Five of the NHL’s six division leaders all have at least 40 wins.

   The Flames are the exception.  Most suspected the NW Div leaders would have 40 wins by now but somewhat surprising setbacks in Carolina and Atlanta keeps Mike Keenan’s crew at 39.

   The next 2 games on this road trip are against 40-win clubs.  The New Jersey Devils with 42 victories are the opposition Tuesday.  The Devils seek their 8th straight home win to tie a cluib record and coming off an embarrassing 7-3 loss to the NY Islanders on Saturday.

    On Thursday the Flames are in Detroit where the Red Wings have 43 wins sitting comfortably at the top of the Central Division.

    Eager to end their 2-game losing streak, Keenan put his players through a hard, up tempo practice yesterday.  It was the first time in over a week that the team has been able to practice given the fact  the trip began with 4 games in 6 days.  It was especially benefical for the “IOC” Line (Iggy-Ollie-Cammy), who have played 3 games together but never worked on getting confortable with their styles.

   Keenan cautioned the players about taking too many penalties.  They’ve been shorthanded 17 times over the last 2 games.  The most this season in consecutive games.

  Still down on his performance in Atlanta is eager to rebound facing a fellow top goalie, Martin Brodeur, who he has never beaten in his career.

A lost weekend in the sunny south has the Flames refocusing Monday before this road trip has game against 2 of the NHL’s top teams.

Clearly the performance on Sunday in Atlanta a 5-2 loss and Friday’s 6-1 drubbing in Carolina was well below standard.

The IOC Line ( Iggy, Ollie and Cammy) which got rave reviews in its debut at Philadelphia, was much less during the weekend.

Where they clicked with authority vs the Flyers, they looked disorganized.

Iginla was the best of the trio getting goals in both games extending his poiint streak to 8 games matching the club’s best this season.

Maybe it was a case of fatique on the road with 4 games in 6 days without the entire 2nd line, Sunday without 3rd liner David Moss, and a top 5 defenseman.

After cruising along with 9 to 11 point leads at the top of the NW Div since mid-January, now there is some concern about the lead now an 8-pt advantage over surging Vancouver, which has 3 games in hand.

The advantage could be reduced to 6 points should Vancouver win Monday at LA.

The immediate concern is New Jersey, who they face Tuesday, and then its at Detroit on Thursday.

   From Thursday to Friday. As different as night and day, black and white, Calgary and Edmonton, Kiprusoff and McElhinney.

   Before you pin Friday’s 6-1 loss in Carolina on Curtis McElhinney a review of the players in front of him is required.

   From Thursday’s impressive 5-1 victory in Philadelphia with Miikka Kiprusoff in the nets to a less-than-inspired match against the Hurricanes.

   What’s the rookie McElhinney to think. Wednesday he rejoiced when the NHL trade deadline passed without the Flames trading for a goalie.

   Friday more of the same-old, same-old as his record ran to 0-6-1 over the last 2 seasons. He got little defensive assistance and no offense all until there was 3:49 left on the clock.  The only redeeming quality of Jarome Iginla’s 29th goal of the season was that it prevent the club from being shutout.

    While the newly created line of Iginla, Ollie Jokinen and Mike Cammalleri dazzled and excelled against the Flyers they stumped and fumbled against the Hurricanes.

   The Flames best line was Craig Conroy with Curtis Glencross and David Moss.

   After a recovery day in Atlanta on Saturday, Mike Keenan awaits what type performance he’ll from his troops in an afternoon game on Sunday as the team again seeks its 40th win. He’s reasonable certain it will be better.   

Ollie Jokinen began his NHL career in LA.

A Hollywood script writer couldn’t have penned a better way to start as a Flame.

He got to centre the team’s top 2 snipers and then out-sniped Mike Cammalleri and Jarome Iginla in the 5-1 win in Philadelphia.

Jokinen’s inaugural wasn’t 10 minutes old when he scored his first goal as a Flame and then added another 6 minutes later.

For starters Jokinen blended in well with his new wingers.

….And the wingers didn’t do badly either.

Cammalleri had a goal and 2 assists. Iginla 2 assists, all in the first period.

The other player acquired Wednesday, defenseman Jordan Leopold,  had a first period goal as well.

The Flyers with five 20-goal scorers, definitely weren’t as advertised.  The Flames jumped on them for 4 goals in the first period.

The win was the Flames 6th in a row on the road.  Tonight in Carolina they endeavour to tie a club record with 7 and also gain their 40th win of the season.

   PHILADELPHIA — Darryl Sutter left no doubt what the expectations are for the remainder of this Flame season with his wheeling-and-dealing Wednesday at the trade deadline.

   Trades don’t guarantee championships, but Flame fans have to like the commitment the team made upgrading for the stretch-run and post-season.

   GM Sutter finally got his man as the 5-year pursuit of Ollie Jokinen concluded with the deal bringing him to Calgary for Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and a first round pick.

   Its a deal that gives the Flames a shot at the ultimate, now and in the immediate future given the Jokinen still has 3 years remaining on his contract after this season.

   Its a virtual certainty that the Finnish centre will get to play in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time and for the first time in his 12-year stint with the Flames Jarome Iginla has a big, talented centreman to play with.  To think the captain  has collected 403 goals and 838 points without that commodity.

   There are no guarantees the two will mesh together but starting tonight against the Flyers we’ll start finding out.

    It was a lesser move, but bringing Jordan Leopold back to Calgary after an injury-plagued stint in Colorado, gives the team two solid defense pairings.

   While Leopold and Robyn Regehr and Leopold were a most formidable pair earlier when they were defense-mates. Its likely that Leopold’s first blueline partner will be Dion Phaneuf allowing Regehr to continue toiling with Adrien Aucoin, the pair that have been outstanding for the past 2 months.  Cory Sarich and Adam Pardy will remain together as well.  Jim Vandermeer figures, for now to move back up front.

   In all, the Flames now have 9 defensemen with NHL experience for the post-season including Anders Erickson, who will be eligible to come back to the team without salary cap considerations for the playoffs, and Rhett Warrener should he get the green light from doctors to resume play now that he close to recovering from shoulder surgery. This doesn’t include Mark Giordano, who’s shoulder operation will prevent him from playing until May if the team is still active.

    Yesterday’s moves were geared to make May hockey a possibility.

With the entire #2 line injured, Mike Keenan wanted the #1 line to stay hot and for someone else to step up.

After failing to score in 9 games, the big winger registered his first NHL hat trick in a 6-3 win over a listless Ottawa Senators team.

With the absent #2 line of Bertuzzi, Langkow and Bourque representing 53 goals, Moss couldn’t have had better timing.

Wednesday the Flames wait out the trade deadline day vigil in Phildelphia before facing the Flyers Thursday night.