 The Calgary Flames seem to always take to the ice with a very solid team each season. With a foundation of strong defense and strong team management from GM Darryl Sutter, the Flames have been a model of NHL consistency the past several years. Calgary will be going for its sixth straight playoff appearance in 2009-2010. Last season was a successful one for the Flames, finishing second in the Northwest Division with a 46-30-6 record, just two points short of the division crown. Driven by great seasons from captain Jerome Iginla (35 goals, 89 points) and winger Mike Cammalleri (39 goals, 82 points), Calgary finished fourth in the conference in goal scoring, while a late season acquisition of center Olli Jokinen brought more hope to Calgary for a long playoff run. Unfortunately, the Flames were knocked out in the first round by Chicago, leaving Calgary fans disappointed for the fourth straight season. The Calgary Flames are going to be a noticeably different team this season, with new coach Brent Sutter taking the reigns. There will also be significant changes on the ice; Cammalleri took advantage of his big season last year, getting big money to join Montreal via free agency. However, GM Sutter made a big move right before free agency, trading for the rights to superstar defenseman Jay Bouwmeester and signing him to a big contract. On the other hand, Calgary's only other noteworthy acquisition was Anton Stralman, while they allowed Todd Bertuzzi, Adrian Aucoin, and Andre Roy to depart, leaving some serious shoes to fill. The Flames are going to really have to step up and find some scoring, as their major departed players accounted for 64 goals last season. Calgary fans can expect a productive season from Iginla as usual, but players such as David Moss, Rene Bourque, Craig Conroy, and Dustin Boyd, will shoulder more of the scoring load. Additionally, the Flames' offense may also turn on whether Olli Jokinen can provide a big year for a contender for the first time in his career; he struggled for most of the stretch run after arriving in the spring last year, and previously his best years have come while playing on last place teams, out of the spotlight, and never really proving he can perform in the clutch. On the flipside, thanks to an amazing group of defenders, the Flames may not actually need as many goals to win games this season. With Bouwmeester joining the hard-hitting Dion Phaneuf and exceptional defender Robyn Regehr on the blue line, Calgary should have the best trio of defensemen in the NHL. Add solid defenders like Corey Sarich, Adam Pardy, and Mark Giordano to the mix and Calgary should be able to hold off opposing scorers quite effectively. This is all not to forget Calgary's great goaltender, Mikka Kiprusoff. The former Vezina Trophy winner is one of the NHL's elite goaltenders, and he will assuredly only get better behind such a standout group of defenders. Despite some high-profile departures, the Calgary Flames have quite a bit of talent. Get your tickets now and come out to the Pengrowth Saddledome to see one of the league's elite defensive teams, with Jerome Iginla up front as one of the NHL's brightest offensive stars.
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