Kotalik

Preseason hockey has started, and the Flames are out to a 3-0 start. Yes its only the preseason, so nothing to get overly excited about seeing as 2 wins came against the Canucks in a split squad game, and the other today against the Lightning when the line up was minus Iginla, Jokinen and Tanguay. Tampa Bay did put their big guns in the line up with Stamkos, Lecalvier and St Louis all seeing over 20 minutes of ice time pushing the game to a shoot out. With Kotalik scoring the winner.

When seeing the boxscore for the Flames first preseason game, my immediate reaction was WTF is Kotalik doing in the lineup? I was sure that it had to be some kind of mistake seeing as there is no possibility of him playing for Calgary this season. He then promptly took a penalty for hooking just over a minute into the game. Living up to his reputation of being a lazy player Then another penalty for boarding. Well at least it shows he is hitting. With the game tied at 1 at the start of the third period, Kotalik is again on the ice. Only this time he is able to score the go ahead goal and the Flames go on to take the win 3-2. With the top line out against the Lightning, Kotalik gets another goal and two assists in just under 16 minutes of ice time before scoring the game winner in the shoot out. Has something clicked in Ales? He has shown in the past that he can be a 20+ goal scorer, something the Flames could really use. Is he going to try and play some Sutter hockey? He could have some great potential if he can buy into that system if he is also used accordingly and given some good minutes to produce with. Kotalik does have a howitzer from the point on the power play and at 6-1 and 220 is big body to have on the ice.

Any reasonable person would think that his performance, let alone his being in the lineup means nothing and that as soon as the season starts Kotalik will be on waivers opening day. And with the salary cap situation Kotalik being place on waivers to be sent to Abbotsford has to happen. Or does it?

With Langkow still only doing light skating as part of his recovery, is almost certain to be placed on the long term IR list. That would give the Flames some temporary cap relief until Langs is ready to get back into the lineup and his cap hit of $4.5M back on the books. And with 8 dmen on one way contracts and some prospects ready to be playing with the big club, one or more has to be moved at some stage as has been noted before. Perhaps Kotalik is trying to give the Sutters something to consider when these decisions have to be made, or at least have his play attact another team when he does hit the waiver wire when he gets sent to Abbotsford?

I have stated my opinion on the return of Tanguay and Jokinen. Kotalik is a player who has the stigma of being a cancer to a team, no one seems to want him now as he wasn't picked up by any team when placed on waivers in June. His being in the lineup, even in just the preseason, seems to make no sense unless he is going to be part of this team when the season does begin. Is Kotalik also trying to prove something with the Flames?

Coming soon

Seeing as NHL training camp will be starting up in just a few months, I have been hard at work trying to assemble a guest panel of hockey "experts" to contribute some material to this blog, including some predictions before the regular season starts. Fortunately I have been able to secure exclusive rights to what I believe to be some of the finest hockey minds available.....in Sydney, possibly even the Southern Hemisphere. Its a pretty diverse collection of ex pats who now reside down under, and has loyalties over all 5 Canadian teams. Sorry, we don't count the Sens. Has anyone ever met an Ottawa fan outside of Ottawa?

More formal introductions will follow as negotiations are still underway with a few of the parties to be involved. The panel will also be putting their predictions to the test against a guest who's identity will for now remain a secret. Now that Maggie the Monkey is retired, someone has to step up.

C

Welcome back Olli??

Its been a while since I have actually posted anything on the Flames, hockey or anything really. I never imagined that my first post would be about Jokinen returning to the Flames along with Alex Tanguay. Even after a week of getting used to the signings, I am still not 100% sure that Sutter hasn't gone completely mad.

Olli was a bust in Calgary, without a doubt. $5.5M for 35 points in 56 games last season was not nearly enough. Everyone knew it, including Olli which was very clear after he was given the news he was traded. Much more was expected from him, not only for his salary, but for what Sutter gave up to bring him to town. This lack of production was not due to lack of effort from Jokinen though, and it seems that the Flames organization feels he can still contribute to the club but with a lower paycheck. And my oh my does Olli coming back to town raise ever some questions. Does this signify that players and management all wanted him back? That they believed in his efforts, and that he is not a cancer in the dressing room as always seems to get mentioned? Surely Darryl isn't that foolish that he would bring back a player who let down his teammates by not giving it everything he had? Can anyone reassure me of that? (Seriously, anyone??) Should the expectations of Olli be lowered given he is back with a smaller contract? He has shown in the past that he can put up significant points, but can he do it again? And have I ever mentioned how many posts he hit last season? Seriously, I would love to find that stat somewhere.

There is a flip side to the Jokinen signing however. After being run out of town, he is coming back by his own free will. Does that mean he doesn't give a damn about the attention and controversy that is going to surround him all season, or does he know that he can produce more? It takes some balls to make this move as there is little doubt he could have gotten a similar contract elsewhere in the league. It would have been the easy way out for Olli. Go somewhere new, leave the past behind. But Darryl called, Olli said yes and here we are. Jokinen played in 82 games last year and scored 50 points. I will be shocked if he puts up less than 70 this season, even though I do not think anyone expects that from him.

Alex Tanguay is a whole other story. I actually looked down the free agent list the night before the frenzy began and said that Calgary was going to sign him. He had his best regular season points total with Calgary with 81 points, 59 assists to help Iggy to his last 50 goal season in 06/07. Then Mike Keenan was brought in to replace Jim Playfair and Alex suffered by being used on the PK which is not a role he is suited for. His point production dropped, and he requested a trade. In just 50 games with Montreal the following season he put up 41 points before being injured for the remainder of the year. Last year with Tampa Bay is best left forgotten for Alex with just 37 points in 80 games with the Lightning while getting around 17 minutes of ice time a game. Tangs is now playing for his NHL career most would say. A one year deal for less that $2M. And while he didn't disappoint on the ice like Olli did with his last stint with Calgary, coming back after requesting a trade out of town takes some guts too. Does Tangs think he still has something special in the tank? He has shown he has what it takes in the past. He has a ring and has scored a Cup clenching goal. Is he due for a bounce back season? If he is used correctly and given the ice time that he is meant for I think so.

There was chemistry a few seasons ago between Alex and Iggy, and with Tanguay being the set up man it will take the pressure of having that role off Olli allowing him to take more shots which logically will lead to more posts, err goals rather. The salaries that these two have come back to Calgary for are not really that big of a gamble for the team to take on, and realistically with the amount of cap space Sutter had to work with who else could he have signed. Even if they only produce on par with last season no one could really complain. I have a feeling that these signings, especially Tanguay, are going to be looked back on as absolute steals. Alex and Olli have a few months to ensure they are both in top shape physically and mentally for what they have taken on. They both came back to Calgary for many reasons, and I believe that the biggest one is because they both know they can have something to prove. Not to the Flames organization, or the fans. They are back to prove it to themselves.

Perhaps I am being overly optimistic, and reading far too much into things. Perhaps they are just 2 guys looking for a paycheck and just took the first offer given. I could be looking back at this post next April when the Flames are no where near the playoffs wondering 2 things. How could I ever be so completely wrong about something, and why hasn't someone committed Darryl Sutter to a nice institution? I wonder how many concussions he had that went undiagnosed when he was playing.

By the way, Darryl isn't done yet. More has to be done with this roster and the cap situation so stay tuned.

Damn, I just was about to post when I found this. I swear I must have seen all 10 of them twice if that is correct. Is there anyway to verify this???

C

The Result

Well unfortunately I didn't raise enough to have to wear a chicken suit, however I did raise $600 for MS Australia and managed to complete the 8KM run in under an hour! Official time of 56:33. Considering my training regime on the lead up to the event was limited (one could even say non existent) its a time I am quite happy with on my first ever distance run.

Thanks to all of you who did support me in raising some dollars for a great cause. This offer will stand for next year as well. Help me raise $1250 for the 2011 run whenever it is announced and the chicken man will indeed run.

C

The Chicken Suit

So....I have decided to enter into the 2010 MS Walk/Fun Run in Sydney and thought it would be a good idea to try the 8KM (5 miles for any American friends) run, which for the record will be the longest distance I have attempted to run. Ever. By I would say around 7.5KM.

Originally I thought a goal of $500 would be a respectable amount to try and raise, and then 2 things happened. Within a day, I was already half way to my goal, and one of my friends who made a donation made a comment that he would double his donation if I did the run in a chicken suit. It started to make me think that I might be able to raise a little more for a great cause so I have set a new goal. If I raise over $1250AUS and I will do the run in a chicken suit. If you want to support me, please have a look here . Every dollar counts!

Now why am I mentioning this on a hockey blog? Well for 2 reasons. Firstly, because I can. And second, because this is a cause that also affects me as I was diagnosed with MS around 8 years ago, although was aware that I possibly had it since I was 16. Thankfully, I have a very mild case, but there are thousands of others out there who have MS who are not as fortunate as I am. So to throw a little bit of a hockey theme into the mix, I have a Team Canada jersey that I am pretty sure will fit over the chicken suit which I will also wear on the run. And I will also be sure to have some photos posted from the day!

C

Its over

Wow, a 5-0 loss to the Bruins.

7 Games to go, Detroit has a 6 point lead as well as a game in hand. Barring a miracle, the season is over and this Flames team does not seem the type to have any miracles in them.

I am disgusted and can't even write any more than this right now.

Must win

The puck has just dropped in the Flames Ducks game. Calgary has to win this game or it really is all over.

Who will make the playoffs, and who will hoist the Cup

Ok, time to get a little bit of debating going.

Its looking more and more like Calgary will not make it into the playoffs, especially with today's loss to the Wild. I haven't completely given up hope yet, but there is very little room for error from now on for the Flames.

So my question is, who is going to make the post season, and who will be clearing out the lockers? The race is pretty tight in both conferences, more so in the East where just 11 points separate 5th and 14th place so mathematically there are still a ton of possibilities most being very unlikely.

Its also looking like the Coyotes are going take over 1st place in the Pacific Division today, barring San Jose coming back from a 3 goal deficit with 12 minutes to play. They are playing Edmonton, so I probably shouldn't speak too soon.

My predictions are:

The Sharks will continue to play their version of "playoff hockey" and the Coyotes will clinch the Pacific crown.

Calgary is unable to catch Detroit, even going 8-1-1 down the stretch.

Boston continues to show how much heart the team has and Altanta overtakes them for the final playoff spot in the East.

This pains me to even think, let alone write and publish....but I think the Canucks will meet the Coyotes in the Western Conference final, only to lose in 6 games to the Yotes.

In the East, the Pens and Caps will fight it out for the conference title with the Caps taking their turn at the big show after a memorable 7 game series. AO to score the series winner in OT.

And as I said before, I am backing Phoenix to win it all this year. If Bryzgalov isn't getting some serious consideration for the Hart Trophy, then there most definitely is a bias towards the teams in the Eastern Conference.

What do you think??

C

Respect

As the head shot debate rages on, along with all the other high profile dirty plays being seen around the NHL and other hockey leagues, the problem to me is becoming more and more apparent. And there was another great example last night when Iginla squared off against Clowe. And the problem is respect, or lack of.

Lets have a closer look at that using last nights scrap as the example. Have a look at the fight here .Both combatants knew what was coming, it was not something that occur ed in a scrum of players where the gloves drop in a heartbeat and its on. Last night, both Clowe and Iginla knew they were going to trade some punches, and gave them selves some ice to prepare. The biggest difference was that Iginla took off his helmet and Clowe didn't. Yes, Iggy does wear a visor and Clowe doesn't so according to the NHL rulebook he HAS to take his helmet off when fighting or risk receiving an additional minor penalty, although I am not actually sure how often this is enforced. Having Iggy in the box for 5 minutes is enough.

Now I am making an assumption to start this next bit, but I think it will be hard to find a hockey fan out there that will disagree with me. Iggy would be taking his helmet off in those situations even if he DIDN'T wear a visor. Why do I say this? Well simply because of the kind of hockey player I know Iginla is. He has class, and he has RESPECT for the other players. For a bit more on Iggy, see here A few years ago, I probably would have said that this would be the case for 99% of NHL players. Now, I am not so sure that is the case.

This is not a problem that is going to go away overnight, even with a few rule changes to ban head shots. The lack of respect is still going to be there, and we are going to continue to see bad hockey plays where there are some serious injuries. Players like that will find a way.

Hockey is a fast game, made even more so post lockout and I believe that the game has never been as exciting to watch as it is now. Aside from the shootout that is. Due to the speed, there are going to be accidents at times. Its the intent that matters.

Go the Yotes!

Pop quiz - what team is currently coming 4th OVERALL??

If the Flames season fizzles out, I am jumping on the Bryzgalov bandwagon and backing the Yotes for the Cup. They look to have a team that will play some outstanding playoff hockey. An elite starting goaltender and a more than adequate back up, along with a great mix of youth and experience through out the rest of the lineup. A good grinding team. No real stand out player, but plenty of them who can answer the call in a game when needed.

Calgary may have a favourable overall record against Phoenix, but I sure hope we don't get them in the first round. Considering all the turmoil surrounding the franchise in the off season, it would be hard not to cheer for them. And it makes for a pretty damn good story. Would a Stanley Cup, or even a deep playoff run by the Yotes mean that Bettman was right to keep the team playing in the desert?

C

Toskala

Wouldn't you know it, I was just about to say that Toskala is looking pretty good as a Flame, when he lets in a goal. Luckily, they held on for the win. Stopped 32 shots, so you can't expect much more than that.

2-0 as a starter for Vesa, and he looked good in relief of Kipper when called on. Maybe Toronto really is death for goalies.

Tough Times

After teasing all the Flames fans with a modest 4 game winning streak, the team has now lost 2 in a row, more importantly they lost a game to Detroit after scoring the first goal of the game. 4-3 since the Olympics is no where near good enough for a playoff spot.

The road ahead for Calgary is not an easy one with the Sharks, Caps, Hawks, Canucks and Avs all in the schedule down the stretch. Unfortuantely, no more easy points from Edmonton. 13 games, and its looking like wins in 10 of them may very well be needed. Not good. Could be a very disappointing end to the season, which could lead to an interesting off season.

Heating up

All signs are good for the Flames right now. 4 wins in a row, and they are getting a total team effort in every game. And a bit of luck too which always helps.

Iginla has been leading the way and kept up the form which helped Canada win gold in the Olympics. 7 points in 5 games since the season resumed, and since Bourque has moved up to the first line along with Stajan, the trio have notched 18 points in 3 games. I hope there is lots more of that to come. Kipper has continued to shine picking up his 4th shutout of the season against the Sens yesterday who I am sure are wishing the Olympic break never happened.

I have to admit, Staios has been looking pretty good since joining the Flames and being paired with J Bow, making Sarich look more and more redundant with every game. Regher and White have been an outstanding duo, both of them a plus 10 since Dion left town. It must be Ian's 'stach as its what the team has been missing since Lanny retired. Mayers and Higgins have both been playing hard, even if they aren't putting up huge points. If Hagman and Kotalik can start to turn up their game a little the Flames will be a tough team to take on down the stretch.

Every game is still crucial. Right now the Flames are battling with Detroit and Nashville for the final 2 playoff spots in the West with just one point seperating them as of today. No time to let up, bring on the Canucks on Sunday!

Game Day: Flames Vs Wings

Have been a bit busy lately, so haven't had much time to post anything in a while. Time to get back to it.

It's that time of year again. The trade deadline (yawn) has passed, the teams are set, and everyone has about 16-17 games to play. 32-34 more points up for grabs. For all the teams jostling for a playoff spot, and there are a lot of them, every game is a big one. And in my opinion todays game for Calgary has to be considered massive.

The Flames have gone 2-1 since the Olympics, getting shut out first game back, then finding the back of the net 5 times in back to back wins against two of the leagues top defensive teams in The Wild and Devils. And that's what I want to see more of today.

The Wings are no longer the class of the league, but still show glimpses of what they are capable of so they are still an opponent not to be taken lightly. I am hoping for a truly dominant performance by the Flames today. I need something to help restore my faith that Darryl hasn't completely lost his mind with some of the deals he has made. Some of the parts he picked up do seem to really be working well so far, but now is when it all has to come together every game.

93 - that's pretty close to the magic number to make the playoffs. The Flames have 34 points available to them and are sitting on 73 points, 1 behind Detroit for 8th spot. You do the math. As I said, todays game is a massive one.

Iginla's 1000th Game

It's another milestone game for Iggy today. Game number 1000

I can still remember hearing when Joe Nieuwendyk was traded to Dallas in exchange for Iginla and Corey Millen, it was a sure sign that there were some lean years coming up for the team and fans. The rebuild was fully in swing with Nieuwendyk, one of the last key players from the '89 Cup winning team, and one of the greatest players to ever wear the flaming C, being shipped out of town for seemingly little in return. It was hard not to think of the Gilmour trade as is usually the case for Flames fans when any big name is traded, particularly during the Risebrough era.

As with most power forwards, it took Jarome a few seasons to really mature in the NHL and show everyone just how broad his shoulders were. During the rebuilding years, Jarome still managed to put up some respectable numbers with a very shallow supporting cast around him, and never has had a true number one centre to set him up. Since the 98/99 season, Iginla has never scored less than 28 goals, and if he is able to find the back of the net just 6 more times this season it will be his 9th straight 30+ goal campaign. Added to that, Iggy was the league leader in goals in the last decade, and 2nd in points. And he has also won the Rocket Richard trophy twice, the Art Ross once, and the Lester B Person award as the MVP as voted by his peers. Not too bad! Oh, he pretty much led the Flames all the way to game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Lightning too. And I almost (not really) forgot to mention that he does have a shiny Olympic Gold Medal hanging in his trophy case at home after scoring 2 goals in the Gold Medal game at the Salt Lake Olympics.

I think that Iginla is pretty much THE definition of what a hockey player should be. Any hockey fan that knows anything about the game would love to have an Iginla on their team. There are not many teams in the NHL where their best player is also their captain. Jarome is a total class act on top of all everything else he does and he shows it in so many different ways. Whether its him donating to charity for every goal he scores, putting fans up in a hotel at the Olympics in Salt Lake when he heard they were there and sleeping in their car, or when he could have layed out Ethan Moreau when he had him in a fairly compromising position during a scrap earlier this season, he just shows the kind of player, and the kind man he is, game in and game out.

Now this is a little off topic, but a few months ago a friend of mine shocked me by giving me what is now one of my most prized possessions, an authentic signed Jarome Iginla jersey. It was an act of generosity that came at a time in my life where I really needed a lift, and is something that I will never ever forget so thank you Paul.

And thank you Jarome for the last 1000 games. Thank you for all that you have done for the Calgary Flames and hockey in general, both on and off the ice. You have given all the Flames fans out there hope year after year for the past decade. Its not a Cup, but I am not complaining at all. For all those out there who ever even dreamed to mention that Iginla needs to be traded, well you are obviously not a Flames fan, and are a bandwagon jumper at best. Iginla has done more for the organisation that could really ever be expected. If he never scores another goal I wouldn't care. He's done enough already. I look forward to the day (not too soon of course) where Iggy's #12 is hanging from the rafters in Calgary. I truly hope that Iginla finishes his career with Calgary as that's how it should be. He is the teams all time leading points and goal scorer, and all time leader in games played. All that is lacking on his resume is that Stanley Cup.

Olli and Prusty

I am a little late with this one.

Seeing as this was reported on a day before it was made official, the Jokinen/Prust trade to the Rangers for Kotalik/Higgins didn't come as a surprise to anyone. Well, aside from the fact that the deal actually did go through.

I am sorry to see both Olli and Prust moving on. Olli was snakebitten without a doubt this season, and as he himself admitted, 11 goals for $5 million a season just doesn't cut it. I have been able to watch most Flames games this season, and Jokinen had more than enough opportunities to convert into goals that he should be among the league leaders in that category. And seriously, how many posts/crossbars has he hit this year? I am sure it was at least one a game every time I watched. But excuses are like assholes, everyone has one. Olli didn't provide what he was expected to give to the team, and even he knows that. I do not believe it was due to lack of effort though, luck was just not with him in Calgary. I think anyone who questions Jokinens heart and work ethic are way off base too as I saw no evidence of that at all. Sure, he may have been a defencive liability at times, but someone name me a few offencive focused players who aren't? Olli was never expected to be a great two way player, he was being paid to set up and score goals which he unfortunately didn't deliver on. For anyone who saw his interview after he was told of the trade, you could see that he was very proud to be a Flame and he even said he hoped to finish his career with the team. Olli's disappointment about the trade was obvious. I hope he can turn things around in New York as its very evident that he still has the skills to be a serious points producer.

While Prust only saw limited ice time when he was on the roster, he was a joy to watch. Hard working, tireless and boy can he scrap! He is the kind of player you want on your energy line without a doubt. I guess in the new NHL there is no need for more than one tough guy who can drop the gloves, and with a true heavyweight in McGratton in the lineup, Prust's role became somewhat redundant.

So farewell to Olli and Brendan. I wish you both all the best with the Rangers.

Now onto Higgins and Kotalik. I have to say I don't know a whole lot about either player aside from all of the negative press I have read since talk of this trade surfaced. Its made me scratch my head and ponder if Darryl is losing his marbles. This trade seemingly doesn't make a whole lot of sense as the players the Flames are getting in return don't seem to be on par for what has been given up. Kotalik seems to be a huge disruption to a team, and from what I have read he is a player lacking heart which does not sound like a the type of guy to play Sutter hockey. Does Darryl know something the rest of us don't? I certainly hope so.

Alot of changes have happened this week to the Flames, and more are almost certainly on the way. They currently have 13 NHL wingers on their roster when everyone is healthy, which is about 5 too many. Surely Darryl has a plan in place and we are just seeing the opening two acts. A centre is still needed, as is a legitimate back up.

In Sutter we still trust....but unless this is just the lead up to another deal that brings a headliner name to Calgary, or all the 2nd tier players that have been brought in achieve more than they have in the past, that trust will not last much longer at all with the Flames faithful. Sutter does seem to have a knack for finding those hidden gems that are outcasts, but he can't always be right can he?

C

A new era

First of all, I would like to wish Dion all the best in Toronto. I thouroughly enjoyed watching him play for the Flames, and still believe that the best is yet to come from him. Hopefully the intense media focus that will be placed on him in TO will assist him in maturing to the player most believe he can be. Thanks for the memories Dion, and for taking many memories away from players who were "Phaneufed". Am glad you are in the East.

Its hard not to be excited about the changes that Darryl has made bringing in 4 fresh faces to the team (well I am rather indifferent about Mayers). Something needed to be done to change the chemistry on this team and Sutter did it. Time will tell if Stajan, Hagman and White will make the difference that can change the Flames into a legitimate contender, or if they are just going to fade out of the playoff picture.

Its somewhat hard to gauge just how good any of these ex-Leafs are since they are just that, ex-Leafs. They have had to go through several seasons playing for a team that has had very little expectation to achieve anything, and have had very little talent to work with. Now they have a chance to play on a Calgary team that does have some genuine talent throughout the roster. The upgrade to the offence is the key here provided Stajan and Hagman can continue to produce. Having two more 50-60 point men in the lineup can never be a bad thing, but the Flames are still lacking another legitimate powerhouse up front to either compliment Iginla, or at the very least take some of the attention off of Iggy and give teams another threat to worry about.

As I said, time will tell how this trade will pan out for the Flames. Especially with the Jokinen trade seemingly stalled at the moment. This doesn't feel like its the end result that Sutter has in mind, so I believe that more movement will come. At the very least we will get a good look at the fresh faces for a few weeks before deadline day to see how it all seems to be working out. If the results aren't there, expect Sutter to be a busy man come March 3rd.

I still think Kovalchuk would look great in a Flames jersey. Lots of warm bodies, and salary space to make that happen now, especially of Olli is on his way out of town.

C

Flames Vs Yotes

Well the Flames have a chance to equal a winless streak the club has not seen in 20+ years today. Facing a hard working Coyotes side does not bode well for Calgary, especially if Bryzgalov is on his game. Which is usually the case this season.

On a brighter note, Iginla finally made his way back onto the score sheet in yesterdays loss, so hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

This ship needs to get put back on course soon, or some major changes need to happen to shake things up.

C

Flames fact of the day

Did you know that the Calgary/Atlanta franchise has the largest number of unique 50 goal scorers with 8? This excludes players with multiple 50 goal campaigns.

That's NOT Hockey

Once again, hockey is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Patrice Cormier has hit Mikael Tam with a sickening elbow and has subsequently been suspended indefinitely. As he should be.

TSN reported earlier in the week that Gary Bettman has said that the solution to head shots etc will take time and he is 100% correct. There is no quick fix to solve this problem, it's going to be a long process of education involving all of hockey governing bodies worldwide. Start educating the kids as soon as they are playing at a level that allows checking. When it comes to NHL (or any professional) players who are suspended for unsafe play such as head shots or hitting from behind, why not have them do some community service with people who have had serious sports injuries due to the neglect of other players? Surely that will make them think twice in future when they can see a players numbers going into the boards.

These are the kinds of plays that need to be removed from the game. It's not hockey. But to people around the world who are not hockey fans, its plays like this and this and this that they see and connect with hockey. Most of my Aussie friends have the perception that hockey is generally a brutal, violent game that you only watch to see fights. This is not the case at all as there is much much more to this game that needs to be appreciated and understood aside from the physicality of it.

To help out, here are a few more examples of what is and is not hockey. To me at least. Lets start with what hockey isn't to go along with the examples above.

Not hockey. Try soccer if you like that sort of thing.

Not hockey. Couldn't resist putting that one in.

And neither are these

Oh, this isn't hockey either. Just kidding, it almost is.

This is hockey (stick tap to Ron Francis and Sami Kapanen for getting up and heading "towards" the bench) . So is this and this and this and of course this

C

From puckdaddy

This pretty much sums it all up for the Flames at the moment:

-Much is being written about the Calgary Flames and their recent struggles. From Puck Buddy Alex B.: "It's now been 31 games since the Flames won in regulation when the other team scores more than once. They have won a total of two games in that span when the other team scores two goals, both via shootout. Simply put, the Calgary Flames, without one good month (November) and Miikka Kiprusoff(notes), would be worse then the Edmonton Oilers right now. I keep hearing from the media that the Flames are struggling, they're slumping, but 31 games? That's nearly half the season, that's not a slump!"-

Maybe that will bring a small glimmer of hope to my friends who are Oilers fans. Ok, maybe not.

A few down days

Well, there hasn't been much to comment on with the Flames lately seeing as they are on an 0-5-1 streak with 4 straight reglation losses. They have a few days "off", but I would be surprised if Sutter is letting them have any time off. For the teams sake I hope not.

I wish I was at a hockey game right now. I don't care who is playing, as long as its cold! Its freaking 42C at the moment.

Bob must be reading my blog...

Bob Mckenzie from TSN seems to agree with my last post. Just a few days late there buddy.

Phaneuf for Kovalchuk

While I think Kovalchuk will come to terms with the Thrashers before deadline day, if he happens to be put on the trading block Sutter should make a bid for him. And a serious one at that. Phaneuf and whatever else needs to be thrown in to make the deal happen. Calgary needs more offence, and they need it now.

Their current salaries are pretty much on par, so no cap issues for this season. The key is could the Flames find a way to sign Kovalchuk to something long term as Dion is a too steep of a price to pay for a rental player. If they allow Jokinen to walk at the end of the year, there is over $5M in cap space gained. Along with the dollars freed up by moving Dion, its possible that a serious offer could be tabled to the Kovalchuk camp to keep him in town for quite a few years with some money left to better the team elsewhere, like resigning Bourque to start. There is enough depth on the blueline in the organisation at the moment where the loss of Dion could be handled. Especially for a winger who looks to be on schedule for his 6th consecutive 40+ goal season.

Iginla and Kovalchuk on the wings would be a very daunting duo for any team to have to try and contend with. Not that this is a likely scenario of course. We can all dream though.

Burrows Vs Auger - How this could have been prevented

Just my two cents worth.

No one will know what was really said during the warm up when Auger had a "chat" with Burrows. Aside from Auger and Burrows of course. That really doesn't matter any more anyway as the NHL has taken the action they deemed to be appropriate, which I agree with. However, how can a situation like this be avoided to begin with and in the future?

Simple, the NHL needs to utilize the ref's crease more effectively. There are players on each team with a C or an A on their jerseys for a reason. The on ice officials, more specifically the ref's, should only be speaking to those players from the refs crease (there could even be an audio feed recorded), and no others at any time. And they should not have to take any sort of questioning from any other players on or off the ice. If a player can't let his captain's speak for him, a few unsportsmanlike minors will surely make him bite his tongue before too long. Of course linesman wouldn't have this restriction as they do need to give instructions to the players at times, and they don't have the power to really affect a game calling phantom penalties wanting payback for being made to "look bad".

Yes, there are only 3 players with a letter on their jersey per team, so they will not always be on the ice. But there are more than enough stoppages in plays, TV timeouts etc for a team to send one out when needed. And with the two ref system, one of the officials will be available in the ref's crease until play is about to resume.

Officials from any sport have a tough, generally thankless job. The best ones are the ones who don't get noticed at all. They don't have the benefit of seeing multiple slo mo replays from multiple angles that fans and review panels do. They have to make a call, then and there, with no hesitation with what they can see with their own two eyes at ice level. They also don't need players to embellish injury to try and milk a harsher penalty for the offender. That's just not hockey. Well, maybe in Europe it is.

C

Sharks 9 Flames 1

Can it get much worse than that? I was considering doing a tribute to the Flames cup winning team from 89, but it hardly seem appropriate with the form this side is showing at the moment. Lanny's 'stash deserves better.

I am thinking there has to be a Leafs connection that is plaguing the Canadian teams at the moment, but Kyle Wellwood in Vancouver kind of throws that theory off as the Canucks are the only Canadian team with any sort of form at the moment. Give me time, I think there is some truth to this theory.

Oh, since I first posted, the Flames are 0-3. My timing seems impeccable.

Flames VS Ducks

I have a bad feeling about todays game. Its been a long time since the Flames had a win in Anaheim.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=306587


Hmm....taking a 10 minute misconduct isn't what I meant by doing something brilliant Olli.

Season so far, part 2

The Forwards:

Jarome Iginla - Iggy is lacking the consistency this season that the Flames desperately need from him. He is still showing flashes of the Iginla the fans know and love, but is that the best we are going to get from the Captain from now on? Its very hard to be critical of Iggy, but he needs to lift his game and his team if the Flames are going to make any noise this season.

Rene Bourque - Another great pick up by Sutter. Flames fans saw last season what Bourque was capable of when he broke all of his previous regular season scoring numbers with a 21-19-41 in just 58 games. He is set to break, make that destroy, the career highs he set last year picking up 17 goals along with 21 assists through 42 games. I have not even touched on the defensive aspects of his game, but he is among the league leaders in SHG this season. In the last year of his contract, after 2 seasons of putting up career best, Bourque is a player that Sutter and the Flames cannot lose. Give him a hefty raise and lock him up.

Daymond Langkow - Its hard not to love having Langs on your team. One of the hardest working, and most reliable players at both ends of the ice the Flames have. Looks to be on pace for his 8th straight 20 goal campaign.

Olli Jokinen - In my eyes, on many nights I think Jokinen looks to be one of the best Flames on the ice. Other nights, not so much. As I mentioned before, see seems to have hit a massive amount of posts and crossbars this season. Hasn't lived up to the expectations placed on him when he joined the Flames, especially with the explosive start he had. In the final year of his contract, I don't expect to see him back in the lineup next season unless he does something brilliant. The dollars will need to go elsewhere.

Nigel Dawes - Another gem that Sutter picked up for less that $1M for this season and next. Dawes is on pace to have a career high season with plenty of games to go. Has shown some tremendous offensive skills at times, but needs to show them on a more consistent basis. Not even 25 yet, Dawes could has the potential to develop into a solid 60 point man.

Curtis Glencross - Fantastic 2 way player who can lift the team some games with his style of play, just not often enough. Very smart player with the puck in both ends, and chips in a few clutch goals. A few more would be even better.

Dustin Boyd - In just his second full season with the Flames, Boyd is on pace to improve on his numbers from last year. Most importantly is the defensive aspect. Boyd was a -11 for season in 08/09, and is a +6 so far this year.

David Moss - Looks to be a career 3rd or 4th liner. Solid enough player, but has not lived up to the offensive expectations from the organisation.

Craig Conroy - Glad to see Conroy finally got the monkey off his back by potting a few goals. At 37, his best offensive years are behind him now, but still an excellent depth player to have on the roster. He does everything well, with little notice.

Eric Nystrom - In the few minutes of ice that Nystrom sees, he is usually a pleasure to watch. Hard working, gritty and defensively sound, Nystrom is an outstanding energy line player.

Fredrik Sjostrom - Scores highlight reel goals. At least the only goal he has this year was.

Brandon Prust - Has to be considered a contender for the middleweight division belt. Fearless. Has shown he can do more than just drop the gloves too.

Brian McGratton - Knows his job, and loves it. Has shown he can be responsible with the puck if he is actually on the ice long enough to touch it. First Gordie Howe Hat Trick of the year too.

Quick thoughts, team by team

Anaheim - Has the most expensive backup goalie in the league. And Joffrey Lupal is making over $4M a season until the end of 2013?? Really??



Atlanta - If Kovalchuk doesn't resign before the deadline, will he be moved? Will the rest of the Russian connection leave with him? If so, would anyone even notice?



Boston - Sure, they seem to be a safe bet to make it to the post season. But is it just me, or does anyone else think the boys in Beantown should be concerned that their leading goal scorer is Marco Sturm with 15 goals, and their 2nd leading points getter is a soon to be 42 year old Mark Recchi? Can Marc Savard be that productive at Recchi's age? I guess we will find out when his contract is nearing the end.



Buffalo - I still can't work out how the Sabres keep on winning. What looks to be very underwhelming roster just keeps getting the job done. Miller looks like he can be the difference in any game against any team. Scary. Glad they are in the East.



Carolina - Looks like someone finally reminded the Canes that they are....the Canes. No miracle play off runs look to be on the cards any time soon. Good new for Ward and Staal, only 6 years left in your contracts guys.



Calgary - If half of the shots Jokinen has had go off the post or cross bar went in the net this season, he would be the league leader in goals. By far.



Chicago - A thought that will make every team in the West shudder....imagine if the Hawks had a true #1 goalie.



Columbus - Rick Nash must be very pleased with the direction the team is heading since he signed his extension. They should be a lock for the playoffs once, maybe twice more before his contract is up.



Colorado - Can a team still be considered over achievers this far into the season? A talented young team with lots of cash to spend come deadline day to stock up for a run at the Cup.



Dallas - With all due respect to Mike Modano, the writing is on the wall. Call it a career this summer.



Detroit - Just when you think we might have a post season without the Wings in it, they find an answer. Jimmy Howard. Once the playoffs start, and Howard gets the hook its Osgoods time to shine. As usual.



Edmonton - Injuries to "star" players + bad contracts = 09/10 Edmonton Oilers. At least Pat Quinn should get a good LONG look at all the prospects in the system.



Florida - Nathan Horton looks to be the next great thing to be hidden in Miami. For his sake, I hope another GM actually watches a Panthers game to save him before its too late.



Los Angeles - Has the talent in place to be a contender for the next few years. If only Kopitar could be consistent for a full season. Doughty's play has been outstanding, can't wait to see him dressed in red in a few weeks time.



Minnesota - Doesn't seem to have to talent to do much more than scrape into the post season. Although, if they do squeeze in, they will make the 2nd round if facing the Sharks.



Montreal - If they make the playoffs, I am sure they have the size and strength to battle through a few long series. Plus they always seem to get a result in regulation time too, so no need to worry about the problem of sudden death OT.



Nashville - Can anyone else believe they are keeping pace with the Hawks? Could be a hard team to deal with in the first round.

New Jersey - Has anyone seen any xrays of Marty Broduer after he has had surgery? I think he is slowly being replaced with bionic parts, he just doesn't seem to be slowing down. At all. Not even a hint of it! So happy that the Flames decided to swing a deal with the Devils to trade UP so they could use NJ's pick to take Trevor Kidd and let NJ take Marty 9 picks later with the Flames pick.

New York Islanders - Only 6 more years of paying for Mike Milburys outstanding long term contracts. Oh, thats if DiPietro can stay healthy and productive for another 10 years. But I can't see any problems there.

New York Rangers - Can Gaboriks hip stay strong enough to carry this team very far in the playoffs? If it can get them to the playoffs first of course.

Ottawa - Seeing as there is zero chance that the Sens will have to face the Leafs in the post season, the sky's the limit in Ottawa.

Philadelphia - Seriously, how weak is the Eastern Conference if the Flyers are a mere 2 points out of a play off spot after the dreadful start they had?

Pittsburgh - Malkin, going through a bit of an off season, is averaging a point a game. Pathetic.

Phoenix - Yes, I almost forgot about them which is why they are after the Pens instead of before. Bryzgalov is awesome. I wonder how he would look in a Chicago jersey.

San Jose - Still not convinced that Heatley is the right player to take this team to the next level. Although he is an excellent scapegoat to take some of the heat off Thorton. That is if Big Joe can still be found when the playoffs start.

St Louis - Are contemplating petitioning the league to allow them to play exclusively on the road. As soon as possible.

Tampa Bay - What can you buy with $10 million in Tampa Bay? Apparently around 11 goals and 32 assists in 46 games. Sounds like a bargain.

Toronto - Leading scorer is a defence man, and they still think Toskala is an NHL goalie. Nuff said.

Vancouver - Class act of an organisation, players and fans especially.

Washington - I wonder when the coaching staff will try and put a defensive system in place. They seem to have the offence part down pat.

C

Preds 1 Flames 0

Well so much for my prediction of a 4-2 Flames win today. I thought today's game was a bit of a let down from start to finish. McG and Belak dropping the gloves would have been pretty much the highlight of the night.

Not much to comment about on the game aside from the lack of offence which is plaguing the team as of late. Its great to see that the team finally seems to have dealt with the defensive issues that were all to apparent early in the year, but Kipper needs a little more support to get things moving in the right direction. Hopefully a visit from the once mighty Ducks will be whats needed to give the offence a boost.

C

The season so far...

A few observations on the season so far.



Its been a pretty successful season so far for the Flames. Hard to complain when they have been flirting with 1st in the North West for pretty much the whole year. The problem at the moment is, if your not in 1st your 6th, just 4 points away from 9th place. And a surging Red Wings squad with a hot goalie in Howard has to be cause for concern for all the teams in the West, especially when they are healthy.



Its great the see the North West is back to being the toughest division in hockey. At the moment, 7 points separate the top 4 teams since the Wild have turned their season around making it a 4 horse race. All other divisions have at least a 13 point spread between the top 4. I will be kind and not mention how the Oilers are fairing so far. Its been a tough year for our rivals from the north. Any time a team loses their top forward, dman and starting goalie for any significant time its going to be a long season. I almost feel bad for them....almost.



A look at the Flames from the goalie out:



Mikka Kiprusoft - Kipper has been showing that he still is the goalie all Flames fans have been hoping he still can be. He is among the league leaders in all the goalie stats, most importantly being SV% which is back up to a very healthy .926 after having that decline over the past few seasons. He has performed miracles once again for his team, many nights facing 35+ shots and keeping them in the game. There have been a few forgettable soft ones that have sneaked past Kipper, but most of the time he has been exceptional when he hasn't been hung out to dry by his team mates. The kick save against the Sharks has to be the save of the year. If Kipper can see it he will stop it. Kipper thrives on a heavy work load, so even with the Olympics coming up I think he will have enough left in the tank to take this team as far as they can in the playoffs. A few extra games off down the stretch would be great, but if the Flames are still fighting for playoff position I hope we see Kipper between the pipes whenever he is needed.

Curtis McElhinney - Curtis has looked pretty good when he has gotten the nod for a start. The team seems to be confident enough in themselves and in him when he is the backstopper. As I said, Kipper is who I want to see in goal when the game really matters. But all is not lost if McElhinney gets the call. As long as its not a long term thing.

Defence

Jay Bouwmeester - JBow has been an exceptional acquisition by Sutter. Flames fans can be confident having him patrolling the blue line for 25+ minutes a game, game in and game out. He has been solid all around for Calgary, in all situations. His offencive production is not at the level we were hoping for, but it is very apparent he has some great offencive skills at his disposal. The best is yet to come from Boumeester.

Mark Giordano - In my opinion, the Flames best dman this year hands down. Gio has developed into a solid all round defence man who is more than capable of playing in any situation thrown his way. If it were not for them depth this team has on the blueline, Gio could easily be playing on the number 1 pairing on a regular basis. He is sound defensively, makes outstanding breakout passes, and has the wheels to join the rush with excellent puck skills. Glad to see him back with the Flames after taking a year off overseas. Sutter needs to keep Gio with the team as he only has one year left in his current deal, and at just over $1M this season and next, Gio has to be one of the biggest bargains in the league. Sutter would be wise to renegotiate during this off season to show Gio that he is a valued part of this team.

Dion Phaneuf - Dion and the coaching staff have to decide what sort of blueliner Dion is going to be. Either he is going to be an offencive defenceman where the team can live with the defensive liabilities that will stem from that style of play provided Dion is putting up the points. Or he has to work on being another Regehr. A punishing, defensively sound defence man who the team is not counting on for offence, but know they can rely on to shut down the oppositions top offensive threats. I don't think that Dion game has matured enough to be the kind of player he is trying to be now, and because of that his game is suffering both at both ends of the ice. I still have faith that Phaneuf can be the cornerstone for the franchise in the future, but with Jbow signed long term as well as all of the other defensive assets available, I wouldn't be overly upset or surprised if Dion gets traded to help out the offence. Provided the return is right.

Robyn Regehr - Not the best start to the season for Reggie as he and Phaneuf seemed to take some time to gel together. But since the shaky start, Reggie had provided pretty much what we have all expected from him. Solid, hard hitting defensive play. Regehr taking an opposing player into the corner or end boards is generally a thing of beauty, with just a touch of nasty thrown in. Just ask Ales Hemsky.

Cory Sarich - Sarich has been pretty solid on the blueline when he has been in the lineup this season, which hasn't been enough. With the performance of Aaron Johnson and Steffan Kronwall who have taken Sarich's spot when he was out injured, his cap hit of $3.6M for the next few years seem rather high for a 3rd pairing dman. Especially when there are others in the system able to fill the spot at a much lower salary. If Dion doesn't get moved, I expect Sarich will to put a few more goals up front.

Adam Pardy - Pardy is developing into a very good #5/6 defense man for the Flames. He is very sound in the role is expected to fill, and does not make very many mistakes. His puckhandling and skating abilities have hugely improved since last season, as has his confidence. With another year to go in his contract, hopefully Pardy's game will continue to improve as it has over the last season.

Aaron Johnson - From the limited amount of game time Johnson has had, I have liked what I have seen. An agressive, hard hitting, hard working player, perfect for the Sutter system. He would move into the 3rd pairing with Pardy very nicely.

I'll cover the forwards later.

C

First Post

Well, I have been thinking about doing this for a while, so here it is. My hockey blog.

Where to start? Well a bit about me. I am Canadian, but moved to Australia back in the late 90's and it is where I call home now. But I will always be Canadian, and a hockey fan at heart. I have probably had more exposure to different types of sports that most people either from North America or Australia. I grew up watching the 4 major North American sports, not so much basketball though. In Australia I have been able to watch different codes of Rugby (Union and League), Aussie Rules Football (yes there are rules that actually make the game make sense!), and cricket, even though an Aussie friend of mine recently pointed out to me that "I just don't get cricket". Thanks Rach.

And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. When it comes to sports, hockey is the only one I am truly passionate about. In my eyes, nothing else can compare to hockey. Sure I enjoy lots of other sports, but nothing near the same level as a great hockey game. Or a bad one really! And play off hockey is just the nuts.

I'm a Flames fan. Living in Calgary for a few years when I was a kid I was able to see a few games. I remember seeing Lannys moustache up close when he tossed a puck to me over the glass during the warm up one game. I got to see Gretz and the Oilers play during their dynasty years, but unfortunately I don't really remember it. I think Lannys mo was so big that its blocked out all my other memories of being at the games! I was not lucky enough like one of my Canadian friends here to be in attendance for not one, but two! Cup winning games in Edmonton cheering for his Oil. Although he doesn't seem to want to talk much hockey lately for some reason.

Being in Aus, the media coverage of the NHL is laughable to say the least. Unless there is a major brawl or dirty play, hockey never makes the sports highlights here. So I rely heavily on the web and a gamecentre account to watch games and keep up to speed on whats going on. Thank god for tsn.ca and puckdaddy to give me my daily dose of hockey happenings.

Luckily I have come into a circle of fellow canucks to talk/play/watch hockey with. We have fans of 5 of the 6 Canadian teams in the group. For some reason Sens fans are hard to come across, or they are just too ashamed to admit to it. We have a few hockey pools going which helps to keep everyone pretty knowledgeable about the whole league.

When I get asked what I miss most about living in Canada, I normally answer friends and family, which are a given I suppose. And number 3 is hockey. I miss Saturday night double headers on Hockey Night In Canadawhen its -20C outside. Its not quite the same watching it on a Sunday morning/afternoon sweating in 35C degree heat! But all that aside, I have grown to love and appreciate the game more and more since I left Canada. The game, or the NHL to be more specific, is far from perfect, but I will elaborate my thoughts on that more at a later date.

Thats about all for now. Flames and Preds tomorrow. Hopefully the Flames offence will find its way sooner rather than later. Iggy has been far to quiet as of late, so I am predicting a 3 point game from him tomorrow in a 4-2 win.

C