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head coach: Brian Sutter

roster: C - Andrew Cassels, Michael Nylander, Cory Stillman. RW - Eric Andersson, Valeri Bure, Theoren Fleury, Jarome Iginla, Ron Stern. LW - Jason Wiemer, Chris Dingman, Hnat Domenichelli, Marty McInnis, German Titov, Ed Ward. D - Tommy Albelin, Jamie Allison, Joel Bouchard, Kevin Dahl, Denis Gauthier, Cale Hulse, Derek Morris, James Patrick, Todd Simpson. G - Dwayne Roloson, Rick Tabaracci.

injuries: Whatever...

transactions: Beats me...

standings:

Western Conference - Pacific Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA   
x-Colorado   77  37  24  16    90  217  192  
Los Angeles  75  34  30  11    79  210  204 
San Jose     76  31  37   8    70  190  205  
Edmonton     76  30  36  10    70  192  208 
Calgary      75  25  36  14    64  200  222  
Vancouver    76  24  39  13    61  212  258  
Anaheim      76  24  40  12    60  187  241  
x - Clinched playoff spot

game results:

3/24 Buffalo      L 2-0
3/26 Washington   W 3-2
3/28 Los Angeles  W 5-2
3/30 at Edmonton  L 3-1
4/01 Dallas       W 3-1
4/05 at Anaheim   T 3-3

team news:

by Tony Wong, Calgary Correspondents

Two Weeks at a Glance:

Sigh.

3-2-1. Seven points in six games (hey - that's good when you're a bottom feeder in the Western Conference). So what happens?

Everyone else goes on a tear too. So two weeks later and the Flames are STILL seven points back from a playoff spot. Two steps forward, two steps back.

It started with a fine homestand against three .500 plus teams. And if not for the ridiculously spectacular play by Dominik Hasek, it would have been three wins instead of two. Add in a win against the league leading Dallas Stars and it's a pretty good two weeks, right?

Well - except that they lost the two games they HAD to win.

Coming of a wonderful homestand, the Flames were ready to close the gap to three points with a win. But against Edmonton the Flames just weren't ready. Two early goals by Todd Marchant put the Flames behind the eight ball and that's where they stayed - seven points back.

Six sleeps later against the Mighty Ducks, the Flames reversed the script. Different story, same result. Leading 3-1 in the third period, Travis Green scored twice over a span of 2:57 to rob the Flames of a very crucial point. Double sigh.

So can the Flames still make it?

Last issue, we said all they needed to do was to win their games head-to-head with their Pacific division breathen. What does that mean? If they had done so (excluding their other wins) the Flames would have at least 62 points and be eight back of San Jose for the final playoff spot (six points back of the Oilers) with two games in hand.

With 64 points and six points back of San Jose and the Oilers, the picture remains relatively unchanged. Keeping to the script, the Flames will need to win AT LEAST six of their last seven games to go to the playoffs. A tough road, but very doable with the opponents being Vancouver (twice), Edmonton, Los Angeles and San Jose (three times!). With the resulting 76-78 points under their belt, the Flames should just nudge Edmonton for the last playoff spot (provided that the Oilers stay true to form).

Who said the hard road was more rewarding?

Ack! - Injuries!

Michael "playing in the Olympics really woke me up" Nylander was most likely lost for the season with a third degree tear of his left anterior cruciate ligament against the Capitals (March 26th). Colliding with Kelly Miller in the first period, Nylander fell to the ice and left the game grimacing like nobody's business.

Nylander will be missed. After his little trip to Nagano, Nylander had actually learnt a new word - "defense". All excited about his discovery, he quickly learned others (such as "backcheck") and was becoming a delightful player. If the Flames have any luck, Nylander will recover quickly in time for the playoffs and will not have forgotten all of the wonderful new words he has learnt.

Against the Ducks (April 5th) - Teemu and the gang added an injury in addition to their insulting theft of a point. Performing the NHL/WWF variation of the body slam against the miniature Valeri Bure was 6-1, 205 pound left winger Mike LeClerc. While the mikes on the ice didn't pick up the "squish" of the hit, Bure left the game with what the Flames will only officially call a "bruised shoulder". From the look of it here, we're guessing that "little brother" will miss AT LEAST a couple of games.

Sandy...

With Grease set to open in its re-release across North America, Flames fans, players and especially Theoren Fleury bid a sad goodbye to their own Sandy - Sandy McCarthy. The best whacker in the league was sent along with third and fifth round draft picks (both in 1998) for Jason Wiemer.

Who is Jason Wiemer? Good question.

Picked eighth overall in 1994, Wiemer is a big boy -- 6-2 and 219 pounds to be exact. What the scouts saw was a Cam Neely-Gary Roberts type power forward. And to Wiemer's credit, he's shown flashes of that potential, especially during his rookie year. Since then though, Wiemer has struggled for the consistency and fire needed to be a "Cam Neely" type player. However, at only 21, he's got plenty of time left. And with Mr. Intensity (Brian Sutter) himself as the coach in Calgary, the Flames figure that Wiemer will quickly learn firsthand about "fire".

Who wins? Well when the Canucks traded Neely to the Bruins, Vancouver was pretty happy with the deal. They had finally gotten some value for a high draft pick that had never panned out for them. Slowly however, Neely found his game and became best power forward in the game. Boston was pretty happy about that. If Wiemer even comes close to that, the Flames will be ecstatic.

In giving up McCarthy, Coates traded a young (25), relatively cheap (one million a year) player that was considered the premier heavyweight in the NHL. It's easy to say that Coates' hand was forced by McCarthy's public trade demands, but the reality was that Sandy WAS playing and Coates had time. A trade for next year (i.e. at the draft) would have most likely netted more bounty. In addition to McCarthy, the Flames parted with third and fifth round draft picks. So the trade is risky to say the least. While Wiemer does have a lot of potential, Coates paid a pretty high price for a raffle ticket.

That's yet another marginal deal, Al. If you keep buying tickets, you'll eventually win the lottery right?

Hey, we here at LCS are kind-hearted and we'll give you the benefit of the doubt. If early returns are any indication, Coates may well have finally done a good one. In his first two games as a Flame, Wiemer has scored the winning goal. Not bad...

Goodbye... Theo?

While none of the "media babble" about Theoren Fleury came true, it's come out that the Flames might consider trading the miniature wonder in the future. With two years left on his contract (one year and option at Fleury's discretion), Fleury could potentially be a unrestricted free agent come the summer of 1999. The whispers in the corridors say that if the Flames cannot sign Fleury to an extension by this year's draft, they'll deal him before the season starts.

Ack! Let's hope this isn't another one that Coates gets to screw up. We NEED our diminutive MVP...

Upcoming Games:

4/7     at San Jose
4/9     Vancouver
4/11    Edmonton
4/13    at Los Angeles
4/15    San Jose
4/17    at Vancouver
4/18    at San Jose
** end of regular season, beginning of playoffs **

Pretty simple. Win all the games - go to the playoffs.

Lose - book your tee times and get ready for a lashing by Brian.

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