"Looooking GOOOOOOD"

Although I know that three games in doesn't make or break a team, I have seen it break a record 15 years old! Tonight's 4-3 win over Montreal means the Calgary Flames have won their first three games in a row, opening the season on the right foot! We are looking sharp, and I not only say that because I am a biased Flames Fan, but because I haven't seen our defense looking so powerful in quite a long time. We're committed and it shows with almost every move and shift on and off the ice. Of course, there are mistakes, but less and less than we've been used to seeing the last few years. The gaps are filling up, and thus making it easier for us to maintain our chemistry that seems to have fallen from the sky, but giving credit where it is due, we've got a hard working team, folks! Speaking of defense, Dion Phaneuf, who didn't play his best season last year, leads the team with 3 goals in 3 games!

With a need to keep my excitement grounded, I will bite my tongue from criticizing any one other team in the NHL, however I will say that we're starting off in first place in the western conference only tied with Philadelphia on the Eastern side of this spectrum! Where I said earlier that I know it doesn't guarantee anything, it sure does give the Flames a lot of credibility and determination. Being our 30th anniversary season this year you want, as a fan, to expect big things from your team. Is it a coincidence that we're sporting our 1989 Jersey that we last wore when we won our Stanley Cup? Is it a coincidence that we finally have a coach that we respect and trust to guide our team with more certainty than we've witnessed over the last handful of seasons? Is it a coincidence that we've started out our season with a bang and already have broken curses with shattering confidence?

This is a team I'm excited to watch because they are a group of guys who so far seem to have the right ideas in mind. Watching them play already this early into the season has been very sweet, not only because we hold a record of 3-0, but because I'm seeing respect and proof of their practices on the ice. Something I've always said that is certainly important off and on the ice is chemistry between the men behind the jerseys. What more can the fans and coaches ask for?

I'm hoping that in the coming weeks and months that Calgary has what it takes to maintain a substantial lead against our opposing and rivalry teams. It seems far fetched at this point, but I don't feel like a Stanley Cup has really been that far out of our reach. It would be a wonderful anniversary present to add our team's name to that graciously beautiful trophy and end our 21 year drought. Where some teams fans have criticized this specific fact, we have made incredible progress and have always worked towards being a better team altogether. Where every franchise works ultimately for the grand prize, it proves more important to keep focused on one game at a time.

Let's do that then, starting with our next game coming up this Thursday in Oil Country hosted by the Edmonton Oilers. We've played them once already and have a feel for what kind of game they'll face us with. We're 2-0 at home and 1-0 away, let's match those statistics and show Edmonton that we weren't kidding around last week, we mean business. We still have room for improvement and hopefully we fill those blanks with a few more shots on goal and a few more hits. Calgary is 5/7 on the power play, with Jarome Iginla's addition tonight also putting him on the scoreboard for this season. We're looking good, so let's keep that confidence up and win a fourth consecutive game! Why stop now?

Way to go Calgary! Go Flames Go!

T