Dustin Brown is a sniper. Flames win

Idiot

Jbouw, Reggie, Dion. 0-for-3 on the Olympics. Hallelujah. It is about time that a couple of those guys got their egos in check. Jay had such a sick pass to Bourque which reminded me of a goal Vancouver scored on Calgary the other game.

Tonight the Flames play host to the Oilers and if you have been watching hockey for the last month you know this game needs no introduction (I am also hungover), so here is a funny Youtube instead.

Sleep is for babies. Gamers play all night.

Gameday Dec 30 vs LAK

December 30

LAK @ CGY
Gametime 7:30pm

The Kings have not beaten Calgary at home since 2005 and with any luck this trend will continue tonight. It is odd how the last meeting between these two teams will come before the half-way point in the season but it doesn't really matter at all to be honest. The Flames are fresh off the equivalent of notching a hoodrat at the bar (beat the Oilers 4-1) while the Kings are mired in a 3-game losing streak.

December has been fucking awful for the Flames so far as the story has been that the club cannot score and cannot win, but with wins over LA and Edmonton to close out the month, there would be something to cheer about.

Kings captain Dustin Brown

If you like the Flames and you like watching hockey you're gonna love the next 13 days as Calgary will play eight times with only a single game against Minnesota not being televised (but you don't want to watch that one anyways). Unfortunately when it comes to trying to gauge just how the Flames are doing this season (ie contender or bottom-feeder) there won't be a real chance to see until a game against Nashville on January 5th as this is the only team that seems to consistently have their shit together night in and night out.

Kings owner HHH

There is never reason to be afraid when Los Angeles comes to town and tonight should be no different. I'm more interested to see if Kipper gets back-to-back starts or if CuMac gets a shot in one of the games, who didn't look terrible in relief duty against Vancouver but that's not tough to do when the other team has mentally checked out. Till then, fuck the Kings!

Oilers suck, Flames win

Ryan Gretzky

There's nothing like a game against the Oilers to make you forget all your woes. Sure the Flames managed to score four goals for the first time since a game against Nashville in December, and yes we have had a few unlucky/bad nights, but nothing will ever get as bad as things are in Edmonton right now. After completing a five-game unbeaten road trip, the spOilers have now lost seven in a row and in good fashion too.


The Flames didn't look terrible on the ice last night but that might actually be more of a product of how bad the Oilers are right now. The Oil have their fair share of excuses, some which are legitimate (almost 300 man games lost to injury, almost got Dany Heatley), and some that keep getting brought up for some reason (FIVE CUPS).

Booker T is also a 5-time champion

Langkow and Iginla played a lot together last night and it was very refreshing not to see Jokinen not being shoved down everyone's throats. Langkow has been doing some advertising lately.


Overall, never complain about a win. Let's keep the momentum going for a couple home dates against LA and Edmonton on January 30th and 31st.

Turn the page. Flames lose

This video comes a day too late as Kiprusoff makes sure that he is on the top 10 fluke goals against for awhile with his good ol' buddy from San Jose.


Of course I'm not comparing Toskala to Kipper, just sayin', them's the breaks sometimes. Even without the fluke goal at the end of the first period the Flames just came out flat last night, something that has been a constant issue for a while now (like, years). With all these superstar players that we have, it seems like there should be, if not more wins, then at least a consistent effort every night. But is this part of the double-edged sword that comes with a group of talented NHLers? Recall if you would the pre-lockout New York Rangers: With a team salary of $69 million dollars and talent like Brian Leetch, Mark Messier, Eric Lindross (old but locker room guys), Alex Kovalev, Bobby Holik, and Jaromir Jagr, this is a team that finished 4th in their division with 27 wins and 69 points.

Now, compare that to a team like the 2003-2004 Flames, who had one bonifide superstar in Jarome Iginla (who only scored 73pts that season), and got the deal of the century by acquiring that Mikka Kiprusoff guy who didn't play too bad either. The supporting cast included players such as Craig Conroy, Shean Donovan, Martin Gelinas, and Dean McCammond. Those were guys who were not superstars and they recognized it. They had to come to work every day and work their asses off to make sure they would still have a job in the league. This was a team that finished 6th in the conference and I don't need to remind anyone how the playoffs went.



Fast-forward to the Flames of current. With talent on the team such as Iginla, Jokinen, Bouwmeester, Phaneuf, Kiprusoff, Regehr, and Langkow, I feel like there is way too much talent in the locker room at once, which means a couple of things. These are guys, who at whatever level they have played at, have always been the best. This means that they can go on the ice and dominate whoever they played regardless of who their teammates were. When you get so many guys like this together, who at one point or another have all thought they were the shit, what happens is what you are seeing now. This is a team that doesn't really give a rats ass about what goes down on the ice. None of these guys have to work their asses off to make sure they will have a job in the NHL because they have the feeling of entitlement; in the sense that they know that they can go get a contract on any club. This is unlike guys such as David Moss, or Dustin Boyd, or Nigel Dawes who was just waived from Phoenix this summer. These are the players who have to put in a full effort every single night, because if they don't they are expendable and they know it. And if you watch Flames games, these are the guys who put in the effort when it comes down to it. If the Flames don't get their egos crippled somehow before the half-way point in the season, don't expect any division titles/playoff berths to come Calgary's way until there is a major overhaul.


Furthermore, something that is starting to bother me is Brent Sutter's lack of comments after games. If the Flames were winning and lost two in a row and Brent Sutter refused to say anything after the game, I wouldn't care, because overall there would be success. But when your team has one win in their last 7 games and has scored 20 goals in the last 11, the fans deserve to hear something. Anything. Because if not for the fans, then for who? This game and league does not exist without rabid fan support. So until you win a couple, you can say something about the game, anything at all.

Also, Flames play in Oil Country tonight at 7:00pm.

Gameday Dec 27 vs VAN

December 27

VAN @ CGY
Gametime 6:00pm

Canucks are in town tonight to face a slumping Calgary squad who have become the 5th best defensive unit in the NHL...while winning once in their last five games. Needless to say, at practice earlier Brent Sutter and the boys worked on break-out passes as well as the powerplay. But the most interesting thing he did had nothing to do with drills. A riddle: How do you reward a player who hasn't scored a goal all season, in the midst of an offensive lapse that brings up memories of the Greg Gilbert era?

You put him on the top line.

The Calgary Herald reports today that Craig Conroy skated with OJ and Iggy on the top line during practice. I would love to eat my words tonight and see those boys put up a few goals/offensive chances tonight but that remains to be seen.

The Canucks, meanwhile, are an offensive powerhouse out of nowhere. When Daniel Sedin went down earlier in the season I sort of figured that Henrik would fuck off and simply not be able to produce; little did I think he would be tied for second in league scoring by December's end.

Swedish twins

This is all shaping up to be the best brother/brother combo since Mario and Luigi.

Christmastime at the Sedin household

Gametime is 6:00pm and I am excited for this one because I fucking hate Vancouver (a lot more than Edmonton (probably because they actually pose a threat)) and we need a big win at home. Go Flames!

"That's my coach!"

Christmastime comes once a year

Team Russia has been announced. There is a considerable amount of KHL talent that has been named to the roster which is somewhat surprising IMO. Are the best 23 Russian players in the world not playing in the NHL? Or is the country trying to use these Olympics as a showcase for the alternative "super-league"? What happened the last time that an alternative to a major league was created...

Never forget

At least Vince McMahon has a sense of humor about it.

Should have hired Billy Mays

Dion Phaneuf is a drunk.

Blue Yodel #2. Flames Lose

The big bad Blues came into Calgary last night and completed their first undefeated road trip in franchise history. The Flames were mostly snakebitten in general, but there was one man who stood out above all: OJ.

Fuck

If I'm going to play a game of shinny, this guy is my first pick. The poor fucker just keeps hitting posts like a drunkard hits his spouse. That being said, he is starting to look a lot stronger with and without the puck, especially during these last few games. Let's say something nice though. Jarome Iginla has been nominated as one of TSN's players of the decade. Good for him.

The Flames now have a break until the 27th for a game against Vancouver. It might be too early in the season to say so, but this is a must-win game in my opinion. Calgary is shitting themselves worse than Fernando Pisani right now and in order to establish dominance within the division and the conference (as last night's shoot-out loss puts us in 7th in the West) its time for the boys to sniff the competition's ass, chatter and bare their teeth, and mount the other team.

Gameday Dec 23rd vs STL

December 23
STL @ CGY
Gametime 7:30pm

Don't look now but the Blues aren't terrible in December. So far this month they hold victories over teams such as San Jose, LA, Detroit, Vancouver, and Calgary. As for the Flames, the "L's" have been piling up, most recently to Nashville on Saturday afternoon. Calgary has had a few days off in a row which should hopefully mean the boys are rested and hungry for a win; unfortunately if you've watched the franchise since 06/07 you know that nothing is guaranteed. Another thing to consider is that this is the last game the Flames play before Christmas, which could mean that mentally they are simply off duty and might try to auto-pilot this one.

Keith Tkachuk is a natural-born leader:
"October 5, 1996:

Prior to the Jets first game of the season in Hartford, Keith Tkachuk throws a temper tantrum in the visitors' dressing room after seeing his jersey without the familiar 'C' on it. Tkachuk confronts Head Coach Terry Simpson who informed him that Kris King will remain the team captain. Tkachuk storms out... of the meeting and draws a 'C' in chalk on his jersey, then puts on the jersey and goes out for the warmup. The Jets go on to drop a 4-2 decision to the Whalers. Teemu Selanne has a goal and an assist for the Jets, while Tkachuk registers no points and no shots on goal. He is noticeably out of shape as the game goes on and does not see the ice in the final ten minutes of the game. Tkachuk offers only a terse 'no comment' to reporters after the game."

Looking at the Western Conference standings, if the playoffs started today, there would not be many teams I would be afraid to play. LA, Nashville, Colorado, and Phoenix just don't strike the same fear into me as Detroit, Dallas, and Anaheim used to. That being said if the dance started today then the Flames would play the Blackhawks, a series which would look something like this:


1, 2, 3, fuck the Blues!

What Could Have Been

Congratulations to Marty Brodeur on his 104th career shutout. Its actually cool to be alive at this point in time. This is the shit you tell your grandkids.

Brodeur, of course, was the 20th overall selection in the 1990 draft. The Flames held the 11th overall pick that year. They also selected a goaltender: Trevor Kidd.

The Kidder

Although he was almost as successful as Marty, as far as I can tell, he is still keeping busy. The way he stretches reminds me of a lazy cat.

Phoenix, Arizona: Calgary's Garbage Pile

Well, today I see that defenceman Andres Eriksson has signed with Phoenix and the first thing I instinctively did was literally "lol". Outstanding that this guy still has a job in the NHL; if you have ever had the treat of watching his bumbling ass on the ice you know that he is a liability more than anything else. His nickname is Bubba, because of his fat ass, which just glorifies the fact that he is out of shape and all around a brutal hockey player.

Thanks for the memories, you fat fuck

But what is really outstanding about this is how many former Flames now play for the Coyotes. Adding Eriksson to the pile of shitgarbage that includes Jimmy Vandermeer, Adrian Aucoin, Matt Lombardi, and until the beginning of the season Brandon Prust, shows that for some reason the Phoenix management has a sick obsession with Calgary's trash. This is equivalent to watching a homeless person walk around campus rooting garbage cans looking for recyclables. Although, I must say, my mother did once root through Dany Heatley's parent's garbage cans, grab one of his street hockey sticks, and have it signed by him.

Coyotes President Douglass Moss

Now the question asked is which looks worse: the fact that the Coyotes only want players that the Flames have made absolutely clear they have no interest in, or the fact that Phoenix and Calgary both have 44 points in the standings so far (albeit Calgary has a game in hand). You gotta wonder what having a coach other than Mike Keenan would have done for our boys, as Dave Tippet seems to have a team that at the very least goes out and competes every night.

Footage from Coyotes practice

Postgame Dec 19th vs NSH

So what is there to say about that game. Iginla had a snipe and a greasy goal to put the Flames up 3-2 at one point, but as soon as the Preds killed off a powerplay during the second period you knew momentum was going their way. Now the Flames have until Wednesday off until they play the shit-Blues again. Here's to hoping that game ends better now that its on for free.

This is a great article about the Flames responding to coaching.

Gameday Dec 19 vs NSH

December 19th
NSH @ CGY
Gametime 2:00pm

The Nashville Predators are on fire. They sit fifth in the west but actually have a point more than Calgary which is outstanding given the line-up they ice every night. It is a good thing that the economic principle of transitivity does not hold in hockey because the Flames would be royally fucked for this game, as Nashville earlier this month somehow beat the Blackhawks at the United Center. If transitivity applied, the 4-1 win over Chicago would translate into something like a 9-2 shellacking of Calgary.


But now, some funny things about the Predators. Their building used to be the Gaylord Entertainment Arena. Isn't Nashville in the Bible belt? How on earth did this ever get approved? Can you imagine the conversation ownership must have had? How do you tell your sponsor that you just can't use their name for the building?


What a ticket deal the Preds have going on right now. You can buy five weekend games for $110. The Flames' counteroffer? For $50 you could sit in the nosebleeds, watch a Superskills competition, and get a bobblehead. For my money I would much prefer to watch five games. Five games played by an ultra-competitive team.

Kiprusoff has a .930 save% and a 2.14 GAA, which led Iron Mike Keenan to say before the LA game that if he had been playing this well he wouldn't have gotten fired. Well Mike, I think playing Big Bert more than 12 minutes a night and going 1-for-50 on the powerplay while still refusing to practice it had something to do with that as well. If you haven't accepted Kipper as your lord and savior, there is still time to craft maccaroni pictures and soap sculptures.

19:59. Flames win

That was an awesome game to watch for most of the night I would have to say. The Flames did their bit and let off during the third period but other than that there was nothing to really complain about. Aaron Johnson looked like Cory Sarich out there attempting to hit everything that moved, the difference is he didn't wait until the playoffs to show up for a game. Mark Giordano is a dick, and because he is on our side I won't complain about him. I've never seen an average D-man dominate a significant player on the other team like Gio did last night. He also looks like a zombie which is sort of cool.

There is no life in those eyes

When Chris Cuthbert calls a game on TSN everybody is a winner. Listening to him broadcast play-by-play action is like cleaning your ears with velvet-tipped Q-tips. His play-by-play man was also very good. Maybe he wasn't and I'm just used to listening to Sweet Lou and the goons from Sportsnet West.

Sick save, sick overreaction

Highlight of the night for me was watching Gio destroy Dustin Brown all game and then watching Brown attempt a flying elbow drop in the corner during the third which he deftly missed.

He will be further referred to as the Heartbreak Kid

If you watched the game you know what I'm talking about. Lastly, Don Van Massenhoven has the sickest moustache in the league. Some argue that Parros on Anaheim has a better duster, but he is just doing it for attention. DVM's stache founded the Weiserhood.

And that's just my moustache

Gameday December 17th: LA

December 17th
LAK @ CGY
Gametime 7:30pm

The LA Kings are first in the west. If you called this, you're only lying to yourself. The Kings are the talk of the town and for good reason. They have solid scoring, decent defense, and great goaltending (see what I did there?). After going through goaltenders like LaBarbera and Cloutier the monarchs finally seem to have their man in net, as Jon Quick is 20-10-3 with a save% of over .900 which ain't bad in this day and age.

This is more or less everyone's first photoshop

Otherwise there's not much to say about these guys that hasn't been mentioned before. So what I'll do is post a Pensblog season preview for the Kings a couple years ago. I recommend you read every word that is written as it is absolutely hilarious.

Feel free to file this one under "T", for "teams we usually beat up but aren't be surprised when we don't". Seems like bizarro Flames are coming out lately as we can somehow beat San Jose and Detroit, both in their buildings, but we still roll over and lose to teams like the Wild and Blues. Calgary is still two points out of first place in the division but has three games in hand on the mighty Avalanche.

Bizarro Flames/When worlds collide

I'm really looking forward to watching this game and I hope you are too.

Iron Mike Sucks

I picked this up from Kukla's Korner this morning. The article is all about what Brett Hull thought about Mike Keenan when he was their coach. This is the man who couldn't coach Wayne Gretzky and Brett Hull on the same line in St. Louis. This is the man who traded Roberto Luongo for Todd Bertuzzi and Bryan Allan. Mad Mike Milbury takes enough shit from everyone else, a focus on Keenan as an NHL head coach/GM would be an interesting read. My favorite part of the article?

"I thought Mike Keenan was brilliant behind the bench," Shanahan said. "I think as the game became more technical, I don't think that was his strong suit. But when the game was won with sheer emotion and having stars, I think he was suited for that."- Brendan Shanahan

That more or less means that Keenan didn't coach his teams. I used to stand behind the bench and "coach" BBYO hockey but that mostly involved making sure we had five players on the ice and a single water bottle that was half-full. Keenan's practices, I'm sure, looked more or less something like this.

I'll let you guess which one Brett Hull is

Also, the Flames lost to the Blues last night, which more or less erased any memory of that awesome November they just had. The time is now for them to get their shit together though. From today until the new year, the Flames are away once, and that is for a game in Edmonton. Every time the Flames look like they are going to go the next step and become an elite team in the league, they remind everybody that they have one cup in 30 years that was due to the guy on the other team scoring on himself.

1986, but you get the point

While we're on the topic of the Oilers in the playoffs...

Gameday December 15th: @ STL

December 15th
CGY @ STL
Gametime 6:00pm

Forgive me readers for I have sinned... I haven't watched a game since we beat Atlanta on December 9th and I won't be able to watch tonight as the game is a PPV (0-4 and I won't buy till we win one), and I finish exams today so the chances of me being functional/coherent from 6:00pm-8:30pm are very, very poor. I would seriously set the over/under for me passing out at around 7:00pm.

Hello my friend, we meet again, its been a while where should we begin?

The caption works best if you sing it like Creed's "My Sacrifice". Tonight the Flames play the Blues in yet another PPV game. The big story tonight will be all about goals, why isn't anyone scoring for either team? Dave Perron leads the Blues with nine goals and Erik Johnson has 21pts through 30 games. Not to brag about the Flames but that is pretty dismal. The other storyline is that tonight is Brett Hull Hall of Fame Night at the Scottstrade Center. Former players such as Brendan Shanahan and former Flames Curtis Joseph and Grant Fuhr are scheduled to appear. Something else the two franchises had in common? Mike Keenan couldn't coach either of them.


In other news, Don Cherry is the only 80 year-old child associated with professional sports:

Tator was quoted as saying that Cherry’s embrace of rock ‘em, sock ‘em hockey on Hockey Night In Canada was an impediment to getting players to play safer.

Asked his response by a reporter outside radio studios in Toronto on Sunday, Cherry replied “I don’t give a [expletive] about him, I don’t give a [expletive] about him.”

Addressing the broadcast legend as “Mr. Cherry,” D’Mello offered an opportunity to rebut Tator. Cherry first mocked the interview request, telling D’Mello that if he had something to say it wouldn’t be to D’Mello’s station.

“I’d do it on mine. Why the [expletive] would I do it on yours? Now I’m telling you to [expletive] off. How’s that? Can I tell it any more quicker than that?”

This is what a professional looks like

What a loser. It was getting to the point where I didn't want to watch HNIC anymore because of this bozo, until I discovered this gem on Youtube.

Enjoy the game.

Postgame Dec 11th vs Acme

I didn't watch the Shames play yesterday so instead I will be re-capping the game in the EJHL between the Hedgehogs and the Scrappers. The final score was something like 7-3 for the Scrappers but this was a much closer game than appeared. The Hedgehogs third line had their physical edge circumcised early as center Sam Magalnik took two penalties on his first two shifts, ensuring that he would have to play nice for the rest of the game. Thankfully, enforcer Murray Glick didn't miss any ice time and was able to bring the big body presence he has come to be known for around the league.

I didn't get a chance to watch the game or have a proper write-up because I am in the two-day span known as exams to some of you. Being in history I've mostly just been on Youtube to get most of my studying done.

Gameday December 13th: @ COL

December 13th

CGY @ COL
Gametime 6:00pm

Here we are on December 13th 2009 as we join the Flames taking on the Colorado Avalanche in a matchup to determine Northwest supremacy. Get ready to hear that all night on Sportsnet West because I will guarantee right now, this game will be boring. Every time I have to watch the Avs play it is a boring game, nothing noteworthy ever happens in these ones. There isn't even anyone on this team worth making fun of. Stastny? What's the worst thing anyone can say about him, that he's American? All I would be doing is glorifying his gargantuan penis.

My penis...is very, very small!

The big story this season for Colorado has been Cranderson in net, and if this is the first you've heard of this story you simply have not been paying attention. Is this guy any good? Probably, but he still is a career backup and it should be up to the Flames to rattle his shit. Colorado is in the middle of a pretty long homestand so its going to be on the Flames to set the tone of the game early. Luckily before road games the Flames have been mostly listening to the S&M Metallica album.

Anywhere I roam, where I lay my head is home

I probably won't be able to watch the game tonight as I will be playing a pivotal role in the EJHL game tonight playing left wing as the Just for Fun Hedgehogs take on the Acme Scrappers at Argyll Arena. But I 'm sure I can scrap something together for a post-game tomorrow.

Postgame Dec 11th vs MIN

Full disclosure, I made a commitment to never buy a PPV game again until we win one, so last night's contest I did not watch. You might wonder the source of my frustration, that would be the 6-5 OT loss to Chicago and a 3-2 loss against Colorado earlier in the season. The first game was a bigger tease than when someone at summer camp asks if you want to "hang out" for a night, and then nothing happens. And the Avs game was like listening to Ben Stein lecture 1800s Canadian history (but you get the point).

Budaj...Budaj...Budaj?

Obviously because I brought attention to it, Havlat had a two point night including the game winner in OT, so I'll take the hit for this loss. Next PPV game is against St. Louis I believe; that's as good a chance as any to make me start buying them again. It's unreal how the team is 0-4, do you think they know when PPVs are? For that matter has anybody watched a Flames PPV? It is impossible to justify paying for a hockey game that you are not attending. The big draw is that you're supposed to get all sorts of special features during these games.

At least Dion is into it

Primeau was injured at the time of this filming and he actually looks wasted, there is no way he remembered that the next morning. Anyways, its not for me to write about a game I didn't watch. So from me and Nystrom, Happy Hanukkah!

Bobby Nystrom at the Long Island, NY household

Gameday December 11th: MIN

December 11th
MIN @ CGY
Gametime 7:00pm

What you need to know:

Tonight the Minnesota Wild make their way to Southern Alberta for their first match against the Flames this season. The Wild used to be the team you ignored for about seven months out of the year, then all of a sudden they were in first place in the division, but by the time the playoffs rolled around you knew they weren't going to do any damage.

Great Expectations

That being said, the Wild are now bottom-feeders in the Western Conference due to a horrible start and due to the fact that Martin Havlat is the most reckless player in the NHL. Its funny that he and Gaborik have long been considered enigmas in the league as it was very hard to gauge just how good these guys were because they were hurt all the time. Minnesota thought that by losing Marian and picking up Martin there would be no harm, no foul.


The actual result is that Gaborik is fucking up the Eastern Conference while Havlat looks like he is black-out drunk before 10:30pm at the Calgary Stampede. After the game tonight there is a decent chance you could see him at the LRT station playing shit-garbage.


In saying that, Minnesota is still only four points out of a playoff spot, but its a little too early for that to be worth anything. Minnesota is pretty hot as of late winning seven of their last ten, including two back-to-back wins against former overachievers Colorado, but you know any time the Wild come to town Jarome Iginla is going to have an awesome game as he has abs0lutley destroyed the Wild ever since Gary Bettman had a mountain lion cross-bred with a Christmas tree to get the Minnesota Wild logo.

Rawrrr

The game tonight is on PPV which means we're either going to lose, its going to be boring as fuck, or a bit of both. We used to score two goals against the Wild when we were the hella-fuckin-balls-to-the-walls-offence Flames; lets see if that trend changes tonight.

Postgame Dec 9th vs ATL

Some thoughts on last night's game:

Positives: Roger Millions managed to introduce the game without a single homophobic comment. +1 Sportsnet.

Nigel Dawes scored again; how did Phoenix waive this guy?

McGratton looked sick at some points.

OJ looks like he finally has his shit together.

Negatives: The Casa di Mama commercial, the one where "he can hear mama's voice like it was yesterday", has been on for over five years. The only variety of commercial they have given us is where two boners line up for a face-off, each representing a different kind of pizza. I don't know how this company can expect to compete with Panago, who has the fat construction worker engaging in a slew of praise for the pizza.

I know you recognize this man

Old Man Conroy is out, which gives Peter Loubardias and Sportsnet a chance to come up with a cheesy graphic talking about the Flames' faceoff stats. I was honestly waiting the whole LA game to see something pop up that said "No "Doughty" About It", with a comparison of Drew Doughty and something like Phaneuf's stats through his first two seasons.

Evander Kane was out for the Thrashers, which meant that no matter how hard I tried I wouldn't be able to use this picture in the wrap-up.

But obviously, I'm still going to

The Flames overall were pretty sick all game, its really fun to be able to watch a team and not have to worry about the score, because either way its going to be 2-1 for one of the teams unless it is the Chicago Blackhawks.

Stat of the night: Since giving up six goals and getting pulled after 40 minutes in a 7-1 home ice loss to Chicago on Nov. 19, Kiprusoff has gone 6-2-1, posted three shutouts, and allowed only 11 goals. He has a 1.22 goals-against average and .957 save percentage during that stretch.

Gameday December 9th: ATL

December 9th

ATL @ CGY

Gametime 7:30pm

What you need to know:

Tonight the Atlanta Thrashers are in town to take on the boys in red, and turns out the dirty birds are actually decent this year. Atlanta sits sixth in the Eastern Conference with 33pts earned in 27 games, which puts them second in the Southeastern Division behind the Capitals who have 44pts in 30 games played. 11pts behind with three games in hand isn't an insurmountable lead by any means; just ask any Canucks fan from last year.....(balls).

Any time the Thrashers are playing a game I just get distracted by the nickname Dirty Birds. It reminds me too much of the Dirty Burger from Trailer Park Boys to take the name seriously.

"I had to fire Randy from the Dirty Burger; he was high all the fuckin time!"

Anyways, the Mustard Tigers are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games, which doesn't mean anything. If you check out their website you get a picture of Kovalchuk where he looks like Tony from the Home Hardware commercials. If you bother to watch the intro video you get treated to a promotion that looks like it was made on Microsoft Paint circa Windows 98. This promotion of course still doesn't touch what the Panthers were offering last year, the Panthers Promise, which said if the cats didn't make the playoffs and you bought a four-ticket pack, you could watch four games for free this year. I wonder how that worked out.

Kovalchuk, Peverly, Afinogenov, Antropov, and Enstrom all have over 20pts this season, which could present some problems for the Flames if they didn't have this man in net. The big story here will be how the Flames are fresh off their six-game road trip, blah blah blah, who gives a shit, they're home for two days then hit the road again, but after that are in the clear to play a stretch of four games in eleven days.

If you watched the game in LA the other night, you probably know that the Flames dominated the third which has been a pleasant sight for the mostpart this season.

""I think ... seven or eight times, I've hit the post so far this year," the 6-3, 215-pounder said after Thursday's morning skate. "Half of those go in, nobody would be questioning anything." -OJ



And if it wasn't for OJ playing posts the boys probably could have squeaked one out, but who cares because a 4-2 road trip is nothing to bitch about.

Check for a re-cap in the morning or later tonight. Welcome to the Lighter Side of Fire, hope you have a good time!