Feb 08, 2010
Shoulder sidelines Bourque
No official word from the team, but Rene Bourque's left arm is in a sling, and he'll likely take the Olympic break to rest up after the jarring hit from Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Kurtis Foster Saturday night sent Bourque to the sidelines early in the first period.
Foster was coming out of the penalty box and slammed into an unaware Bourque, who took the brunt of the blast into his back on the left side.
No penalty was called on the play.
Feb 06, 2010
Hits from behind need to stop
It may seem a little more innocent than the usual hit that leaves a bad taste in your mouth, but there was nothing tasteful about the one Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Kurtis Foster planted on Calgary Flames winger Rene Bourque Saturday night.
And he didn't even put all of his weight into it.
But it was enough of an impact courtesy of the 6-foot-5, 223-pound Foster to snap Bourque's head back and send his helmet flying in the opening minutes of the Flames' 2-1 overtime loss in Tampa.
"One, he's an unsuspecting player. Two, it's from behind. Make your own conclusion," Flames winger Jamal Mayers said afterward.
"It's gotta be a penalty."
Maybe even a suspension.
That might sound harsh, but isn't this the kind of hit the NHL is trying to get out of the game?
Ones like this are clearly preventable if the offender uses just a little common sense knowing how vulnerable his opponent is.
Foster could have gone for the puck, stolen it from the unsuspecting Bourque and created a rush the other way. But he chose to go for the body even though only a back was showing.
It just doesn't make sense.
"I suppose you finish your check, but he's coming out looking at his numbers, too," said Flames head coach Brent Sutter. "He definitely got hit from behind."
Those should be the type of hit easiest to eliminate.
If only the NHL gets on board.
Feb 02, 2010
No Kotalik, flight cancelled
Flames have hit the ice for Tuesday's practice without Ales Kotalik, one of the two newest acquisitions brought in from the New York Rangers in the late Monday night swap.
Kotalik's flight from New Jersey was cancelled while he was on the plane, so he's trying to work his way to Calgary and is expected to make it Tuesday night.
Christopher Higgins did make it - he was with the Rangers in Los Angeles while Kotalik was back in New York - and skated on a line with Daymond Langkow and no one else. We'll guess that's where Kotalik would go.
Here are the lines:
Higgins - Langkow - Kotalik
Boyd - Backlund - Bourque
Glencross - Nystrom - Mayers
Hagman - Stajan - Iginla
Lundmark and McGrattan were the extras
Feb 01, 2010
Jokinen and Prust still Flames
They might have had sleepless nights, but the Flames duo rumoured to be going to Manhattan Sunday night were part of practice Monday morning as the team prepared for a game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust both skated and look to be participating in the game — which could mean the deal reported by TSN late Sunday night is off.
Of course, in the world of NHL trades, it could also take place post-game.
At first glance, however, it doesn't seem to be a deal that does the Flames any good. Kotalik has long been scratched in New York and still has two years and $6 million left on his three-year deal. Higgins has never lived up to his billing since leaving Montreal and becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.
Jokinen is also due to become a UFA, but has had more history of success than Higgins.
Perhaps Monday's game will help sway Darryl Sutter — he's got the Finn teamed with countryman and former Florida Panthers teammate Niklas Hagman.
Jokinen lined up with Hagman and Jamie Lundmark.
Prust centred a fourth line of Jamal Mayers and Eric Nystrom.
The other lines stuck new centre Matt Stajan between Jarome Iginla and Dustin Boyd, with the Curtis Glencross-Daymond Langkow-Rene Bourque unit intact.
As for the departure of Dion Phaneuf, former Leafs blueliner Ian White has not only inherited Phanuf's No. 3, he's taken his spot alongside Robyn Regehr.
Jan 28, 2010
Stars Fistric fined for match penalty
PHOENIX — The Flames didn't practice today, but there was some off-ice news.
Dallas defenceman Mark Fistric talked about the match penalty he was assessed for hitting Flames winger Eric Nystrom with his own helmet in a fight Wednesday night, and received a $2,500 fine.
Nystrom said he figured it would only net Fistric a fine, but wasn't thrilled to have been bashed in the melon.
“It hurt,” he said “I knew it wasn’t a fist when it hit me there. It kinda stunned me. .”
Fistric hit Nystrom once before letting go of the helmet.
Nystrom wasn't cut.
“I got a pretty good lump on my head. And I got my bald spot plastered all over the TVs," he joked.
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