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Calgary Flames News

Coyotes trim Flames in OT
February 10
Calgary Sun
 
"That elusive spot in the top eight was there for the taking. The Calgary Flames once again couldn't grab hold of it. With a chance to move into the Western Conference's top eight for the first time this season, the Flames dropped a 2-1 overtime game to the Phoenix Coyotes Thursday night. While Mikael Backlund was in the penalty box for tripping, Blair Jones was rendered immobile after blocking a shot with his foot and Coyotes captain Shane Doan ripped a shot past rookie goalie Leland Irving for the winner before the Jobing.com Arena crowd of 10,048."
Flames tripped up in 2-1 overtime loss to Coyotes
February 10
Calgary Herald
 
"On a scorching hot day in the desert, the Calgary Flames could finally see that coveted playoff position just over the ridge. With a victory over the Phoenix Coyotes (thanks to a Vancouver Canucks win over the Minnesota Wild), the Flames could claim sole possession of the eighth-and –final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Flames had resided outside the top-eight for 333 days of mediocrity dating back to March 18, 2011. Make it 334. The Flames fell 2-1 in overtime to the Phoenix Coyotes thanks in no small part to a Mikael Backlund tripping penalty in the offensive zone. That put Phoenix on a 4-on-3."
Flame gets rude welcome on AHL conditioning stint
February 10
Calgary Herald
 
"It took exactly seven minutes and 15 seconds for Henrik Karlsson to get a real feel for the American Hockey League. That's when Oklahoma City Barons defenceman Bryan Helmer broke in from the right wing, bulled to the net and dropped the towering Abbotsford Heat goaltender with a shoulder check as he took a weak forehand shot. Karlsson stopped the puck and Helmer got a two-minute penalty for plowing into the Calgary Flames No. 2 netminder, who began a conditioning stint Thursday night with the NHL club's No. 1 farm team."
Flames scorer confident he will start sniping
February 10
Calgary Herald
 
"Michael Cammalleri admits to battling minor insomnia on nights where the Calgary Flames lose due to lack of offence. Case in point: Calgary's 3-2 loss in the shootout to the Anaheim Ducks. "Listen, if we win the hockey game, it's a lot easier to stomach," says Cammalleri, who came to Calgary on Jan. 31 with the rights to KHL goalie Karri Ramo and a fifth-round draft pick in a trade with Montreal for Rene Bourque, prospect Patrick Holland, and a second-round draft pick. "I'm definitely confident the offence will come. It's something I've been able to do my whole life.""
Cut face limits Tanguay against Coyotes
February 10
Calgary Sun
 
"In the immediate moments afterwards, it looked honey badger nasty. Midway through the first period, Calgary Flames left winger Alex Tanguay was hit in the face by the puck when Jarome Iginla's pass attempt ricocheted off a defender's stick. The trail of blood went all the way from the front of the Coyotes net to the team's bench, left behind as Tanguay went to the dressing room. With the way the injury bug has been chomping on Flames players this season — every time one player returns, it seems another goes down — it could have been horrific. After all, when Tanguay was on the shelf for 15 games due to a neck injury, Calgary's offence, especially on the powerplay, took a beating."
Jokinen OK with pace Flames take to talk contract
February 9
Calgary Sun
 
"Olli Jokinen makes no bones about his desire to remain with the Calgary Flames beyond this season, which would require a new contract. However, Jokinen, who is due to be an unrestricted free agent July 1, isn't stressing about inking a new pact before the Feb. 27 trade deadline or even the Canada Day opening of free agency. "If they decide a deal today, I'm OK. If they decide a deal at the end of June, I'm OK. If they decide a deal July 1, I'm OK. Whatever (the Flames) think is best for them, they will do," he said. "Some guys don't want to think about a deal, but I've been around enough to know my job is to play my best every day. It's not a distraction to me. For some guys, it could be a"
Flames defenceman Derek Smith signs two-year contract extension
February 9
Calgary Herald
 
"Derek Smith is still on the mend from a high ankle sprain, but his hands work just fine, thank you very much. The 27-year-old defenceman signed his autograph to a one-way, two-year contract extension worth $775,000 US a season. "Derek came to training camp this year on a two-way contract and played his way into our starting lineup," Flames general manager Jay Feaster said in a news release. "When Mark Giordano went down with his hamstring injury, Smitty stepped up and shouldered an increased workload and did so in excellent fashion." Smith suffered his own boo-boo on Dec. 29 against the New York Islanders. In 32 games, he registered two goals and eight assists for 10 points."
Jokinen scores hat-trick as Flames beat Sharks
February 9
Calgary Sun
 
"Miikka Kiprusoff recorded the milestone win, against his former team no less. Olli Jokinen was the hero. Kiprusoff became just the 27th member of the NHL's 300-win club, but his Finnish countryman led the way with three goals and four points to pace the Calgary Flames to Wednesday night's entertaining 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Jokinen's seventh career hat-trick included the game winner. "He was making sure Kipper had a big night," said Jarome Iginla, Calgary's other marksman. "Olli was great. He's been playing well for a while and you can see him start to feel it." The Flames improve to 25-22-7 to move one point back of the Minnesota Wild for the eighth and final playoff spot."
Kipper beats Sharks for 300th win
February 9
Calgary Herald
 
"Miikka Kiprusoff arrived at his former place of employment Wednesday night in search of his 300th career National Hockey League win. The Finnish goalie hit the milestone in style with a 4-3 victory over his old club, the San Jose Sharks. With the third period winding down, and Kiprusoff flat on his face, Joe Pavelski unleashed a shot that dribbled over the goaltender's back. Kiprusoff instinctively slammed his pads together to keep the puck out and preserve the win."
Jackman unsure where helmet hit came from
February 8
Calgary Sun
 
"Tim Jackman was so caught off-guard by the hit from Luca Sbisa in Monday's game against the Anaheim Ducks he figured somebody else made contact with him. Jackman was bearing down on Sbisa while carrying the puck early in the third period, when the Ducks defenceman stepped up to make a check and instead of body contact, Sbisa's helmet caught Jackman flush in the jaw and sent the Flames winger to the ice. "After I got hit, I was wondering where it came from, who came and hit me like that," Jackman said Tuesday. "I thought somebody came out of nowhere and got me.""
Can't rely on Kiprusoff forever
February 8
Calgary Sun
 
"Leland Irving's next action with the Calgary Flames is first and foremost about the club's quest to make the NHL playoffs. The Flames have to expect to win games, even when they have a backup goalie between the pipes and not standout Miikka Kiprusoff. However, the next time Irving, the 2006 first-round draft choice, goes between the pipes for the Flames, it will be a major test of his bounce-back abilities. Irving's last NHL outing was the infamous 9-0 loss to the Boston Bruins back on Jan. 5, during which the rookie goalkeeper surrendered six goals in 26 minutes before being hooked."
Flames' Brodie not taking NHL job for granted
February 8
Calgary Herald
 
"In spite of his lengthy stay in the bigs, T.J. Brodie is not about to declare his occupation as full-time player in the National Hockey League. Not when a trip back to the American Hockey League's Abbotsford Heat is only a phone call away. "It's nice to be up here," Brodie said softly in a quiet moment on the road with the Calgary Flames. "Obviously, it's still important that I play well every day and come to work every day. Even though I've been here three or four months, know I can still be sent down at any time. "I guess that's a good thing to keep me going. I know I have to come out and play good every night.""
Iginla believes Flames playoff-bound
February 7
Calgary Sun
 
"Every time Jarome Iginla's name is brought up in the rumour mill, Calgary Flames GM Jay Feaster has shot it down. But with the Feb. 27 trade deadline visible on the horizon and the Flames on the outside of the NHL's Western Conference playoff picture, you can bet the captain's name will soon enough be the subject of many rumours. After Monday's morning skate in anticipation facing the Anaheim Ducks, Iginla was asked whether he expected to be with the Flames past the deadline. "I intend to," said Iginla, who was caught off-guard by the question. "I think we're going to be a playoff team. I believe that."
Flames come up short in shootout loss to host Ducks
February 7
Calgary Herald
 
"Jarome Iginla glanced around the renovated visitors' locker-room at the Honda Center on Monday morning and decided it must be an omen. Formerly dark and dingy, the new digs are hardly spacious, but seem so much brighter than before. "It looks great," raved the Calgary Flames captain. "It has a better feel. I really like what they did. "It changes the feel, so hopefully that will translate on the ice in this building for us.""
Iginla deftly dispels trade rumours again
February 7
Calgary Herald
 
"To Jarome Iginla, stickhandling through media scrums just comes with the job. So it was no surprise when a familiar topic came up Monday after the morning skate at the Honda Center. Specifically, his future and whether he sees himself on the move come the Feb. 27 National Hockey League trade deadline. Does the captain intend on staying with the Calgary Flames until the end of the season? "Oh yeah, I intend to," Iginla said. "I think we're going to be a playoff team. I believe that . . . I don't want to speak about the Eastern Conference, but the Western Conference is tight. I don't think there's any favourite front-runner. I think if you make the playoffs, you have a shot.""
Niklas Hagman's goal lifts Ducks over Flames, 3-2, in a shootout
February 7
Los Angeles Times
 
"Niklas Hagman wasn't exactly sure where he fit in the long-and-winding-and-head-spinning shootout between the Ducks and Calgary Flames. "I can't even … I was the sixth, seventh, eighth shooter? I don't even know," he said. Informed that he was the eighth, Hagman shook his head in mild amusement. Or maybe it was bemusement? Eight was enough as Hagman scored the winner in the shootout against his former teammates, giving the Ducks a 3-2 win on Monday night at the Honda Center. The Ducks might be floundering, losing to the Columbus Blue Jackets the other day and having looked directionless in November and December. But at least the Ducks had one thing going for them at home. They can still"
Flames about to experience do-or-die reality
February 6
Calgary Herald
 
"Brent Sutter had joked about it weeks ago — how every road trip for his Calgary Flames is, supposedly, do or die. Well, the next season-maker (or -breaker) is upon them. Immediately after Sunday morning's practice, the Flames started packing up for their charter southward. Tonight, they face the Anaheim Ducks. Wednesday, they're in San Jose. Thursday, Phoenix. Some wisecracker, laughing, asked Sutter the question he expected to hear — if this happens to be, you know, the biggest trip of the year. Sutter laughed back. "You know what, you guys? As you know, when you're in a race like we are, every game is a big game," said Sutter. "So, this is a big trip. Just like our last one. The position"
Flames playmaker slowly getting his groove back
February 6
Calgary Herald
 
"The Loyal Order of National Hockey League Forwards, apparently, trumps the Battle of Alberta. Because, despite the provincial rivalry, Calgary Flames winger Alex Tanguay is thrilled by what is happening in Edmonton. Specifically, the handiwork of Sam Gagner. "It's great to see," said Tanguay. "As a forward, you love to see scoring, there's no doubt about that. Goalies love to see shutouts, forwards love to see scoring. I guess if you work hard and get the bounces at the right place, anything can happen." Gagner, as everyone knows, kicked the Chicago Blackhawks for eight points Thursday. Then, for good measure, the Oilers pivot nicked the Detroit Red Wings for another three Saturday."
Magical Miikka closes in on NHL career win No. 300
February 6
Calgary Herald
 
"It is, says Alex Tanguay, no different than having a nightly front-row seat at a wonderful show; a long-running crowd-pleaser that has, against all odds, somehow never lost the sense of freshness that made it so special as far back as opening night. "Mentally, look at his demeanour,'' marvelled the silky-slick left winger Sunday morning. "If he lets in a goal, if he makes a save, it's the same attitude. Goes back to his net, lifts his bucket, grabs a drink, and (says), 'Here we go. Lets get ready for the next shot.' For any athlete, especially goalies, that's a great attitude to have.'' Tonight, the magnificent Miikka Kiprusoff goes in search of NHL win No. 300 at the palm-tree lined Honda"
Irving rejoins Flames
February 6
Calgary Sun
 
"Henrik Karlsson will finally see action between the pipes. But it won't be with the Calgary Flames just yet. The backup netminder was assigned to the Abbotsford Heat for a conditioning stint, while Leland Irving was recalled Sunday from the American Hockey League team. Irving is expected to play Thursday in Phoenix after suiting up for back-to-back games in Rochester last week, dropping a 3-0 decision Thursday and then beating the Americans 3-2 in overtime Friday. "We're gonna need our backup goaltender to play a game on this trip. We play three games in four nights and come home and play right away again, so you've got four games in six nights with travel involved," said Flames head"
Five subplots to Flames week
February 6
Calgary Sun
 
"1. Duck, duck, goose egg The last time the Flames won a regular-season game in Anaheim, Roman Turek netted the victory in goal, while Toni Lydman, Martin Gelinas, Oleg Saprykin, Josh Green and Chris Clark scored the goals. Jarome Iginla was out due to an ankle injury. Since that 5-1 win Jan. 19, 2004, the Flames have lost 13 straight games at Disneyland (0-9-4). Not only have the Flames lost all those games, they've done it in ugly and sometimes painful fashion, too. The Flames have fallen in extra time in four of the last five outings, seemingly all of those despite having a lead at some point in the game. Here's another not-so-fun fact — Miikka Kiprusoff has not collected a"
Kiprusoff padding his stats
February 6
Calgary Sun
 
"Having coached the NHL's all-time wins leader and having played in front of a few other greats, Calgary Flames head coach Brent Sutter has a pretty good idea of what it takes to be an elite goaltender. Watching Martin Brodeur from behind the bench in New Jersey, working with the Flames' Miikka Kiprusoff behind the scenes, sharing locker-room talk with the likes of Billy Smith, Eddie Belfour, and Kelly Hrudey, the 49-year-old Sutter suggests one common thread unites them all. "Very competitive," Sutter said with conviction as his team prepares for a three-game road trip during which it's very likely Kiprusoff will join the 300-win club. "Their personalities are different, but they're very"
Flames still searching for first win in Anaheim since 2004
February 5
Calgary Herald
 
"The Calgary Flames are heading to Anaheim? That means it's time to comb the archives. Although, really, only a slight adjustment to the compiled data is required. Because the date of the Flames' most recent victory in Anaheim has not changed — it remains Jan. 19, 2004. Only the pile of losses needs to be updated — 13 consecutive now (the last six by one goal). "We go in with the mindset that we're due to win in there, right?" Jarome Iginla said of Monday's date at the Honda Center — the starting point of a three-game junket through the Pacific Division. "As far as guys thinking, 'Oh, we haven't won there in forever.' That's not (true, except) for a few of us, you know what I mean? Other"
Flames aiming to burn hot in California
February 5
Calgary Herald
 
"The vibe nearly defies description. Oh, it's good, make no mistake. So good, in fact, that no one dares to dissect it. Because when a hockey team starts going, like really cooking, the last thing players want to do is break it down, get to the bottom of it. The goal is to ride it. Not risk it. Not disrupt it. "Last year when we were rolling, when you came to the rink you felt that," Matt Stajan, centre of the Calgary Flames, says of the unmistakable something that's in the air when a team is sizzling. "You don't know what causes that. You get that feeling in the dressing room. I don't think there's anything about it that you can look at. "You don't question why it's happening." Chris"
Toews in the offing?
February 5
Calgary Sun
 
"Hiding his feelings isn't one of Mikael Backlund's strong suits. One of the most approachable and honest young NHLers, the 22-year-old Calgary Flames centre brings up one of his sore spots Friday night after the team's 3-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. "I've got to really improve on my plus-minus. It's awful. It's terrible," Backlund said outside the Flames locker-room. "It's something I'm not proud of at all." Despite the minus-13 rating, however, there are plenty of signs the Swede is developing into a responsible two-way centre. He took a huge step in that regard Friday while matched up against one of the league's best at the position in Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews."
Tanguay improves team skill
February 5
Calgary Sun
 
"Sailing from deep inside the Calgary Flames zone to just outside the Chicago Blackhawks blueline, there was no doubt where Alex Tanguay's offering would land. Predictably, it was right on the tape wrapped around the blade of Jarome Iginla's stick, springing the Flames captain for a breakaway in the late stages of a one-goal game. Making the best of his opportunity, Iginla faked out goaltender Ray Emery and padded the lead. Huge move. And it shows the importance of a (relatively) healthy Alex Tanguay in the Flames lineup. Tanguay has played three games since returning from a neck injury that kept him out of 16 NHL contests, but the 32-year-old left-winger is getting better with every"
Flames' backup battle brewing
February 4
Calgary Herald
 
"All is back to normal down at the Scotiabank Saddledome when it comes to the volume level at practice for the Calgary Flames. On Friday morning, goalie Henrik Karlsson was out there slamming his stick in disgust and verbally berating himself for allowing a couple of shaky goals against his teammates. In other words, business as usual. To Karlsson, practice counts, and he won't let himself get away with an off day at the office. "He had a rough day today," remarked fellow Swede (and good friend) Mikael Backlund. "He was all over the place and let in too many goals. He was pissed. He gets a little grumpy, but he shakes it off really quickly." Shaking things off is the top order of business"
Sliding Hawks have no bounce-back answer in Calgary
February 4
Calgary Herald
 
"As indignant responses go, weak. Surprisingly weak. "We were,'' murmured captain Jonathan Toews, searching frantically for any sight of a pony in a stable full of dung, "better than last night . . . "But it doesn't take much to do that. We've got to find a way to get our confidence back. Because it obviously isn't there right now. "That doesn't mean you don't stop working, you don't stop trying. "We all respect each other, we all like each other in this room, nobody's going anywhere.'' Having been mauled 8-4 by the bottom-feeding Edmonton Oilers 24 hours earlier, eviscerated for eight points by Sam Gagner, their pride in tatters and ample amends to be made, you expected the Chicago"
Flames complete Alberta sweep of Chicago
February 4
Calgary Herald
 
"Olli Jokinen credits Wayne Gretzky, of all people, for giving him the secret recipe to snap out of a slump. The Great One passed on the sage advice to the big Finn when he was the head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. In simple terms, the solution espoused by No. 99 is to forget about hockey for a night and indulge in a culinary delight not necessarily endorsed by the Canadian Food Guide. Specifically, a burger. "Yesterday I was thinking, 'maybe it's time,' " Jokinen said Friday night in the victorious Calgary Flames dressing room. "If the Great One tells you to go get a burger, you better go do it, you know? "I had a Big Mac Meal at McDonald's." The two all-beef patties, special sauce,"
Fast fuel for Jokinen
February 4
Calgary Sun
 
"There are heavy shots, and there are those fueled by fast food. Olli Jokinen's first-period blast from the top of the circle qualified as both. The big Finn got all of his slapper, which ricocheted back out of the net so fast only Jokinen knew he scored to snap his goal-scoring slump of 15 games. Turns out there was a reason. "Four years ago, when I was in Phoenix and went through a similar slump, Gretzky told me to go have a burger, relax, don't think about hockey …" Jokinen told TSN's Jermain Franklin during the first intermission. "I did the same thing last night. I had a Big Mac meal from McDonald's, and maybe that was the key to score. "If the Great One tells you to go have a burger,"
Flames shoot down 'Hawks
February 4
Calgary Sun
 
"No big-point nights. Nobody expected it for the Calgary Flames, but it wasn't necessary. Having somebody on the Flames become the talk of the hockey world with an eight-, nine- or 10-point night wasn't the focus before the puck dropped on their clash with the Chicago Blackhawks at the Saddledome. "I want our team to get two points," said Flames head coach Brent Sutter early Friday. "They can all get eight points, and I'd be thrilled. But our team needs two points." Sutter received his wish with a textbook 3-1 victory Friday night to snap a two-game losing skid. The Flames (24-22-6) pulled into a three-way tie for ninth place in the NHL's Western Conference, three points back of the"
Flames' Stempniank sidelined six weeks
February 3
Calgary Sun
 
"If there's been one consistent for the Flames this season, it's been injuries. And that's not the constant you need to be a winning team. Add Lee Stempniak to the long list. And it isn't short-term. Thanks to a high-ankle sprain suffered during the first period of Tuesday's loss to the Detroit Red Wings, the Flames winger will be on the shelf at least six weeks. Not good news for a team struggling to find the offence to support their stellar goaltending in recent weeks."
Friend now foe for Flames
February 3
Calgary Herald
 
"In any manner of workplace situation imaginable — bank, auto-body dealership, newsroom, neighbourhood bakery, NHL inner sanctum — it's immensely rare to find someone, anyone, who transcends all petty jealousies and personal agendas; who doesn't irk this person or alienate that one. Who is universally liked. Brendan Morrison is such a someone. "Oh yeah, he was very popular in our room,'' said captain Jarome Iginla, the morning before Morrison's return to the Scotiabank Saddledome as a Chicago Blackhawk. "He gets along with everybody."
Flames enjoy pressure of playoff push
February 3
Calgary Herald
 
"Even though February has barely begun, the Calgary Flames are in playoff mode. The Flames know exactly where they've settled on the National Hockey League table. Their plight, being marooned somewhere south of the eighth rung in the Western Conference, is kind of obvious. So, too, is the remedy: Just win."
Flames sign and recall Kolanos
February 2
Calgary Sun
 
"For Krys Kolanos, hands have never been the issue. Now that his hip is right, the Calgary-born forward is getting another shot on hockey's biggest stage. Kolanos, who spent all of last winter (and then some) recovering from micro-fracture surgery, spun an impressive audition with the AHL's Abbotsford Heat into a two-way contract offer from the Calgary Flames. On Wednesday, the 30-year-old inked a two-year deal worth US$525,000 per season and was rewarded with an immediate call-up from the farm club. Not a bad signing bonus."
Flames offence downright offensive
February 2
Calgary Sun
 
"If their New Year's resolution was to score more goals, they're off to a late start. The calendar officially flipped to February a couple of hours after Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings at the Saddledome, and there's little doubt the Calgary Flames' offensive weapons are anxious to turn the page on the first month of 2012. The snakebitten squad managed just 25 goals in a dozen January outings. What's more troubling is that almost half of those markers were celebrated in a pair of dates — a 6-3 win over the New Jersey Devils and a 6-2 thumping of the Edmonton Oilers. On the flip side, Tuesday's setback against the Red Wings marked the seventh time in the month they'd managed only"
Stempniak injury adds to woes
February 2
Calgary Sun
 
"Calgary Flames centre Blair Jones has been hanging around the Saddledome just long enough to notice a disturbing trend. Injuries. A rash of 'em. "It was kind of funny. I came here and I felt like I kept meeting people every day that I hadn't seen before," said Jones, who joined the Flames via trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning four weeks ago. "Finally, I took a look at the injured list and I was like, 'Holy.' Obviously, it's a part of the game, but it starts to wear on a team a bit when you see that many piling up. "But that's just the way it goes.""
Flames coach, players meet after points go poof
February 2
Calgary Herald
 
"Technically speaking, the Calgary Flames intended on hitting the ice Wednesday at 11:45 a.m. The first player finally appeared 35 minutes late for a workmanlike practice with plenty of coaching instruction and little in the way of idle chatter. So why the delay? What happened in the secure confines of the Flames dressing room at the Saddledome? "I think that stuff should stay behind closed doors," said left-wing Michael Cammalleri. "The coach talked, and we talked. From my short time here, it seems like he's that kind of coach. He likes to wear his emotions on his sleeve and tell you how he feels.""
Phaneuf trade still awful for Flames
February 1
Calgary Sun
 
"On Sunday, Dion Phaneuf skated in the NHL all-star game. If that wasn't enough of a reminder to the Calgary Flames and their fans how bad that now-infamous trade has turned out, so many others will be in their eyes in the next while. Tuesday marks the two-year anniversary of the blockbuster deal."
Flames fail to spark offence in 3-1 loss to Red Wings
February 1
Calgary Herald
 
"The Calgary Flames must be praying that this is merely a quirk. Not a trend. In their past two home dates, they've scored exactly one time. Total. It may not surprise you then to learn that both games ended up as losses, regulation losses, point-free losses. And for a squad awfully desperate for some upward mobility in the Western Conference, this comes as bad news indeed. But the post-game faces were brave. "We're not worried with the guys we have in here," said Alex Tanguay after Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings in National Hockey League action at the Scotiabank Saddledome. "We're going to find ways to win games. At this point of the year, it's not whether we win 7-6 or 1-0 —"
Flames give poignant tribute to Brad McCrimmon
February 1
Calgary Herald
 
"As the images flickered by on the JumboTron, stripping away the years, indelible snapshots of a life fully lived, but cut cruelly short in the most tragic and shocking of ways, Kelly McCrimmon, staring up from ice level, felt a flood of pride and a wave of grief well up inside him simultaneously. "Yes, he was,'' Kelly said softly, standing outside the Calgary Flames owners' suite later Tuesday evening, eyes glistening. "He was my hero. A man's man. "I was always his biggest fan. I was always proud of him. I had a great deal of respect for him. I admired him. "We were very close, but very competitive. We fought all kinds of time. I usually finished second but you know how it is with younger"
Commodore wings into action as game progresses
February 1
Calgary Herald
 
"An older, wiser Mike Commodore stayed home in Detroit last week to rest the body for what he hopes is a marathon playoff run with the league-leading Red Wings. No all-night parties in Las Vegas. No suntanning (or burning) his pale skin on the beaches of South Beach. No whirlwind getaways to Maui."
Red Wings trip starts well on third-period rally
February 1
Detroit News
 
"The Red Wings will face more games like this as they go down the stretch of the regular season. Tough, grinding games, low scoring, and scoring opportunities few and far between. The Wings only hope the outcomes match that of Tuesday's hard-fought 3-1 victory over Calgary, the Wings' first game after the All-Star break. Jiri Hudler and Drew Miller scored third-period goals to give the Wings a satisfying victory. "This is the kind of win we want to get," said Nicklas Lidstrom, who returned after missing the final game before the All-Streak to the flu. "On the road, grinding it out, tie game going into the third period, waiting for opportunities and capitalizing on them""
Flames acquire minor-leaguer Aliu
January 31
Calgary Sun
 
"The Calgary Flames made a trade Monday morning to acquire a player already with their farm team. The Flames sent minor-league blueliner John Negrin to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for forward Akim Aliu. Aliu has four goals and one assist in 13 games this season playing for the Abbotsford Heat while on loan from the Jets. The Flames obviously like what they saw to keep Aliu long-term."
Just call Calgary's saviour meal-ticket Miikka
January 31
Calgary Herald
 
"No Peter Pan's Magic Flight. Or the spinning tea cups. Or, gawd forbid, the Magic Tiki Room or It's A Small World. Sorry, but they're all far too tame, infinitely too lame, for someone as accustomed to the heart-stopping, the goosebump-inducing, as Miikka Kiprusoff. A Pavel Datsyuk breakaway shake-'n'-bake can't frighten him. A Corey Perry crease-crash isn't enough to set his pulse racing."
Flames' Cammalleri ready for playoff push
January 31
Calgary Herald
 
"After every breakup, there comes a time to tuck all those happy pictures into a drawer — or throw them out all together. A time to move on. The Montreal Canadiens metaphorically did just that last week by peeling a larger-than-life photo of Michael Cammalleri off the side of the Bell Centre. The other party in this very public divorce is doing the same. Over the all-star break, the 29-year-old Cammalleri moved his family to Calgary and found a house. He took care of all the paperwork that comes with a move from one province to another. He hit the gym with a vengeance."
Back to the real NHL games
January 30
Ottawa Sun
 columnist Chris Stevenson
"The days at the beach, as tweeted by Capitals defenceman Mike Green from the Cayman Islands, are over. The neon tans from Las Vegas will now start to fade. The NHL's feel-good weekend here — a resounding success which revolved around the emotional outpouring between Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson and Senators fans — now becomes a fond memory. Ahead is a 30-game sausage grinder that is the rest of the NHL season. "You need the break whether you're here or somewhere else doing something different. This is a part of the season the guys really look forward to, just to recharge the battery," said Maple Leafs winger Joffrey Lupul. "When you get back from this break, you're re-energized and you"
Iginla wants to make it 12
January 30
Calgary Sun
 
"Jarome Iginla has been to a half-dozen NHL all-star games. Each one has taken on a different feel and tone for the Calgary Flames captain through his career arc and in the jammed Team Chara dressing room Sunday at Scotiabank Place, Iginla was a light mood, savouring the experience with his kids and laughing about the chastising he took from captain Zdeno Chara. Iginla turned the puck over late in what turned out to be a 12-9 win over Team Alfredsson. "I gave that one away near the end and Chara asked me if I was playing on their team for that one shift," said Iginla. "Once you get out there, you don't really like to be scored on. "He wanted to win. He's competitive. He thought I have that"
5 Flames subplots for the week
January 30
Calgary Sun
 
"Another all-star weekend is in the books, and now we're down to the final 10 weeks of the regular season. The Flames come out of the break sitting 11th in the Western Conference, tied with Dallas but having played two more games, and three points behind the eighth-place Minnesota Wild. With 32 games remaining, a playoff spot is there for the taking, it's just a matter of winning more games then they lose — about four points every three games ought to do it."