The Calgary Flames went 9-3-0 for December. If there’s one thing this team does well, it is give Flames fans hope. Stacking up wins this season has felt like a distant dream. Just like seasons past, they’ll go on stretches of brutal losses and then find their way back to the win column. You should never count this team out. The underdog storyline gets you so far, though.
Injury news
Jake Bean is slated to miss an indefinite amount of time due to needing an undisclosed surgery. Hunter Brzustewicz has stepped up in his absence.
Martin Pospisil has resumed skating on his own. This is some much-needed good news. Pospisil has been sidelined by an undisclosed injury he suffered in the final preseason game against the Vancouver Canucks. Will he be making an appearance at the Olympics? Time will tell.
Devin Cooley earned his spot
The Calgary Flames announced on Tuesday that Devin Cooley signed a two-year extension. The backup goaltender’s future was uncertain at the start of the season. He’s appeared in 13 games, racking up a stellar .914SV%. Both Cooley and Dustin Wolf have been the top players for the Flames.
This extension is a reminder that if you work hard enough, it will pay off. Consistency is key. Cooley is the perfect example of what it means to be a Calgary Flame.
Checking the leaderboard
Ryan Huska is no stranger to shaking up the lines. Sometimes the combinations leave you scratching your head. Is he trying to send a message? Does he really think this is going to work? Is there any rhyme or reason to it? Shifting Matt Coronato to the third line with Blake Coleman and Mikael Backlund certainly felt like a “Why would you do that?” moment. I guess we know why.
Coleman, currently leads the teams in goals—with 13, while Coronato sits with 11, and the captain Mikael Backlund with 10. Consistency is key. Coleman and Backlund are playing great hockey. The fact that 20 teams have reportedly called on Coleman’s availability doesn’t surprise me. Backlund is playing some of his best hockey in years. He certainly deserves his flowers. Coronato is a player the Flames need to figure out how to utilize in the long term. Is he more of a middle-six type of player rather than a top-six type of player? I would like to believe the Flames roster will be constructed so that he is a top-six guy. With a lethal shot, the Flames need a guy like him out there 18 minutes a night.
Looking ahead
We are still waiting for Craig Conroy to make a trade. Rasmus Andersson appears to be the obvious first piece to move. He is playing much better than last year and looks like a completely different player. Pat Steinberg reported that the Flames are looking for the equivalent of two first-rounders in return. Based on that, it sounds like a first and a high end prospect could get the job done.
Are the Flames interested in moving any other veterans? With this recent success, I’d have to say no. Right now would be the perfect time to strike while the iron is hot for guys like Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman.
It will likely be the same song and dance as last season. They’ll want to keep the group together for the sake of vibes and run it back in October. Wash, rinse, repeat.
