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It wasn’t a complete effort for the Calgary Flames on Saturday night at the Dome, as they fell 3-1 at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings.  A few people have said it, and it’s pretty accurate…the Flames probably played a grand total of 15 minutes of good hockey, and they weren’t all that great for the rest.  On the other hand, the Red Wings stuck with it the entire time and were able to come away with the win.

The Flames started off fast in the 1st period and were outshooting the Wings 4-0 at one point…but the Red Wings swung things back their way for most of the opening frame and came away with a 10-6 shot advantage.  Even though Calgary scored their only goal in the 2nd period, they were not great overall and Detroit scored 2 of their goals in the middle frame as well.  The Flames had jump for the first half of the third period, but it seemed that everything evaporated after that, as Calgary wasn’t able to break through with a goal.

Give Detroit credit, they played well and I think it was/is FAR too premature to start saying they won’t be near the top of the West at the end of the season.  But let’s focus on the Flames…it just wasn’t good enough.  In the 45 minutes when they weren’t playing well, there were a lot of things that were going wrong.  Battles were being lost on a consistent basis; guys were making bad reads; and there was a real lack in shots on goal.  The Flames attempted 43 shots (21 got through), but a lot of them weren’t from the tough areas of the ice.

Individually, it wasn’t a great night for the captain.  Jarome Iginla was credited with 5 give-aways (worst on either team), he was making bad reads, and wasn’t at the level he had been in the last 4 or 5 games.  Brent Sutter said after the game he wasn’t impressed with either Iginla or Curtis Glencross…as a result, they were split up in the 3rd period and Iginla-Jokinen-Boyd made up the top line for the final frame.  Cory Sarich also had a rough game on the blueline…he was victimized on the late 2-on-1 in the 1st period, and was beat far too many times on the night.  On the plus side, another great game from Robyn Regehr…he’s rounded into form and has been the best defenceman on the team the last little while.  Regehr is now +8 in his last 5 games.

So, this ends the much talked about string of 5 games in 20 days for the Flames…all at home.  I think it played a factor.  Assistant Coach Ryan McGill said as much in the postgame show…they need to get back to playing hockey on a really regular basis.  He also said, however, it’s not an excuse.  Is at an excuse?  Of course not…good teams battle through dumb schedules.  Lets see if they play any different in November when they have 14 games in 30 days…10 of them on the road.  First up…Wednesday night in Dallas at 6:30.

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The Calgary Flames fell 3-2 on Wednesday night at the Dome to the Colorado Avalanche in what was a really entertaining hockey game.  It was a game where the Flames opened the scoring with 2 quick goals, scoring twice in 70 seconds…but they couldn’t hold on, as things were tied 2-2 at the end first period.  Wojtek Wolski finished things off in the third period with his 8th of the season.

To me, it was a really hard fought game from start to finish.  The Flames had gotten off to a 2-0 start so early, the Avalanche hadn’t even had a chance to start playing.  For Calgary, their opening 2 goals was the fastest in team history…Colorado’s 10-2-1 start is the best in franchise history.  First off, give Colorado a ton of credit in this one.  They fell down 2-0 really early, and they didn’t panic or change a thing in their gameplan.  Once they got started, they played a really good first period and generated both their opening goals with hard work.  In the 2nd and 3rd periods, things were pretty even…it was a dog fight I thought, and Colorado was able to score early on in the 3rd period to put this one away.

Calgary was able to outshoot the Avs 32-14…now, I didn’t think the game was that lopsided, to me it was actually close throughout.  But it wasn’t as if the Flames played a poor game to let this one slip.  They weren’t perfect, but they had a good work ethic and generated a lot of shots.  Overall, the Flames attempted 60 shots on net, which is good because generating shots was a problem at times earlier on.  Now, they weren’t all quality shots, but still…it’s a positive.  And I thought they played just fine in their own zone, for the most part…Regehr was great once again (he’s now +8 in 4 games), Bouwmeester, Sarich and Giordano were all good as well.

The 2 things the Flames lacked on Wednesady night were things that have given them success when doing them this season.  First, they weren’t physical enough.  Let me classify that…they were VERY physical in the second period, and I thought they won that period.  It was tied 2-2 after 40, and I had made the comment that if the Flames kept playing physical, they’d eventually wear Colorado down.  The problem is, they weren’t physical in the final frame.  Only 2 of Calgary’s 18 hits came in the 3rd period, and Colorado kept a lot of possession.

The other thing is traffic…Calgary didn’t get enough in front of Avs goalie Craig Anderson as the game went along.  They had some early, but Colorado did a nice job of clearing the front of the crease.  But it was on the PP (0/3 on the night) where it was most evident.  On their last 2 powerplay opportunities, the Flames were far too stationary and there wasn’t enough movement.  Had we seen some traffic (and some shots) on those opportunities, this could have been a different game.

The Avs impressed me and a lot of others…they have a structure, they have speed, and they are very well coached.  In a lot of ways, they remind me a lot of the 2004 version of the Calgary Flames; good in the neutral zone, speedy and simple.  However, I still believe that had Calgary imposed their physical will in the final frame, they would have walked away with a win on this night.  But that’s just me.  Next up for the Flames is Saturday night at home to Detroit.

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The last time Calgary played the Edmonton Oilers, I believe it was the best all round effort for the Calgary Flames.  I’ll say it again after their most recent game with the Oil, once again a win for Calgary.  On Saturday night, the Flames took a convincing 5-2 win over the Oilers to improve their record to 7-2-1 on the season; Calgary is 3-0 against the Oilers this season.

The Calgary Flames accomplished a couple of firsts on Saturday…for the first time, they outshot an opponent and they also registered more than 30 shots for the first time this season.  19 of Calgary’s 38 shots came in the 2nd period, and it was by far Calgary’s best 2nd period this year.  The 3 goals they scored in the middle frame matched Calgary’s best total in the 2nd period this year…they did it against in their 2nd game against the Canucks.

Overall, it was a solid game from start to finish for the Calgary Flames.  They were physical and they were quick…and I really liked how they played even strength.  Give Edmonton credit, they matched Calgary 5-on-5 for most of the opening frame, but Calgary really got things going in their direction in the 2nd period.  That happened because they really started to use their speed and forecheck to their advantage.  No question, Edmonton is sick and injured, but Calgary did what they did best and it started to turn the tide of the hockey game.  I thought Calgary forced a lot of turnovers, and really made life difficult on Edmonton’s blueline.  Grebeshkov, Gilbert, and Peckham were constantly under pressure and because of that, they made some poor decisions.

I know that Edmonton really turned on the jets in the 3rd period, and there were a few close calls including a Shaun Horcoff shot off the post.  But the Flames, once again, closed out a hockey game.  Calgary has lead after 40 minutes in 6 of their 10 games, and they’re 5-0-1 in those 6 games.  Not every 3rd period has been perfect, but in the last few games, they’ve been real good in the final frame, and once again they were tonight.  They outshot Edmonton 10-7, outscored the Oilers 1-0, and played very well in their own zone for the entire time.  And, of course, when the Oilers had good opportunities, as per usual…Miikka Kiprusoff was lights out and made a couple big saves.

The line of Langkow, Bourque and Dawes was incredible on Saturday…Bourque was the best player on the ice.  His play on Grebeshkov on the shorthanded goal was unreal and it lead to the 2-on-1.  Another 3 points for Bourque…Dawes and Langkow were both really good as well.  And give credit to Dustin Boyd, I thought it was by far his best game of the season.  Boyd played 14:39, had an assist and was a factor all night long…he was skating and he was physical.  And what else can you say about Eric Nystrom?  4 goals…he scored his 4th goal last season on March 18th.

Pat Quinn was not happy following the game…but they weren’t terrible.  They were good in the 1st and did a nice job in trying to force the issue in the 3rd.  But they were outplayed in the 2nd period, and Calgary did most of their damage then.  The Oilers are in Vancouver on Sunday…Calgary’s back at it on Wednesday at home to Colorado.

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Make it 2 straight wins for the Calgary Flames after a 6-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night at the Saddledome.  Calgary scored 6 even strength goals to take the win, and were able to do it facing 7 Blue Jackets powerplays.  It was a game where Calgary had a great start and a solid final 20 minutes, and they were able to even the season series 1-1 with Columbus.

I was most impressed with the 3rd period from the Flames in this game.  After being outplayed and outshot 10-4 in the 2nd period, Calgary got to work in the final frame and made sure their 1 goal lead was protected…and increased upon.  It was a great start for the Flames…they got early goals, were hitting and had the Blue Jackets on their heals.  Columbus has a blueline that can be forced into making bad decisions when pressured, and they did that early on and had success because of it.  In the third period, I was really impressed with the killer instinct shown by the Flames.  Dion Phaneuf had put them up by 1 in the 2nd, but Columbus had a 2 man advantage carry over from the end of the 2nd into the 3rd.  After killing that, Calgary went to work and controlled the play…their ability to swing the game back in their favour was impressive on this night.

Calgary’s forecheck is really impressive when it’s rolling, and it was rolling for most of this game.  Obviously, the challenge for Head Coach Brent Sutter and the team is to make it for an entire game, every game.  But it really is impressive…it’s quick, it’s physical, it forces turnovers and creates turnovers.  Plus, it was executed by all 4 lines for large portions of this game, which is what makes it so deadly.  When you keep getting fresh bodies over the boards making life that difficult on the opponent, it’s going to lead to chances.

No question, best game of the seaosn from Jarome Iginla.  That’s 2 straight really, really strong games from the captain…and this one translated onto the score sheet, with a goal and 2 assists to go along with a +3 rating.  He was powerful, he was dangerous, and he was a factor everytime he was on the ice.  Really liking the chances created when he’s out there with Glencross and Conroy…it’s not every single shift that they’re out there together, but when they are, they’ve looked good.  Glencross had another really strong game as well.

The Flames were outshot again, and there was a 3-1 lead that evaporated.  Columbus got the game going in their direction for a good 15-20 minute span, and created some chances.  I know a lot of people won’t be happy with some of the penalties called, but I don’t know…they all seemed like legit penalties, so I didn’t really have a problem.  But Calgary could have folded after the game was tied 3-3, because Columbus had the momentum…and that 5-on-3 could have really turned the tide.  I liked the return to form in the 3rd, and I liked the killer instinct to finish it off.

Plus, 6 even strength goals was just fine…best 5 on 5 game this season.  Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Steinberg960.

That’s a little more like it!  The Calgary Flames took a 5-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night at the Dome, snapping a 3 game losing streak.  It was an effort that was hard to dislike from start to (almost) finish, and without a doubt was a step forward from the last 3 games.

All kinds of positives on this night.  First off, I thought the Flames completely dominated the physical side of this game.  It started with their forecheck and continued through their entire game, and it was decisive.  From Robyn Regehr to Dion Phaneuf to Daymond Langkow, you could tell a physical gameplan was part of the MO for the Flames tonight.  They were winning board battles and using their physical edge to turn pucks over.  Pressure was put on Shane O’Brien, Aaron Rome and Kevin Bieksa on the ‘Nucks blueline, and there a number of times we saw pucks coughed up.  Forwards like Kyle Wellwood and Mason Raymond seemed to want no part of Calgary’s game tonight.

Also loved the traffic in front.  I thought Calgary’s best game this season (before tonight) was their second win over Edmonton at Rexall, and in that game Calgary had all kinds of bodies in front of Nikolai Khabibulin.  The same was true tonight, with the Dawes and Phaneuf goals coming directly from traffic in front.  It was something talked about prior to the game, and it was a big part of the win.

Great game for the entire blueline…Regehr was much better and finished +3 with 20:52 of ice time.  He was a physical force and it was by far his best game this season.  Dion Phaneuf quietly leads the Flames in goals with 4, and he had a real nice game…to me, he’s been a pretty consistent player throughout the season.  And Miikka Kiprusoff was brilliant this evening, making big save after big save…who knows, he doesn’t make a couple of those saves and this might be a different game with motivation and such.

Are some concerned with the 2 late goals?  Maybe…but to me, they were both PP goals, 1 5-on-3  so I won’t take too much from it.  Yeah, you wanna see a team finish up strong, keep the pedal down, etc.  But I’ll take the 57 really solid minutes, because there’s a lot to build on.  Flames get back in action Tuesday night at home to Columbus.

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Well, we said it on Overtime yesterday…we’d learn a little bit more about the Calgary Flames after their Tuesday night game in Columbus.  Well, I think it’s fair to say that we have learned a little more about the team, good and bad.  2 goals in 124 seconds was enough for the Columbus Blue Jackets, as they hand Calgary their 3rd straight loss; the final score was 2-1.

It’s tough to say what you take from a game like this.  Many were hoping for a knock the doors down game for Calgary after their loss in Chicago on Monday night.  That wasn’t the case, and it wasn’t a great game for the Flames, yet I think there are some positives you can take from the game tonight.  First off, I thought Calgary stuck with it defensively for the entire game.  Far more often, we saw the team positioned well in their own zone and they were able to keep the Blue Jackets on the outside much more than they kept Chicago on the outside Monday.  At times, you were able to see what Calgary wants to do in the defensive game Tuesday night.  However, Columbus did fire 33 shots on goal and they did put Miikka Kiprusoff under fire a few times.  Second…you have to give credit to Kiprusoff, he stood in there with Blue Jacket players in his face all night and played a solid, solid game.

What you don’t like is Calgary’s ability to generate shots, and more importantly scoring chances.  From the time Columbus scored their first goal until the end of the game, you can count on 1 hand the number of times the Flames had the puck from the hashmarks in.  It was a continual story of Calgary gaining the blueline and immediately being repelled by Columbus.  Now, tons of credit has to go to the Jackets…they played a Ken Hitchcock game to a T.  But there wasn’t enough battle from Calgary to get to the tough areas of the ice, and that showed.  It’s not because of a lack of effort or work ethic…but for big chunks of the last 2 games, Calgary had trouble getting the puck to the tough areas of the ice.

Was there improvement from Monday’s debacle in Chicago?  Absolutely, and I think it’s almost unfair taking them as a combined effort.  Take the Chicago game out of the equation, and I think you’d agree Calgary took some steps forward from their loss at home to Dallas.  Was it good enough?  No.  But the Flames now play only 5 games in 20 days, and that gives them a lot of time to get things closer to where they want them to be.  Next up is Friday night at home to the Canucks to start a 5 game homestand.

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You can’t blame Calgary Flames fans if they start to feel a little deja vu.  In fact, the performance we saw on Monday night in Chicago looked all too similar to the team we bemoaned at times last season.  You can make it 9 straight losses to the Hawks in Chicago and you can make it 2 straight losses for the Flames heading into a Tuesday night game in Columbus.

Look it, it’s fair to say that it’s tough to play with a big lead and it’s tough to carry over the type of intensity Calgary had to open the contest throughout a 60 minute game.  But as Mike Rogers said in our postgame show…good teams figure out a way to win.  Give all the credit in the world to Chicago, they just kept coming…but you can’t get out to a start like the Flames did and lose the way they did.

The problem for me is Calgary positionally when they have it in their own zone.  The shot blocking has been great, Eric Nystrom was outstanding in that category today.  But you can block all the shots that you want and it won’t erase the fact that the Hawks had the puck FAR too much in the offensive zone.  It seemed like there was no support or pursuit in that area for Calgary, and it made for stunted and jilted for the final 40 minutes of the game.  Calgary had a lot of trouble exiting their zone, and the Hawks took advantage as a result. 

The line of Langkow-Dawes-Bourque was a combined -8, and I thought that was a very accurate stat.  As much as they’ve been the most consistent line in the offensive zone, it hasn’t been as good defensively, and it showed tonight.

What I liked from Calgary in the first 4 games of the season was their push back.  When teams started to turn the tide of the game in those first 4 contests, Calgary was able to push back and get things going the way they wanted.  I understand the Blackhawks were going to get on a roll in this game…they were down 5, and they were throwing everything at the Flames.  But it’s on Calgary to make sure that’s only a temporary thing, and they didn’t do that on Monday.

Good thing or bad thing that Calgary gets back on the horse tomorrow in Columbus?  I think it’s a good thing after a game like this, but it’s on Calgary to make sure that’s the case.  After 4 games, Calgary had been getting better in each and every game.  That’s been the opposite in the following 2.  Too early to REALLY evaluate, but not a good feeling for the Flames after Monday night.

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Well, the focus will no doubt be on Curtis McElhinney following a Calgary Flames 5-2 loss at the hands of the Dallas Stars on Friday night.  Should some of the focus be on him?  Sure.  Should all of it?  I don’t think so, because it wasn’t a stellar effort for all involved.  The Flames lost for the first time this season…were they terrible?  Not at all, but they also weren’t as complete as they were 1 night previous in Edmonton.

First off on the goaltender, it was a tough outing for Curtis.  Lets face it, he wasn’t great.  The rebound control was the most noticeable thing with him, as it just seemed too many times he would kick the puck too close to a member of the Stars.  His positioning seemed a little off, and he was the recipient of some bad breaks.  No question he needs to be better and needs to play with more confidence.  I’m willing to give it another try…and they have to, because as much as people are going to be screaming for it, it’s going to be very unlikely that anything is going to happen in terms of signing someone.  They need to get him back in, and I believe they will.  Also, credit the guy for sticking around and answering every single question from the media.

But the Flames weren’t great either.  The problem wasn’t in the offensive zone so much, as they had some nice spurts of sustained pressure and nice opportunities.  It was the little things for the Flames tonight…some breakdowns in the defensive zone, and the Stars were able to consistently cycle in their zone.  Passes weren’t crips in the neutral zone, and it was far too easy for the puck to be knocked off the stick.  Some of the credit goes to the Stars however…a very simple gameplan, but they stuck to it.  No question there needs to be improvement in the defensive zone though.

Next up for the Flames is Monday in Chicago.

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With less than 2 seconds to go, the Calgary Flames were able to pull one out in Edmonton and we’re now talking about a 4-0 team.  Rene Bourque’s goal at 19:58 of the 3rd period tied the game at 3, and the Flames would take a 4-3 shootout win over the Oilers on Thursday night at Rexall Place.

To me, the most complete game we’ve seen this year from the Flames…it just so happened they needed a late goal to force extra time.  Credit the Oilers, I thought they looked real good tonight, winning puck battles and limiting mistakes.  But Calgary’s forecheck was good once again and they did 2 things really well tonight.

Those 2 things would be simple things in the game of hockey.  First off, they threw pucks on net.  One of the negative themes of the first 3 wins was Calgary’s inability sometimes to generate shots and chances from sustained possession.  That wasn’t the case tonight…overall, Calgary attempted 62 shots, 28 of which got through.  Obviously, they’re going to want to increase how many get through, but there was a concerted effort to put more rubber on net and it paid off.  All 3 goals came that way.

The second thing was the traffic in front.  All 3 goals came because of screens in front, and 2 of Calgary’s 3 goals were re-directs in front (Dawes and Bourque).  That’s one thing that I felt wasn’t a big enough part of their game last year, and it’s good to see it being a part of the gameplan tonight (and this season).

Individually…loved Bourque, thought he was the best player all night.  3 points, he was dangerous, tied the game and was physical.  Better night for Regehr too…yeah he was -1, but his angles and his physical play seemed much better tonight (at least from TV).  And the top line seemed much more engaged tonight…hard on the boards, quicker on the skates, much harder to steal the puck from.  Their ice time was up and I thought they looked really good.

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They had only 12 shifts together on the ice, yet the line of Brandon Prust, Eric Nystrom and Freddie Sjostrom continue to get the job done.  3 of Calgary’s 4 goals in a 4-3 win over the Canadiens came with that line on the ice, and all 3 members finished +3.  The line continues to turn heads, and for good reason…they just keep playing good hockey.

The keys to success for the line is work ethic.  They’re hard on the puck and are unrelenting in puck pursuit…and more often than not, they are first to the puck.  What’s good about them is that they keep it simple.  Once the puck is in the offensive zone, the trio goes to work and sticks to basics when it comes to puck support and the cycle.  And they also throw the puck on net…which, on this night, ends up paying off.  If it wasn’t for fights (1 each from Prust and Nystrom), we would have seen the line together for even more than they were on Saturday in Edmonton.

Also on the efficiency theme…how about that Flames powerplay.  They were 1 for 1 on Tuesday, thanks to Jarome Iginla’s first of the season…through 3 games, the Flames are 5 for 7 with the man advantage.  You can tell there is a system there when a man up for the Flames, and with the talent assembled on the ice, it’s going to be a real nice weapon for the Flames if they continue sticking with that system.

Overall, I thought a fairly complete game from the Flames.  There was a 10 minute span in the 1st period where the Flames let the Habs play their game, and that’s when Montreal took over.  Their slick passing and smooth skating was able to carry things for a little bit, and they score 2 goals and controlled posession.  But it seemed like the Flames got back to it in the 2nd and 3rd periods, using their physical edge to their advantage.

On the individual side, I thought Jarome Iginla improved as the game went along.  He barely saw the ice in the first period, getting just 3:48 of ice time in the opening frame.  He finished with 16:30, but you could tell things improved as the game progressed.  Jokinen finished with 16:37 of ice time.  Once again, a nice, consistent, strong game from the line of Langkow-Dawes-Bourque, as they were able to generate a few opportunities with their forecheck.

Was a little surprised with the Habs…they looked really good at points and were far less soft than they were when they were here last season.  The top line of Cammalleri-Gionta-Gomez was real nice, and you can see a developing chemistry.  But you can tell Head Coach Jacques Martin has installed a real smart system, and it’ll be interesting to watch this team as the season progresses.

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