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Few NHL goalies have come in an made an immediate impact and continued to do it long term. Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur among the exceptions.
Netminders usually take a bit longer to get their game.
Wednesday two late-blooming netminders are slated to face each other as Miikka Kiprusoff faces red hot Colorado’s ‘keeper Craig Anderson.
The 28-year-old Anderson has been the talk of the NHL all through the month of Oct. He leads the league in wins (9), save pencentage (.940) and shutouts (2). Doing that in front on a young and not very experienced group of skaters.
He’s played every minunte of the Avalanche 12 games and takes a 3-game winning streak into the Saddledome.
Anderson, who started to show real promise last season as backup in Florida, once thought he might be parlaying an NHL career in the ‘Dome.
He was the Flames 3rd round draft pick in 1999 while tending goal for Guelph in the OHL junior circuit. The Flames didn’t sign Anderson, who at that time insisted his last name be spelt “A-N-D-E-R-S-S-O-N” altho legally his last name had one ’s’. He later was told by the NHL that if he wanted to get paid he’d have to spell his name properly. He went back in the league draft in 2001 and was taken by Chicago in the 4th round.
Kiprusoff may have his name pronounced differenly by some and when he first came to Calgary some thought he was a Russian, but the native of Finland made no issues about the spelling of his name.
Kipper was 27-years old when he joined the Flames after being the #3 goalkeeper in San Jose.
Immediately, in Nov. of 2003 he made a big impact playing a vital roll getting the team on the winning track and to the Stanley Cup finals. Two years later he won the Vezina Trophy.
Now Kipper, who celebrated his 33rd birthday 2 days ago, tries to move to within one victory for 200 in his Flame career.

   The most popular question surrouding the Flames this off-season — who is gonna score?

   Through the first 10 games of this campaign the question is gone — the Flames are a goal a game better than a year ago after downing Edmonton, 5-2 on Saturday.

   The concern was with Mike Cammalleri and Todd Bertuzzi gone where would the team find the 56 goals they provided last term.

   Averaging 4.1 goals per game this year’s squad has 7 players with 3-or-more goals. Last season through 10 games only 3 players scored that many.

   The 10-goal improvement is even more remarkable when its considered that captain Jarome Iginla is 3 goals and 4 points off his pace from a year ago.

    After 10 games in 2008-09, Iginla led the Flames in scoring with his 6 goals and 12 points.  The 6 goals tied him with Bertuzzi.

    Now the top point-getter is Rene Bourque with 14 points, which for him is an 8 point improvement.  Bourque’s 5 goals tie defenseman Dion Phaneuf for the club lead.  Where Cammalleri had 4 goals and 11 points last October, now Nigel Dawes, Curtis Glencross and Eric Nystrom all have 4 goals.

   With Phaneuf leading the charge, defensemen have bolstered the offense.  In all, five blueliners have contributed 8 goals. A year ago 2 defensemen had provided only 3 goals.

   Miikka Kiprusoff, who may well have been the Flames best player over the first 10 games with his key saves at key times, has a slightly better GAA this time around.

   This year’s Flames with 15 points have 2 more than last season at this stage. Now they are in 2nd place in the NW Division 3 points behind red hot Colorado, who they face on Wednesday.  Last year’s team was sharing first place with Minnesota. 

   The Flames being in Calgary for 20-straight days and playing just 5 games isn’t the only scheduling oddity.

   When the Flames and Oilers hit the Saddledfome ice on Saturday night, it’ll be the 4th time in 4 nights that Calgary and Edmonton highest profile sports teams have matched up.

    With all due respect to other Alberta communities, when the sports teams from the province’s largest cities meet in the sports arena its always a red letter Battle of Alberta event.

    But this week has been more heavy-duty than normal.

    On Wednesday, the Calgary Hitmen hosted and defeated the Oil Kings, 4-0. Thursday was dark for Calgary-Edmonton clashes.

    On Friday, a doublebill.  While the Hitmen beat the Oil Kings a 2nd time in a return game in the provincial capital, the CFL Stampeders and Eskimos battled at McMahon Stadium with the Stamps winning, 30-7.

    Now,Saturday, the Flames-Oiler battle is the 3rd time in these rivals have meet in October with the Flames seeking a clean sweep of the 3 games and giving Calgary a clean sweep in all 4 games vs Edmonton this week.

   The biggest storyline is the Flame-Oiler tussle.  Neither mind that the Flames won the earlier 2 games, both in Edmonton.  The last time out, on Oct. 8, Calgary captain Jarome Iginla and Edmonton veteran defensemen Sheldon Souray collided hard into the corner boards. 

   Souray suffered a concusion he still hasn’t recovered from.  Iginla got a 2-minute penalty. Later Edmonton captain Ethan Moreau fought Iginla.  Veteran, but first year Oiler coach, Pat Quinn, was all in a lather in the aftermath.

   Quinn suggested, that in the 70’s, the restitution against Iginla would have been a stick over the head.  The inference being that someone on the Oilers should have take the Flame captain to task in a more severe manner. Quinn was  fined $10,000 by the NHL.

   Since then the Flames and Oilers have gone their separate ways. They’ve done quite well.  They both sport 6-2-1 records and 3 points out of first place in the NW Division.  They are the two highest scoring teams in the league.

   Will Saturday produce fireworks?  Given the tough guys in both line-ups at least a couple of scraps seems inevitable.  Given the scoring exploits of both clubs, the big fireworks could well be on the scoreboard.

  The first time Freddie Sjostrom skated he was scared off the ice by the Zamboni.

  The Swede was 3 years old then. Now aged 26, Sjostrom showed no fear in scoring the prettiest Flame goal of the young season to clinch a 6-3 verdict over Columbus on Tuesday.

  Sjostrom’s first goal as a Flame was the final goal of the evening coming with 4:05 remaining in the game.

  He took a hard stretch pass from Robyn Regehr at the Bluejackets blueline. He then went to the net but was forced to the far circle by defenseman Mathieu Roy and appeared to be taken out of the scoring chance. Suddenly Sjostromn spun around shooting the puck into the far side of the net.

  Sjostrom ended with a goal and an assist for his best offensive evening as a Flame. The best player was captain Jarome Iginla with a goal and 2 assists. It was a solid all-round show from the Flames all-time leading scorer.

  The Flames had another solid first period scoring 3 goals. In the past 4 games the Flames have outscored the opposition, 11-2 in the opening stanza.  But the lead slipped away in when Columbus scored a pair of PPG in 48 seconds early in period 2.

  Then the Flames showed some killer instinct rattling off 3 unanswered goals against Steve Mason.

  Miikka Kiprusoff made the timely saves to notch his 197th win in the Flame nets.

  In there 30 seasons in Calgary the Flames have never had a homestand like the present one.

  The club’s longest homestand of the 2009-10 season is five games and it takes 20 days to complete. That’s an average of 4 days between games.

  …And the ’stands continues Monday with a visit from the Columbus Bluejackets, who’s season series record with the Flames is quite unique in its own right.

  Generally, in the past when the Flames have a homestand its a game every other night or something close to that.

  I’m sure the players would like to play more frequently over this stretch but for Brent Sutter and his staff a chance to work repeatedly in practice on the style they desire to have the team players. When a team is playing every other evening the practice days generally aren’t overly productive. Now plenty of time to work out the kinks.

  Tuesday match marks the first time the Flame play this season with 3 days off from game action. Then it’ll be 3 more days between days before Saturday’s visit from Edmonton. That’s followed by yet another 3-day game break prior to facing first place Colorado on Oct.28. Then a 2-day siesta before the date with Detroit on Halloween.  Then 3 more days at home before back-to-back games on the road at Dallas and St. Louis on Nov. 4-5.

  The good news is that last season when the Flames have played a game after having had 3-or-more-days off they have a perfect 7-0 record.

  That brings us to the Flames-Jackets clashes.  It almost a sure thing that the Jackets will win when they play at home against the Flames and the opposite when Flame host Columbus.

  On Oct. 13 the Flames played in Columbus losing 2-1. It was the 4th straight time the Flames have lost in the Ohio capital.  The Flames have lost 5 of their last 6 in Columbus and have losses in 8 of last 10. Of the 2 Calgary wins one was in a shootout and one in OT.  Overall Flames at 3-13-1 shen visiting CBJ.

  On the other side, the Bluejackets have lost 7 of 8 in Calgary where overall they are 5-11.

  Another virtual certainty isthat it’ll be a close game.  Ten of the last 13 goals between these two teams have been decided by one goal.

  “Look out Ovechkin, here I come.”

  That was the threat from Brian McGrattan in the aftermath of his greatest hockey night ever being a big spark in the Flames 5-3 triumph over Vancouver.  

   McGrattan spoke in jest about taking aim at NHL scoring leader Alexander Ovechkin but considering he has 3 points in just over 16 minutes of ice time over 3 games, he might lead league the league in points production per minute.

  Playing in the  Saddledome for the first time, McGrattan triggered a Gordie Howe “hat trick” with a goal, an assist and a fight. It was the first time the tough guy had such a night.  The crowning touch was being named #3 star.

  The tough guy, who underwent shoulder surgery delaying his start to the season, battled Canuck tough guy, D’arcy Hordichuk in the first period with McGrattan decking his opponent with a solid right.  In the 2nd period, McGrattan set up Dustin Boyd for what turned out to the GWG. McGrattan then added his first goal in 92 games on his next shift on the ice with wrist shot from the slot behind Roberto Luongo.

  Despite, coach Brent Sutter revamping his lines, top scorers Jarome Iginla and Ollie Jokinen didn’t contribute a point. However, both players played strong games leaving the scoring to Curtus Glencross, Nigel Dawes and Dion Phaneuf as well as the 4th liners McGrattan and Boyd with Brandon Prust fight twice and adding 2 assists.

Moments after the first period with Flames cruising along enjoying a 5-1 leading former Calgary defenseman and now Hawk TV commentator Steve Konroy remarked about the club’s quick start.

Then he added “with this Blackhawk team they have so much scoring power this game may not be over.”

Konroyd, who wore the red retro jersey in the 80’s, couldn’t have been more prophetic.

Sparked by a late 1st period goal, the Hawks scored 3 more in the 2nd before tying the match early in the 3rd.

That sent the match into OT, which lasted just 26 seconds before Brent Seabrook scored and the Hawks had a 6-5 win.

Its been said a 3-goal lead early is the worst in hockey. Now the Flames can add a 5-goal advantage is not so hot either.

A player tells himself not to get compacent with such a quick early edge, but sometimes the sub-conscience mind takes over.

And the Flames inability to win in Chicago takes another mental twist with a 9th straight setback in the Windy City.

Now its Columbus on Tuesday where the Flames have lost 6 of their last 7.

In the aftermath of Monday’s setback as former Dallas Stars GM and Team Canada Olympic management team member Doug Armstrong was leaving the United Center he remarked, “Tomorrow night (Tuesday) your team will play its best game of the season.”

If he proves prophetic, the Flames will return home happy with 3 of a possible 4 points on this quick 2-game trip.

  More than a few fans exiting the Saddledome on Friday night were muttering “They should have won their retro red uniforms.”

  For the first time at home, the Flames abandon their retro reds and for the first time in five games went down to defeat — bowing 5-2 to Dallas.  The Flames won their first 2 home games with the retro uniform.

  On an evening where a win would have given the Flames a club record 5-consecutive wins to start the season, the team went back to its regular red jerseys.  The ones made popular in 2004 when the Flames marched to the Stanley Cup finals. 

  The defeat left the current Flames and the 1993 Flames tied with the best start to a season., Both 4-0.  

  The retro reds, according to the pre-season plan, are only going be worn 3 more times this season — when Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa are in town.

  Another comment from Flame followers after Friday’s match, “The Flames should have had Kiprusoff in the nets.”

  True, Kipper was the goalie in the first four wins, but Curtis McElhinney deserved a chance to start before the season was 2 weeks old.  The Calgary minor hockey product also deserved more support from his teammates.  Per usual when the backup plays the Flames were outshot and goals for total down — just 2 PPG was club’s total offense against the Dallas backup goaltender, Alex Auld.

  For the Stars, ending the Flame winning streak was pay back from 1999. On Jan. 8 of that year, the Dallas came to the ‘Dome riding a 15-game unbeaten streak needing to extend it to 16 for a record.  The Flames won ending the streak.

  The good omen.  Later in 1999, the Stars would capture the Stanley Cup.  A similiar 2009-10 ending for the Flame season would more than make-up for Friday’s defeat.

  One week into the NHL season and the Flames are the only team having all 18 skaters with at least one point. No other team is even close.

  It all proves Brent Sutter’s theory — think defense first and the goals will come.

  …And so do the wins.  The Flames take a perfect 3-0 record into Thursday’s clash in Edmonton.

  The defense record isn’t where Coach Sutter wants it but the process is evolving. The offense is coming from everybody.  The Flames have scored 13 goals and all the defenseman and forwards have had a hand in at least one.  Ten different players have produced the goals.

  The three players sharing the team lead in points with 3 are — Eric Nystrom, Dion Phaneuf and Adam Pardy.  None of them consider sureshots.  Will it be that threesome at the top of team scoring in the end?  Definitely not.  Jarome Iginla, Ollie Jokinen and Daymond Langkow will take their rightful positions at the top in time.

  In the meantime, while the stars learn the Sutter system, the “grunts” are working it to a “T” and getting a huge confidence boost offensively.

  The Flames and Philadelphia Flyers are the only teams to have played three game and utilizing only 19 players.  The Flames figure to continue with the same success squad against the Oilers.

  The aim?  Extend the season starting record to 4-0 tying a club record set in 1993.  As well Sutter could tie Dave King’s club record by winning his 4th straight game starting their Flame coaching career, which King did with the ‘93-94 crew.

  Eric Nystrom could have accepted his first NHL “hat trick”  and called his Dad, Bob, to accept an emotional congratulations.

  Instead the winger-turned-centreman was quite content to have the second 2-goal game of his career in sparking the Flames to a 4-3 triumph over Montreal on Tuesday.

  Orginially, Nystrom was given credit for the Flames tie-breaking 4th goal at 2:16 of the 3rd period.  However, at the end of the game Nystrom told the official scorer the winning goal did not go off him and deflect into the net.  Rather it went off a Canadiens defenseman. That gave Def. Steffan Kronwall  the decisive tally for his first ever NHL goal coming in his 58th game. Kronwall fired a shot from the point after a nifty pass from his defense partner, Adam Pardy.

  Was Nystrom disappointed not to have the hat trick?  “No not at all, I was glad for Krony getting his first goal.”

  Nystrom’s father had a few hat tricks in his time when he starred for New York Islanders teams that began the 80’s with 4-straight Stanley Cups.

  Kronwall also had an assist while Pardy registered a pair of assists.  Jarome Iginla notched his first goal of the campaign as the Flames won the first 3 games of a season for the first time since 1993, when they won 4-straight from the outset.

  Brent Sutter’s crew seeks a 4-0 start to tie that record on Thursday when they play in Edmonton for the second time in 5 days.