Some off day thoughts as the Calgary Flames prepare for Tuesday night's divisional clash against the San Jose Sharks:
1) It's nice to see Dougie Hamilton is being rewarded for his efforts because, though his counting numbers suggest otherwise, he's been playing very well for a while now.
Hamilton has 29 shots on goal over the last nine games and recorded at least three in eight of those nine. It was only a matter of time before the points started to come.
2) A lot of coaches don't like to toy with winning lineups but I'd like to see Jonas Hiller get back in the crease next time out.
After a good string of games Karri Ramo has reverted back to the Ramo we saw early in the season. He's allowed three or more goals in three of his last four starts and owns an .890 save percentage in that span. That's not good enough.
3) The Flames have 10 wins through 26 games. Despite that they sit just five points out of a divisional playoff spot and have a game in hand on the Arizona Coyotes.
There's plenty of work to be done - especially with the Anaheim Ducks coming on of late - but it's hard to believe the Flames are still in the race after the dreadful start to the season they had.
4) There are still a few cuts to be made but Team Sweden announced their preliminary roster and a couple Flames' prospects highlighted the list of notable omissions.
Those prospects are Stockton Heat blue liner Oliver Kylington and Barrie Colts defenseman Rasmus Andersson, both of whom were 2nd round picks of the Flames in June.
Kylington being left off the roster wasn't a huge shock for me as, for whatever reason, he has a bit of a sour reputation and his numbers - although impressive for an 18-year-old - don't jump off the page.
I felt Andersson in particular deserved to be part of the team. Barrie's blue line is a disaster beyond their top three defensemen so Andersson has been forced to take on an immense work load and is still succeeding.
Despite logging a ton of incredibly tough minutes on a nightly basis he has still managed 21 points in 25 games and is a big reason the Colts sit atop the Central Division.
No Kylington or Andersson will undoubtedly be a tough pill to swallow for Flames fans who want to see them play on a big stage but the good news is fellow Flames prospect Adam Ollas Mattsson stands a good chance of making the final roster.
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