Jay Feaster continues to barter the deals and the Flames look like the early horse out of the gate this year closing a deal with Montreal and now Chicago.

I was a fan of Morrison last season. Pay for play I thought he was value. Despite this, I fully endorse this trade. Morrison was the odd man out of the Flames forward ranks, often getting scratched and the injection of yet another young player into the Flames D ranks bodes well.

More on Brian Connelly of the Chicago Blackhawks after the jump and a little future speculation on Feaster's potential additional trade moves coming up to the deadline.

Continue reading this post »

GOOOOOOOD EVENING.

With Calgary's best player leading goals/game scorer MVP points leader and all-around cool dude Jarome Iginla representing the best Albertan city in Ottawa tonight, I thought an open thread would be warranted.

Just think- Jarome Iginla could be taken first overall- or he could be taken last overall. THE DRAMA. More after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

The Calgary Flames appeared to be more than happy to settle for a 0-0 game that would be decided in the extra period. Take the single and try to push it to two after regulation. Sure, there were chances for both clubs - and some good bounces, take the Joe Pavelski goal post, for example - but no real forward attack from the Flames.

That can work, especially against a team that's supposed to be much better than you are. But, I think if you asked the San Jose faithful what they thought of their effort last night and they'd say they were lucky to get the win. Not that they didn't deserve to win, just that their effort probably wasn't what it should be or what it is normally. And, for the Flames, those are the nights that you need to take advantage of.

And they didn't.

Despite the lack of real effort, seemingly from both sides, the Sharks did manage to get a regulation goal and spoil the hopes of overtime. It wasn't a beauty by any means and it came on the Flames first real defensive breakdown, and by that I mean, an incredibly lazy play by those on the ice - specifically Mikael Backlund and Scott Hannan, who let the Sharks get multiple chances against a sprawling Miikka Kiprusoff on a chance that should not have taken that long to extinguish. Backlund with the first chance to clear the puck, or tie up his man - neither of which he did - and Hannan because he was still coasting in from the top of the circle while the Sharks banged away at the puck.

A momentary lapse in focus cost the Flames their bid for overtime and a chance at two points. A disappointing effort leading into what is several days off for most of the team.

Continue reading this post »

This is your thread. I will not be joining, as the toilet bowl has been calling my name for the past few hours.

Go Flames Go. GET EM.

I don't think it would go over very well for the San Jose Sharks should they go into their all-star break having lost back-to-back games against the likes of the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, but they face that possible outcome tonight as they travel down highway 2 for a battle with the Flames, well-rested after their demolishing of the Oilers on HNiC, Saturday night.

The Flames are scratching and clawing their way back into the playoff hunt. Home games have proven successful over the last dozen dates at the 'dome as the Flames have compiled a 10-1-1 in them. But, they're coming off a somewhat lackluster performance in their last home game - a loss against the Kings - and will need to continue the momentum set up from their successful road trip in order to take down the Sharks tonight.

Exactly one week ago when the two met at HP Pavilion in San Jose, the Flames escaped with one point thanks to excellent goaltending from Miikka Kiprusoff, and also some fortunate goalposts and bounces.

Tonight, the Flames look to avenge the shoot-out loss last week and set up a rubber-match back in Cali just over a week after the all-star break.

Continue reading this post »

I have to admit being a little perturbed by SVEN's exclusion from the pre-season version of Hockey Prospectus' Top 25 prospects - or maybe just disappointed as Calgary Flames faithful (myself included) had been heaping loads of praise and expectations onto the young Swiss product, easily the Flames organizations top forward prospect.

However, after checking out the names, it would've been hard to actually include SVEN at that time as the list is actually quite impressive.

Today when I came across Corey Pronman's revised projection for mid-season, I was eager to see two things: 1) where did SVEN land, if at all? And, 2) where would he place incumbent #1 prospect Mikael Granlund this time after seeing him play several times at the World Junior tournament in Calgary?

Continue reading this post »

There must be something in the water in Calgary. While I'm sure every hockey player has had a family member get upset about an article written by a reporter or blogger, how many actually vent their frustrations to that writer? When it comes to Greg Wyshynski, at least two from Calgary.

Though it's some time removed, you may recall the email Katerina Jokinen sent the Y! Sports blogger over an article that she found particularly "mean" to her husband. Tonight, Lee Stempniak's brother- douche and professional moocher extraordinaire Jay Stempniak- decided to follow suit by repeatedly called Wyshynski a "jock sniffer", apparently the only insult he knows. Read the full conversation after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

Boxscore - Conference Standings Update - Corsi

I keep going into these games against Edmonton knowing the Flames have absolutely dominated the Battle of Alberta lately and think to myself that maybe because the Oilers are out of it (again) they'd put a game against their chief rival as among their highest priorities, especially at home. I'm still waiting. Last night's game seemed like a new low for the club as they've now lost 9 in a row to the Flames and 16 of 17, but hey, they'll always have Jordan Eberle's SH goal, right?

It started early and the game was practically over by the end of the first. With Colten Teubert in the box, the 2nd PP unit opened the scoring when Mark Giordano made a perfect pass to Mikael Backlund for a wide open net. Blake Comeau added to the lead with a slap shot that squeaked through Nikolai Khabibulin and then Lee Stempniak sniped one home late in the first and the Flames were off.

The Flames held off a mild Oilers push to start the second, handled their flurry of hits and even a few cross checks and slashes before Stempniak really sealed the game with another questionable snipe past Khabby.

Miikka Kiprusoff looked like he wasn't all that focused (not that he needed to be) when the third started and it showed on the Oilers first goal; a softy from Andy Sutton. But, it didn't matter - Jarome would use Jay Bouwmeester's stick to ricochet one past Devan Dubnyk to hamper any hopes the Oilers had of a comeback. Ryan Smyth made a perfect deflection past Kipper and Stempniak added a meaningless and confusing EN goal for his 2nd career hat trick.

Continue reading this post »