In the Flames dressing room there is a wall board that is update daily with the NHL standings.

   For most of this season the focus was on the NW Division standings where the Flames have moved from the bottom to the top with an 11-point lead after Friday’s 3-1 win over Nashville.

   More recently the standing-board focus has been on the Western Conference. Where once the Flames were as low as 7th they are now #3 closing in on #2 Detroit. The deficit is now 5 points behind the slumping Red Wings.

   Now the Flames’ standing board features the NHL’s overall standings. With 64 points the Flames are now tied with Washington for #5 overall.  They are 3 points behind #4 New Jersey.

  Mike Keenan keeps moving the bar on where he wants his skaters to be keeping the challenges high over the final 34 games of the regular-season.

   Friday’s win was the club’s 30th of the season in 48 games, drawing comparisions to the 1988-89 Flame squad that was #1 overall during the reg-campaign and won the Stanley Cup.  That team, coached by Terry Crisp, won its 30th game in the 47th contest on their way to a club record 54 triumphs.

   The Flames never trailed in downing the Predators in workmanlike fashion getting the winning goal from an unlikely source, Andre Roy.  The other marksmen were Matthew Lombardi and defenseman Adrien Aucoin.  Mike Cammalleri didn’t score but had one assist stretching his point streak to 8 games — a team season high.

   Again Miikka Kiprusoff made the clutch saves for his 30th win as well and was picked #1 star.

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