Posted on April 20, 2021

The Flames took to the ice with new look lines against Edmonton which started an unexpected three-game win streak where the team looked a lot better and brought them closer to the final playoff spot. Is there still a realistic hope the Flames can make the post-season? The guys try to answer that question and preview what lies ahead for the remaining 12 games of the season.

Posted on April 12, 2021

The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and the Calgary Flames moved two of their three most valuable assets – Sam Bennett and David Rittich. The guys discuss the Flames’ return on these deals and how successful they think the deadline was, as well as some of the young guys we may see filling NHL roster spots for the remainder of the season and what comes next for the Flames after their big 5-0 win, the line shakeups and today’s trades.

Posted on April 5, 2021

As the Flames season continues to slowly slip away from them, we look at what went wrong this year and what the best moves are going forward, which brings more questions than answers. Should Milan Lucic be our next captain? Is Sean Monahan a viable #1 or #2 Centre moving forward? Where will the scoring come from next year if Gaudreau is traded? And is it time to re-tool or re-build?

And of course, we preview the Trade Deadline and the Flames in a very different position than usual being sellers come April 12. What players have value? What can we get? How can we start the re-tooling at this deadline? The guys answer all these questions.

Posted on March 29, 2021

Sitting 2 points out of the final playoff spot in the Scotia North division but having played 5 more games than Montreal, the Flames are running out of time to make the playoffs. The good news? Almost half of Calgary’s remaining schedule is against the two teams they’ve had the most success against: Montreal (3-1-0) and Vancouver (4-2-0). The bad news? The Flames have just nine wins combined against the other four teams in the North who they play for the 11 other games on the schedule.

Posted on March 22, 2021

The Flames started the “second era of Darryl Sutter” on a high but this week seem to have slipped back into hold habits, and with that brought the same old results. We once again try to figure out what’s going on with the Flames and why this team just can’t put things together. Johnny Gaudreau trade talk is a big part of this week’s discussion as we also ponder why Matthew Tkachuk hasn’t excelled under Sutter and just how many games the Flames will need to win to make the postseason. If they do make the playoffs, how far can they really be expected to go?

Posted on March 15, 2021

The Flames have played two games with Darryl Sutter and have a 2-0 record thus far. We look at what changes we’ve seen in the Flames play already, and what we can expect to see going into the second half of the season. We also look at our 2021 season predictions now that we’re at the halfway point, and see how things are looking and debate the question on everyone’s mind – can the Calgary Flames still make the playoffs?

Posted on March 8, 2021

The Calgary Flames have re-hired Darryl Sutter as the team’s Head Coach. What does this mean for the Flames and will Darryl finally be the one to break the Flames out of their rut and get the team performing to their potential?

Posted on March 1, 2021

After a embarassing 6-1 loss against the Senators the Flames shuffle their lines up and go with the top 3 forward lines that they had last year, which leads to a 6-3 win over the Senators. This week we discuss if the Elias Lindholm is better for the Flames as a Right Winger, or a Centre this season and which version of the lineup we think will hide some of the team’s weaknesses and give them the best chance of success for the next week of games.

Posted on February 22, 2021

It’s been a rough week for the Flames to say the least. As we try to dissect the Flames challenges the guys try to answer the hard questions such as if management is the issue, what the Flames on-ice identity is (and should be), if we fire Geoff Ward who replaces him and if Mark Giordano is still the right guy to be Captain for this team.

Posted on February 15, 2021

We’re now 14 games into the season, and the Flames are out of the top 4 in the Scotia North division. Consistency is still an issue for the Flames that will have to be remedied for them to make the playoffs. On this week’s podcast we take a look at where the Flames are at after 14 games and two “playoff rounds” and if the Flames favourable February schedule can help them gain points on their rivals.

Posted on February 8, 2021

If the Flames stay playing at less than .500, what changes need to be made? Is it time to change the coach? GM? Or make major roster moves? The guys answer these questions as well as discuss the Sam Bennett situation and some possible ways to change the forward lines without making major mid-season acquisitions.

Posted on February 1, 2021

Frustration with the team’s disappointing week leads to debating how to fix the flaws with this team and if it is time to make major changes to the Flames roster before their window of opportunity closes on the current core roster. The guys have different ideas of how to handle the Sam Bennett request for a ‘change of scenery’ and debate how they’d handle the scenario and what a reasonable return might be.

Posted on January 25, 2021

The Flames are four games into the season and have been handed their first regulation loss at the hands of the Maple Leafs. There are a lot of good things going on with the team right now, but we’re starting to notice a few weaknesses, including the RW depth and Milan Lucic and the fourth line. Is it too early in the season to worry? As well the guys respond to a Tweet and discuss the rumours that the Stockton Heat could play in Canada this season.

Posted on January 18, 2021

Two games into the season, and the Flames have 3 of a possible 4 points. The powerplay is clicking, Markstrom is giving the team excellent goaltending, Tanev is blocking shots, Mangiapane and Dube are playing hard…there is a lot to like about the Flames right now. Is it too good to be true? We break down the first two games for the Flames and look ahead to what the team needs to do to stay the course with this good start.

Posted on January 11, 2021

It’s been a long time coming, but the 2021 season is finally here! We have lots to discuss on this episode including the Flames roster and if the changes over the off season make them better this season. How much difference will Markstrom make to the Flames? Should the young players like Valimaki, Zary, Pelletier and Gawdin start the season on the Flames “taxi squad” or in the AHL? We make some predictions for the season, and discuss how the Flames look in relation to the rest of the North Division.

Posted on October 28, 2020

It’s late October and we should be talking about the Flames poor start to a season about now, but instead this episode is all about the NHL Entry Draft and free agency. What a weird year!

We recap what the Flames did at the draft table and if we think trading down twice to get Connor Zary was a good move or not. Then we discuss all the Flames who have come and gone in free agency and our thoughts on each move and where the players fit into the depth chart as well as an overall assessment of how the team looks for next season – whenever it starts.

Posted on September 30, 2020

The Stanley Cup has been awarded, which means the off-season is upon us. With the 2020 NHL Entry Draft a little less than a week away, we discuss the type of player we think the Flames need to focus on this year if they need more forwards or defencemen and profile some players that are expected to be available with our first few picks. Of course, we also discuss what it would take for the Flames to move pick #19 to go up, down, or trade the pick away entirely.

Posted on August 25, 2020

The Calgary Flames were leading their series 3-1 against the Stars, but ended up losing the series and once again exiting in the first round. Now what? What do the Flames have to do to ensure a better result next season? Was the Flames disappointing series loss a coaching issue? A player issue? Both? We break down what happened, and what the Flames need to do in the offseason. A handful of fans wrote in their thoughts and questions about the team which the guys try to answer.

Posted on August 17, 2020

The Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars are tied in their quarterfinal series, and the Flames seem to be slipping back into old habits and letting the series get away from them. Dan and Matt look at the first four games of the series and talk about what the Flames need to do to win this one, if they have a chance against Las Vegas next round and what the best, and most realistic outcomes for the Flames are this year.

Posted on August 10, 2020

For the first time since 2008 & 2009, the Calgary Flames have made the playoffs for two years in a row. This week we break down all four games in the Winnipeg Jets series and our thoughts on how the team played, and we’re previewing the quarterfinal matchup against the Dallas Stars and what the Flames will have to do to win the round.

Posted on July 22, 2020

It’s late July and we’re getting ready for the start of the NHL Playoffs. Actually, before we get there we have to have a qualifying round where the Flames will play the Jets, and the winners make the playoffs. On this episode we catch up on what’s happened since we talked last, the ongoing Flames training camp and looking ahead to if the Flames can beat the Jets…and how far they could go in this year’s playoffs.

Posted on March 17, 2020

COVID-19 has caused the NHL to “pause” their season.  Dan and Matt discuss our prediction of if/when the NHL will resume playing this year, and if the league will go right to the playoffs or not.  We also discuss the passing of Ken King, and the Flames decision not to pay hourly workers (which has since been reversed). On the hockey front, the guys discuss if Geoff Ward should be back as head coach next season, and look at some of the Flames prospects and how their season is looking.

Posted on March 10, 2020

The Flames had an important week of games, and once again showed that they can’t start on time and it again cost them much needed points. The guys recap the week of games and talk about if the Flames are still guaranteed a playoff spot or not.

Plus, we look ahead to the summer and play armchair GM as we decide which Unrestricted Free Agents the Flames should bring back, at what costs, and how that will impact the roster and the salary cap.

Posted on March 3, 2020

The guys recap the 3-1-1 road trip and their thoughts about where the Flames sit in the standings and what they need to do in the last 15 games of the season to stay in the playoff race.  Dan and Matt predict how they think the Pacific Division will look at the end of the season and where the Flames will finish and if there is a chance they’ll fall out of playoff contention.

Posted on February 25, 2020

The 2020 trade deadline is in the books and the Flames bring in Erik Gustafsson and Derek Forbort. Dan and Matt break down these deals and their thoughts about the Trade Deadline as a whole, and what the D pairings likely look like now.

The guys also look at the Flames record since the All-Star Break last year, and what the Flames record tells us – are they a good team that is having a bad season this year, or are they a mediocre team that had a good season last year?

Posted on February 18, 2020

The Flames scored 25 goals in 5 games this week, but at the same time let in 19 goals against. What does a week like that say about the Flames?  The guys also discuss if Andrew Mangiapane is a legit top 6 forward on a playoff team and if David Rittich or Cam Talbot should be the Flames starter going forward.

With the Trade Deadline a week away, what do the guys think the Flames should or shouldn’t do? What would be the wrong thing to do? The guys answer these questions ahead of what could be the most interesting Trade Deadline for the Flames in a long time.

Posted on February 11, 2020

The guys look at the season so far broken into seven-game series, and the Flames have faired so far while wondering if the Flames can ride their big win over the Canucks into the California road trip.  With Hamonic and Giordano out, how does the Flames strategy change coming up to the Trade Deadline, and do they need to make a big move to bring in a blueliner?

Posted on February 4, 2020

The Flames are back in action after their bye week and had two big games over the Oilers, and discuss how the Flames went from good to terrible against the Oilers in a 72-hour stretch. Why the inconsistency this season, and can it be remedied, or is the issues the players in the room?

The guys discuss if it’s time to look at Tkachuk and Lindholm as their top two instead of Monahan and Gaudreau – and if so, does it make it easier to trade Monahan or Gaudreau?  Of course we need to talk trades prior to the Trade Deadline, and is it time to move on from TJ Brodie to fill the gaps on the forward ranks? How about Mikael Backlund?

Posted on January 28, 2020

With the Flames on a bye week this week, we have no new content to chat about. We’ll be back on February 4 with a new episode.  This week we’re presenting a recap of our New Years episode, a recap of the Stockton Heat with “Stockton’s Finest” Jeff Gregory.

Jeff Gregory will be in Calgary on February 6. He’ll be at Bottlescrew Bill’s before and after the game (starting at 5pm) and would love to meet all our passionate Fireside Chat fans.

Posted on January 21, 2020

With the Flames still locked in a bitter battle for a playoff spot in the Pacific Division, should the team stand pat at the Trade Deadline, or move all of their expiring contracts, and hope for the best in the post-season? The guys answer this question and discuss if keeping Brodie, Hamonic and Cam Talbot for a (likely) protracted playoff run is really worth missing out on the trade value.

Posted on January 14, 2020

The Flames suffer their first loss of 2020 this week to end off an otherwise very good week, which propelled them to the #1 spot in the Pacific Division.  Can the Flames keep this momentum up going into their week-long break? How about after the break?

Posted on January 7, 2020

If the Flames don’t make the playoffs, is it finally time to trade Johnny Gaudreau? We discuss what the Flames might get back to make the deal attractive and if the Flames can upgrade the holes in their lineup through other means. 

Posted on January 1, 2020

Happy New Year! This week we have a “bonus episode” of the show, where Dan chats with Jeff Gregory – also known as Stockton’s Finest. We do a 2019 end-of-year recap of the Stockton Heat. We talk about the Stockton Heat arena lease extension deal, this year’s Stockton Heat being the best looking version of the team we’ve seen, and what players might get called up this season.

Posted on December 26, 2019

As 2019 comes to a close, we look at the first half of the Calgary Flames season and why things haven’t gone to plan thus far.  Dan and Matt made predictions at the beginning of the season, and the guys check-in to see how their predictions look so far. What’s the best that the Flames can realistically expect to do this season, keeping the first half in mind? We answer this and look ahead to 2020.

Posted on December 17, 2019

The Flames 7 game win streak came to an end against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, and we discuss Flames position in the Pacific Division and how the win streak impacts our standings. The Flames lineup has been working well lately, but how will it be affected by Austin Czarnik and Sam Bennett set to return soon? Who will have to be taken out of the lineup?

We look back at the James Neal/Milan Lucic trade to see which team is winning the trade so far, and what impact the Taylor Hall deal will have on the Flames and the Pacific Division.

Posted on December 10, 2019

The Flames are on a 5 game win streak after beating the Avalanche, and everything is looking up for the team. Lucic and even Zac Rinaldo are scoring to give the team depth scoring.  We discuss what the Flames need to keep doing to stay successful and get closer to the top of the Pacific Division, answer a fan question and try to predict what happens to the lineup as our injuries clear up.

Posted on December 3, 2019

And we thought this would be a slow news week for the Flames!  Despite the poor month for the Calgary Flames, the team still ended the month with a .500 record – and only 7 points out of first place in the Pacific Division. Of course we discuss the Bill Peters incident, and the new Head Coach Geoff Ward.  What does the December schedule hold for the Flames, and is it still possible to turn this season around?

Posted on November 27, 2019

The Calgary Flames long few months on the road is coming to an end, and the team’s play seems to be improving too. After a player’s only meeting after the blowout loss in St. Louis, a win in Philadelphia and a very good game against Pittsburgh, it looks like the Calgary Flames are starting to turn things around.

We debate if Bill Peters should be fired – and if so who would replace him?  Is David Rittich a legit starting goalie, or just the best we’ve got? And we answer some questions from listeners.

Posted on November 19, 2019

The Flames played three games this week, and only managed to score one goal?  This is the team’s first time being shutout of back-to-back games since January 2014. Are things as bad as they look for the Calgary Flames this season? How long does the team have to turn things around before the playoffs are out of reach?

Matt lays out his case for why it might be time for the Flames to pull the plug on this season, and re-tool the roster instead.

Posted on November 13, 2019

The Flames are second in the Pacific Division, and starting to get their game together.  We look at the changes to the Defence pairings that we saw this week, if Michael Frolik’s time as a Flames is over after two healthy scratches, and if 5 days off this week will help or hurt the Flames.

This week’s episode is longer than usual, as we spend over an hour talking with our new Stockton Heat correspondent to catch up on all the happenings with the AHL affiliate.

Posted on November 5, 2019

As the Calgary Flames return home from the longest road trip of the season, it looks like the team is starting to turn their game around.  We break down what went well (and what didn’t) on the road trip, and how the team’s game improved, and look ahead to the Flames schedule for November and what we can expect for this month of games.

Posted on October 30, 2019

After a really good week for the Flames last week, we saw the exact opposite this week. Dan and Matt discuss the Flames shaking up their forward lines and what impact that may have on the slumping group, if the Tobias Rieder waiver move and Alan Quine being recalled will have any effect on the team, and what (if any) kind of the trade the Flames could make to shake things up this early in the season.

Posted on October 22, 2019

What a difference a week can make! Aside from the LA Kings game, the Flames had a much better week this past week than they did the one before. The Flames started on time, and played well structured games for the most part. What does this week hold for the Flames? Which goalies will start which games? How will the Flames do in the Heritage Classic? We try to answer all these questions and more.

Posted on October 15, 2019

The Flames struggled on their road trip this week, and their play hasn’t looked anywhere near what it needs to be if they want to be the #1 team in the Western Conference again. Is it time to start worrying about the Calgary Flames, or is this just a slow start that they’ll bounce back from?  Should the coaching staff start to shuffle the forward lines to get something going?

Dan and Matt debate these questions and more, as well as look ahead to the four games for the Flames this week, and if we think the team can rebound.

Posted on October 9, 2019

The Flames lost their 10th season opener in a row – losing to the Avalanche in Denver to open the season, and then came home and beat the Vancouver Canucks in the home opener. We break down these games, talk about what we’ve seen (or not seen) from the team so far, answer a fan question about David Rittich’s workload, and make predictions for this week’s important road trip.

Posted on October 2, 2019

We recap the last three games of the pre-season, discuss the three contracts signed this week, and we look ahead to the regular season including what our lineup might look like, how the Flames October schedule looks, and make our predictions for this season.

The 2019-2020 season starts now. Go Flames Go!

Posted on September 24, 2019

The Flames training camp is almost over, and Matthew Tkachuk still isn’t signed. We look at some recent RFA signings and discuss how those contracts might impact Tkachuk’s contract, if the Dustin Byfuglien in Winnipeg means the Flames may have a trade partner for TJ Brodie, and recapping the last week of news and happenings from the team’s training camp – including 15 players being reassigned to the AHL or junior leagues and 5 players being placed on waivers.

Posted on September 17, 2019

As the Flames open their 2019 training camp, we’re back to recap the busy summer for the Flames – and look ahead to training camp. We’ll discuss the Lucic trade, RFA signings, the odd summer for Michael Stone getting bought out, and then resigned, Andrew Mangiapane’s decision to hold out on a contract, and if we’ll get Matthew Tkachuk signed before the season starts. Plus we look ahead to the Flames training camp.

Posted on July 17, 2019

In this episode – recorded live at Winsport during the Flames 2019 development camp – Dan and Matt break down what the Flames did (and didn’t do) during the July 1 free agent signing period, and how the team looks at this point. The rest of the show is dedicated to our thoughts on the 2019 Development Camp, and interviews with the prospects in attendance.

Posted on June 24, 2019

This week we recap a fairly quiet NHL Entry Draft for the Flames – the first draft since Brad Treliving joined the team that they haven’t made a trade. The Flames made all five selections that they entered the draft with, and we recap our thoughts on each pick and if the Flames got what they needed.

We also look ahead to the opening of the Free Agency period, and what positions the Flames need to go shopping for, and what they might be able to realistically get done considering the salary cap, and their own Restricted Free Agent deals that also need to be done.