head coach: Brian Sutter

roster: C - Cory Stillman, Aaron Gavey, Steve Begin, Andrew Cassels, Marty Murray, Michael Nylander. RW - Theoren Fleury, Jarome Iginla, Ron Stern, Ed Ward, Sandy McCarthy. LW - Jonas Hoglund, Marty McInnis, German Titov, Chris Dingman, Mike Peluso. D - James Patrick, Tommy Albelin, Joel Bouchard, Todd Simpson, Cale Hulse, Zarley Zalapski, Derek Morris. G - Rick Tabaracci, Dwayne Roloson.

injuries: Ronnie Stern, lw (knee injury, 4-6 weeks); Todd Simpson, d (knee, indefinite).

transactions: Claimed Mike Peluso, lw, from the New York Rangers in the waiver draft.

standings:

GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA   HOME      ROAD
 2   0   2   0     0    2    7  0-2-0     0-0-0

game results:

10/1  Detroit   L 3-1
10/3  Colorado  L 4-1

team news:

by Tony Wong and Jim Iovino, Calgary Correspondents

Have the NHL schedule makers no heart? Their cruelty showed through this season with the announcing of the Calgary Flames’ early schedule. The Flames, who are painfully going through a rebuilding process, opened up the season with a tilt with the defending Stanley Cup champs, the Detroit Red Wings. Two days later, the Flames had to face off against the powerful Colorado Avalanche.

Talk about a bad way to start a season, eh?

Sure, the Flames open the season on a four-game homestand, but with an opposition like that, there’s no surprise that Calgary is a disappointing 0-2 to start the year.

Opening night against Detroit showed Flames fans just how much their team is in need of scoring. Calgary managed just one goal against Chris Osgood, who was rarely tested. The Flames came back two days later against Patrick Roy and were dealt the same cards -- just one lousy goal and another loss. Yes, the Flames were playing two of the best teams in the league, but you can’t sugar coat the obvious: The Flames have very little offense, and it doesn’t look to get better anytime soon.

Oh, it will be a very long season in Calgary this year...

Hark! What is that? The Flames play the Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday night?!? Call it a gift from above, because the Leafs are just what the Flames need to turn things around. With an even worse offense than Calgary’s, Toronto comes into town to boost the spirit of Flames players and fans. Look for Calgary to finally win their first game of the season. Maybe the schedule makers do have a heart...

Wong’s Words

Here are some notes on the preseason and first game against Detroit from our Calgary correspondent, Tony Wong, who is on a mission to break the world’s Rice- A-Roni Eating Record this week in San Francisco. May the force be with you, Tony...

- Even more so than last year, the Flames ran hot and cold in the preseason. For stretches, they would be an aggressive, feisty bunch that fought for the puck. For other stretches we not only looked lackadaisical, we looked almost dead. The gap between the good and bad stretches was even bigger than last year.

- Boy did the veterans stink it up in camp. Patrick, Zalapski, Stillman, Iginla, Hoglund all played with lead in their legs.

- Morris played pretty well in camp and was probably Calgary's best defenseman overall in the preseason. While he didn't show off the "Paul Coffey" type wheels that he's supposed to have, he was solid defensively and showed a nice shot.

- Calgary's defense, of all things, might be a problem. In the preseason and in their first game against Detroit, Calgary's defensemen had trouble maintaining their composure in the offensive zone. Once Detroit figured this out, they rushed the point mercilessly and were able to force the puck out of the zone rather easily...oh for the days of MacInnis, Suter and Macoun...

- Michael Nylander might end up a bust. Still weak on the puck (EVERYONE was knocking him off the puck), playing in Europe has given him some bad habits. Worst amongst these is the desire to "razzle dazzle" (i.e. make a bunch of moves) every time he crosses into the offensive zone. While this might have worked when he was the most skilled player on the ice in Europe, against NHL competition they've simply been tying him up when he does this. Hopefully he learns to make the simple play or simple pass real soon.

- While Cassels & Fleury seem to be an ideal pairing, I don't think it will work out. They seem to have too many of the same instincts and often go to the same area/go for the same play rather than complementing each other. I hope I'm wrong.

- While Fleury is in much better shape mentally (less dour) and physically this year, he still has that jinxed feeling. The rest of the NHL has figured out that Fleury doesn't have a great shot, but that he can beat them one on one up close. The result has been defensemen basically backing up and giving Fleury a shot from the wing. Theo hasn't come up with a solution to this basic problem, but will start scoring in bunches when (and if) he does. So don't expect too much regardless of how good his fitness is. If he doesn't figure this out, he's not going anywhere. Either that, or Theo gets himself a giant centre (that Calgary doesn't have) that feasts on rebounds.

- The Detroit game was pretty boring throughout until the third period. Both teams seemed to sleepwalk through the first two periods. Detroit's lead was the result of two marginal calls at the beginning of the first and second periods that lead to power-play goals. In the third period, the line of McCarthy, Peluso and rookie Begin crashed around and ignited the Flames. After that, for about 10 minutes, the Flames crashed the Detroit net and created a number of chances. The result was a goal by Iginla and about four great missed opportunities. After some confusion in pulling the goalie in the last minute, Detroit scored into an empty net and it was all over.

- Tabaracci was a highlight. With a number of exceptional stops, he kept the game close. Without him, the score would have been 6- or 7-0.

- Corey Stillman played like Aaron Gavey did for the last half. He fought for the puck and created a number of chances. Amongst them was an assist on Iginla's goal. If he keeps it up and he'll definitely have a much, much better year than last year.

- Morris played pretty well most of the game, but had two big give-aways in his own zone that led to a breakaway and a two-on-one. Morris also didn't hold the puck in during the last minute, which resulted in Detroit's empty-net goal. Oh well - not bad for his first NHL game.

- Sutter chose to go with three assistants instead of picking a captain yet. Simpson, Fleury and Patrick wore the "A".

- Todd Simpson was on the power play. What??!? The most questionable of all of Sutter's moves so far. Homer Simpson would probably fare just as well, with more meat on his shot...

- Patrick looked average to start, but started to pick up his play as the game went on. Behind Tabaracci and Stillman, he was probably Calgary's best player. Zalapski, on the other hand, still looked like he was sorta sleepy. Let's hope he wakes up, 'cause the Flames missed his solid all-around play last year.

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