POST-GAME: The Red Knight Rises
Vintage Flame
February 24 2013 10:05PM
When the news came down that the Phoenix Coyotes were going to play this one without the likes of Hanzel and Vrbata, there was little doubt that Calgary needed this one. Not just to get themselves back to the .500 mark but to show many that even with this mish-mash lineup, they could skate with the conference contenders; even if the opposition was playing with one hand tied behind their back.
The Flames left the last one licking their wounds and branded by embarrasement, this time they dug deep and were able to bite back to pull out a much needed and much deserved victory; keeping hopes everywhere alive.
POST-GAME: Lost in the Desert
Vintage Flame
February 18 2013 11:07PM
The Flames looked to go into the desert, find the magical oasis and leave with two points to finally put them over the .500 mark. Instead they ended up running out of gas, lost, and will be on the plane tending to some really bad dog bites.
Experimenting with yet another goaltender, Calgary seems quite content to try and make hay out of whatever the opposition gives then on any given night.
Tonight, Mike Smith didn't give them a thing, and after clawing their way back against Dallas last night for the win, they simply had nothing left in their canteens once they got to the desert.
Flames All Time Top 10 Draft Picks – #2 Brett Hull
Vintage Flame
February 18 2013 12:06PM
When you’re a kid that is drafted into the NHL in the first round, the honour unfortunately also comes with its share of pressure and expectations. When you’re the son of an NHL icon, there are even more pressures on you before you’ve taken your first step on NHL ice. But what about when you are the son of an icon but, you aren’t drafted until the sixth round? What are expectations now of your talents and how they compare within your pedigree?
By no means did Hull begin his career destined for greatness.
In fact it wasn’t even certain. For Brett junior hockey would begin in the BCJHL and the Penticton Knights, a tier two team below the major junior level. At 5’10” and about 220 lbs, he wasn’t the most fluid and graceful skater on the ice. Despite his mother being an American professional figure skater, Brett seemed to miss out on inheriting that talent from the matriarchal gene pool. So much in fact, that he earned the nickname “Pickle”.
Not to be labeled and not to be denied, Brett Hull would indeed go on not only to the NHL, but once there, step from his father’s shadow and make a name for himself as one of the true greats to play the game.
POST-GAME: Wins Are Always Bigger in Texas!
Vintage Flame
February 17 2013 08:52PM
So after a terrible game against the Blues, what better team to get back in the saddle against than a team you just beat 7-4, right?
With a ton of changes to the line-up, demotions, waivers and throwing yet another dart at the board for a centre, your Calgary Flames looked to do just exactly that. Though the players might change, the game does not, and if Calgary could manage to replicate what they did four nights ago, they'd be back to .500 and able to justify changes that have had the fans pulling their hair out the last couple days.
Look to your leaders, and if that doesn't work, well hope you have some unlikely surprises rise to the top.
POST GAME: Seeing Red
Vintage Flame
February 14 2013 01:07AM
There was no doubt going into tonight's match up that the Calgary Flames needed the win. Regulation time, overtime, shoot-out, it didn't matter, but they needed two points.
On a night that saw the city of Calgary re-ignite the Olympic torch to celebrate 25 years since the 1988 Winter Olympics, the Flames needed to find a way to ignite this offense and avoid getting punched so hard, they saw stars. Good way to do that is to light the lamp at the right end of the ice.
When you score often, it's not likely the opposition will spend a lot of time in your end, which served Leland Irving well. Even better is once again having the bad guys on the second night of a back-to-back, and once again facing their back up.
The Flames were lucky enough to have the Stars aligned for all these factors and in the end were able to do something the Oilers just can't seem to manage; they beat the Dallas Stars.
