Standings after the Conference Finals (Wins worth 3 points)

1. Hayley 18-5
2. SarahM 17-4
   
3. ArikJames 16-6
   
4. CofRed 15-4
   
5. SmellofVictory 14-6
   
6. maimster 13-6
   
7. Colin S 12-6
   
8. Justin Azevedo 10-7
   
9. brisulph 9-6
   
10. M F 7-6
    
11. KingJafi 4-4

Stanley Cup Final

Schedule

Series starts Saturday so lets get those picks in.

Wins are worth 4 points but if you can correctly select the Conn Smythe winner an extra 2 points will be available so a possible 6 points can be awaded . So everyone below Colin S is mathematically eliminated.

Standings after the Semi-Finals (Wins were worth 2 points)

CofRed 12-3
Hayley 12-5
SarahM 11-4
Arik James 10-6
brisulph 9-5
Colin S 9-6
SmellofVictory 8-6
Justin Azevedo 7-6
M F 7-6
maimster 7-6
KingJafi 4-4

Eastern Conference Final
#7 Philadelphia vs. #8 Montreal

Western Conference Final
#1 San Jose vs. #2 Chicago

Sharks/Hawks is the Tiebreaker series.

Lets have the predictions in before 12:30pm MT tomorrow as that's when the Conference Finals begin. Wins are now worth 3 points.

After a very competitive First Round we are now 1/4 done the playoffs, where does the time go and now the Standings entering the Second Round.

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CofRed 12-3

Hayley 12-5

SarahM 11-4

Arik James 10-6

brisulph 9-5

Colin S 9-6

SmellofVictory 8-6

Justin Azevedo 7-6

M F 7-6

maimster 7-6

KingJafi 4-4
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It's not over for anyone as in the second round a win the correct series will now garner 2 points instead of 1. The tiebreaker for the next round is #6 Boston vs. #7 Philadelphia.

The remaining 8 teams.

Eastern Conference

#4 Pittsburgh vs. #8 Montreal

#6 Boston vs. #7 Philadelphia

Western Conference

#1 San Jose vs. #5 Detroit

#2 Chicago vs. #3 Vancouver

Best a luck to everyone and lets try get everyone's series predictions in before tomorrow at 7:00pm MT as that's when the Sharks/Wings begin.

As the Flames won't be participating in the second season, fans of non-playoff teams have the blessing of watching 16 teams beat the crap out of each other for the holiest of grails in the professional sports.

So lets hear your predictions for the first round predictions and I'll have standings put together after the first round, please state your picks for each series including the number of games it will take for the series to be completed. For those who need a reminder here are the 8 matchups.

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

#1 Washington vs. #8 Montreal

#2 New Jersey vs. #7 Philadelphia

#3 Buffalo vs. #6 Boston

#4 Pittsburgh vs. #5 Ottawa

Western Conference Quarterfinals.

#1 San Jose vs. #8 Colorado

#2 Chicago vs. #7 Nashville

#3 Vancouver vs. #6 Los Angeles

#4 Phoenix vs. #5 Detroit

If Needed - The Tiebreaker series will be Phoenix vs. Detroit if more is needed Pittsburgh and Ottawa will be used.

So let's see out of M&G is the best prediction guru.

  As much as most of us don't want it to happen the time could be almost here as Jarome Iginla may have played his final home game as a Flame. So I made a write up of the Top 10 moments for Jarome well wearing the Flaming C. I may have missed out on some moments but I think I got the main ones that made Jarome one of the most loved player during our time

  Soon after the Kamloops Blazers season had ended Jarome was signed to his first NHL contract and flown in to play against the Blackhawks in the 1996 Western Conference Quarterfinal. In his first game he would record what would be his first NHL point an assist on Theoren Fleury's goal, In his second game he would score his first NHL goal. Jarome became the first 18 year old to play for the Flames since Dan Quinn in 1983.

9. 9 Straight 30 Goal Seasons

  Even though the 2009-10 Season would prove to be one of Jarome's worse that doesn't take away that he is one of only a handful of players to score 30+ goals in 9 or more seasons. The only ones among the Top 15 in All Time Goal Scoring to do such a feat are Wayne Gretzky, Marcel Dionne, Jaromir Jagr, Mike Gartner, Phil Esposito and Bobby Hull pretty good company for are old pal Jarome.

8. One of the best of the decade.

  Entering the 21st Century - Jarome Iginla has asserted himself as one of the best players in the game of hockey leading all players since the lockout in Goals and is one of the best Right Wingers in the game. 2 time 50 Goal Scorer, Lester B. Pearson Trophy, 2 time Rocket Richard winner, Art Ross Trophy, 3 time First Team All Star, Member of the All Decade Team, 2 time Gold Medalist, Future Hall of Famer.

7. Olympian

  Jarome Iginla has represented Canada on 3 different occasions 2002, 2006 and 2010 with only 2006 not resulting in a Gold Medal. Jarome has proven himself to be one of Canada's biggest contributors one the biggest stage outside of the playoffs. He proved to be huge in the 2002 Gold Medal Game scoring the game winner to give Canada the Gold over the States and in 2010 assisted on the Overtime winner scored by Sidney Crosby still to this day he hasn't really been recognized but whatever.

6. Rise to Stardom

  In Jarome's rookie season he led all Rookies in scoring and was named to the All Rookie Team although he ended up losing the Calder Trophy to Bryan Berard but Wayne Gretzky lost the Calder and look how his Career turned out. 2001-02 was truly his coming out party and still without a true number one centre he scored 52 Goals and won his first Rocket Richard Trophy, During the Awards Jarome got passed over for the Hart Trophy as the NHL MVP to Jose Theodore but won the Lester B. Pearson which is awarded to the player recognized by his peers who is the MVP.

5. The Captain.

  The beginning of the Darryl Sutter era started with Craig Conroy handing his captaincy over to Iginla and ever since that day Jarome has shown that he is one of the best leaders in the NHL and is one of the true all around great guys in the NHL.

4. 52 Goal Season.

  The 2001-2002 Season started off with a bang as the Flames got off to one of their best starts ever 13-2-2-2 but the season quickly turned into another year without Playoff hockey in Cowtown. The lone bright spot was the Flames young star Jarome Iginla who scored 52 Goals including his first career Hat-Trick against the New York Rangers at the Worlds Greatest Arena - Madison Square Garden. This season would be capped off with Jarome being awarded the Art Ross, Richard and the Lester B. Pearson.  

3. Iggy passes Theo for the Franchise lead in goals.

  On March 10th, 2008 Jarome Iginla passes Theo Fleury to become the Flames all time leading goal scorer with his 365th goal in a 7-3 beat down of the St Louis Blues.

2. Iggy passes Theo for the Franchise lead in points and in the process scores his 400th Goal.

  It was the final game before the Flames set out on a two week journey away from the Dome and Jarome Iginla was seeking his 400th Goal and the Franchise Lead in Points and it came in a game where goals happened early and often. His 5 point output was good enough to pass Theo and to get his ticket to the Hall of Fame punched.

1. A Magical Spring.

  The 2003-04 season saw the Flames make the playoffs for the first time in 7 seasons and it saw Jarome Iginla get his second Rocket Richard Trophy but what was even better was the ride that Jarome and the rest of the Flames took this whole city on. It seemed everytime Jarome had the puck on his blade of his stick he was a threat to score, he lead the entire playoffs in Goal Scoring and him along with rest of the roughnecks that nobody else wanted took this team on a journey only a few of us can ever experience. In the end it wasn't enough as the Flames bowed out in 7 Games to the Tampa Bay Lightning though this moment proves to be Jarome's greatest as a Flame.

This may not be the end of Jarome as a Flame but if it is, It's been a great 12 years and this city will always love you.

Some videos of the Great Number 12.

Career Highlights - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAAmlm0EE_0

52 Goal Season 2001-02 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYkXFA7Dsxk

50 Goal Season 2007-08 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dGd6FeViJ4&feature=PlayList&p=6C08F763F1350081&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=12

Iggy's Greatest Shift - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8PeKp6uAnM

Iginla vs. Mitchell - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmEDbTi7XOs

Iginla vs. Lecavalier - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOko5sPS5IE&feature=channel

Please post more videos, moments whatever in the comments.

You know how the NHL is doing all What if moment's to promote the 2010 Playoffs, Well some people have already made parodies of these for some of the funnier or sadder moments in NHL history.

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After Moose Jaw took home ice away from the Hitmen after the first two games of this Eastern Conference Quarter-Final, Most who follow the WHL know that the Hitmen are known as proverbial chokers come playoff time even though they possessed the WHL's best record for a second consecutive season.

So when this week started many Hitmen fans say "Not again, not to Moose Jaw" but Moose Jaw has always given teams a run come playoff time so when the Hitmen go to the crushed can in the Jaw they were expected to take back this series and after a very dominant Game 3 it looked like the Hitmen were going to go 4-0 the rest of the way - Not so fast. The Warriors stormed out too a 4-1 lead last night be for staving off a Hitmen comeback. For those who look at season stats this series should have been a cake walk. But Brandon Kozun, Joel Broda and Tyler Shattock the Hitmen's Top 3 Regular Season point getters only have 12 points between them and only three of them are goals these three are all getting bested by Jason Bast a five year veteran of the Dub and is undrafted the guy has 6 Goals in 4 games.

So I suggest if you want to go check out the Hitmen for possibly the final time this season they play Game 5 at the Dome tomorrow night at 7:00pm or you can stay at home with the rest of us and watch in terror as the Flames play for their playoff lives against the Islanders. If I was a betting man I would expect the Hitmen to take Game 5 tomorrow and we'll see where everything's at heading in to Saturday's do or die game. I know the Warriors want to put the boots to the Hitmen and get some rest before they have to take on the Memorial Cup bound Brandon Wheat Kings in the Second Round.

So the Dome could be very quiet this Spring unless the Roughnecks go on a crazy run to get home court, field, turf whatever they call it in the NLL for the Playoffs. That could be it for Sports at the Saddledome until September when the Hitmen open back up again and if you believe the Rumors this spring may be the last time Sports are played in the Arena formally known as the Pengrowth Saddledome as Pengrowth may not renew the naming rights and the new company that buys them might drop the Saddledome name.

Heading into the 2010-11 NHL Season the Flames will have the second largest payroll in the NHL and that's with out including are 7 NHL free agents. The payroll is only behind the youthful and sometimes questionable Chicago Blackhawks - None the less they are in a much better situation then we are, more after the jump.

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Greatest entrance video in all of Hockey I think so. The University of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks.

This is the official UAF Hockey Open from the 2009-2010 season for the Alaska Nanooks. This video was commissioned by the University of Alaska Fairbanks and runs at Carlson Center home games on their jumbotron.

It said I had to come up with 75 words so what are some of your favorite entrance videos and if the Flames were to change their entrance song from Spitfire by Prodigy what should they change it to?

Theo Fleury has always been a controversial player, both on and off the ice.  Despite positive press and a comeback attempt that ended his career on a positive note this summer, it seems that isn't ever going to change.  From today's entry in Fleury's blog (g/t Kent Wilson, of various sites):

Wow, what a year! At this time last year, I was 45 pounds overweight and thinking about making a comeback. HAHAHAHA! Anyway, we put our nose to the grindstone and boy did we make a comeback. At one hundred and eighty pounds, I finished 11th out of 56 guys at camp in the fitness test and scored a historic shootout goal in an exhibition game after being out of hockey for six years. What does that say about the talent level in the NHL? 4 points and a plus 4 rating in four exhibition games and I get cut. What a joke! Craig Conroy goes the first 37 games of the season with zero goals. I wonder how many I would have had. Even with all the stupid people that run the game of hockey, it’s still a great game. Go figure. Anyway, then the book comes out and starts flying off the shelves. The truth will set you free! 100,000 copies and counting. Thank you for all your support.

Confidence is said to be a key factor in success, and it isn't surprising to see that Fleury is still brimming with it.  He's certainly entitled to both a sense of accomplishment and belief in his ability.

It's just a shame that he had to take those shots at Conroy and Flames management.  Fleury has done wonders rehabilitating his reputation, and that sort of pettiness can only undermine those efforts. 

- Jonathan Willis, from Hockey or Die! had that to say about Fleury's diatribe.

And here are some of Theo's predictions for 2010.

• I say Canada VS Russia Olympic final with Sweden a close third
• Pittsburgh and San Jose Stanley Cup final. Flames bow out in the first round again
• Trade Regehr and finally get someone for Iggy to play with
• The Colts win their second Superbowl
• Hitmen win the Memorial Cup
• New York Yankees defend their title
• Stamps win the Grey Cup
• Roughnecks win
• Lakers beat LeBron James and the Cavaliers
This is all from his blog

Calgary, AB – The Calgary Flames and Shaw Communications announced today they will have eight television broadcasts of Flames Pay-Per-View games during the 2009-10 season.
With the eight game Flames Pay-Per-View schedule, the Calgary Flames will have 78 of their 82 game schedule (plus one preseason game) broadcast on television by Sportsnet (44+2 Sportsnet West Edmonton Telecasts), CBC (14), and TSN (10+1 preseason).

“We are entering an exciting new season and our Pay-Per-View is in its second year of full High Definition as well as standard definition delivery,” said Flames Vice-President of Marketing & Advertising, Jim Bagshaw. “Flames Pay-Per-View is a Flames production that we are proud of – it offers our fan base the chance to see the team on an intimate level as stated in our vision – All Access All the Time.”

Flames pay-per-view broadcasts will bring the fans closer to the team through unique and non-traditional behind the scenes access. The broadcast team will provide in-depth analysis on the team and the NHL while introducing the Flames to the fan on a more personal level.

Rob Kerr is back as the Flames Pay-Per-View play-by-play announcer starting on Monday, October 12th in Chicago as Calgary faces the Blackhawks for the first time since the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs. Rob will be joined by colour analyst Charlie Simmer, former NHL great and famed member of the “Triple Crown” line.

To catch the eight Pay-Per-View games, customers must have a Shaw Digital Terminal available for purchase through Shaw retail centres or local retailers. Rental options are also available.  For more details on the Flames Pay-Per-View Packages or to order Shaw Digital, call 1-888-472-2222 or visit SHAW.CA.

Flames Pay-Per-View games will be available in HD with further information regarding HD carriers available soon.
 
2009-10 CALGARY FLAMES PAY-PER-VIEW BROADCAST SCHEDULE

Monday, October 12, 2009         @ Chicago
Wednesday, October 28, 2009    vs. Colorado
Thursday, December 3, 2009     @ Phoenix
Friday,  December 11, 2009         vs. Minnesota
Thursday, December 15, 2009       @ St. Louis
Thursday,  January 28, 2010       @ Phoenix
Thursday,  February 11, 2010             vs. Dallas
Saturday, March 27, 2010              @ Boston

From Calgary Flames Website

No complaints on the jersey because I saw that coming, but I'm very disappointed that they kept that anniversary patch.

Old is new, and nostalgia is the new black, or in this case red, as the Flames released their vintage third jerseys Wednesday.

In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Flames in Calgary, the sweater is a throwback to the days of yore, an identical replica of the original and intended as a tip of the hat to the teams that built the foundation for the organization.

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via www.icethetics.info

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Flames open up the season at home to the Vancouver Canucks on October 1st and we see only see Canadian teams for the first week of play (Oct 3 @ Edmonton, Oct 6 vs. Montreal, Oct 8 @ Edmonton) so it won't take long till we see Mr. Cammalleri in town. The longest home stand runs from October 16th to Halloween night those games are against (Vancouver, Columbus, Edmonton, Colorado and Detroit) There is an interrupted home stand which is actually the longest which is 7 games but the one that is in between is in Edmonton on December 28th and that is after the Flames longest road trip of 8 games which is also interrupted for one home game in between that being (Nov 25 vs. Phoenix).

On that road trip the Flames play all western opponents that opens in LA and ends in LA (Nov 21 Los Angeles, Nov 23 Anaheim, Nov 27th Detroit, Nov 28th Columbus, Nov 30th Nashville, Dec 3 Phoenix, Dec 5 San Jose, Dec 7 Los Angeles.

Possible HNIC matchups include (Thu Oct 1 vs. Vancouver, Oct 3 @ Edmonton, Oct 24 vs. Edmonton, Oct 31 vs. Detroit, Nov 7 vs. NY Rangers, Nov 14th @ Toronto, Nov 28th @ Columbus, Dec 5 @ San Jose, Dec 19th vs. Nashville, Jan 2nd vs. Toronto, Jan 9th @ Vancouver, Jan 30th vs. Edmonton, Feb 6th @ Tampa Bay, Feb 13th vs. Anaheim, Apr 10th @ Vancouver) January 30th is Hockey Day in Canada

Down the stretch from March 17th to the end of the year the Flames only play 5 divisional games (Mar 17th @ Colorado, Mar 21st @ Minnesota, Apr 2nd @ Colorado, Apr 8th vs. Minnesota, Apr 10th @ Vancouver. We only see Edmonton once in 2010 that being January 30th.

Interesting Dates (Jan 13th are first look at the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins, Feb 5th Jay-Bo returns home as the Flames visit the Panthers, Feb 6th Flames first look at the big swedish rookie Victor Hedman, Feb 13th vs. Anaheim last game before the Olympic break, Mar 3rd first game back after the Olympics vs. Minnesota, Mar 5th New Jersey comes to the Dome for there first look at old coach Brent Sutter, Mar 25th Flames visit Long Island and take there first glimpse of John Tavares, Mar 28th & Apr 4th Washington and Chicago could be Calgary's first NBC regular season apperence big deal right!, Apr 12th season ends)

Overall the schedule plays much more into Calgary's hands this year we got very lucky with the road trips this season a lot better then are friends on the coast who play a record 14 game road trip just before the olympic break and shortly after the break.

Full Schedule here: http://www.nhl.com/ice/schedulebyseason.htm?team=cgy

The Flames have put Anders Eriksson on re-entry waivers so if anyone picks him up it's pretty much giving the Flames the middle finger as Rob Kerr said last week, and the Flames should have Andre Roy, Dion Phaneuf, Rene Bourque and Curtis Glencross back no word on Regehr or Sarich.

As for the call ups

Dustin Boyd, David Van der Gulik, Kyle Greentree, Leland Irving and Warren Peters

And will all know when Bourque went down the Flames started slumping and I'm sure there's nothing better then handing your old team a loss.