becoming a vital part of the Flames’ success. Iginla continues to be hot, and looks like the Iggy of days of old. He is shooting the puck and skating and hitting; he is on his game right now.

Bottom line: the Flames have won three games in a row. Final 3-2 Flames.

Randy