In 2 games featuring a double elimination night, the teams on the brink of golfing just couldn't get it done. The Calgary Flames lose their game to the Blackhawks 4-1, and the San Jose Sharks lose their game to the Ducks 4-1. The Western Conference Semi-Finals has been determined and will feature the Ducks and Red Wings in one series, with the Canucks taking on the Blackhawks in the other. Two sweeping teams vs. two teams that went to Game 6. Interesting Setup.
Calgary Vs. Chicago
From the get go, it did not seem like the Flames had a chance to get into it. They constantly surrendered late surges after early leads and just could not get finish on plays that should have ended in a goal. They lacked leadership throughout and the young guns who were able to score over 30 and 40 goals could not find the back of the net.
Kiprusoff seemed like he was burnt out at the end of the regular season and once the post-season began, he played similar hockey. Perhaps if he is not in net for 76 games in the regular season next year he'll be of better help to the club when it truly matters; however, there is one reason why he had to play that many games. The club did not have the wages to afford a decent backup and were worried of losing games down the stretch and ultimately finishing behind the Canucks in the Northwest Standings. That said, a simple home-ice advantage issue should not be the cause of burning out your goaltender against teams like Los Angeles and Colorado. There needs to be a repair on the goaltending services next year that involve a stronger duo. Kipper needs a guy to man the pipes every 6 or 7 games.
Chicago, on the other hand, found out why Khabibulin was able to capture Lord Stanley with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Once they added Christobel Huet to the roster over the summertime, The 'Bulin Wall was energized and ready to battle for his number one position. He proved he is still capable of stealing games when they matter and the Flames were not too pleased over it. In Game 6, facing elimination, the Flames peppered him with 44 shots, only to score 1 goal, thanks to Todd Bertuzzi, on a shot that Khabibulin turns away from because he thought he was going to get hit square in the mask. He finished off the series 0.921 SV% after facing 190 shots, stopping 175 of them, and with a stronger defensive unit in front of him, he's provided the necessary goaltending to go far in the post-season. Vancouver should be well prepared for a series that will primarily feature a goaltender's duel. Luongo vs. Khabibulin.
With the amount of injuries the Flames suffered and the sheer finesse level on the Blackhawks team, the right team won the series.
Anaheim Vs. San Jose
This is a series that featured a powerhouse club in the San Jose Sharks against a team that has a ton of playoff experience and never gives up. That's exactly what played into the win for the Ducks - they never gave up.
The Sharks were destined the lose once people began to recognize that they would not give up the body in blocked shots, or go the extra mile for a race for the puck. You need to earn scars and bruises to win the Stanley Cup, and the Sharks did not earn their spot to move on. Yes, they go into a few fights; yes, they threw some big hits, but they did not find that extra gear to give it all they had when they needed it the most. In a sense, they kept allowing the losses the rally believing that "next game things will be different", but that next game featured more of the same. The Ducks took the punishment and still made the plays - the Sharks avoided the punishment in hopes to find the perfect play.
The Regular Season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs are two different walks of life. You have teams that are buckling down to try and put together a successful year to make a few extra bucks by getting to the first round and you have other teams that are building chemistry and strength for the long battle that starts (not in October, but) in November. The Sharks played more like that team trying to get the extra playoff bonuses and not the team ready to take a beating to hoist the Silver Grail.
Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are an unbelievable trio. The loss of Dustin Penner two years ago has been filled by Bobby Ryan and there's no guessing that these three will be a line of superb talent for years to come. The Ducks now have a new core of players ready to take the reign and they proved it by wiping the President Trophy winners off the map right out of the gate.
Next stop: Motorcity, and a much anticipated battle between the Red Wings and the Ducks. If the Wings come into this series expecting to face another young, inexperienced team such as the Blue Jackets, they'll have another thing coming. I think of the Sharks would have advanced and met the Wings in the post-season (regardless of standings) they would not fair as well as the Ducks can. If San Jose met Detroit, I would have guessed Detroit to win it. Now that the Ducks are there, and ready to be Mighty once again, it's a tough call and certainly a series to pay attention to.
Micheal A. Aldred
michealaldred@hotmail.com
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The West is Set
Monday, April 27, 2009
Do or Die Night - Sharks and Flames Face Elimination
It's an intriguing night of hockey in the Western Conference as both the Calgary Flames and the regular season power house San Jose Sharks look to extend their post season with a win tonight against their respectful clubs. In what has been a frustrating playoff performance from both teams, they now must kick the team into high gear and force the Game 7.
The Calgary Flames have found out today that Dion Phaneuf, who has notched 3 assists and a +2 thus far in the series, will sit out tonight's game after bumping heads with Troy Brouwer in Game 5. This is a significant blow to the Flames blueline as they are already missing Robyn Regehr to a knee injury. Thankfully, the Flames will be playing at home tonight and will have to call upon their fan base to chime in some much needed energy to push this one to Game 7.
The Sharks were the leagues best team heading into the post-season, but for some reason (consider it a curse) the Sharks just can't seem to find a way to get it done in the playoffs. Down 3-2 in the opening round to the 8th seeded Ducks, the Sharks find themselves facing elimination for the second straight game and hope to avoid it once again with a win tonight on the road. That said, the Ducks are by no means a terrible team. In fact, the teams who placed 2nd to even as much as 4th have had an easier opening team to play against than the Sharks have landed in the Ducks.
Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau will be called upon once again to push this series and get a win, for anything less than a series victory is a failure on the season and on behalf of the leaders of this team. The Sharks have come and gone from the playoffs for far too long without making it to the Finals, and that is certainly not what this organization wishes to see again this time around. Simply being a difficult team to beat in the playoffs is not what this team has longed for. If they want the cup badly, they'll have to pay the price to get there, starting with a physical, grinding game tonight on the road.
I'll be covering the Flames/Blackhawks on TheScore tonight. Tune into TheScore's liveblogs for more details.
Micheal Aldred
michealaldred@hotmail.com
Friday, April 10, 2009
Flames Update
The Flames have finally made it to the final weekend of their regular season and it couldn't have come any sooner. Actually, the Flames probably would have preferred it did. For the past few weeks, the team has been limping toward the post-season. Now they find themselves two points back of the division leading Canucks and face two must-win games back to back against the hated Oilers.
The Injury Bug
Calgary is literally limping at this point. Injuries to Rene Bourque, Mark Giordano, Andre Roy, Rhett Warrener, Cory Sarich and Robyn Regehr have crippled several aspects of Calgary's game and they are paying for it in the standings. Daymond Langkow was also out for an extended period of time and some now are speculating that Dion Phaneuf could be battling an injury. Luckily, it appears they should be able to get most of, if not all, of these players healthy for the playoffs.
Davis Moss Signs on the Dotted Line
Darryl Sutter managed to get David Moss to re-sign with the Flames for three years at $1.3 million per season. This is great news as many were predicting the American could be looking at around $2 million a season much like Alex Burrows of the Vancouver Canucks. Moss finally hit the 20 goal plateau this season and will be a strong presence on the Flames' second line and on the powerplay for the next three seasons. Once again, it looks like players are willing to take a little less to stay in Calgary. Next up, Mike Cammalleri. Well, maybe not.
Cap Issues
Due to the amount of injuries the Flames have been dealing with, there has been a revolving door on the Flames' locker room. Trying to keep up with the call ups from Quad City and who is heading back to the AHL club is a chore by itself. Now they've reached the breaking point. Currently, the Flames only have 17 skaters on the roster and are only $246 000 from the salary cap ceiling. At points recently, the have been just hundreds of dollars clear of the cap limit. They've had to send Dustin Boyd down to the AHL just to clear up some salary room.
There is good news. When the regular season ends, NHL players no longer collect a paycheck from their clubs. They essentially play in the post-season for free, not counting bonus clauses in their contracts and what not. So the salary cap is a non-factor come game one. This means that the Flames are free to stock their roster with any player in the organization, including AHL players and players who have previously been on the injured reserve, even if their contracts would normally exceed the salary cap.
The only exception to the rule is Anders Eriksson, who because of his contract, age and years in the league would need to clear re-entry waivers to come up to the NHL team. Essentially, a team ranked lower than the Flames could claim him and not have to pay his salary, but would be responsible for his per-diem and his accommodations. Another hitch though, they would not be allowed to play him. As an example, if the Flames finish third in the Western Conference and play the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round, Columbus could claim Eriksson before the Flames, but would only do so to deny the Flames that player. I'm not saying it's going to happen, but a team looking for any sort of advantage could be desperate enough to brew some bad blood between the teams.
Just for Fun
From local band SubPlot A, comes this delightful diddy based on Hey There Delilah by the Plain White T's about Calgary's most beloved hockey player. It's worth a listen and may bring a smile to your face.
mitch.hart@gmail.com
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Saturday, April 4, 2009
Question Period - Flames Edition
5. With Florida's playoff chances hanging by a thread and Jay Bouwmeester not being dealt at the trade deadline, do you think Calgary has a chance of signing him in the off-season? What exactly would Darryl Sutter have to do to snag JayBo instead of perhaps the hated Northwest division rivals to the west or north?
- The Flames will unveil an alternate jersey next year. Do you hope they follow the Oilers and unveil a vintage jersey?
- If you visit the Red Mile this year, do you intend on bringing a camera? If so, just what kind of creep are you?
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Calgary, We Have a Problem...
Actually, the Calgary Flames have several problems at the moment. Add that to the fact that they only have eight, count 'em, eight games left to stave off the Vancouver Canucks for the Northwest division crown and somehow get their game rounded into playoff form. If they fail at those tasks and manage to be "one and done" in the playoffs (again), you can bet that irate Flames fans will make sure The Red Mile literally lives up to it's name. The road ahead will be bumpy and will need the Flames to get several things in order to become a serious playoff threat again.
Special Teams
The most disappointing aspect of the Flames' game in recent weeks. Just two months ago, Calgary had a top seven powerplay. Now it is ranked 18th and is the lowest amongst division leaders. It's as if the Flames are taking the opportunity to rest and are not working hard to get the puck in the net. David Moss has been highly effective on the PP for the Flames while in front of the net, but he has seen his time cut for whatever reason. The Flames went 0-for-12 on the PP in their last two games, including time with four minute powerplays and on the 5-on-3. There have also been rumours that the Flames almost never practice the PP, and that is no way to win in the playoffs.
The penalty kill is ranked 5th in the NHL, but the horrifying stat here is that the Flames have given up a league high 13 shorthanded goals. The communication between players on the PK is obviously a problem for the Flames. Looking at these stats, it's plain to see the Flames are missing Rene Bourque pretty badly.
Defense
When you have one of the best defensive corps in the NHL on paper, why is it that the Flames are losing games with as many as 8 goals against? For most of the season, Calgary's defense was feared throughout the league as tough, fast and smart. However, the system employed earlier has all but completely fallen apart. They are losing position on their assigned players, not skating, failing at getting pucks to the net and are giving up far too many odd man rushes. Assistant coach Jim Playfair has to reel his guys in and get them to play smart hockey again. It's really as simple as that. Until then, they're the Swiss Cheese Brigade, porous as the American-Mexican border.
Goaltending
The Flames are lucky to have one of the best goaltenders of this decade between the pipes in Miikka Kiprusoff, and he's almost always between the pipes. Chances are the Finn will play in 77 of the 82 Flames games this season. Now, I'm not saying this is a problem because Kipper is subject to being over worked or becoming tired, he's not. The coaching staff and Miikka have a terrific system in place that lets Kipper get all the rest he needs and for him to stay in game-ready shape at almost all times. While Kipper hasn't been playing his best hockey lately, he is hardly losing hockey games single-handedly. Although he's also not giving the Flames the best chance to win every night consistently. The man has won 42 games this season, and will probably tie or fall just short of Martin Brodeur's single season wins record of 48.
The real problem is in the back-up position and Curtis McElhinney or, as many affectionately (or maybe not) refer to him, Curtis McAHLinney. The kid is now 0-6-1 this season and has never won an NHL game. He is not a suitable NHL back-up and the team just can't seem to play in front of him. At the beginning of the season, Curtis wouldn't accept anything less than a one way deal, and the Flames gave it to him for a one year term. As it became clear later in the season that the position was a problem, there were cries for Darryl Sutter to try and bring in a capable back-up before the NHL trading deadline. He didn't do that and now the Flames must approach the playoffs with McElhinney the only option if Kiprusoff can't play. In that case, the Flames are surely doomed.
The only good news here is that Curtis becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and Sutter is not going to re-sign him, perhaps in favor of tracking down another UFA goaltender such as Ty Conklin, Scott Clemmensen, Craig Anderson or Wade Dubielewicz.
Coaching
Mike Keenan is an interesting subject. When his big name players are struggling, he doesn't punish them with reduced ice time, he demands they work harder, and will do almost anything to get that point across. Although Dion Phaneuf isn't playing his best hockey, Keenan still has number 3 on the ice for a team high 26:33 a game. Keenan also likes to juggle his line combinations. Usually, the players accept this as a simple fact of life under Iron Mike, but lately, it may be a harmful practice. With new additions due to trade and due to injury, the players haven't been able to establish a solid rhythm with their line mates and really begin to develop some chemistry.
He has also tightened his grip on Kiprusoff's leash as of late, pulling him five times in the month of March. Kipper was left well enough alone during of the regular season, but now Keenan seems adamant on sending a message to Kiprusoff. The problem is, he is often pulled early or when he doesn't deserve it. Even for a cool character like Kiprusoff, that has to get under your skin and rattle your confidence a bit. It also gives McElhinney the chance to let in a soft goal or two or three or four, as is often the case. At that point, you aren't inspiring the players to play better, you're telling them that defeat is around the corner.
There have also been a couple of cases of just flat out poor decision making. I point to the Toronto game when Calgary lost to the Buds 8-6. Keenan pulled the goalie for the extra attacker with over two minutes left, and the Flames managed to make the game 7-6. It was clear Calgary had all the momentum and seemed destined to tie the game. However, Keenan pulls the goalie with over 1:30 left and a bad hop over a stick results in a Maple Leafs empty net goal when you really didn't need the extra attacker. Unless you hadn't tied it with about 30 seconds to go, the goalie shouldn't have been yanked.
Leadership and Star Players
Jarome Iginla and Robyn Regehr are the leaders of the Calgary Flames both on the ice and in the dressing room. Lately, the players seem to have become disjointed, and the identity of the team muddled. It is clear that both Jarome has had his role on the team adjusted with the new additions to the team and the emergence of role players like Curtis Glencross, Dustin Boyd, David Moss and Rene Bourque. The new guys have added a desperately needed secondary scoring punch, but for the first time in recent history, Iginla doesn't have to be the most important Flame on the ice all of the time. How this affects Iginla may be showing up in his play and his statistics. He is a minus player more often than not lately and has now not scored a point in 28 of the 74 games played so far. You used to be able to count on Iginla to get that big goal, but he is slowly shrinking from that duty.
With the additions of Olli Jokinen and Michael Cammalleri, along with Iginla, the Flames now have three star players who love to shoot the puck, and it's beginning to hurt the statistics of all three players. Cammalleri is leading the team with 36 goals, but has been very streaky in his last few games. Iginla is usually paired with Jokinen, and has seen his shot count go down, but his missed shot total go up. Jokinen scored 8 goals in his first 6 games with his new club, but has failed to produce since then. Dion Phaneuf is having an off year, he is a minus 13 and has struggled producing goals with only 11. Your best players have to be your best players, and right now, the Flames aren't getting that.
The Little Things
Watching the Flames lately can be like watching a circus. They have strayed so far from structured hockey at times that you wish somebody would get out the ruler and start slapping wrists. Short, ineffective passes that end up in the recipient's skates, lead feet that has them being beaten to almost every loose puck, the dreaded blue line turnover, weak play on the boards resulting in loss of possession, players being too aggressive and losing position in order to try and make the big hit, high numbers of missed shots that result in the puck clearing the offensive zone or a turnover, horrible face-off percentages. The list goes on and on, and the little things become big things when you're stumbling this badly.
The Bottom Line
The Flames are good. Scary good. They have an offense capable of burying chance after chance, a defense that can physically dominate the opposition and effectively quarterback the offensive zone and a goaltender that is capable of throwing up the brick wall and making the big save when it's called for. They have also been decimated by injury, effectively having their entire second line wiped out at the same time. Daymond Langkow is back from a hand injury, but is playing at around 40%. The man can't even shoot the puck. Bertuzzi has drawn back into the line-up after having arthoscopic knee surgery just three weeks ago and is probably operating at about 75%. Rene Bourque is back skating and should be back for the playoffs, but his high ankle sprain has a reputation of being one of the most stubborn injuries in sports.
If the Flames can finally get healthy and revert back to the team they once were, they will be a force to be reckoned with in the post-season. The goal now is just to make it there, and the Flames are limping toward the light at the end of the tunnel. Winning the division would be nice, but post-season results will speak for themselves, and the focus of the Calgary Flames should be to gain some momentum before game one of the chase for the Stanley Cup. Everyone needs to buckle down and hold themselves accountable if they wish to be sipping from Lord Stanley's chalice in June.
BONUS:
The Good News
The Flames take on the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night at the Pengrowth Saddledome. The Flames have had the number of the Wild all season, winning all four meetings between the division rivals.
The last time the Flames were shut out in back-to-back games was in November 2003, losing 3-0 to both the Red Wings and the Wild. We all know what the Flames did in the playoffs that year. OK, now I'm really reaching for positives...
mitch.hart@gmail.com
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Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Post Deadline, Part 1: Paying Dividends
It’s been 9 days since the deadline and already certain teams are rising and others are falling based on their performance on the “mayday” trade day. Here’s a closer look at how a few teams and players are fairing since the event transpired:
Top 3:#3. Columbus Blue Jackets: Acquiring Vermette for a 2nd round pick.
In what was possibly the most intelligent move by the history of the Blue Jackets’ management, they dealt an injured goaltender who will not play a single game this season to the Senators for Antoine Vermette. They also dealt a 2nd round pick, along with the injured Pascal Leclaire, to Ottawa as compensation for his injury. Essentially, for the rest of this year (including the playoff run), the Jackets dealt a 2nd round pick for a player with an unbelievable amount of untapped potential in Vermette. He can fly, he can shoot, and he has the ability to jump very, very high.
Also worth noting is the guy in the Sabres jersey who is clearly bored by this play.
Vermette joined the Jackets after they went 2-4 in their last 6 games, and immediately sparked the team to a huge victory over the Red Wings (8-2), followed by a 2-0 shutout over league leading Boston Bruins, and a 4-3 win over the hottest team in the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins. That’s right, arguably the 3 best teams in the league right now all fell to the hands of the Blue Jackets. Did I mention he’s been one of the 3 stars of 2 of his 3 games in a Jackets uniform? Over those 3 games, he has a goal and 3 assists, and is a +2. In 62 games for the Senators, who basically had him rotating between 2nd and 3rd line, he 9 goals and 28 points. To put this into perspective, if Vermette continues his strong play as a Blue Jacket for the rest of the year, he could post an additional 18 points in the remaining 14 games, giving him 22 points as a Jacket. Essentially, in 17 games, Vermette could nearly match his point total on the season as a Senator. Talk about a guy who just needed a change of scenery. Not the mention, the Jackets now own the 6th seed in the West and are just 1 point behind the Vancouver Canucks, who they could very well leapfrog at any minute. For those who thought the Jackets didn’t do much to guarantee themselves a playoff position, you better take a closer look before casting a judgment. This team is much stronger than they are at first glance.
In a Few Words: Nash, the untapped potential of Vermette, and the heroic antics of Steve Mason = Cinderella Story.
#2. Calgary Flames: Acquiring Jordan Leopold and Olli Jokinen.
Both players have joined the team for 5 games thus far and are immediately paying dividends. Jokinen has 5 goals in as many games but is a -2 in that duration with 6 PIM. Leopold has 1 assist for his efforts and has equaled Jokinen’s -2 with 2 PIM. They both average between 18 to 20 minutes of ice time per game and are effective in their role. The -2 statistic does not reflect their game whatsoever. Considering both are offensive machines, it’s no surprise they would not be fantastic defensive players but that is not why Sutter acquired them. If he wanted a shut down defenseman he would have traded for Andy Wozniewski. All kidding aside, Jokinen has added that secondary punch this team has craved for years. He has been rumored to be dealt to Calgary before he even signed his lengthy contract with Florida and it’s no wonder – he is absolutely the perfect fit for this club. Calgary is known for playing a physical and somewhat boring game as they rely on their defensive and goaltending skills to bail them out from time to time but not they have a legitimate offensive threat in the new “big 3”; Iginla, Jokinen and Cammalleri.
You must be confident to look this awesome when you stop.
Then throw in some zesty Bertuzzi and Langkow and you have yourself a hell of a strong core up front. This team is scary good. How scary? They can bounce back whenever they feel like digging in their heels and regain control of a game. Just ask the Detroit Red Wings who watched their 4-2 lead after 40 hold off the Flames from scoring until there was just under 4 minutes to play and they netted 3 goals in 2:02. That’s right, with under 4 minutes left, the Flames forced the Red Wings to tie the game up with under a minute left. Then they routed Conklin with 2 out of 3 shots in the shootout to win the game. They made it look easy, and that is downright scary when you’re playing the Red Wings. Did I mention they were outshot 45 to 33? No worries though, they outshot the Red Wings 17-2 in the final frame. Let me repeat that, 17 to TWO. So much for the offensive dynamo that is Detroit.
In a Few Words: Fear the Flames.
#1. Pittsburgh Penguins: Acquiring Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz
There was no big change, there was no trade of Jordan Staal for a veteran shooter or leadership, there was no defensive explosion, and they fixed everything without tearing much of anything down. Ray Shero dealt Ryan Whitney for a great prospect in Tangradi and Chris Kunitz and dealt a conditional pick for Bill Guerin. Oh, and they also fired Michel Therrien – this guy:
"They can't fire me. Look how awesome I look!"
They replaced Therrien with Dan Bylsma and he’s put the “sma” in “smackdown” that the Penguins have been dishing out lately. The team is 8-1-1 in their last 10, and are far and away the hottest team in the league right now. Chris Kunitz, who has averaged just over 16 minutes of ice time per game in Pittsburgh, has 3 goals and 8 points with a +5 in 7 games. Yeah, he’s over a point a game after being considered a 40 to 50 point guy his entire career. Did I mention his shooting percentage in Penguin-land is 20%? I didn’t? Better jot that down next time you play proline. Bill Guerin, the old guy who they got for a weird conditional pick, has been playing like his 25 again. As a Penguin, he’s appeared in 4 games and has posted 1 goal, 4 assists, and a +2. He plays just over 17 minutes a game and he was practically free. In their last 7 games, the Penguins have averaged 4 goals a game. To put that in a much simpler term: If you tune into a Penguin game and watch 15 minutes and they don’t score, you’re not watching a Penguins game.
In a Few Words: If the Playoffs began today, I would feel bad for Washington.
Stay tuned for Part 2: The House of the Falling Sun.
Micheal A. Aldred
michealaldred@hotmail.com
In Sutter We Trust
The NHL trade deadline has come and gone for another year and it’s quite apparent that Darryl Sutter didn’t forget his BlackBerry in his other jacket this time around. Sutter was very busy at the deadline acquiring what his team needs most, a top line centre and a puck moving defenceman. The best part? The price wasn’t as high as one might have thought. With these new additions, the Flames roster for the upcoming playoffs is set and expectations are higher than ever.
During his time in Calgary, it’s safe to say that General Manager Darryl Sutter has made some interesting moves. These generally fit into Sutter’s iron clad three and five year plans for his players and his franchise. While they can be hard to understand on the surface, it’s made harder by the fact that Sutter holds things pretty close to the chest. Recently, he was asked repeatedly what he would be looking to add to the team as the trade deadline approached. Time and time again, Sutter gave the answer that he was confident in the team he had assembled and didn’t really feel the need to give up assets to secure a “rental” player or to make a move for the sake of making a move. He openly denied rumors he was presented with and we all believed he would be relatively quiet.
On Wednesday morning as I rolled out of bed, I got word that Sutter had re-acquired defenseman Jordan Leopold from the Colorado Avalanche. I was immediately excited because I didn’t expect this and was a huge Leopold fan. Then I braced myself for the price. Recent waiver pick up Lawrence Nycholat, prospect Ryan Wilson and a second round pick. Not bad. Not exactly a blockbuster, but a good pick up that would surely help the Flames after losing Mark Giordano to injury.
Later that morning, the hockey world was lit up by the news that the Flames had traded for Olli Jokinen, easily the biggest trade of the day. Sutter also got a third round pick in the deal for long time Flame Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and a conditional first round pick. At that moment, Calgary had one of, if not the most dangerous offensive line in the NHL with Jokinen centering Jarome Iginla and Michael Cammalleri.
In the Flames’ first two contests with the new additions, they beat up on the Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 with Jokinen scoring twice and Leopold also adding a marker. Then they lost 6-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes, a stark contrast from the previous night. Of course, they had played the night before and Curtis McElhinney got the start in net in Raleigh. The rookie has yet to win a game and the Flames just can’t put together a decent effort in front of him. You could say the jury is still out on the moves for now.
Looking at the Flames now, they seem stacked for a deep playoff run and Sutter has clearly sent the message that he believes the team has the chance to win it all and is doing everything he can to give them that opportunity. He realizes what some other GMs don’t seem to, namely in places like Washington, that the window for success in the salary cap era is very small and you have to everything possible to jump through it.
With the acquisition of Olli Jokinen, the likelihood of Michael Cammalleri re-signing with the team at the end of the season has become very slim. Clearly, this is the year the Flames have to make a push for the Stanley Cup. They easily boast one of the best offensive and defensive cores in the game when they are healthy, as they are finally expected to be when the first round rolls around and have one of the best goalies available in Miikka Kiprusoff. The only real weakness is in the back up goaltender position. Sutter didn’t address this problem because frankly, if Kiprusoff goes down, the Flames have almost no chance at success anyway.
There is no question that the Flames are built for success, and the rest of the league has taken notice. San Jose and Detroit have reason to be worried in the post season for the first real time this season. The teams below the Flames are shaking in their boots. The Devils and Bruins can’t be feeling good after the emergence of another super power from the seemingly superior Western Conference. Whether or not the Flames are playing in June remains to be seen, but for the first time since 1989, you can finally say the Calgary Flames are a prominent Stanley Cup threat. Flames fans have every reason to begin planning the start of the 2009 Red Mile festivities. It all comes down to Darryl Sutter and the team he has assembled. Can Calgary become Canada’s Team again?
mitch.hart@gmail.com
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