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NHL Tries to Save Face with American Viewers

The NHL is trying to save face after things got out of hand on American TV. NBC (or was it ABC) held the game on Saturday that saw things explode after a low hit on Langkow.

Jamie McLennan has been suspended five games, Jim Playfair has been fined $25,000 and the Calgary organization has been fined $100,000 for a variety of actions late in Game 5. The American Detroit team received nothing for instigating the entire proceedings with brutal and intentional crease crashing and a Lebda's low hit.


TSN had this to say:

McLennan's slash was part of an undisciplined display from Calgary that included a Daymond Langkow uppercut to the face of Brett Lebda following a Lebda hip-check, along with a Jarome Iginla butt-end, leading to a late game crosscheck on Red Wings veteran Mathieu Schneider.

Darren Dreger must have been asleep. McLennan deserves his play, Playfair shouldn't have been fined (assuming he didn't tell McLennan to do what he did, Lebda's hit was not a hip-check, it was a low blow to the knees, Langkow gave Lebda a face wash, and Iginla didn't butt end anybody (unless I missed THAT one too.)

Lebda will not play tonight for Detroit because of an injury. McLennan's suspension begins with Game Six of the series, tonight in Calgary, chances are he played his last game as a Flame. Brent Krahn has been called up. He was backing up Curits M; Omaha is in their own playoff series.

Calgary must respond with a convincing win tonight or these late game antics will define the team throughout the entire off-season.

The Colorado Avalanche postponed Thursday night's game against the Calgary Flames, citing fan safety amid the worst snowstorm to hit Colorado in three years.

No makeup date was immediately set.

"We have been in close consultation with the National Hockey League and the city of Denver and all parties realized that this was the best course of action given the current conditions," said Paul Andrews, executive vice president of Kroenke Sports, the owner of the Avalanche.

Good thing for the Flames, they'll have a longer time to get some players healed up for Saturday's tilt against San Jose.

Just in time for the game against Phoenix. This means the Flames are getting Yelle back? tonight. Also bad news for the defense, Warrner, Zyuzin, and Hamrlik are probably all out. Warrener and Hamrlik out for a longer period of time IMO.

The Calgary Flames have recalled defensemen Mark Giordano and Richie Regehr and left wing Tomi Maki. They will replace Nilson, Warrener, and Zyuzin. Yelle is not ready to come back and the first two have groin problems.

Giordano has appeared in five games for the Knights, notching two assists, 8 penalty minutes and a +4 rating. In ten games for the Flames this season, the native of Toronto has scored two goals and earned eight penalty minutes and a +3 rating.

Regehr was recalled to Calgary on Tuesday, December 5th and played in his first game with the Flames on Saturday, a 5-3 win against Vancouver. He was re-assigned to Omaha after the game. In 22 games with the Knights this season, the native of Bandung, Indonesia has five goals and nine assists for 14 points. He also has 37 penalty minutes and a +16 plus/minus rating which is tied for third best in the AHL.

Maki will be making his NHL debut when he plays in his first game for Calgary. In 21 games for the Knights this season Maki has one goal and five assists for six points and six penalty minutes. (Wow, he must be a defensive specialist....) Last season, his first in North America, Maki had 12 goals and 17 assists for 29 points and 33 penalty minutes. He was the only member of the Knights to play in all 80 games.

Calgary (0-0-0) at Edmonton (0-0-0)
Preview - Box Score - Recap
Game Info: 8:00 pm MT Thu Oct 5, 2006
TV: CBC; Radio: Fan960AM

The new-look Oilers begin the 2006-07 season against the new-look Calgary Flames in Edmonton to start a home-and-home series.

Both teams have rebuilt this season, Edmonton more so, but let me be first to say that the Oilers will be a) lucky to make the post-season (only the new point system let them take 8th place last season,) and b) will win at most 2 games in the 8 game series against the Flames.

Roloson Vs Miikka Kiprusoff? No contenst, Miikka has established himself at one of the best goaltenders in Flames history. In 2004, he brought the team within a win of its second Stanley Cup. Last year, he led the league with 10 shutouts and a 2.03 goals-against average to win his first Vezina Trophy.

The Flames finished atop the Northwest Division last season, but their 218 goals scored were third-fewest in the West, ahead of only woeful Chicago and St. Louis.

Alex Tanguay, acquired from Colorado for defenseman Jordan Leopold, should be that option. Tanguay was second on the Avalanche with a career-high 29 goals and 78 points last season in only 71 games.

Entering his seventh season, the 26-year-old left wing scored two goals in Game 7 of the 2001 Stanley Cup finals against New Jersey to help the Avalanche clinch their second championship.

After two successful seasons behind the bench, Darryl Sutter relinquished coaching duties to longtime assistant Jim Playfair to concentrate solely on his responsibilities as general manager.

"I tell you what, I think we've got a great team and now we've got a great coach," Sutter said.

The Flames took five of eight meetings from Edmonton last season, limiting the Oilers to three goals or less in six games. The "Battle of Alberta" continues Saturday at the 'Dome. Chat about the game in the forum.