The Calgary Flames big drama played out on, and the days leading up to, the April 3 NHL trade deadline, mostly off-the-ice.
Now, on-the-ice, with their former captain Jarome Iginla seeking his first Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh, their former top defenceman, Jay Bouwmeester, looking to compete in the NHL playoffs for the first time with the St. Louis Blues and their No. 1 goalie Miikka Kiprusoff basically in a backup role, the Flames are playing their best hockey of the season.
Heading into Monday’s home assignment against the Minnesota Wild, Bob Hartley’s skaters have won three of four games for the first time this campaign.
In fact, it could be argued that extending back to the game after the deadline, the Flames with a break or two could have a 6-0 record. Two of the Flames’ three losses since they were blitzed 8-2 by Edmonton on April 3, were to Vancouver when first Cory Schneider and then Roberto Luongo turned in great performances with Calgary peppering them with 38 and 41 shots, respectively. The other loss was in San Jose on April 5 when the Sharks won 2-1 with a late third period goal.
The Flames aren’t entertaining any thoughts of making the playoffs, although mathematically they still aren’t eliminated, but they are having fun with, on some nights, the youngest lineup they’ve employed in over 10 years.
In Saturday’s 4-1 win at Edmonton, the Flames dressed seven players who had played this season with their AHL farm squad in Abbotsford.
While many Flame fans are clamouring for them to lose as much as possible with the season unwinding to assure the team get’s an early draft pick in June, Hartley doesn’t want a losing culture to take hold with a so many youngsters in the lineup — many of whom figure to be part of the team next season. Fans, however, took delight in the win at Edmonton as it virtually eliminated the rival Oilers from post-season play.
The fact the pressure is off has helped the team generate recent success plus the kids have given veteran players added enthusiasm.
Kiprusoff, a big reason for what success the Flame attained during past seasons, is still on the roster after rejecting a deadline trade to Toronto, but has been watching more games than playing lately. Veteran backup Joey MacDonald, who doesn’t have a contract for next season, has been in the nets for the last four Flames wins. He now has seven triumphs since being acquired on waivers from Detroit on Feb. 11. That’s one more than Kiprusoff, who has led the Flames in wins every season since his arrival during the 2003-04 term.
Many of the Flames recent victories have been at the expense of teams in the Western Conference playoff hunt and Monday, with another triumph, could hinder Minnesota’s bid with the Wild having 47 points, two more than ninth place Dallas and Columbus.
Another new face joins the Flames fold Monday with forward Ben Hanowski eligible to play after signing with the team following participation in the NCAA Frozen Four tournament this past weekend with St. Cloud State. The 22-year-old Hanowski was one of the players acquired from Pittsburgh in the Jarome Iginla trade.