Historical Replay - Calgary Flames

[DFyvie]

Flames win see-saw battle with Avs
10.10.05 21:57MST

Marty Turco gets first NHL win against Colorado



The Calgary Flames found themselves on the right side of a back-and-forth battle with the Colorado Avalanche and in the process gave their 30yr old rookie goalie his first NHL win.

With the final buzzer sounding, Mike Cammalleri flipped the game puck into the glove of Marty Turco (pictured) who's waited a long time for his first NHL win. "It's makes it all worth while. I felt like I was good enough to be in the NHL, and being stuck in the minors all those years was tough. It's a sweet victory."

The Avalanche started strong in this game, which was Calgary's second in as many nights, with a goal from Sandis Ozolinsh at 7:19 of the first period from Joe Sakic. Eric Weinrich later doubled the lead at 16:10 of the first with a wrist shot from Jeff Carter and Ryane Clowe.

The visitors got their legs in the second as they scored three consecutive goals in the second. Iginla with his 3rd of the year at 1:24 from Preissing and Richards. Milan Michalek with his first career goal at 2:55 from David Legwand and later Shawn Bates with his second of the season from Mike Cammalleri and Legwand. The Avs tied the game at 3 with a tip from Stephane Yelle at 17:01 from Weinrich and Foote to finish off the second period.

The back-and-forth continued in the final frame. Calgary regained the lead again 7:01 of the third from Ryan Craig from Bates before Joe Sakic tied it up at 10:38 from McGillis and Aaron Johnson. Finally, Brad Richards tallied the winner at 18:04 from Iginla to hand Turco his first win.

"The lead changed hands a lot tonight." Said Coach Fyvie. "We played pretty well on the road against a good team. We need to be a bit better away from the puck, but the effort was there."

Shots were 41 to 30 for the Flames. Calgary went 0 for 2 on the powerplay, and Colorado went 0 for 5.

The Flames have finished their road trip to start the season and head back home to play their Home Opener against Marty Turco's old squad on October 13th. Colorado remains at home to host Alex Ovechkin and Martin St.Louis of the Nashville Predators on October 12th.

[DFyvie]

Boyle and Flames burn Stars 5-2
13.10.05 21:56MST

Boyle shines in homeopener.



The Calgary Flames, led by defenseman Dan Boyle, beat the Stars 5-2 tonight in their home opener. 29yr old Boyle scored 3 goals and had 2 assists in the game that also saw J-S Giguere record his 11,000 save of his career.

"We played well out there tonight. It took us a while to get going and skate off the butterflies, but we are happy with our effort." Said Coach Fyvie who faced off against his former coach Paul Maurice who was behind the Dallas bench.

Dallas took advantage early in the game with a goal from Brenden Morrow at 1:06 of the first from Modano. The Flames answered back on the powerplay from Brad Richards at 3:24 from Boyle and Lydman for his 3rd of the season. It was Calgary's first powerplay goal of the season. Dallas retook the lead at 17:21 with a goal from Miettinen from Stoll and Horcoff.

The Second period was all Calgary as the Flames tied the score at 2 with a goal from Boyle at 6:16 from Milan Michalek and another from Boyle, this time on the powerplay, at 15:34 from Richards and Iginla.

The Third period was more of the same as the Flames extended their lead. Milan Michalek scored his second of the season at 10:16 from Connolly and Boyle. Boyle then completed the hat-trick, on the powerplay, from Iginla at 14:38.

"It was a great game. I came in tonight with no goals and no points and come home with 5 points. It felt great!" Said Boyle of his historic night.

For the game, Calgary outshot the Stars 50 to 24. Calgary went 3 for 8 on the powerplay whereas the Stars went 1 for 8.

Calgary next hosts the rival Edmonton Oilers in this season's first instalment of the Battle of Alberta October 15th. Coincidentally, Dallas' next game is also against Edmonton. The Stars travel north to face the Oilers tomorrow night, October 14th.

[DFyvie]

Flames win round two of 'Battle of Alberta'
20.10.05 22:35MST

Iginla nets 5 point night in demolition of Oilers



For the second time in a week, the Oilers rolled into Calgary and limped home. Much like the previous game 5 nights ago, the Flames top line went to work and handed the Oilers a humiliating loss. This time it was an 8-1 rout, 2 goals worse than before.

Tonight Captain Jarome Iginla (pictured), an Edmonton native, was the one who carried the scalpel. Iginla scored 2 goals and had 3 assists and sent his childhood team back up Highway Two, battered and bruised.

Despite the number of goals, first blood wasn't spilled until the second period. Shawn Bates got the Flames on the board with his 3rd of the season at 5:31 of the second from Rene Bourque and Chris Simon. Richards doubled the lead at 13:14 from Cammalleri and Iginla. Richards scored again shortly thereafter at 15:05 from Iginla to make it a 3-0 game. Chris Clark ended the period with his first of the season at 15:59 from Steen and Boyle.

The Third period saw more from the Flames with their powerplay going to work on the hapless Oilers. Steen scored his first, with the man-advantage, at 00:54 of the third from Legwand and Connolly. Comrie answered for the Oilers at 6:30 from Nummelin and Chimera to make it a 5-1 game. Lydman of the Flames replied just over a minute later at 7:42 with a point shot setup from Oduya and Iginla. Then Iginla scored two himself to end the game. His first coming at 12:31 from Boyle and Milan Michalek and another at 19:34 from Boyle and Richards.

"This is the second time we've played them in a week and the results are the same. We didn't change too much." Said Coach Fyvie. "It was like a shooting gallery out there, the boys had fun."

The previous Battle of Alberta played on the 15th was just as one-sided as the Flames took Edmonton to the woodshed in a 6-1 affair.

"I think we're going to have fun this year." Said Iginla who has 3 goals and 7 points in the two outings against Edmonton this year. "Having (Cammalleri) with me and (Richards) has been great. He's really filled the hole (St.Louis) left when he was traded." The Flames top unit of Cammalleri, Richards and Iginla have thus far combined for an impressive 36 points in 8 games and Iginla leads the team with 7 goals and 15 points to start the season.

The Flames outshot the Oilers tonight 50 to 20 and went 3 for 9 on the powerplay. Edmonton's powerplay unit went scoreless, 0 for 8.

Calgary now sit first in the West with 12 points to start the season. Edmonton sits 9th. The Flames head on a 5 game road-trip with their next game facing the Dallas Stars on the 22nd of October. Calgary has already faced the Stars, beating them 5-2 last week. Edmonton goes home tonight to host Colorado tomorrow night in a quick turnaround.

[DFyvie]

Milestones hit in Battle of Alberta
23.01.06 23:00MST

Iginla hits 600 points and Guerin plays 1000th game

The Calgary Flames hit the road this evening in Edmonton and came away with an ugly 9-6 win over the Edmonton Oilers which saw a lot of penalties, goals and milestones for all those involved.



Longtime veteran Bill Guerin of the Edmonton Oilers celebrated his 1000th game in the NHL at the start of the hockey game with a short opening announcement. And then the puck dropped, and the game then belonged to Flames Captain Jarome Iginla (pictured) who played perhaps his best game of the season, with 4 goals and 6 points, against the provincial rivals.

"It was ugly out there." Said Iginla with a laugh. "Lot's of goals. Lot's of gritted teeth. We really hate each other." Iginla scored 3 of his 4 goals with the man-advantage and had completed his hat-trick mid-way through the second period. The Captain currently leads the Flames with 35 goals and 72 points in just 48 games. He has 19 more points than Brad Richards who sits second in team scoring with 15 goals and 53 points.

"To get 600 points in this league is an honour. It is an honour and a privilege to play in this league, with these teammates and in front of these fans." Said the Flames Captain.

On the other side of the building, Bill Guerin was equally thankful. "I'm a lucky man. I've had the benefit of playing in a market that lives and breaths this team. 1000 games is a long time, but it's flown by. I just wish we would've won the game."

In the 15 goal affair, the Flames at one point had a 6-0 lead, but Edmonton could never close the deficit anymore than to 3 goals. Other notables included 11 different Flames players registering at least one point, 7 of which registered a multipoint game. 10 separate Oilers registered at least one point, with 5 registering more than one. 10 powerplay goals were shared between the two teams, 7 for Calgary and 3 for Edmonton spread across 23 opportunities. Calgary took 25 minutes in penalties to Edmonton's colossal 52 minutes. And Calgary took 49 shots on net to Edmonton's 23.

This was the 6th meeting between these two teams with Calgary holding the slight edge at 4 wins to 2. There remains 2 more games, giving Edmonton a chance to tie the series. The next Battle of Alberta is March 16th, in Edmonton.

The Flames currently sit 2nd in the Conference with a 31-12-5 record. Edmonton continues to struggle with in 12th with a dismal 17-25-7 record.

[DFyvie]

Flames and Flyers make swap
03.03.06 14:25MST

Langkow and Demitra traded for Connolly, Upshall, and pick





The Calgary Flames and the Philadelphia Flyers made a late season exchange this afternoon, it has been announced. Coming from the Flyers are linemates Pavel Demitra and Edmonton native Daymond Langkow (both pictured) in exchange for Tim Connolly and winger Scottie Upshall. A 7th round pick has also been listed as going to Philadelphia.

With Demitra, Calgary is getting an offensive winger that can also play down the middle. Langkow is known as a two-way centre that can play big minutes. "We're obviously happy with the players we got today. With the new rules, the game has opened up a lot and someone like Demitra can really exploit that." Said GM Fyvie of his new winger. The GM was also keen on his new pivot Daymond Langkow. "Langkow's a really important player. He can do a lot of us up and down the lineup and gives us a lot of depth in a key area. He's an Alberta boy, has played with Iginla in the past and already has a chemistry with Demitra - they'll be playing together right away."

For the Flyers, this was a salary dump as both players have expiring contracts and the team is on the outside looking in for for the playoffs this season. Coming the other way are two players that will be under contract for the Flyers next season as they look to rebuild.

The second place Flames next play tomorrow night when they host the San Jose Sharks, who currently sit in 8th place. It is anticipated that both of Fyvie's new acquisitions will suit up for tomorrow's tilt.

[DFyvie]

Boyle nets hat-trick in win over Wild
21.03.06 22:45MST

Flames win 4-3 on the road



Defenseman Dan Boyle was the difference maker for the Calgary Flames as they defeated the Minnesota Wild tonight by a score of 4-3. The blueliner scored 3 goals, 2 of which on the powerplay, and continues his stellar season with career highs with 22 goals and 56 points.

"He had his legs moving tonight." Noted Coach Fyvie on his defenseman's performance. "He's been solid all year for us."

Mike Cammalleri opened the scoring for the Flames with his career high 31st goal of the season at 5:53 of the first period from Iginla and Daymond Langkow. Minnesota native and Wild star Zach Parise tied the game with a short-handed wrist shot past Giguere at 9:32 from Laaksonen and Bouillon. Boyle scored his first of the game less than 10 seconds later on the same powerplay at 9:39 from Richards to retake the lead. Minnesota fought back again to cap a busy first period with a goal from Mikael Samuelsson at 16:16 from Nordstrom and Rasmussen.

The second period was a lot quieter than the first. The Flames retook the lead for good with a goal from Boyle, his second of the night, at 19:11 from Regehr and Iginla.

Boyle scored again to get the hat-trick early in the 3rd to double the lead with a powerplay goal at 3:11 from Cammalleri and Iginla. The score stayed at 4-2 for much of the 3rd until Bouillon brought the Wild to within 1 with a shorthanded goal at 17:43 from Hentunen and Nordstrom.

The Flames outshot the Wild 50 to 20 and went 2 for 6 on the powerplay, though they did concede 2 shorthanded goals. The Wild's powerplay went 1 for 5.

The 2nd place Flames continue their road-trip by visiting the Blues on March 23rd. Minnesota, who sit 13th in the conference, head to Dallas tonight to face the Stars tomorrow night in a quick turnaround.

[DFyvie]

Cammalleri and Giguere hit milestones in win
05.04.06 21:58MST

Flames beat Coyotes 5-4



The Calgary Flames faced the Phoenix Coyotes tonight and came home with a 5-4 win coupled with notable milestones for two of their players. Starter J-S Giguere got his 250th career win of his career and Mike Cammalleri (pictured) netted his 100th goal and 200th point.

"It was a good team win, and getting some milestones for the home crowd was a nice touch too." Said Coach Dave Fyvie of the team's efforts. "We're getting close to the playoffs and it's important to play tight and as a team. I think we did that tonight."

This was also the fifth straight game Cammalleri has registered a goal, as the young winger has caught a bit of lightning down the stretch.

For J-S Giguere, he now leads all Flames goaltenders in wins with 249 - one more than Mike Vernon. His first career win was with the Hartford Whalers in 1996/97.

The game was a back-and-forth affair. Phoenix veteran Keith Tkachuk started the scoring early at 00:48 into the game from Vermette and Koltsov. Langkow answered back with his first as a Flame at 4:28 from Oduya and Demitra. The Coyotes rattled off two quick powerplay goals. One at 17:02 from Harold set up from Briere, and the second at 18:39 from Kirill Koltsov from Briere again, and Vermette. Calgary answered back before the end of the first with a goal from Demitra at 19:13 from Boyle.

The second period was more of the same. Calgary tied it up at 4:26 from rookie Milan Michalek from Iginla and Cammalleri before Phoenix again took the lead. Shane Doan did the honours at 10:00 from Briere and Pominville. But the Flames tied it again. Mike Cammalleri, with his 100th goal of his short career, and 39th of his breakout season, got on the board at 17:18 from line-mates Iginla and Richards.

The third period tightened up as both teams smelled 2 critical April points but it was a hard-angled shot from Pavel Demitra that sealed it for the Flames. At 13:18 of the third, from Lydman and Langkow, for Demitra's 36th of the season.

Overall, Phoenix outshot the Flames 31-28 and the Coyotes went 2-6 on the powerplay to Calgary's 1-6.

Phoenix remains tied for the lead in the Pacific Division with the San Jose Sharks, but still sit 3rd in the Conference, with San Jose clinging to 8th making the points critical at this stage of the season. Calgary continues their strangle-hold on the Northwest Division as they lead the 5th place Canucks by 8 points with 6 games to go.

Mike Cammalleri will look to continue his goal streak as the Flames finish off their home-stand against the Wild on 7th of April. Phoenix heads home to face the Stars on 8th of April.

[DFyvie]

Iginla scores hat-trick in barn-burner
08.04.06 22:48MST

Captain scores 5 points in 6-5 win over Canucks



The Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames were at it again tonight with an 11 goal assault that saw the visiting Flames take the season series 5 games to 3 with a score of 6-5 to solidify their position atop the Pacific Division.

Captain Jarome Iginla led the Flames with 3 goals and 5 points on the night and continues to dominate the scoresheet this season with career highs in goals (44) and points (110). Iginla also recorded his 350th assist of the night, and fellow power forward Todd Bertuzzi scored his 250th goal in the loss.

"Anytime we play these guys, it gets pretty intense." Said Iginla, who was the first star of the night. "It's a shame the goalies are the ones with the short end of the stick. Lot's of goals."

Brad Richards opened the scoring with a powerplay marker at 1:39 of the first from Iginla and Cammalleri. Iginla piled on the lead with an even-strength goal at 10:01 from Boyle and Cammalleri. Vancouver answered with two quick goals. Bouwmeester at 13:57 from Henrik and Daniel Sedin, and Henrik Sedin at 17:20 from Bertuzzi and Daniel Sedin to tied the score. Calgary regained the lead with a goal from Jarome Iginla, his second of the night, at 17:38 from Oduya and Zbynek Michalek to close out the first.

The Second Period was a bit quieter. Chris Clark increased Calgary's lead at 9:06 from Dominic Moore and Chris Simon to make it 4-3. Vancouver responded late in the period from Daniel Sedin at 19:57 from Bertuzzi.

The teams traded more goals in the 3rd. Vancouver tied it up early with a goal from Rob Niedermayer at 1:37 from Markus Naslund and Bryan Allen. Calgary regained the lead for good at 10:24 with Dan Boyle's 24th of the season from Iginla and Richards on the powerplay. Iginla scored his third from Cammalleri and Richards at 11:52 on another powerplay. Vancouver made it close at even strength with a goal from Todd Bertuzzi at 17:52 from Henrik Sedin and Dennis Seidenburg.

4 Flames registered at least 2 points in the game, to Vancouver's 3. Shots were 38 to 32 for Calgary who also registered 3 powerplay goals on 8 opportunities. Vancouver's powerplay unit went 1 for 7.

The second place Flames return home to face the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on 11th of April. Vancouver remains home to face the very same Ducks on 10th of April. Both teams have only 4 games left in the regular season.

[DFyvie]

Flames host Blue Jackets in first round
22.04.06 12:00MST

Flames vs Blue Jackets begins 24th of April



After a successful 116 point season, the second place Calgary Flames will host the upstart Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This is the first time in Columbus' relatively short history that the team has made the playoffs.

"They're a good team that had no problems playing us this season." Said Alternate Captain Robyn Regehr (pictured) on their first round opponent. "We went 0-3-1 against them this year, so we're going to have to change how we play them."

The Blue Jackets have built their team systematically through the draft in their first 5 years to accumulate a collection of exciting forwards Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, and Evgeni Malkin. Young American role-players like Ryan Kesler and R.J. Umberger round out the forward lines, along with former Flames foot-soldier Martin Gelinas, make this a team that can skate with anyone.

The only obvious weakness to the team is their relatively shallow blue-line corps that is absent of any big names. Frantisek Kaberle and Nick Shultz look to take on the big minutes along the blue-line with support from Anton Volchenkov and 19yr old Jack Johnson.

The Goaltending tandem of Manny Legace and Peter Budaj have performed admirably and make this team a challenge every night.

Calgary has been a strong team all year, with centrepiece Jarome Iginla enjoying a breakout season with 46 goals and 114 points. His line-mates Richards and Cammalleri have also enjoyed coming out seasons too. Brad Richards came in second in team scoring with 92 points over 79 games. Mike Cammalleri exploded in just his 4th full season of his career with 42 goals and 91 points. Newcomers at the deadline, Daymond Langkow and Pavel Demitra, add another dimension on the second line giving the Flames a lot of scoring depth upfront.

The Flames' Blue-line remains deep with Dan Boyle scoring 24 goals this season, and support from partner Robyn Regehr. The emergence of young rearguard Johnny Oduya, who has shown glimpses of being a top-4 defenseman in the seasons to come, means the Flames remain strong on the blue-line.

J-S Giguere, who has been adamant all season that he wishes to explore free-agency at seasons end, looks to start in net. The 28yr old has manned the crease for the Flames for 8 straight seasons with the last 7 being the undisputed number 1. Sadly, he is enduring his worst year to date with a career worst save-percentage despite the Flames being the second most stingiest teams in shots allowed. His Goals Against Average is also at a career high making his potential final year with the Flames a rather pedestrian one and could seriously impact his payday this summer.

Despite the 25 point difference in the standings, look for this first round to be a close one. The Flames failed to win one game against the Blue Jackets all year and will have to figure out a way to neutralise this exciting young team who are keen to make some noise in their first Playoff appearance.

[DFyvie]

Flames dispatch Blue Jackets in 5
02.05.06 23:00MST

Calgary outscores Columbus 24 to 9.



The Calgary Flames finished off the Blue Jackets in Game 5 by a score of 7-0. Leading the charge tonight was Flames centre Brad Richards who delivered a fantastic 4 point performance to finish off the 7th seed opponents.

"We didn't take them lightly. We wanted to play them hard." Noted Coach Fyvie of the quick series. "We went winless against them during the regular season and I think, more than anything, we wanted to prove to them who we were as a team."

The Blue Jackets boast a young and talented team but still has some holes as a franchise. The team's shallow defensive corps was on display as the Flames forward depth wrecked havoc in Columbus' zone all series as the Flames outscored the Blue Jackets 24 to 9 over the 5 game series.

Calgary will have to wait until the remaining series conclude before knowing their fate. As it stands, Detroit and St Louis both hold commanded leads other their respective rivals, Anaheim and San Jose. The 5th place Vancouver Canucks have already managed to sweep Nashville in 4. If St.Louis holds on and wins, along with Detroit, Calgary will face the Canucks, and the Red Wings will host the Blues.

In the East, only top seeded Buffalo has advanced with a 4 game sweep of the New Jersey Devils. Carolina and Pittsburgh remain tied at 2 wins apiece, as well as the Rangers and the Islanders. Ottawa leads the Habs 3-1.

[DFyvie]

Flames to host Canucks in Round Two
06.05.06 13:30MST

Divisional Rivals set for exciting second round



The stage is set for an exciting match-up between the two top teams in the Northwest Division as the Flames will host the Vancouver Canucks in round two.

Led by the emerging dynamic duo of the Sedin Twins (pictured with Naslund), Vancouver has an abundance of weapons amongst their forward ranks. Markus Naslund, Todd Bertuzzi and Patrice Bergeron compliment the two Sedins, making the Canucks a formidable opponent.

Vancouver's blue-line is also stacked. 22yr old Jay Bouwmeester leads a corps of solid veterans like Ed Jovanovski, Adrian Aucoin, and Mattias Ohlund that make up perhaps the best blue-line in the league.

In net, Vancouver's enigmatic Russian starter Ilya Bryzgalov keeps reporters busy with his unusual quotes. He has talent and is a fierce competitor, but may be the weakest link on the team.

Vancouver had a very sluggish start this season and didn't find consistency until after Christmas. This slow start, coupled with Calgary's very quick start, gifted the Flames the division, but Vancouver's play since the new year has been solid as the team finished the season with 102 points making the round a tough one to predict. The Flames won the season series 5-3 and are an encouraging 3-1 against the Canucks since Christmas when Vancouver found their game.

[DFyvie]

Flames win overtime thriller to put away Canucks
18.05.06 23:57MST

Oduya sends Canucks to off-season



The Calgary Flames beat the Vancouver Canucks in a thrilling Game 7 overtime and will face the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Final for the second straight season.

Johnny Oduya (pictured) was the hero as he scored the game winner. "It was a very emotional series. They are such a good team. I feel we laid it all on the line to win the game and the series." Noted the young defenseman, who in just his second full season has developed into one of Calgary's better rearguards.

The series was a tough grind as the final 3 games went to overtime. "I felt like each team took their turn with the momentum." Said Coach and GM Dave Fyvie. "You just didn't really know when it would swing.. and then it would and you're out of luck. Both teams played their hearts out."

Vancouver's special teams reigned supreme in the series versus the Flames' anaemic powerplay. The Canucks powerplay scored when they needed the big goal, and in overtime in game 6 managed to kill off a 2 minute 5 on 3.

For the Flames, scoring depth and 5v5 team play carried them to the slim victory. J-S Giguere also dug deep and performed heroics in the final two games of the series as he faced a heavy workload.

The Flames now look ahead to the dangerous Detroit Red Wings as they look to exact revenge on the very same team that eliminated them in the third round last season.

"We'll be ready." Said Captain Jarome Iginla, who shares the team lead in points with 13 with Brad Richards and Pavel Demitra.

[DFyvie]

Flames face rematch with Red Wings
19.05.06 12:00MST

Top seeds face-off in Western Conference Finals



Nicklas Lidstrom (pictured) and the Detroit Red Wings will host the Calgary Flames in the Conference Finals for the second year in a row. This time the Flames are the no.2 seed in the conference making this a clash of the titans in the west.

The season series this year was a tight affair with Detroit again claiming the edge going being the Flames 3 times, twice in regulation.

Datsyuk and Zetterberg again lead the team for Detroit, with longtime veterans Chelios, Fedorov and Bondra in support. Detroit has had little trouble in the post-season thus far as both of their previous rounds were concluded in 5 games each.

Calgary had a slightly tougher route to the Conference Finals as the Vancouver Canucks took the Flames to 7 games.

Expect a tight affair in this round but Calgary will be without the services of Detroit native David Legwand who is out nursing a sore achilles tendon. Kyle Brodziak is expected to slide back into the 3rd line centre role and attempt to shutdown Datsyuk and Zetterberg.

In the East, first place Buffalo and second place Carolina face-off in a mirror image of the West in a battle of top teams.

Detroit hosts the first game tomorrow, 20th of May.

[DFyvie]

Detroit sweeps Flames and return to the Finals
27.05.06 23:45MST

Red Wings stamp ticket to Stanley Cup for third straight year



The Detroit Red Wings continued their post-season dominance and easily dispatched the Flames in 4 straight games this evening with a game 4 score of 6-2. The Flames had no answer for Detroit's elite players Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Lidstrom.

Hardly able to contain his disappoint, GM and Coach Dave Fyvie addressed the media. "We tried a few things for sure, but when you're down a key guy like Legwand who is so important to your team, it's hard. Detroit just doesn't make any mistakes and feasts all night on yours."

The Flames trailed in every game in the short series and looked listless at times. J-S Giguere, a pending free agent, was the lone shining light in the series for the Flames at times that saw the Flames offensive depth appearing ineffective throughout the 4 games.

The Flames face a few questions this off-season. Giguere and Toni Lydman are both key players that have refused to discuss any contract extensions with the Flames front-office and appear eager to test the Free-agent market. Their absence will test the depth of the Flames depth chart going forward.

For Detroit, this is the 3rd straight year they have made the Finals, winning a Cup in 2004. Signs point to a Carolina opponent as the Hurricanes lead the Sabres 3 game to 1 as of tonight.

[DFyvie]

2006/07 Season Preview - Calgary Flames
20.09.06 12:00MST

Two-time Western Conference Finalists try to get over hump



The 2005/06 edition of the Calgary Flames saw the team jump in the standings to once again reign supreme over the Northwest Division with 116 points, one point shy of their 117 point 1989 season which saw them last raise the Stanley Cup. And again, the Flames found themselves battling in the Western Conference Finals with the highly touted Detroit Red Wings. And sadly again, the Flames failed to get over the hump and make it to the finals.

Now of course we know that the 'hump' isn't just something to roll over. In this instance, it is a well-oiled machine that ultimately won Lord Stanley's cup for the second time in 3 years and is led by the generational talent that is Niklas Lidstrom. For the Flames to beat the Wings, they need to get better. The question is, did they?

In short, no. The Flames lost two critical members of last year's squad to free-agency. J-S Giguere, the team leader in Goals Against Average, Career wins, and Save Percentage refused to entertain remaining with the Flames and signed a lucrative deal with the St.Louis Blues. Toni Lydman, longtime #3 d-man signed a 3 year deal with the re-building Dallas Stars and was named Captain upon arrival.

In their place the Flames have looking internally. Marty Turco, a longtime minor league Goalie has inherited the number one role and has yet to prove he can take on the workload. The Flames front office is confident he can manage the role and with GM Fyvie in his last year of his current contract, may well put his job on the line with this gamble.

Johnny Oduya, a second round draft pick in 2000, has been tabbed to fill in Lydman's longtime role on the second defensive pairing with Zbynek Michalek. Oduya's game doesn't resemble Lydman's in any way, but his offensive awareness and superior mobility add a dimension that was always missing from the second pairing and compliments Michalek's game in a way Lydman never could.

The Forward ranks largely remain the same. After the acquisition of Demitra and Langkow, who were both on expiring contracts, Fyvie re-upped the tandem to affordable contracts cementing the team's offensive depth for the foreseeable future. This is the second year in a row that Fyvie's deadline deals turned out to be long-term solutions as Brad Lukowich was acquired and thus signed longterm shortly thereafter.

The Flames are deep upfront with speed, grit and skill. They posses a solid blue-line that strikes a balance of puck-movers and crease-clearers. It is ultimately the Goaltending that is the question mark. Will Turco manage to handle the workload, or will the Flame be forced to win in spite of their man between the pipes?

All in all, the Flames should still remain a contender to win the division, as both Edmonton and Colorado have begun over-due rebuilds. Minnesota can perhaps challenge for a playoff spot which leaves the formidable Vancouver Canucks as Calgary's only threat within the NorthWest Division.

[DFyvie]

Flames grab pair off if waivers
03.10.06 12:00MST

Roloson and Sutton join Flames for 06/07 season



The Calgary Flames announced a pair of waiver acquisitions today on the cusp of the regular season. Eager to upgrade his goaltending tandem, GM Dave Fyvie plucked veteran and former Flame draft pick Dwayne Roloson (pictured) from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Stay-at-home defenseman Andy Sutton, recently signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs was plucked off the wire as the Leafs attempted to sneak the veteran down to the minors.

"(Roloson) is a legitimate talent. He and Turco really solidify the position for us." Noted Fyvie. "And Sutton fits in well with what we are looking for. He adds some sand-paper in front of the net."

The Flames are coming off their best pre-season in recent memory as they went 7-0-0 and are excited to play for keeps. The season for Calgary starts against the rival Oilers in Edmonton October 5th. Their home-opener comes shortly afterwards against the same Oilers October 7th.

[DFyvie]

Iginla scores 4 in rout over Vancouver
9.12.06 23:00MST

Flames pile on Canucks in 7-1 drubbing



The Vancouver Canucks were left to lick their wounds tonight in Calgary as Jarome Iginla and the Flames pounded them into submission. The Captain led the way with a 4 goal affair that set the tone for the evening.

"This was a fun game. They're right behind us in the standings, so we had to give them our best." Noted the Captain who leads the Flames with 17 goals and 31 points just 27 games.

For the Canucks, this was their second game in as many nights. They hosted the Carolina Hurricanes in a 3-2 win the previous evening and flew to Calgary for tonight's tilt first thing this morning. "We can't blame fatigue tonight. We just weren't ready." Said longtime Canuck Todd Bertuzzi.

Jarome Iginla opened the scoring tonight on the powerplay at 8:26 of the first from Oduya and Boyle. He doubled the lead just over a minute later at 9:38 from Demitra.

The second period was a quiet one as Iginla finished the hat-trick at 13:48 from Zbynek Michalek and Richards to make it a 3-0 game.

The Flames scored 4 more in the 3rd. Langkow got his 9th at 8:53 from Lukowich. Iginla got his 4th of the night at 13:18 from Lukowich and Demitra. And Kyle Brodziak chipped one past Henrick Karlsson to make it 6-0 at 14:09 from Lukowich. Patrice Bergeron got the Canucks on the board at 15:14 from Yip and Jovanovski to make it 6-1 before Dominic Moore got a short-handed break-away goal from Regehr and Milan Michalek at 17:42 to ice the game.

For Calgary it was another game were the dramatically out-shot their opposition. This time the margin was 35 -20 against a formidable Canucks team. Calgary went 1 for 2 on the powerplay and the Canucks went 0 for 2 with the man-advantage.

Calgary currently sits first in the Northwest Division with 36 points. Vancouver remains second with 34. The Flames have 3 games in hand.

The Flames host the Wild December 12th and hope to extend their winning streak to an even 10 games. The Canucks return home to host the Phoenix Coyotes December 12th.

[DFyvie]

Iginla nets 3 in Boxing Day bout
26.12.06

Calgary pounds Canucks 7-3



Call it a late Christmas present, or a Boxing Day deal, but either way Jarome Iginla will take it. The Calgary Flames Captain led the way tonight over the Vancouver Canucks with 3 goals and 6 points.

"This is the new rivalry right now." Said Iginla. "We're fighting for the division, we played a rough series last year in the playoffs. We're neck and neck and it's only December."

The Flames opened the scoring with none other than Iginla at 15:07 of the first period from Demitra and Boyle. Brodziak doubled the lead later at 18:59 from Steen and Legwand for his 4th of the season.

The Second was a more back-and-forth affair as the Canucks got their feet moving. Daniel Sedin potted his 23rd of the season on the powerplay at 3:30 from brother Henrik to get the visitors within one. Demitra scored a powerplay goal of his own from Iginla and Boyle at 5:06. Iginla then scored his second of the night, on the powerplay, from Richards and Cammalleri at 8:21. Vancouver then fought to get back within one with two quick goals. Bertuzzi from Ohlund and Jovanovski at 12:16, and Jussi Jokinen from Bouwmeester and Aucoin at 14:05. But that's as close as Vancouver would get.

The Flames powerplay went to work in the 3rd to seal the game. Mike Cammalleri scored his 15th and 16th on two seperate powerplays at 9:11 and 12:07 from Richards and Iginla (2). Jarome then iced the game at 15:03 for his third of the night from Richards and Boyle.

Calgary outshot the Canucks 46 to 26. The Flames man-advantage went 4 for 8 whereas Vancouver's powerplay went a respectable 2 for 5.

With the win, Calgary has tied the season series at 2 wins apiece. Iginla, for his efforts, has scored 7 goals and 3 assists in the 4 games.

The two teams get to do it all over again tomorrow night in Vancouver, making this round one in a Holiday Season special.

[DFyvie]

Flames sweep Home and Home series
27.12.06

Cammalleri scores 3 in 6-4 win over Vancouver



For the second night in a row, the Calgary Flames defeated the Vancouver Canucks in a heated division slug-fest. Mike Cammalleri (pictured) took his turn to lead the Flames in the victory with an impressive 3 goal performance to grab the first star selection.

"To be able to win against this team on the road is a big deal." Noted the pint-sized forward. "These games mean so much down the stretch. They're a contender but we like our chances against them."

This was the second night in a row that the two teams faced-off against one another and like the previous night, Calgary counted themselves as the winner with a phenomenal individual performance from one of their top players.

Tom Preissing got the ball rolling in the first with his 3rd of the season from Iginla and Lukowich at 2:22 of the first. Mike Cammalleri doubled the lead with his first of 3 on the night at 13:52 from Milan Michalek and Langkow to close out the first.

The second period was a bit more even as both teams traded goals. Henrik Sedin got his team on the board on the powerplay from brother Daniel and Jussi Jokinen to make it 2-1. Cammalleri answered back with a powerplay goal of his own at 10:39 from Iginla and Boyle. Legwand piled on with his 5th of the year at 12:40 from Brodziak to give the visitors a 3 goal lead. Vancouver responded at 17:33 from Aucoin with a point shot assisted by the Sedin twins to close out the second.

The third was more of the same. Iginla scored his first of the night from Andy Sutton at 6:08 of the third period. Naslund answered back at 7:25 to keep the Canucks within 2 from Bergeron and former Flame Derek Morris. Vancouver scored again at 9:22 to get the game within one as Henrik Sedin scored his second of the night from Jokinen and his brother Daniel. Cammalleri sealed the game with his 3rd of the night from Boyle at 12:43 to re-establish the 2 goal lead. The Canucks pushed hard in the late moments but couldn't complete the comeback handing the Flames their second win in as many nights.

Tonight the Canucks led the shot count, outshooting the Flames 42 to 38. Vancouver went 2 for 5 on the powerplay whereas the flames went 1 for 5.

This was the fifth meeting between the two teams with the Flames holding the slight edge with 3 wins and 2 losses. Vancouver still remains atop the division with 45 points to Calgary's 44, but the Flames have 3 games in hand.

Vancouver's next game is against the Oilers in Edmonton December 30th. Calgary's next game is against the Los Angeles Kings in Calgary, December 29th.

[DFyvie]

Cammalleri scores 5 points in BoA
13.01.07 23:00MST

Flames down Oilers 6-2



The Flames won another edition of the Battle of Alberta thanks to the contributions of Calgary's topline of Iginla, Richards, and tonight's first star selection Mike Cammalleri (pictured).

"We've won the last three against these guys since losing the first two, so we're happy." Said the diminutive winger. "I think we're peaking at the right time and taking pride in our game."

Cammalleri's Flames are on a good run and have won 9 of their last 10 and currently lead the Northwest Division by 3 points over the Vancouver Canucks. Many around the team credit the special teams for improving the Flames' fortunes.

The Flames opened the scoring in the second period with a powerplay goal from Dan Boyle at 12:52 from Demitra for his 10th of the season. Cammalleri scored his first of three shortly afterwards from Richards at 12:56 to double the lead.

The Third Period began with the Oilers answering back. Longtime Oiler Ryan Smyth buried his 15th of the year, and 600th point of his career, from Moen and Versteeg at 3:27 to close the lead to one. Richards responded shortly afterwards with a powerplay goal at 4:01 from Cammalleri. Versteeg responded with a powerplay goal, his first of the season, at 6:04 from Ebbett and Nummelin to keep the Oilers within one. Then the Flames piled on. Cammalleri, from Richards and Demitra at 9:54 made it 4-2. Sutton from Iginla and Cammalleri at 10:46 made it 5-2. And Finally Cammalleri completed the hat-trick and 19:01 from Iginla and Richards finished the scoring at 6-2.

Calgary's top unit combined for a whopping 11 points between the 3 players. Coach Fyvie was encouraged by the results. "I decided to reunite them a few games ago and send (Demitra) back to Langkow's line. It's worked out really well for everyone to be honest. They're familiar with each other and makes us a dangerous team." Said Coach Fyvie.

The Flames outshot the Oilers 28-25 and went 2 for 5 on the powerplay. Edmonton went 1 for 6 with the man advantage.

Calgary next plays the first place Predators in Nashville January 15th. Edmonton travels to Minnesota to face the Wild, January 16th in another divisional matchup.