Hot Coals Returns

In kicking off Hot Coals for the season, my weekly tirade is going to include my usual peppy optimism but I am going to throw in an ominous element as well, just to fit in with the crowd. Cue the eerie music and note that a fault line has opened up north.

Was I the only one to watch that RNH kid play in the pre-season - ouch. Hall - RNH - Jordan Eberle - yeah I can see that being a ok line in the future.

I have yet to see anyone aside from Jay Feaster predict the Flames will make the playoffs but we still are going to beat the Oilers this year - ha ha (savour it while it lasts). (Edit: actually I found one more prediction for the playoffs - here - if you are reading the rest of the write-up on the Flames there with raised eye-brows, well, I am ignoring you : )

You can watch tumbleweeds blow by on the Flames bandwagon nowadays. I am going to jump on the empty bandwagon and agree with the Feaster, the Flames will be in by a whisker, into the 7th-8th spots. Here is your link. The Flames will buy at the deadline too, mark my words.

• There was a sudden change in Olli Jokinen's game that occurred from Dec on. The Joker took on the role of the two-way Center, it was a season of transition for him. A big change in his game style and he did pretty well given his circumstances but I expect him to be better this year. (Calgary Herald)

• Counting down the days to Iginla's 500th goal (16 more to go) (The Sun)
• And counting down the Wins for Kipper, one more for a franchise record.
• Brent Sutter faces some tough final cuts (National Post) and Roman Horak makes the Flames (NP) (old news I know)
• An article on Tim Jackman. (Canoe)
• Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond has formal boxing experience. (Calgary Herald)
• Lee Stempniak is a smart guy and he probably reads the Wall Street Journal. (Calgary Herald)
• I kept waiting for our advanced stats advocates to highlight this article that appeared weeks ago. It notes the Flames are one of only 5 NHL teams that are using advanced stats but nothing, geez, not even a nod to a name that should be buzzing around here like the second coming - that name is Chris Snow and here is the article. (Globe and Mail)
• Yes, Darryl Sutter is gone, long live the Feaster and the new Flames philosophy of being on the frontier of advanced stats in hockey. Another article here on the Moneypuck revolution. (G&M) The transformation of the Flames which so many have been calling for is happening but no one is cheering it? Tough crowd. I just don't see the headlines lighting up with the news.
• I guess no one wanted to steal Kent's thunder. (Calgary Herald)
• Brent Sutter has no job worries as he enters the last year of his contract.(Canoe) I believe that once Brent was allowed to do his job without interference from Darryl, finally, he proved he has what it takes. The minute Darryl was let go Brent immediately demoted Hagman and Stajan down to third and fourth lines.
• Best places to party on earth: Rio, Vegas, Mykonos - Greece and Calgary. Oh yeah !!! (CNN) No need to gloat here. Say what you will about our Flames being at a huge cross-roads, we still hit the top of the global party city list.
• And yet another rebuild or retool article (Sportsnet)

And on that note even I must admit that I see the possibility (slim as it may be) of a new dark age coming, so enjoy this season dammit. We will dominate the Oilers this year and we have that to look forward to.   

It will be challenge enough to hold fast to the tilting good ship Flame but some of us have been here before and I still say if you can survive Doug Risebrough, you can survive Darryl Sutter, easy. From deep, deep in the bottom of the NHL these small oily fish are rumored to be rising. Are you scared yet?

Oily Fish 3D - Official Trailer [HD] (via trailers)

(Yes I like interjecting my own commentary over video)

See that gap right there, Kevin Lowe opened that up

now its a connecting passage, for loser Oiler teams

Oh my god, can anyone remember when they made the playoffs last?

Smyth? Smyth what are you seeing down there?

"Oh my God," Ryan Smyth

Smyth?

Staios is like a body that has been in the NHL for weeks

I want to know that the hell this Oily fish is doing in my province.

This particular level of Oiler player vanished 2 million years ago.

I am thinking about closing the Red Mile

There is us and there is 20,000 Flames girls, you do the Math

Shirts off for Kiprusoff !!!

The Feaster, has declared an emergency

Don't worry, we got Iggy over here !

Oily Fish hunt in packs, the first goal will draw blood...

and yeah the rest doesn't matter because they still don't have any defense or goaltending.

They have one more year at the bottom - lets forget about what is coming and dream about signing Zach Parise while we're at it, cause the oily fish are coming...

Are you scared yet? "Boo" go the scary Oilers and this is all I got to say back...

Boo - =D (via phillow)