Posted on June 17, 2019

With the Stanley Cup playoffs over, it is time to look ahead to the NHL Entry Draft.  The last few drafts have seen the Flames top picks traded for veteran help on the blueline. Should the Flames trade their pick this year, or draft? We discuss some of our picks for who the Flames should target with their first round (#26) draft pick, and what type of player the Flames need to draft with their other picks.

Posted on April 24, 2019

Well, the Flames are out again the first round after a 4-1 series against the Avalanche. Coming into the playoffs as the best team in the Western Conference and the second best season in franchise history, what went wrong? The guys break down the playoff series and what went wrong, as well as what the Flames need to improve in the off season and what next year’s lineup could look like.  Is it time to make some hard decisions to move some key assets of this team? Is this core built for a deep playoff run?

Posted on April 15, 2019

We’re two games into the series, and the Flames and Avalanche have split the wins. We talk about what we saw in the first two games, and what the Flames need to change to make sure they can win this series.

Posted on April 9, 2019

As Beesley would ask….”AAAAARRREEE YOU RRRRRRREEEADDDY?” The post-season is here!  This week’s show is over an hour of previewing the Flames first round matchup against the Avalanche. It’s the first time these two teams have ever met in the post season, and one of the most anticipated playoff runs this team has ever had.

Posted on April 2, 2019

The Flames won their game against the Sharks on Sunday, and have now officially clinched the #1 spot in the Western Conference, and the Pacific Division. The Flames are division champs for the first time since 2005-06, and conference champs for the first time since 1989-90.

We look ahead to what a playoff matchup against the Colorado Avalanche will look like, and look ahead to what the rest of the Western Conference playoffs might look like in round one and beyond. We also discuss previous Flames seasons, and if we were ever as sure of this team as we are this year.

We answer a fan question asking if the Flames have officially won the trade with Carolina over the summer, and more.

Posted on March 26, 2019

For the first time since the 2005-2006 season the Flames have earned over 100 points. In this episode we look ahead to the playoffs – predicting who will be on the Flames lineup and who will be in the pressbox for game 1. We also look ahead to the summer and predict who we think the Flames will trade, and what we think the return will be. Will the Flames move a defenceman to try and get a goalie? We’ll break down what that deal might look like, and a lot more.

Posted on March 19, 2019

It’s official…the Calgary Flames are the second team to clinch a spot in the 2019 playoffs. The guys chat about who they hope the Flames play in the first round, and which teams they want to avoid. It was announced that the Flames will wear their red “retro jerseys” for all playoff home games, and there is talk about the “retro white” possibly making a comeback next year.Plus we talk about the last week of Flames hockey and our thoughts on the week ahead.  Go Flames Go!

Posted on March 12, 2019

The Flames are back home for the month of March – only going on the road for three games. Will sleeping in their own beds and enjoying home cooking all month help the Flames regain the top spot in the Pacific Division?  After a season long seven game losing streak, many in the C of Red felt that the sky was falling for the Flames. After the big win over Vegas at the Dome, is the team going to be able to turn this month around?

Posted on March 5, 2019

This was an up-and-down week for the Flames. The team ended a season long 7 game win streak, coming up short against the Minnesota Wild on the evening that the Flames retired Jarome Iginla’s #12.

We discuss Oscar Fantenberg’s first few games as a Flame, what the pending returns of James Neal and Michael Stone will mean to the Flames lineup, and the decline of both of the Flames goaltenders since the Trade Deadline and what it might mean for a long playoff run.

And of course…we give our thoughts on the jersey retirement ceremony for Jarome Iginla, and share our thoughts on Iggy’s legacy as a Calgary Flame.

Posted on February 26, 2019

The 2019 NHL Trade Deadline is over and the Flames make only 0ne move – acquiring Oscar Fantenberg from LA. We discuss this deal, some deals that the Flames didn’t do and what the teams around the Flames did and how that may impact the Flames going into the playoffs. We also look ahead to […]

Posted on February 19, 2019

Mike Smith is looking like an NHL goalie again, James Neal is out of the lineup and Dalton Prout is becoming a serviceable defenceman. We discuss if these factors should change the Flames trade deadline strategy? We’ve talked alot about what the Flames should acquire at the deadline, and this week we look at what the most likely asset(s) for the Flames to give up are.

Plus we read some listener emails about the sky falling in Calgary, and if the Flames need veteran leadership. And of course a healthy dose of Oilers bashing this week. Could an XBOX do a better job of managing the team than the past GM did?

Posted on February 12, 2019

The Flames lost both games this week, and the C of Red is on red alert.  Are the Flames really looking bad this week, or are they just not able to outscore their problems as they have in the past?  Is David Rittich regressing, or is he just having a bad few games as a young goalie?  The guys look at this week and if it’s time for Flames fans to get upset yet or not.  Plus, we answer some listener questions about the upcoming trade deadline, and we make our predictions for if the Flames can get back on track for the coming road trip.

Posted on February 5, 2019

It’s early February, and we’ve only had two Flames games in the last week – which means we’ve got more time this week to discuss the upcoming trade deadline. We discuss the Flames reported interest in Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kunitz, and Ryan Dzingel and our thoughts on the Flames first round pick being traded, and if we think the Flames can afford to trade their high round picks again this year. On the flip side, what do we think the Flames have to give in a trade that would be attractive to other teams?

We finish the show by profiling the Stockton Heat, and looking at some young Flames prospects and their performance so far this year.

Posted on January 29, 2019

It’s the Flames 2019 bye week, which means we’ve only got one game to discuss this week. We answer some fan questions, talk to a Flames fan in Australia, speculate about what the Flames may do leading up to the Trade Deadline, and discuss the NHL All Star game format.

Posted on January 22, 2019

In our last episode before the Flames take a hard earned break, we discuss the last week of games including the big win over the Oilers. We speculate on how many starts each goalie will get for the remaining 32 games of the season. Plus we answer a fan question, and give our prediction on the Flames final game of the month.

Posted on January 15, 2019

The Flames tied a franchise record this week, winning 30 games in the first 47 they’ve played this season – tied with the 88-89 Calgary Flames team. We discuss the last 3 games for the Flames, and how they’re managing to win even when not playing their best hockey, and what the team has to do to stay #1 in the Western Conference with two teams now right on their heels.

Of course we have to look ahead to Trade Deadline, talk about what impact a returning Michael Stone will make to the lineup, and if David Rittich is a long-term starting goalie for the Flames past this season, and we look at the Stockton Heat – plus answer a listener question and more.

Posted on January 8, 2019

The Flames have past the half way point of the season and are still first place in the Western Conference. With seven weeks until the Trade Deadline, we discuss what the Flames may need to acquire and what a suitable return would be to make those upgrades.  With Michael Frolik’s agent tweeting to criticize the team’s use of him, is it time for the Flames to move on from Frolik?

We discuss if Dillon Dube and Curtis Lazar are legitimate NHLers, and if they either player should have a spot in the lineup this season, or what they’d have to do to make the team next season.

The Flames play the Jets next season on October 26, 2018 in Regina for one of the Heritage Classic outdoor games. We discuss and speculate what retro style jersey we’d like (or not like) to see the Flames wear for that game.

Posted on January 1, 2019

Happy New Year! The team is still off for the holidays, but we’ll have a brand new episode next Tuesday – January 8, 2019 recapping what happened over the holidays, and looking ahead to January.  This week we are replaying our interview with Peter Maher from a few weeks ago.

Posted on December 25, 2018

The entire Fireside Chat team is taking some time off over the holidays, but we wanted to give you something to enjoy this week, so we’re re-releasing our Theo Fleury interview that was originally part of Episode 100 in 2015.

Happy Holidays to you and your family from the entire Fireside Chat team. We hope you have a safe and happy holiday season, and we look forward to talking Flames hockey again in 2019.

Posted on December 18, 2018

The Calgary Flames top line, and the power of the purple Gatorade lead the team to three wins this week. In a week with injuries and lineup changes, the team still managed to keep their spot atop the Western Conference.

We recap our 2018-2019 predictions as we close out the 2018 calendar year, and share our thoughts on Bill Peters so far as the coach, as well as looking ahead to the 2019 portion of the season, and what the Flames need to do to last as a top team in the West.

Posted on December 10, 2018

This week had ups and downs for the Flames, but can be summed up as 3…2…1. Three wins before the loss to the Oilers (the end of a 5 game streak), two suspensions and one loss. We discuss how the Mikael Backlund injury and the suspensions have changed the Flames lineup and compare this year’s […]

Posted on December 4, 2018

The Flames ended the week with 5 of a possible 6 points this week, on a week when they arguably didn’t play great hockey.  We discuss how Mike Smith looked in two consecutive starts, and what the goalie scenario might look like for the rest of the season.

With the Flames having some injuries, we see Oliver Kylington and Ryan Lomberg draw into the lineup. We discuss how these guys looked, and if Lomberg deserves a spot on the NHL roster. Will Dillon Dube’s demotion to the AHL prove to be the best move for him?

As well we recap some Stockton Heat team news, and look ahead to the Flames December schedule, and our thoughts on what the team’s record has to do to make this month a success.

Posted on November 27, 2018

On this week’s show we’re joined by Hockey Hall of Fame broadcaster Peter Maher to discuss his career, listen to Calgary Flames stories, discuss the current Flames team, and talk about his new book If These Walls Could Talk: Calgary Flames: Stories from the Calgary Flames Ice, Locker Room, and Press Box (available at Amazon and bookstores everywhere).

Posted on November 20, 2018

The most important news item this week, is the Flames beat the Oilers. David Rittich looks like he’s going to be leaned on as the starting goaltender for a while. The guys debate if that’s a good idea, and what the Flames need to do to give Rittich the right chance as a starter. Plus some Stockton Heat news.

Posted on November 13, 2018

The Flames have returned from their California road trip and we break down three very different games from this week – including the goaltending in each game as the Smith vs. Rittich debate continues. 

Our main discussion this week centres around some of the players that we, and our listeners, have tagged as “disappointing so far”. We discuss what we need out of these players for them to not to have a disappointing season.

And just for fun, Dan and Matt kick around the idea of the Flames acquiring William Nylander, what it would take, and if that cost would be worth paying.

Posted on November 6, 2018

One month into the season the Flames are riding high in a four game win streak. The Calgary Flames finally seems to be coming into their own, but how long can the team win games in the last 20 minutes? and how much is their goaltending to blame for their bad starts?

We can’t avoid the goaltending discussion again – who should get starting minutes? Do the Flames need to acquire a goalie, and if so at what cost? Can the team promote from within to solve their goaltending issues? Outside the net the Flames have a lot of players doing things right. Sean Monahan was the first star of the week, and Monahan, Gaudreau and Tkachuk are in the top 10 in league scoring with Lindholm not far behind at number 13. Plus, we debate if Dillon Dube should be in the NHL or AHL right now, who his replacement might be, and answer a question for a Flames fan in the UK.

Posted on October 30, 2018

Coming off of a 3 game losing streak, and a disastrous game against the Penguins, the Flames played the best defensive game we can remember against the Leafs to break the losing streak, and the Flames are now guaranteed to end October with at least a .500 record.

TJ Brodie has been getting a lot of criticism from Flames fans. Matt suggests trading him and Dan asks what we think a reasonable return would be – and we discuss Michael Stone and Mark Jankowski’s positions in the lineup going into November and what the Flames schedule looks like for the next month, as well as our predictions for the coming week.

Posted on October 25, 2018

We’re 10% of the way through the season and the Flames have a 5-3 record – their best start in recent memory, and one of the highlights of the team has been backup goalie David Rittich. The guys gave Rittich a hard time early on – have they changed their tune?

Despite the great record we have some concerns about a few players on the roster, which we discuss and put our General Manager hats on to decide what to do with these players.

Posted on October 17, 2018

The Flames notoriously start slow almost every season, but 5 games in and they are over .500? Could it be?  What are the Flames doing differently and how do they look compared to last year’s team?

This week we discuss the healthy scratches of Mark Jankowski and Michael Frolik, why they were likely benched and what their response should be.  As well we discuss the changes we’re seeing in Sam Bennett’s game, how the rookies are doing and what Rasmus Andersson has to do to stay here after Hamonic comes back.

All this and more as we recap the first 5 games of the season, and look ahead to the next week.

Posted on October 9, 2018

The Flames opened their season with a home-and-home series against the Vancouver Canucks, with each team winning at home. Losing their ninth season opener in a row, the Flames still have a lot to work on moving forward including their powerplay. This week’s episode looks at these two games and what the team needs to work on still and how Dube and Välimäki looked in the first two games. And we’ll look at the roster moves including the recall of Rasmus Andersson and how he slots into the lineup, Hamonic’s injury and if he should have fought or not, and the current line combinations before the team heads to Nashville.

Posted on October 3, 2018

We’ve got a couple feet of snow on the ground in Calgary, which can only mean one thing – hockey is back! Today the 2018-2019 NHL season kicks off, and this episode is our first look at the Calgary Flames. Who gets traded first? Who will be a disappointment this season? How far can the Flames go in the playoffs, and what does the team have to do for us to call this a successful season? We answer these questions and many more as we get ready for the puck to drop in Vancouver.

Posted on September 25, 2018

The Flames are back from China deep into their training camp, prepping for the 2018-2019 NHL season. In this episode we look at all of the off-season moves since the Rookie Development Camp, including the signings of Noah Hanifin, Elias Lindholm and Mark Jankowski.

Looking at the Flames training camp we talk about who’s looking good, who isn’t and who needs to impress to get an NHL job. Plus Dan has a wacky idea as to why the Flames should consider Kari Lehtonen or Steve Mason as a backup goalie this season.

Join us as we get back to talking Flames hockey, and get ready for the regular season starting next week.

Posted on July 22, 2018

This episode is recorded live from WinSport as we cover the Calgary Flames 2018 Rookie Development Camp. The episode starts with our thoughts on the Flames moves on July 1 and how the new Flames will fit into the lineup to fill the gaps.

The rest of the episode is our day-by-day recap of the camp – our thoughts on the new draft picks, who we like, who needs to be better, and which walk on players might be worth a Flames contract. Plus, we have some exclusive interviews with some of the players at the camp.

Posted on June 26, 2018

There has been a lot of Flames news since the season ended – Bill Peters is the new Head Coach (and has a new coaching staff), The Flames made a big trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, and the GM says they aren’t done making changes yet.

We’ll recap all the happenings since the season ended, and look ahead to July 1 when Free Agency opens. Who do we expect the Flames to sign? Who are we sad to see go? What will it cost to sign the players the Flames need? These questions and more are answered here.

Posted on April 12, 2018

The disappointing Flames season is over, and this week we break it all down and try to figure out what the heck happened. We look closely at many areas of the team to determine where the Flames went wrong and what needs to be improved.  This week we’ll play “stay or go” with each of the Flames Unrestricted Free Agents, and discuss how different the roster may look next season. Dan poses a “crazy” theory – that the Flames should consider moving Johnny Gaudreau in the next few seasons – and what they’d need to get back for him.

Posted on April 5, 2018

This week is a join episode with Agree or Disagree: The Podcast we look at the final week of the Flames season, and what to expect in the last three games, as well as discuss which of the Flames Restricted Free Agents should be re-signed in the off season, and discuss the job performance of the coaching staff and General Manager. The question “Are the Flames missing strong, outspoken leaders?” is debated, and we talk about if leadership needs to be added next year.

Posted on March 27, 2018

Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, and Matthew Tkachuk are all out as the Flames start to wind down the season. We discuss what the Flames new look lineup looks like, and Jon Gillies being recalled from the AHL.

The main discussion of the week revolves around the question everyone has been asking…who will the next Head Coach be? Dan and Matt break down the options who might be available, and what we think we need in the next head coach. Both of our hosts make their top 3 lists and justify why.

We want your Flames questions and comments. Send us a text message or leave a voicemail at 587-200-7176 and we’ll play the best on the show over the next few weeks.

Posted on March 21, 2018

The Flames had a terrible week, and weren’t able to win their “must win” games, so it looks like this season is realistically over. We recap the week that was, and look at what AHL players the Flames should call up to get a look this year, and at some of the Flames prospects who might turn pro next year.

Posted on March 13, 2018

We’re getting down to crunch time for the Flames, where every game is a must win. After a disappointing loss to the Islanders, Glen Gulutzen calls out the Flames at practice, and stresses how much better they need to be. We talk about these issues and more to try and figure out why the Flames have been so inconsistent since the CBA mandated bye week.

Our main discussion topic of the week is trying to figure out who will be the Flames backup goalie next season. Jon Gillies? David Rittich? Tyler Parsons? Someone else? We talk about your thoughts and chime in with what we think.

Posted on March 7, 2018

The Flames are falling hard after a four game losing streak. What will it take for the Flames to make the playoffs at this point?  We break down our thoughts on how the Flames have looked without Mike Smith, and if it’s been the team or the young goalies that have been the issue recently. With Michael Ferland back in the lineup after an injury – who should be on the first line? Bennett? Brouwer? Ferland? Someone else? Plus we’ll look at the Flames injured players and their status and more.

Posted on February 28, 2018

The 2018 Trade Deadline has passed and the Flames added two new players – #8 Chris Stewart and #25 Nick Shore. We’ll break down these moves and if the Flames did enough on deadline day.  As well, we discuss the Flames goalie situation, and recap the last week of action for the Flames -as well as looking ahead to March.

Posted on February 22, 2018

So much for home ice advantage. The Flames are slumping badly in the Saddledome, and because of that now sit outside of a playoff spot. What’s going on with the Flames? As well as breaking down the home woes, the guys look ahead to the Trade Deadline. Will the Flames make their big deal at the deadline or the draft? The guys look at some possible deadline acquisitions and what the cost of doing a deal would be.

Posted on February 15, 2018

The big Flames news of the week is Mike Smith is out. How will this affect the Flames playoff chances? Can the Flames still win games without their best player? Does David Rittich have what it takes to be a starter? Will Jon Gillies get into the Flames net before Smith comes back?  We answer these questions and in general talk about the Flames netminding this week.

Posted on February 7, 2018

After finally getting a win over Chicago, the guys talk about the 6 game losing streak and what it means for the Flames playoff chances.  Was sending Andrew Mangiapane back to Stockton the right move? And what is Garnet Hathaway’s upside as an NHL player? The Flames have apparently been heavily scouting the Ottawa Senators […]

Posted on January 31, 2018

The Flames haven’t won a game since the bye week, but have a point in each game. Are the Flames on an 11 game point streak, or a 4 game losing streak? We discuss all the news of the week including what the Flames need to change to get back on track, how Michael Frolik’s return against Vegas changes the lineup, and talk about the departure of Jaromir Jagr.

Posted on January 23, 2018

Because of the Flames bye week, we don’t have enough to discuss for a full show – but this week Dan and Matt joined Kevin Olenick of the Bottom Line View NHL YouTube channel to recap the Flames season so far, discuss where the Flames might go this season – and look ahead to the trade deadline.

We’ll be back with a regular episode next week, but we hope you enjoy this recap in the mean time.

Posted on January 17, 2018

The Flames break for their mandated bye week on a season high 7 game win streak, and holding the 2nd place spot in the Pacific Division. The guys chat about what has changed, and how the AHL callups have been instrumental in the team’s success – and who is likely to stay in the NHL after the bye week. With all the forward callups, what is the Flames depth like on Defence? And what roster moves need to be made to allow some rookie blueliners to make the team?

We look ahead to the schedule and what to expect after the break, and a whole lot more news about the red hot Calgary Flames.

Posted on January 10, 2018

We discuss this week’s two big wins for the Flames, Freddie Hamilton’s waiver claim, and the apparent upcoming separation between the Flames and Jaromir Jagr – and what it means for the team. We’ll answer some questions submitted by our listeners and make predictions for a tough week of games before the Flames bye week.

Posted on January 3, 2018

We’re back for our first episode of 2018 – and celebrating our fifth calendar year (6th NHL season) of the show. With Michael Frolik being out long-term with a jaw injury, where does this leave the Flames “3M” line and how will Andrew Mangiapane fit into the lineup? Is it worth keeping The 2M’s together, or totally blowing up the Flames second line? We talk about the Eddie Lack trade, and wonder why Dalton Prout was sent to Stockton and not taking Bartkowski’s place in the NHL, as well as what this trade means for our AHL and ECHL goalies.

Posted on December 21, 2017

Our last show of 2017 looks at where the Flames are at right now in the season, and our thoughts on the team so far this season. The Flames have been playing solid games lately, but haven’t been able to get the wins. What if the Flames were to break up the 3M line? How would shuffling the lines look? Is Jagr relegated to the fourth line when he returns? We do some fantasy line juggling this week.