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Now back from my week vacation, it appears that Calgary Flames were kind enough to not do anything too interesting in my absence. That said, there are several items to discuss and it is also game day!
I would like to thank Shaune once again for providing you with some blogs to read over the past week.
Here at Hockeybuzz, we all truly value your readership and comments and as such we wanted to ensure that you were not let down over the past week!
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For those who do not follow me on twitter, I spoke about a few updates last night with respect to injuries and call ups. Regarding injuries, we just learnt that veteran forward Mike Cammalleri has suffered a concussion after being run into the glass and is out for tonight’s game. He joins the Flames injured list of Kris Russell, Curtis Glencross, Blair Jones, and David Jones.
Though it’s not sure how long he may be out, Cammalleri hasn’t missed any time due to a concussion since February of 2003 and the likely hit in question did not seem too bad to me. On a positive note however, Mark Giordano seems fine and will be able to play tonight, despite taking a “nasty” hit by Pens Robert Bortuzzo.
Speaking of Giordano, it has been exciting to see that the captain nearly made Canada’s Olympic team despite being undrafted into the NHL and is currently playing for a rebuilding Flames organization. Giordano has not only proven his play this year with his rugged style, but also in points as he currently ranks 3rd in defensemen for points per game average.
A player who some analysts questioned whether or not he was captain material for the Calgary organization is certainly winning over said pundits - just a feel good story. With his presence on the backend, the team appears to play a much stronger defensive game; though to say their goal scoring has been suffering would be an understatement.
Being shut out for five of their last seven games, the Flames have lost all confidence and scoring ability which was not something the team was overly concerned about toward the start of the year. Given the nature of the game, teams who are winning and have a strong developed team chemistry often find ways to either win games which they shouldn’t, or simply have luck on their side.
Conversely, when teams like the Flames struggle, they often find it even more difficult to make simple offensive plays or get the puck on net. The latter is the situation in which Calgary currently find themselves trying to deal with and unless they can regain some of that confidence, we are likely to see more of this in their upcoming games.
"It's hard when you chase and chase and you get scoring chances and the puck doesn't go in,'' Backlund said. ''It gets in your head a little bit. It shouldn't, but it's natural.
''As soon as you score one, everybody settles down a little bit and you feel better.''
Being one of the forwards who was really expected to step up this year, Backlund has been part of a lot of criticism this year given his overall production. That said, over their last stretch of games, the Swedish forward has been one of the Flames better forwards in terms of shots, offensive zone production, and ice time.
With Cammalleri out of the lineup, the 24 year old centerman will really need to find the back of the net and help his team succeed through their goalless droughts of late.
As I mentioned, and despite their recent losing streaks, there is much to discuss regarding the Flames. One item which, for obvious reasons, continues to resurface is the potential trading of Mike Cammalleri. Since initially putting my thoughts together for this blog, Mike was only listed as having suffered an “upper body injury”. Going over video and highlights, I struggled to pinpoint where it was that Mike injured himself but recall him being run into the glass while watching live.
The injury appeared to have happened during the Pittsburgh game late in the third, when Cammalleri ate some glass. As I alluded to earlier, and although I’m no doctor, I would take a shot in the dark and say that Mike doesn’t miss a whole lot of time. But I suppose we can decide that when more updates are provided by the team. The Flames play tonight and again tomorrow, with a day off on Wednesday. I can see Mike back in the lineup as early as this weekend against the Canucks – fingers crossed.
Now, what does this all mean in terms of trade interest? Well, for starters, Mike is arguably going to be one of the most coveted UFA’s as the trade deadline approaches. His cap hit and most injury will, however, likely reduce his value. While the above is likely accurate, I still get the feeling that teams such as the Pens and even the Ducks will show interest in the forward, given their recent success.
As these two teams look to improve their rosters for potential cup runs, a guy like Cammalleri is a very good option for either. While I see a better fit with a team like the Pens, I feel like the Ducks will make a call or two, especially with Burke’s relationship to the team.
When the day comes that Mike is traded - because it will happen, I would be more than content with a 2nd round pick, and a prospect of some sort. Frankly, one promising prospect would work for me as long as said player were to fill a current void of the Flames.
Some will argue that not only have I always maintained that the Flames should keep certain veteran players around during their rebuild, but during my interview with Jay Feaster he stated the very same. While I don’t feel any differently about the matter, Brian Burke is now in charge and Cammalleri is simply not a player likely very high on his “sign/extend” list given his age and size.
It’s always very difficult to predict just what a player will be worth when discussing the trade deadline etcetera given how desperate some teams become, but I know one thing’s for certain – don’t expect a very high return from Cammalleri. In other words, the Flames aren’t getting a 1st round pick.
Moving into tonight’s game, the Flames are set to take on the Carolina Hurricanes as they prepare for back to back road games.
Carolina has had the last four days off and should be well rested. While the Hurricanes have lost their last game, their play of late has been rather strong and will be a challenge for the Flames tonight who are 2-8-0 in their last ten played.
Still one point ahead of the Oilers with three games in hand, Calgary sits 28th in the league and have been struggling to find goals which translates to wins. As mentioned, Backlund will need to step up tonight as he is given first line minutes. Sean Monahan who has been cold will also need to prove to the management staff that they made the right decision to keep him around; though I should specify that expectations for him shouldn’t be overly high this year, anyways.
As expected, Kevin Westgarth has been shifted down to the 4th line to join Brian MacGrattan. They are being centered by Joe Colborne whose play has seen him move from 2nd to 3rd to 4th line, with the occasional shift or two on the first. While Colborne has shown his value in the shootouts and on rare offensive rushes, the lanky forward has not been consistent in most other aspects of his game and will need to continue to work on his overall development.
With Cam Ward still injured, expect to see Anton Khudobin between the pipes tonight for the Hurricanes. His play since stepping in for Ward has been impressive, as the netminder currently holds a record of 6-1-0 with a 1.99 GAA. Outside of likely having a tough time getting through Khudobin, the Flames will need to keep Jeff Skinner at bay as the forward has registered seven goals in six games.
With Cammalleri out of the lineup, the Flames have recalled forward Ben Street. Leading the Heat in scoring (17), Street has managed 33pts in 31 games this year with Abbotsford.
Given that the Flames are rebuilding, in addition to the number of injuries they’ve experienced, Ben is making a case for a spot on the roster and will look to have a big game tonight.
That’s all for tonight folks, thanks for reading!
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
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