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   Add frustration to the litaney of things plaguing the Flames these days.

   In losing 2-1 to San Jose on Monday, the Flames played well enough to win in outshooting the Sharks, but they couldn’t the puck past Evgeni Nabakov other than Jarome Iginla’s goal in the first period.

   You might add surprise to the list, too.

   The Sharks, the second highest scoring team in the West Conference, generally play more of a free-flowing game.  With nine players out with injury, the Sharks played a tight-to-the-vest style with even the high scoring forwards like Thornton, Pavelski, Setoguchi, Michalek and Cheechoo buying in. The Flames were cautioned by the coaches’ about what would be coming but still it wasn’t the norm for the NHL’s #1 team.

   The Flames couldn’t get much tempo going and when they did manage to get a good scoring chance Nabakov was sharp turning them away with 28 saves or the Shark defenders stopped them with defender blocking 19 Flames shots.

   For the 2nd straight game the Flames limited their opponent to shots in the teens with Miikka Kiprusoff facing 17 shots.

   About only way the Flames could have changed the Sharks style was to get the lead, which they never did.

   Now the Flames lead at the top of the NW Division could be gone as soon as Tuesday night. Vancouver Canucks use up their game-in-hand on the Flames in Minnesota and a win would see them leap over the Flames by a point.

   Miikka Kiprusoff had his easiest night of the season on Saturday in breaking his own Flame record for most wins in a season with a 3-2 success over Minnesota.

   Kipper is at 43 wins and counting.  Before he’s done he could also break his own record for most games played by a Flame goalie.  To do that he’d have to play in all 7 remaining games. A development the Flames would prefer not to see, but should the battle for first place in the NW Division go down to the club’s 82nd game on April 11 its likely to happen.

   Kipper got as much of a rest on Saturday — facing a season low 15 shots — as he’s going to get until the division pennant is captured.

   …And the Vancouver Canucks are continuing to keep the heat on winning Sunday in Chicago to move back to within a single point of the Flames.

   Monday the Flames face the NHL’s best team, the San Jose Sharks, at the Saddledome. The Flames have wins in their last two games against the Sharks, who have already set a club record with 109 points.

   Kiprusoff was a key factor in both those wins 9 days apart in January.  He’ll need to be again Monday. Its a certainty, he’ll face more than 15 shots. 

I’ve been accused, or praised, that I often go over-board finding a positive in a negative.

After the Flames have been shutout on consecutive nights — 2-0 at Pittsburgh and 5-0 at Columbus, this may be the ultimate reach.

But here goes.

The last time the Flames were blanked in back-to-back games, they would end the season playing Game 7 in the Stanley Cup finals in 2003-04.

The only whimper of a Stanley Cup final for this season was uttered early in Wednesday’s contest at Pittsburgh.  As in, wouldn’t it be nice to have a series later against the Penguins. That could only happen in the Cup finals.

There were no comments about the Cup finals in the aftermath of Thursday’s 5-0 whipping in Columbus.

In fact, the only playoff talk was by Bluejacket fans as they exited their home arena. Some heard to say “I hope we play Calgary in the playoffs. We can beat them.”

If the post-season were to start tonight it would the Flames and ‘Jackets in first round series.  That would more-than-likely be the case if the Flames win the NW Division pennant.

That seemingly sure thing a month ago is now tenuous.

Like the cat with 9 lives the Flames got another break Thursday.  After the Calgary loss, the attention turned to the Vancouver at St. Louis.  With the Blues winning 3-2, the Flame lead remained 3 points.

The Canucks can reduce it to one with a win Friday at last place Colorado.

It would be more positive to the Flames if the Canucks lose again.

   Generally when a team high in standing loses a game, the cry within the dressing room is, “Good teams don’t lose 2-in-a-row.”

   No team this season in the NHL has avoided losing 2-straight games in regulation time including the League’s #2 team, Detroit Red Wings, who visit the Flames on Monday.

   However, the Wings are among 4 team that haven’t lost 3 in-a-row.  Mike Babcock’s club has twice lost 2 straight.  Both came during their worst run of the season from Jan. 17 to Feb. 2 when they didn’t win a game in 5, but had an OTL sandwiched between the pair of 2-game losing streaks.

   San Jose Sharks, who are battling Detroit for #1 overall and 1pt behind, are the only squad losing 2-straight once.  That was also when they had their greatest down time when they posted a 1-2-4 record.

   Boston Bruins, leaders in the East, 5 times have dropped 2-straight.  New York Rangers, despite firing coach Tom Renney, haven’t lose 3-straight but 6 times have had 2-game losing stretches.

   New Jersey Devils had a 4-game losing streak in November just after losing star goalie Martin Brodeur. After that they lost 2 in-a-row just twice.

   As for the Flames, the longest losing streak was 4 games early in February. They’ve also had a 3-game losing run during the recent 7-game road venture.  Mike Keenan’s club also has had four 2-game losing streaks.  Tonight they attempt to avoid a 5th.

  Standing among the fans in walkaway in front of the Upper Loge Saddledome seat section after the 2nd period on Friday night more than one spectator commented, “Bring on the Red Wings.”

  Even though the Flames lead over St. Louis was a mere 2-1, Mike Keenan’s team had so thoroughly dominated the Blues in the 2nd period they clearly were the superior team. The Flames had outshot the Blues 20-11 only the brilliant of goalie Chris Mason prevented the Blues from being wiped out.

   Perhaps in the Flames dressing room during the 2nd intermission the players started saying to themselves, “bring on the Red Wings.”

   The Flames play on the 3rd period wasn’t even a shadow of the 2nd. The Blues jumped on them for two goals in a 51-second span at the midway point and massaged it for a 3-2 win.

   The Blues were a desperate and supposedly tired team. They were 4 points from  a playoff spot. Thery had lost 7-straight games in the Saddledome. They were playing for the second straight night and for the 7th time in 11 days.

   The Flames failed to take advantage. Their perfiormance in the first and 3rd period did them in.

   Since the trade deadline when GM Darryl Sutter made a couple of moves that most of us thought had strengthened the team, the Flames have compiled a 3-5 record. They dropped from a having a 10-point lead at the top of the NW Division to a mere 3 points over Vancouver. That would be whittled to one point should the Canucks win in Phoenix Saturday.

   On paper, this is a solid Flame collection. The best the team has had here in years. No games are won on paper. To be a success the team needs to start playing with urgency for a full 60 minutes.

   A good time to start would be Monday against the Red Wings.

  The Flames are averaging a “hat trick” every 12 games this season. If they can get at least one over the final 12 games it would make 7 for this season, the most since the 1993-94 season.

  The final dozen games start Friday with a visit from the St. Louis Blues.

  Five different players have collaborated for the 6 “hats” led by Mike Cammalleri having two with singles triggered by Jarome Iginla, David Moss, Ollie Jokinen and Rene Bourque.

  The last time the Flames have six 3-goal performance was ‘95-96 when Theoren Fleury and Gary Roberts notched 3 each.

  The 7 “hats” in ‘93-94 were achieved by 5 players.

  The club record for most hat tricks in one season is 11 in the 1987-88 season, which included three 4-goal games, two of them by Joe Nieuwendyk. Four players produced the record led by Hakan Loob with 5 while Nieuwendyk had 4 as a rookie. The others went to Brett Hull and John Tonelli.

  The Flame record for most 3-goal games in one season is 7 in ‘92-93 led by Robert Reichel and Roberts with 2. 

  The individual record for “hats” in one season is 5 — Loob, Fleury, McDonald and Kent Nilsson. Careerwise, the record is 13 shared by Nilsson and Fleury. 

  Meanwhile, Jokinen’s 10 points in his first 6 games represents the hottest scoring ever by a Flame player starting a career.  Joey Mullen, in 1986, and Doug Gilmour in 1988, both had 8 points in their first 6 contests with the team.  Dan Quinn has the best 6-game start of a Flame beginning an NHL career here. He had one goal and 6 assists for 7 points in 1982-83.

    At the outset, Ollie Jokinen was suitably welcomed to Calgary by the crowd and Jarome Iginla was suitably saluted by the Flames with a silver hockey stick commorating his ascent to the top of the Flames all-time scoring list.

    At the end, three players not normally noted for their scoring exploits, were being singled out.

    That’s the way it was Wednesday as the Flames settled back to playing more the style they need to be successful, winning 2-1 over Dallas.

    While the normal headliners played hard, Eric Nystrom scored just his 4th goal of the season at 11:46 of the 3rd period notched the winning goal — his second GWG of the campaign.

    The goal was set up on a nifty play by Dustin Boyd, collecting his 2nd assist of the night. In the 2nd period, Boyd set up Jamie Lundmark for the Flames first goal after the Stars had taken a 1-0 lead.

    Miikka Kiprusoff re-established his goaltending authority after some questionable outtings on the road. It was the 200th win of Kipper’s career. He faced just 19 shots as the Flames were much more of a defensive mode than they were on the 7-game road trip.

     It was the 21st time in 41 victories that the Flames came from behind to win regaining their 5-point lead over Vancouver at the top of the NW Division.

  Don’t know how the moon and stars align for Wednesday’s Flames Saddledome game, but this season’s history has all the ducks in a row.

  Except they are playing the Dallas Stars!!!

  Let’s skip that for a moment and forcus on the positive side.

  It’s a Wednesday game.  The only day of the week, the Flames haven’t lost in regulation time this season.  An impressive 4-0-2 slate.

  The game starts at 7 (not 7:30 as listed on season tickets) and that really good. The Flames are 8-0-2 at home when the game commences at 7pm. 

  The Stars played Tuesday in Vancouver. When the Flames have faced a team in the second half of back-to-back games, they have a 5-0-1 slate.

  The Flames haven’t played since Saturday, thus they have had 3 days between games. This year playing, after having had 3-or-more days off, the Flames have a perfect 6-0 record.

  The downer, is Dallas.  The Stars have gained a pair of 3-1 victories over the Flames this season plus they won the last 3 times they’ve played in the ‘Dome.

  Bet at your peril. Or, just let them play the game.

On the 21st anniversary of one of their biggest Flame comebacks, the current squad staged an even bigger one.

On March 12, 1986, the Flames fell behind 4-0 in the first period against Buffalo coming back to win, 10-4 with rookie Joe Nieuwendyk getting his 50th goal of the ‘87-88 season.

Thursday, in Detroit, against the Stanley Cup champs, the comeback was from 3 goals but much more dramatic.

How could a team get out-shot 28-4 in the 1st period setting a club record for shots against, win?

Or, how could a team behind 4-1 against a club that hadn’t lost a game taking a lead into the 3rd period, win?

How could a team behind 3 goals, out-shoot the opponent 11-0 over the first 16 minutes of the 3rd period and not score, win?

How could a team after the taking the lead with 3 goals in 2:02 and then allow a goal on the first shot against in the 3rd period to have the game tied again, win?

How could a team blow a 1-goal lead in the last minute go to OT against the highest scoring NHL, and win?

How could a team with a so-so shootout record go to a shootout against a team with 6 shootout successes in 8 outings, win?
Despite all of  this the Flames won because they refused to succumb to any of the adversity including being shorthanded 6 times in the first including down 2 players for 4:45 in the first period.

Miikka Kiprusoff saved the game in the first period and the shootout. Ollie Jokkinen got 2 goals in regulation and won the shootout.
Unheralded Jamie Lundmark scored 2 goals in the late-game rally.

There a number of similarities between the Flames and New Jersey Devils. They are so close that a break was the difference in Tuesday’s 3-2 Flame setback.

The Devils got the bounce and a slow whistle on the decisive goal.

Zach Parise got credit for the goal at 1:15 of the 3rd period as bodies battled in the goal crease as though it were a football goal-line stand.

The puck went off players and under players before going in the net.

Many felt the play should have been whistled dead before it went in.  The goal went for video review but stood.

Prior to that, what is becoming a regular Flame nemesis — allowing a SHG and then giving up a PPG in the 2nd period wiping out a 1-0 Flame lead on Ollie Jokinen’s 3rd goal in 4 games as a Flame.

The Flames added a 2nd goal — by Curtis Glencross — in the game’s final second.

Miikka Kiprusoff, who again lost in his bid to final win over Martin Brodeur, was yanked after the 3rd NJ goal.

Mike Keenan says there is no controversy. He made the change seeking a momentum.

The momentum the Flames built up winning the first 2 games of this trip are now a distant memory with the 3-straight setbacks.

Now the club needs to win Thursday in Detroit and Toronto on Saturday to have a better than .500 record on the journey.