Kipper cashes in

The Calgary Flames knocked off one more name on their list of franchise type players to secure to a long term deal. The latest move sends their fans and their league partners a signal that they plan on keeping a core group in Calgary for a good number of years.

Monday the Flames signed goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff to a six year 36 million dollar deal, which will keep him guarding the Flames net through to 2014 and for what the Flames no doubt hope are the best years of his career.

The massive contract reportedly pays the bulk of the money through the first five years of the deal, 6.7 a year, with year six dropping him down to 1.5 million. The deal is quite a step up from his current payday of 3.6 million a season.

Keeping Kiprusoff in the Flames fold solidifies another key member of the franchise. It follows recent signings of Jerome Iginla who agreed to a five year 35 million deal and Robyn Regehr who will try and get by on 20 million over five years.

There remain a few other members of the Flames coming up for free agency, the most notable name to watch being that of Dion Phaneuf, who will become a Group Two free agent on July 1st. Serving out the final year of his entry contract, Phaneuf will be looking for a significant increase from his current bargain basement rate of pay of $785,333.

There's still time to work out the details on that one, but if the recent financial workings of Darryl Sutter are any indication, it probably won't be too hard to get people to sign on the dotted line in Calgary.

The reviews are coming in and the consensus seems to be that Sutter has certainly got the task at hand figured out, he's secured some high profile talent at some pretty decent pricing for the Flames, leaving them a bit of room to work with to tweak the roster should the time arrive.

With players showing their dedication to the Flames (for a solid reward) and a surprisingly (for some) calm and businesslike atmosphere with their new coach Mike Keenan, all seems rather good in Calgary these days.

The Flames may very well be one of the teams to watch as this season unfolds, happy campers at the bank making, for a rewarding season on the ice.

Calgary Herald-- Sutter lassoes a steal of a deal

Calgary Herald-- Kiprusoff rewarded with longest deal in Flames history

Canadian Press-- Flames re-sign Kiprusoff

CBC Sports------ Flames extend Miikka Kiprusoff for 6 years

TSN------------- Flames, Kiprusoff agree to six-year deal

From the NHL catwalk: Flames

As the NHL and Rbk release the new updated uniforms for the NHL this year, we'll provide a link to the NHL shop page and a preview of the new look. Here's the new clothing choice for discriminating Calgary Flame fans.
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Flames shop page.

In a town known for boots, there’s apparently an iron pair on the way!

If folks thought that the players of the Calgary Flames were running the asylum, then things are about to change rather dramatically at the Saddle dome. Rumours are swirling around the NHL that Daryl Sutter is about to inject a strong presence on the bench, as Mike Keenan, Iron Mike for those that get on the wrong side, has reportedly been hired by the flames to take over the coaching duties for next year.

Soon to be former coach Jim Playfair is expected to be offered another position with the club, and reports have it that he's accepting the demotion. However, he may wish to make a little distance between himself and the soon to come explosions, maybe try to throw his name into the coaching pool elsewhere.

While the last season and Playfair’s first as head coach, wasn’t particularly earth shattering, the Flames did make the playoffs under Playfair, exiting early as expected by many. As the first round unfolded in Detroit’s favour, suggestions were made that Sutter should take over the reins in the midst of the playoff battles. It was a temptation that he chose to resist, but apparently gave him cause for further reflection as to Playfair’s ultimate status.

The Sutter and Keenan reunion will reverse the flow of their relationship of their Chicago Days in 1988, when Keenan was coach of the Hawks and Sutter his assistant, it was the last time that the Black Hawks would appear in a playoff final. This time around however, Sutter will be the boss and Keenan the employee, an interesting turn of events but one that many say will cause no problems. The two are apparently of the same mind when it comes to handling personnel and demanding a work ethic from those that pull on a sweater, making for an intense training camp coming up for the Flames next September.

If proven correct, it's sure to be a choice that will be talked about long through the summer. Keenan's stints of the last few years haven't been particularly successful. His time in Vancouver left that team with a huge rift that nearly ripped the team apart at one time, it was only through the efforts of Brian Burke that Vancouver returned to a competitive form, though still under achievers even after Burke himself was let go.

The most recent stop on the Keenan express was Florida, which was a mess from so many directions, with Jacques Martin left to pick up the pieces, rather unsuccessfully as it stands yet.

It will be quite interesting to watch the developments in Calgary and whether Keenan still is relevant to the "new" NHL as far as coaching strategy goes.Those Flames currently under contract should try to enjoy their summer as best they can, September will arrive faster that they know and with it a whole new adventure will beckon those that take to the ice for Keenan.

Let the media frenzy begin:

Canoe-Keenan to coach Flames
The Hockey News-Calgary Flames to Hire Mike Keenan as head coach
Globe and Mail-Keenan could resurface in Calgary
Canada.com-Flames to hire Keenan as Head Coach
Sportsnet.ca-Keenan coming to Calgary
CBC Sports: Flames hire Keenan as head coach: report
TSN: Keenan to Calgary: It's a possibility
Calgary Herald: Keenan set to sign on as Flames new coach

The Doctor is in

It would appear that the Calgary Flames have finally shaken the road trip reverses, having taken a road victory out of Chicago Sunday.

The win, a timely one on the road comes about as the Calgary media begin to obsess over their woeful road record. The Calgary Sun consulted a Calgary sports psychologist to try and help Calgarians understand why they’re team truly believes that there’s no place but home to win a game.

With the best record while in the friendly confines of the Pengrowth Saddledome, the Flames have over the last couple of months become quite fearful of life on the road, regularly losing games that they normally should win and giving teams that had no hope of a playoff spot a few weeks ago sudden life down the stretch.

The Sun asked Derek Robinson, to take a look at the factors contributing to the Flame outs on the road and offer up some hope for Calgarians worried that their heroes may just back their way out of the playoff race.

What's up, doc?
Sports psychologist weighs in on flames' road woes
By STEVE MACFARLANE,

CALGARY SUN

March 25, 2007

There are rare occasions in professional sports when you don't want to be forever remembered.
Never has an NHL team finished with the league's best record at home paired with the most dismal showing on the road.

The Calgary Flames, the only team with 30 wins as host this year, are trying to avoid that distinction -- which would surely live on as trivia fodder for an eternity -- by climbing out of the road basement starting today in Chicago against the Blackhawks (1 p.m., Sportsnet, FAN 960).
Difficulties on the road are not uncommon for athletes.

Sport psychologist Derek Robinson has worked with teams and individuals at Calgary's Canadian Sport Centre and says the mental aspect of succeeding away from home is linked to the physical aspects of performance.

"I work with a lot of teams that travel and compete in Europe and here in North America," said Robinson. "They really have to understand what it is that they want in each specific situation.
"Some athletes at home will feel more comfortable and they'll be performing and playing to win. But then they'll go on the road and there will be distractions, there'll be different sorts of pressures.

"It may change from wanting to win to wanting or playing not to lose. It affects the total behaviour of the athletes -- how they think, how they act, how they feel -- and even their physiology."

That may explain some of the difficulties on the Flames' previous road trips, which can form a sort of mental block difficult to overcome.

"Everything's easier with success. Everything's more clear, there's no doubts there's no questions," said Robinson. "Without that success it's harder because you're not as sure about what to do and what works for you and how to do it. That requires getting back and keeping it simple so that you're doing things that you know and completely believe in and are willing to commit to -- I know you hear that in hockey a lot, keep it simple, back to basics."

Clarity and commitment to the way the game has to be played is something the Flames have recently rediscovered and they hope to carry their success in wins over Nashville and Detroit on the current four-game swing.

"With confidence, it's easy to want to win (and making it happen)," said Robinson.

"When you don't have that confidence or you haven't had the success, you've sometimes got to scale it back to some process goals or performance goals of doing little things right. Smaller steps until the wins start coming."

That's what the Flames did in last week's victories. Returning to the defensively committed game plan worked in playoff-style performances over the Predators and Wings but another test begins today when they again venture outside their home comfort zone where their daily routine changes to include travel and a different environment for down time.

Calgary Stampeders defensive tackle Randy Chevrier plays a completely different sport but understands the obstacles of travel.

"It's a disruption of your daily routine," said Chevrier.

"At home you've got a routine of practice and stuff. It changes things up. In hockey, sometimes you have back-to-back games. That can't be easy to go through. You just had one game, you've got to get up for the next one and there's travel in between. I can imagine that could be a disruption on your daily activities."

Routines are such an important aspect of a pro athlete's preparation that Chevrier has developed two types of preparation. One for home games and one for the road.

"On the road I sleep a lot before a game," said Chevrier. "A lot the night before. I don't like to stay on my feet."

Chevrier believes the Flames have what it takes in their locker-room to overcome their road woes and start racking up victories away from the 'Dome.

"Usually at the professional level, it's rare that you'll see this mental block where they can't get over the fact they're not winning on the road and it just becomes this monster that they can't tame," he explained.

"I don't know if the Flames are there. I tend to think that they've got the talent to win, they've just got to get out there and do a few things right."

Calgary, that’s Colorado gaining in your rear view mirror

The fantastic flame outs on the road are starting to catch up to the Calgary Flames, who at one time held a pretty impressive lead over the trailers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

But after far too many road losses and a current losing streak of five of their last six games, the Flames are in danger of fading from view completely.

It was only a few short weeks ago that Calgary had thoughts of claiming title to the Northwest Division and a third place finish in the playoff rankings. Now with both Vancouver and Minnesota putting distance between themselves and the Flames, the idea of just hanging on to what they have has become scripture.

Those same two weeks ago, many were saying that the Avalanche were done for the year, players free to make their early summer golf plans and Avs fans clear to follow the box scores of early Rockies baseball.

Now all bets are off, with the season running down the final weeks. Suddenly the Flames look quite catchable; it’s a situation that is purely of their own making and one they are hoping to answer quickly.

The Flames and Avs both have ten games remaining; the bad news for Calgary is that six of those games are on the road, a place that seems to have crawled into their minds like an epic Stephen King novel, unleashing any number of demons.

Two key dates for nervous Flames fans, April 3rd when Colorado plays the Flames in Calgary and April 8th when the Flames return the favour in Denver.

They are four points that could be key, the exact same margin that rests between the two teams today. Calgary is no doubt hoping that they end up as meaningless games, a warm up skate for the playoffs to come.

But for a team that doesn’t seem to want to do things the easy way, they had not best be banking on that being the situation. The team that looked so confident at the start of the season is stumbling to the finish line, at risk of missing out on the playoffs completely.

The key is to start winning and winning on the road, without that Albertans will be looking for a new horse to cheer for come April 9th.

Days of the under dogs

This has been a most unusual week for the Northwest Division’s would be leaders, seemingly intent on not seizing the moment, both Calgary and Vancouver have seen potentially good things slip through their gloves to the most unlikely of opponents.

Calgary kicked off the parade of surprises a few days ago when they surrendered a two goal lead and watched Martin Havlat lead the Chicago Black Hawks on to a 3-2 Overtime upset of the Flames in their own home.

The Canucks followed up that surprising result with one of their own, allowing those same Hawks to walk into GM Place and take two points away from an uninspired looking Canucks squad on Wednesday night. This after the Canuck’s had played perhaps their most intense game of the season the night before in Edmonton, ripping two points from the Oilers and setting themselves up for a run at the first place Flames. In the end, they squandered the chance and basically split two nights of the schedule, losing a perfect opportunity to put some distance between themselves and the lower teams of the Northwest.

So Thursday comes along and it’s over to the Flames and their chance to recapture some momentum, Calgary arrived in Columbus aware of the underlying turmoil in the Ohio city, threats of trades have been made, Ken Hitchcock looking for a way to improve is underperforming squad has called out the leaders of the team to step up or step out. Thursday, they stepped up much to the dismay of the Flames, who probably had visions of easy pickings at the expense of the league’s third worst team. By games end however, it was the Flames that were looking rather frustrated with themselves after losing 2-1 to the Jackets.

Those were two valuable points that could very well come back to haunt the Flames in a few short weeks as they and the Canucks and Wild battle it out for the top spot in the Northwest.

Things won’t get any easier for Calgary as they continue their eastward trek, they next play the Sabres this Saturday night, and two points will be a little harder to come by on the shores of Lake Ontario than they should have been off the state that shares Lake Erie.

The Western teams have been making a bit of noise of late about wanting to see more of the eastern teams, weary of the inter divisional battles that live up to the term familiarity breeds contempt, however, if they keep losing to the lesser sisters of the league they may wish to just stay in their own backyard and battle it out amongst themselves.

Tuesday night trifecta for Vancouver

Spurred on by their Swedish twins, the Vancouver Canucks took the play to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night, capitalizing on the mental errors and discipline lapses of the Oilers to skate to a 5-2 victory in Edmonton.

It was a feisty game from the very beginning as the Oilers in the early stages took the body hard to the Canucks, trying to knock them off their game. As the night wore on however it became the Oilers who were rattled, as the Canucks took advantage of Oiler penalties and confused them with the heroics of the brothers Sedin, who combined for a 9 point night.

A physical game and chippy at times, the Canucks once again rose to the occasion when facing the Oilers a team they have had some remarkable success against this year, the win Tuesday was the fourth consecutive victory and marked the third victory in four matches while visiting in Edmonton.

The win was a key one for Vancouver who will take much momentum from the victory as they head down the playoff stretch, for Edmonton it was a key game that they needed but could not claim, one of those losses that could spiral them to the sellers market by the end of the month as opposed to a buyer for a run at the playoffs.

And while the victory in Edmonton was sweet enough, what with the offensive explosion from the Swedes, there was even better to news to follow later in the night. The Canucks put a bit more distance between themselves and the Oilers, while at the other end of Alberta the Chicago Black Hawks were preparing a surprise of their own for the Calgary Flames.

Martin Havlat brought the Hawks back in the third and in overtime to steal an Overtime win from the flames and help to make the Northwest Division that much tighter. Havlat figured in all three Chicago scoring plays as the led the Hawks to a 3-2 victory over the Flames. A rather deflationary end to a night dedicated to honour the exploits of Mike Vernon, who had his sweater retired prior to the start of the game.

The Hawks now travel on to Vancouver for a game with the Canucks on Wednesday, perhaps they’ll say thanks prior to the game, before they set to work to continue to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the northwest group

Avs/Flames game put on ice

The weather in Colorado did something that a lot of NHL teams can't do lately, slow down and indeed stop the Calgary Flames.

Thursday night's Flames/Avs match was cancelled due to the weather in Colorado, which featured the worst snow storm to hit Colorado in three years. It was the first time that the Flames have had a game postponed on them since they moved to Alberta.

It was the second sports event in as many nights to be cancelled due to weather as the Suns/Nuggets basketball game on Wednesday was not played due to the blizzard like conditions in Colorado.

No make up date has been announced for the Flames/Avs match up, the Flames now move on to San Jose, providing they can get out of Denver (cue the Bob Seger music) if the travel Gods co-operate the Flames will play the Sharks on Saturday night on Hockey Night in Canada.