Flames vs. Panthers--Mr. 1000

The Calgary Flames have won two of their past three games. That puts a positive enough spin on things, doesn't it?

In a 4-1 win over the Hurricanes on Wednesday night, the new Flames finally got the warm welcome they deserved after a less than inspiring effort against the Flyers on Monday night.

Now, they hit the road for a three-game tour of the Eastern Conference, starting in the Sunshine State with games against the Panthers and Lightning. Matt Stajan scored a beauty for his first as a Flame, which also proved to be the game winner, and Ales Kotalik set the tone with a hard hit on the 'Canes Andrew Alberts to start the game (this is actually a video of Regehr sending Kotalik flying into the Sabres bench, because I couldn't find a video of the other hit. Entertaining, nonetheless)

Today, however, is not about the new Flames. Quite the opposite. Today is about the man who has set franchise records for most games played, most goals, and most points. The man who, since a mid-nineties trade brought him to the Flames as a young prospect, has arguably been the face of this franchise. The man who twice scored fifty goals with little to no offensive support and came within one win of leading his team to its second Stanley Cup. Today is about Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla, Mr. 1000.

There are many memories that stand out when thinking of Jarome Iginla's NHL career: His first game as a Flame, a playoff game against the Blackhawks in 1996, in which he registered an assist. His fifty-two goal season, culminating in him being awarded the Art Ross, Lester B. Pearson, and Rocket Richard trophies.

Being named captain in 2003 and subsequently leading his team to Game Seven of the Stanley Cup finals, leading all playoff scorers with thirteen goals.

During the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons, Iginla broke franchise records for most games played, most goals, and most points, surpassing Al MacInnis and Theoren Fleury, respectively. He scored his four-hundredth goal in a losing effort against the Tampa Bay Lightning in March of '09.

In 2007-08, Iggy would go on to score fifty goals in a season for the second time in his career, culminating in one of my all-time favourite memories. After scoring his fiftieth goal in the final game of the season, Iginla lead his team in a salute to an outgoing Trevor Linden (around the 4:50 mark).

This game cemented Iginla's status as one of the best players in hockey. This moment cemented his status as one of the best people in the game. I will always remember coming home from vacation just in time to catch the last few minutes of this game, watching in speechless awe as Linden received a rousing standing ovation, and Iggy skated towards him and led his team in shaking the retiring veteran's hand, one by one. Players that had already entered the dressing room reemerged to follow their captain's lead in one of the greatest displays of sportsmanship in recent memory. The fans at GM Place reciprocated, cheering when Jarome scored his fiftieth goal and when he was named the second star of the game. In the storied and nasty Flames-Canucks rivalry, this moment stands out as one of the more warm-fuzzy variety in its history.

The 2008-09 season was largely a forgettable one for Iginla and his teammates, and some began to wonder if, at age 32 and having played the way he has for thirteen seasons, he was starting to wear down. His goals and points now seem to come in bunches, but he still has the ability to change a game with one pass, one shot, or one fight. He has survived playoff droughts, trade rumours, contract negotiations, and personnel changes, and through all of it has grown into the calm, classy, well-spoken leader that Flames brass envisioned when they acquired him from the Stars fifteen years ago.

Here's to you Jarome; 1000 games, and many more to come.

Puck drop is 5:30 on Sportsnet West. Jay Bouwmeester will be celebrating his 400th consecutive game against his former team and Curtis Glencross, his 200th NHL game. It is indeed a night of milestones that will hopefully culminate in a "W." I'll be at work serving wine to a bunch of pretentious suburbanites, so indulge in nostalgia and cry your eyes out for me.

Go Flames Go.

Shit is about to get real

This is it, folks.

Starting tomorrow at 8:00PM, every goal, save, hit, shot, blocked shot, you name it, it counts. It's going in the record books. There's no turning back now.

If there is one thing the Blogosphere should know about me, it's that I dislike predictions. I don't like making them, I don't like reading them, sure I agree with some, but in the end, a part of me just appreciates the innate unpredictability that is professional sports.

Yes, a certain amount of consistency is reassuring, but being able to project the exact amount of points a player will score, and the Eastern and Western Conference standings down to the number of wins, losses, and points each team will accumulate, frankly, takes all the fun out of being a fan. So, as an alternative, I have compiled a list of things to look forward to in the 2009-10 NHL season, for your viewing pleasure:

1) Return to an identity of some sort: I am slowly getting back into the habit of watching full games again after Jim Playfair wrenched me out of my cozy Sutter comfort zone and Mike Keenan launched me into a perpetual state of hand-wringing and what I call GDA (Game Day Anxiety--symptoms include irritability, moodiness, unexplainable angst and feelings of dread, random acts of violence, and belief in ridiculous superstitions and reverse psychology). I have high hopes that with a member of the Sutter clan back behind the bench, we will find a cure for GDA and stability and consistency will prevail in Flames Nation.

2) Epic division/conference battles: As always, the Northwest Division is expected to be ultra-competitive (for the most part). The long-standing rivalries between the Canucks, Flames, and Oilers only seem to intensify with age. I can hardly wait for the 'Dome to erupt the first time Robyn Regehr obliterates one of the Sedin twins and/or Ales Hemsky.

With the Flames and Canucks expected to contend for the Northwest title, we can likely expect more than a few memorable tilts between two, starting tomorrow night. Brouhahas and barn-burners galore. After that, the NW could be a total crapshoot, as the Oilers and Wild both look to contend for a playoff spot after under-going dramatic changes both on the ice and behind the bench. While it seems safe to assume the Avalanche will pull up the rear yet again as they continue to rebuild after the retirement of Joe Sakic, you never know.

The Western Conference is very much the same. You have your contenders--Detroit, Chicago, San Jose, and to a lesser extent Anaheim, Vancouver, and Calgary--then you've got the up-and-comers--St. Louis, Columbus, Los Angeles, Nashville--and your wild cards--Edmonton, Minnesota, and perhaps Dallas. That only leaves Phoenix and Colorado out of the picture for a playoff spot, but again, nothing's set in stone. I anticipate the development of new rivalries, the continuity of others, and a full-fledged Battle Royale for the top eight seeds in the West in 2009-10.

3) Watching the Toronto Maple Leafs: (I know, but admit it, you're curious). From what I've seen of the Leafs in pre-season play, I wouldn't be shocked if they were competing for a playoff spot come March-April. I think the Leafs will be my guilty pleasure team this season. The Philadelphia Flyers should be another team to watch, with Ray Emery making his much-anticipated return to the NHL and Pronger, Carter, Richards, and Gagne all vying for a spot on Team Canada in February.

Speaking of the Flyers, I am looking forward to the annual Winter Classic, especially since I missed last year's game because I fell asleep on my couch in the process of recovering from the previous night's festivities. I know I didn't miss much, I can catch a one-sided Red Wings victory almost any day of the week, but it's the novelty and the atmosphere of the whole event that makes it so special.

4) Iggy's 1000th game: February 5, 2010 will be Jarome Iginla's 1000th NHL game. Unfortunately, the Flames will be in Florida for a date with the Panthers that evening and won't be back at the 'Dome until the 11th, but expect Iggy to get a big ol' standing 'O' when the Flames' all-time leading scorer is honoured for achieving the 1000-game milestone. I may get a little teary-eyed when they present him with that tacky silver stick...

5) The fact that from now until mid-April I will be able to watch an NHL hockey game almost every day. Nothing beats settling in in front of the television with food, family, and friends for a good ol' fashioned Hockey Night in Canada double-header. Watching the various story-lines of the NHL's thirty franchises unfold over the next seven months--the wins, the losses, the surprises, the disappointments--is oddly comforting and often the best part of my day. I am getting the warm-fuzzies just thinking about it.

So there you have it. Drop the puck already.

Let's do this thing.

Go Flames Go.