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Rapid fire notes ahead of the Flames and Jackets:

McElhinney gets the start his first since his win in Dallas on Nov 4th, big game for Curtis he needs to win to get more starts, tough building to do that in as the Flames have 4 wins total at Nationwide Arena.

Jarome Iginla has more goals then Rick Nash, does that surprise you?

Last time the Flames came to Columbus, Oct 13th Daymond Langkow was a minus 9 he comes into this game tonight a plus 1.

Anton Stralman leads all d-men in this game with 15 points; would you do over the trade that netted the Flames a 3rd round pick for Anton? I wouldn’t because he wouldn’t have those numbers in Calgary, the bulk of his numbers are from the PP, and he wouldn’t play ahead of Jay or Dion.

Last year the Jackets finished the season with the 30th power play in the NHL they come into tonight’s game with the top man advantage unit.

Flames are 7th in the NHL in goaltending and there is more then 2/3rds of the season to go, but a big improvement over last years 23rd end of the season ranking.

Calgary expects both Sarich and Bourque to get back in the line up on this trip, but Sarich is not currently with the team.

Friendly reminder about the upcoming Centre Ice Challenge for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary Sunday Dec6th at Max Bell it is a family event.
Please check out the website: www.centreicechallenge.com

Rod Pederson the legendary voice of the Saskatchewan Roughriders will be live in studio from 4 to 5pm.

Good to see Rene Bourque back on the ice today, no word yet of whether or not he is back in the game tonight. My guess is no since Jamie Lundmark is still with the big club for the morning skate.

Wonder if we see Freddie Sjostrom back in the line up, he was a healthy scratch the last game, likely to send a message about compete level.

Flames trying to rebuild home record just 6 and 5 at home this season, 1 win in their past 5 at the Dome.

Lines
Lundmark Jokinen Iginla
Dawes Langkow Moss
Glencross Conroy Nystrom
Prust Boyd Sjostrom/McGrattan

Regehr Phaneuf
Bouwmeester Sarich
Giordano Pardy

Kiprusoff

Bourque didn’t take part in line rushes.

Tough to watch the Stampeders go quietly into the night in Regina on Sunday, but I am not sure how many are really surprised.

First off congratulations to Ken Miller and the Roughriders for a superb performance in their dominating West Final win, their game plan was played to perfection, despite a slow start.

I hate when someone gives praise to something or someone and then says “but blah blah” so let me try this. I have already got a bunch of e-mails from Rider fan’s wagging their proverbial tongue in my direction, that’s fine I am no real fan of rider nation for various reasons and as a result I am sure I am one of many getting cyber space raspberries tonight.
With that said hard not to be impressed with the crowd at Mosaic Stadium, there is no doubt in my mind that Saskatchewan’s “13th” man was a factor, you too deserve congratulations and credit for the win.

The organizers of the 97th Grey Cup have caught a huge break in my eyes; with no home team they got the next best thing having the Riders there, Montreal being there is rather immaterial in the grand scheme of things. As far as the game and the major high profile events go there will likely be a good turn out. The only thing I wonder about now are some of the smaller more local events, will non football fans in Calgary come out for the parade for example now that the locals aren’t involved.

As far as the Stamps go it was an unsettling season in many ways, at times they looked like champs at other times they looked disinterested.

Some thoughts on their final game:

You won’t win any game when you take 9 penalties in the first half, the pass interference call on the first Rider TD drive was in a way a turning point.

If I know that on second and long Durant is going to Fantuz maybe it shouldn’t surprise you so much.

TSN did a great job of showing how Saskatchewan was taking the edge away from Burris so he couldn’t scamper like he did against the Esk’s, but there had to be another way of allowing Henry to sue his feet.

Henry was the target all after noon by the “13th” man and by early in the 3rd quarter it was quite evident they got to him.

The Stamps never had a deep threat after Rambo went down in the beginning of the season.

I am not going to get on a soap box and say this guy and that guy need to stay or need to go, better people then I will make those determinations, but I know this there will be change there always is.

I have always been a defender of Henry Burris, and I always will be, but he did not have a good season by his own standards. There will be (there already have been) those who think that he should be given the bums rush out of town, again the Stamps will have to make that decision but since they gave him an extension at the start of the year I bet he is back. The pressure on Hank will be to show that he still has the ability to be the best quarterback in the league, knowing him it will eat at him all off season.

I hope that free agent Joffery Reynolds is back next year, but for some reason I have a feeling we won’t, and that is all it is a feeling. Gawd I hope I am wrong about that.

According to the game notes from this afternoon’s game in LA the Flames have recalled Jamie Lundmark.

Thanks to the Colorado Avalanche for providing me even more ammunition last night that they are indeed a play off contender, ouch, tomorrow’s game in Vancouver is huge for them.

For those just tuning in “Yes” there is shouting in hockey, and “Yes” players get reamed out by their coaches behind closed doors. Our ever growing need to feed the beast will no doubt reveal some startling revelations in the days to come like not everyone gets a long and sometimes after losses the bus rides are quiet.

Do you think the Hawks regret trading Rene Bourque for a draft pick? Probably not, since they are loaded with good young talent, but he does come into this game as the leading scorer for both teams.

Flames with just 3 wins in their last 10 versus the Hawks overall and have the same record versus Chicago at home in the past 10.

Lines

Glencross Jokinen Iginla
Dawes Langkow Bourque
Nystrom Boyd Moss
Prust Conroy Sjostrom
McGrattan

Regehr Phaneuf
Bouwmeester Sarich
Giordano Pardy
Johnson

Kiprusoff

Please checkout our event for Big Brothers Big Sisters Dec6th 2:30 at Max Bell.
www.centreicechallenge.com

Tomorrow at 10:30am down at Max Bell there will be a press conference to announce my first (hopefully not my last) charity event to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary, if you would like to get a sneak peek check out the link below.

http://www.centreicechallenge.com/

It is a family event that I want to get a big crowd out to, so if you can make it Sunday afternoon Dec 6th we would love to have you.

The Avalanche make their second appearance at the Dome this season, and one thing is becoming evident when teams get a second crack at the Av’s they tend to take them a little more seriously.

The Flames assigned Staffan Kronwall to Abbotsford today on a conditioning stint he doesn’t have to clear waivers but will be recalled with a pre determined time. Funny thing he has played more recently then Aaron Johnson but he gets to go play for Jim Playfair.

Flames have scored more 1st period goals then anyone else in the NHL with 27, and have scored first in 15 of 18 games this year. It’s carrying on that momentum after they get the lead which seems to be the thing the coaching staff is concerning themselves with.

Lines

Glencross Jokinen Iginla
Dawes Langkow Bourque
Nystrom Boyd Moss
Sjostrom Conroy McGratten/Prust

Regehr Phaneuf
Bouwmeester Sarich
Giordano Pardy
Johnson

Kiprusoff

The Flames come off the road with 5 of a possible 6 points, but something tells me the coaching staff isn’t as happy as some might think. The reason for the 5 points was simply the play of Miikka Kiprusoff who is playing his best hockey dare I say in 4 years.

Peter Maher said it best last night during the post game that while the team is making some strides they remain a group who at times can get satisfied easily. Peter echoing what the coaches have been saying all along, that this team remains a work in progress.

They have to find a way to get the shots up per game they remain dead last in the NHL in that category.

At the end of the day the fact remains the Flames despite their struggles are finding ways to win and trust me there are no shortage of teams who would love to be finding their way and still collecting points.

As I peer out of the press box here at McMahon I wonder which Stampeders team I will witness here this afternoon.

I they win I think most will expect that and it will be on to Saskatchewan for a nail biter against the riders.

If they lose I think it will be very interesting to watch the fall out, there are already some who believe that this team is too old? I don’t know if I buy that, but make no mistake if they lose at home today their will be changes, outside of the Coach/GM I doubt anybody is safe.

The Stamps are wearing their black uni’s they beat the Esk’s in them on Labor Day and are 3-1 when they wear them in the post season.

To the surprise of some Miikka Kiprusoff gets back into the nets tonight in Toronto, but why? I don’t ask that in the condescending manner which most in the media use that simplest of questions, but more as a way of trying to understand the logic. Kiprusoff was been outstanding, for what it is worth I think this is the best play from #34 since his Vezina trophy win in 05/06, yet I thought the idea was to better manage his time this year. When that game ended last night 1 would have bet the farm that McElhinney would have gotten his third start, back to back games with the first one going into extra time as you prepared to take on a team that was ranked 29th in the season.
I admit I am more interested in seeing Curtis back in goal then I am about getting Kiprusoff rest, I really want to see if the McElhinney we saw in Dallas is the one we are going to see the rest of the way.
Calgary doesn’t appear likely to make any other roster moves for the game versus the Maple Leafs, the only possible move would be to replace a d-man or dress 7 blue liners. Considering the line up of the Leafs you likely are going to need both McGrattan and Prust in the line up, watch for a Colton Orr McGrattan tilt early in the game.
The Flames are really digging themselves out of some early season statistical holes, the biggest being goals against average which is now 10th best in the NHL just over a week ago they were 24th.
One area they are not getting any better in are shots for, the Flames are dead last in that category. Calgary has mustered just 30 or more shots in 4 of the first 17 games, and has just outshot a team on 3 occasions. Look no further then that for the Flames recent offensive woes.

Jarome Iginla will be (has been) named the first star of the week for the NHL, he had 4 goals and an assist in 3 Calgary wins.

Curtis Glencross’s hit on Chris Drury has some in the hockey world really up in arms. Number 20 hit the Rangers captain early in the first period while he didn’t have the puck, at the very least it should have been a 2 minute interference penalty but likely really should have been the 5 minute major that the league put in place last year but doesn’t call. Now we wait and see if the league suspends him, my guess is no, but when the wheel of justice spins you never know.

One thought on Sean Avery unrelated to the previous point (although he was going to get Glencross if the game got out of hand, see Larry Brooks New York Post) he is a waste of 4 million plus plain and simple.

This mornings practice is further evidence that Brent Sutter is not letting up this team, despite winning three in a row the head coach has been all over his charges. Stopping a drill and making them skate a few lines. Calling them over and rather loudly reading the riot act to them.

Freddy Sjostrom took a shot off his hand and left practice we will try and get an update on him for this afternoon.

Lines
Sjostrom Jokinen Iginla
Dawes Conroy Bourque
Nystrom Boyd Moss
Prust Conroy Glencross

Regehr Phaneuf
Bouwmeester Sarich
Pardy Giordano
Johnson Kronwall

A BIG thank you to everybody who came out to Big Party V last night, best part of the night by a country mile was before and after the event when we could just sit at a table and talk to all of you. It is very humbling to actually spend some quality face to face time with those who hang in and listen to your work on a daily basis.

The one thing that I came away from last night with was an appreciation for how many people actually get it, it was refreshing and encouraging to hear as many people as I did say “I don’t always agree with you, but respect the opinion” thanks for that.

Another thing that I heard a lot last night was “I saw you here or there but I didn’t want to come over and bother you” it is never a bother. If you see us at a remote or at Shanks during road games and you have a question or comment by all means come on over, we don’t bite. If we are on the air just wait till a break and ask away.

Will there be anything tonight between Dion and Sean Avery? I doubt it! But watch Jarome Iginla people forget the story as Dallas came in last December the story line was the comments Avery had made about Iggy in the off season then the idiot beaked off about Dion’s girlfriend.

Despite the two road wins don’t expect Brent Sutter to let off his team, it is evident that he is trying to get them out of their comfort zone when they are having success so that they don’t rest on their laurels.

While I maintain that this team is still a work in progress (insert groans here) they are beginning to look more and more like the team I thought they were going to be when Brent was hired. The offensive struggles may continue for a while here.

No real line rushes today, Kipper starts, generally the lines remain the same, no indication of who is in and who is out.