Before each Flame game Rob Kerr has “The Injury Report” for Intellibed on our Fan960 radio broadcasts.

   This feature maybe the key to the Flames first round playoff series against Chicago.

   If the Flames can get a big majority of their injured into the line-up, the chances of defeating the Blackhawks increase. 

   It’s the veteran Flames against the youthful Hawks in the series commencing Thursday in Chicago.

   The Hawks, who collected 100 points in the regular-season, are a very good team, but they have 12 players who have never competed in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

   It may be a learning process for the Hawks. Learning to handle the pressure and very intense style of play against the same team every night. If the Flames are, indeed, built for the playoffs this is where their size and experience gives them a good chance to win, provided most of the regular hands are on deck.

   One improvement for sure is that the Flames will dress a full compliment of players for each game — 2 goalies and 18 skaters.  In the final 6 games of the regular-season including Saturday’s 4-1 win over Edmonton, the Flames dressed less than permitted including have just 15 skaters for the final 2.

   Its the quality of the 20 players dressed that matter now.  If Phaneuf, Regehr, Sarich, Bourque and Glencross are in the line-up from the start, the Flames will win the set vs the Hawks.  The indications are that Phaneuf, Bourque and Glencross will be ready Thursday.  The availability of Regehr and Sarich is uncertain. They are the Flames 2 best shutdown defensemen. Shutting down the young, free-wheeling Hawks is the key to the series.

   Only the aircraft engines could be heard during the Flames 45-minute flight back home in the aftermath of Friday’s 5-1 loss in Edmonton.

   The silence from the group was two-fold. The loss was one. No strength to speak may have been the other.  Another game, a loss of 2 points and 2 more players to injury.

   For the first time in 23 years an NHL team played with only 15 skater. With defenseman Dion Phaneuf and forward Curtis Glencross, the latest causalities, not available and because the team is so close to the NHL Salary Cap, Mike Keenan could dress only 9 forwards and 6 defensemen.

   There’s a good possibility it will be the same deleted line-up Saturday night in the Saddledome when they close out the reg-season hosting the Oilers.

   The good news, the Salary Cap isn’t invogue for the playoffs so the Flames will have 20 players in the line-up when they start first round play the middle of next week.  Will they have the 20 players they’d like to have?

    The club is understandably tight-lipped regarding the severity of the injuries so its difficult to say if any of the 4 regular defensemen and 3 forwards will be back for the start of post-season play.

    For certain, the Flames will find out Saturday where they’ll finish and quite likely who they’ll face in round one.

    In fact, they may know where they’ll finish before they hit the ice. Should Vancouver get at least one point out of their afternoon match in Colorado, the Canucks would clinch first in the NW Div. and the Flames would be the #5 seed in the West and not have home ice advantage. If the Avalanche win in regulation time then the Flames would have to beat the Oilers to nab the pennant and have the home ice edge.

     The last NHL team to play a game with only 15 skaters was the St. Louis in 1986. They won the game, 4-3, against Los Angeles. 

   It’s Good Friday, but the Flames have little good news on the injury front.

   So much so that they are in survival mode for their home-and-home games with Edmonton Friday and Saturday nights.

   As in, survive the back-to-back matches having captured the NW Div. pennant thus getting home ice advantage in the opening round of playoffs.

   As in, get through the weekend without any more injuries.

   How the Flames get top spot is pretty clearcut now. Two wins would assure being #1 for the 2nd time in 4 years.  Vancouver regained the lead on Thursday with its 1-0 win over LA.  The Canucks have 98 points with one game to play — a Saturday afternoon game in Colorado. Not winning the pennant would like mean having the Western Conf #5 seed and not have home ice advantage.

     How the Flames will start the playoffs health-wise is more complicated.

     With defensemen Robyn Regehr, Cory Sarich and Marc Giordano already sidelined, now Dion Phaneuf is questionable for the weekend games.

     By late Saturday night we’ll likely know when, where and against whom the Flames will meet in the first round of playoffs.  The more time off they can get the better to allow the injured defensemen plus forwards Rene Bourque and Andre Roy to recover from their ailments.

     As you’d expect, at this time of year, the Flames are devulging little about the health of their playoffs. Their only proclamation – survive the weekend.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the Flames play as good as they did Tuesday and lose.

By “long time”, we’re talking years, not just this season.

Advance reports that Roberto Luongo has a sore leg, was giving up soft goals and off his game are incorrect.

At least it was Tuesday as the big goalie was brilliant in leading the Canucks to the 4-1 victory to being alive in the first place battle with the Flames,

The Flames were determined to end the NW Div pennant race with a win. Luongo wouldn’t let them.

The shots were 47-26 in favour of the Flames with Luongo not having very many easy shots.

Jarome Iginla was the only Flame to score, tying the game at 1-1 in the 2nd period.

The Flames couldn’t build on that as the Canucks regained the lead 22 seconds later.

But the Flames can build on their performance before and after Vancouver took the lead for good.

Undaunted the continued executing  their game plan forcing Luongo to make more big saves.

The one area where the Flamed faltered was again was on the Power Play.  6 chances, 0 goals including a pair of 2-man advantages.

The PP remains 0 for April failing to click in 37 chances.

On thing for sure, if the Flames play as hard and solidly this weekend vs Edmonton, they’ll take first place.

   The Flames  may get no rest in their quest to be the best in the NW Division.

   The weekend for the Flames brought a picture perfect Out-of-Town scoreboard.

   Vancouver Canucks lost twice — Saturday at Edmonton and Sunday at home to injury-riddled Colorado, which ended an 8-game losing streak.

      Heading into another set of season-ending back-to-back games, the Flames control their own destiny. However, they are going have to improve in these games on consecutive nights to annex first place.

   The Flames enter Monday’s Saddledome engagement with Los Angeles, tied with Vancouver while having a game in hand.  The match with the Kings is that extra game. A Flame victory and would have a 2 point lead heading into Tuesday’s clash with the Canucks in Van. If the Flames defeat LA and the win in regulation against the Canucks they’d clinch the pennant. Any other result would continue the race into the final weekend of the campaign.

   After Tuesday, Mike Keenan crew concludes the reg-season with a game Friday in Edmonton and back home Saturday against the Oilers.

   The Canucks finishing schedule is a bit earlier.  They play Thursday at home to LA and then end on Saturday in Colorado.  No back-to-back games against 2 teams that have been out of the playoff race for a while

   On the injury front, it looks like Adrian Aucoin is ok to go vs the Kings. He sat out Friday’s contest in Minnesota.  Robyn Regehr, who also was out Friday with a lower body injury,  didn’t practice Sunday and is questionable.  Cory Sarich, Andre Roy and Rene Bourque are still out.

    For most of this season the Flames suited up the most experienced defense collection in the NHL.  Friday it took a 2,426-game hit.  The result was perhaps predictable — a 4-0 loss at Minnesota.

With Robyn Regehr and Adrien Aucoin joining Cory Sarich, Marc Giordano and Rhett Warrener out with injuries, the Flames subtracted 3,472 games from their defense roster. With youngsters Matt Pelech and John Negrin summoned from the minors, Friday’s defense corps had a total 1,046 in NHL games played.

On top of that the Flames had to play with 10 forwards — 2 less than normal.

At the trade deadline, the Flames gambled by adding payroll in acquiring Ollie Jokinen and Jordan Leopold. It placed them right at the salary cap threshold. So when Aucoin and Regehr sustained their injuries on Thursday and the 2 blueliners were called up, it meant that Dustin Boyd and Warren Peters would have to go to Quad City.

The question has been asked, what happens if a team goes over the salary cap? The fact of the matter is no team can go over the cap.  The NHL makes sure of that with its daily directives. Thus, the dilemma on Friday and maybe for more games depending on the severity of the injuries to Regehr, Sarich and Aucoin.

The fact that Pelech and Negrin returned home with the team after the game in Minnesota indicates their is some uncertainty as when the veteran defensemen will be back.

The important info is that the cap is not in vogue in the playoffs.  That’s why GM Darryl Sutter elected to gamble.

The Flames, idle until Monday when they host LA, will watch on Saturday and Sunday as the Canucks play.  Ideally, if the Canucks lost Saturday in Edmonton and Sunday at home to Colorado, the Flames would be very pleased.  Hoping for s split may be more reasonable.

It could all come down to Tuesday night when the Flames and Canucks clash in Vancouver.

An e-mailer inquired right after Thursday’s 2-1 Flame win in Dallas, “why no yeah baby after clinching a playoff spot?”

As much as earning a post-season berth in Game 77th game — earliest in 15 years — is significant it wasn’t great enough to warrant a “yeah baby” since the Flame aim is finishing first in NW Division.

Mike Keenan echoed that in his post-game media scrum. He noted that reaching the playoffs is worthy, he and the team want more.

The chances of taking the pennant got a boost with Thursday victory. With Vancouver losing in a shootout to Anaheim, the Flames and Canucks are tied for first. Both have 5 games left.

The Flames played the patient game so necessary to beat Dallas and it will be necessary again Friday in Minnesota.
Even after allowing the first goal again — 8th time in 9 games — the club didn’t waiver from its game plan.

Miikka Kiprusoff authored his best game in month was a major plus.

Jarome Iginla got the Flames opening goal with Craig Conroy scoring the winner at 12;21 of the 2nd on a nifty deflection of a Dion Phaneuf shot.

Phaneuf played his best game in a while assisting on both goals and being tough physically on the Stars.

   The Flames arrived at their hotel in Dallas late afternoon Wednesday just as the Miami Heat were departing for their NBA game against the Mavericks.

   The basketballers were obviously bigger than their hockey counterparts but the Flames guys were much more banged up with facial scars and some limping.

   The most recent injured Flame, def Cory Sarich, didn’t check in with his teammates. The ankle injury he sustained while blocking a shot on Monday will keep him out of action at least for Thursday and quite likely in Minnesota on Friday.

   This means that Adam Pardy will move  back to his normal defense position after playing some games as a LW.  Warren Peters, a healthy scratch the last 3 games, will move back into the line-up.

   Jim Vandermeer, who also suffered an injury while blocking a shot against San Jose, made the trip and looks like he’ll play.

   Tuesday was the first time in 96 days that the Flames didn’t see their name at the top of the standings in the NW Div.  They were overtaken by Vancouver with the Canucks leading the race now by 1 point. Both teams have 6 games left.

   Both play on Thursday. The Flames in Dallas against the slumping Stars, while the Canucks host the surging Anaheim Ducks.  Its the Canucks first game back after a 6-game road trip where they won 4 times.