Calgary Flames Need Another Training Camp

The Calgary Flames haven't had things go quite the way they had hoped for in the year 2010.

They've seen a nine-game losing streak, fans booing, and the inability to score against anyone but the last-place Edmonton Oilers and both of their should-be AHL goaltenders.

The win over the Oilers was a positive, but it really had to be an expected victory. The team needed something to help them move back into the running for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Coach Brent Sutter has been trying different things, the players have been trying different things, and now GM Darryl Sutter has tried something. In two days, Darryl has shipped out two of Calgary's least favorite players with the fans in Dion Phaneuf and Olli Jokinen and has brought in six players to try to spark the Flames to score again.

You have to give Darryl credit for going out early to find the player HE wants, not just whatever is left. Some people might question his choices a bit, but he wanted these players for a reason.

Sutter brought in six new players and shipped out four roster players. Defenseman Ian White and forwards Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers, Ales Kotalik, and Chris Higgins are now a part of the Calgary Flames to help score more goals. Rumor even has it that more trades are coming for the Flames.

I will admit that I was very excited about the trades and the possibility of seeing some new chemistry with the Flames against the Flyers. I was hoping for more goals, but not surprisingly, goal scoring was lacking.

Now if Sutter makes another deal or not, the Flames need to go back to training camp. They've brought in the cards; they just need to shuffle the deck to bring out the best combinations. They need some time to mesh with their new teammates and learn their strengths and weaknesses.

In reality, there is no time for the Flames to go back to the drawing board. The new Flames that came from Toronto only had one practise before being thrown into the fire, which really doesn't do a whole lot other than a chance to skate with the guys and maybe learn what the coaches expect.

I am very optimistic about these Olympics though. The Flames may not get a chance to totally go back to the beginning, but the timing of all of this could work perfectly for the Calgary Flames.

These next two weeks basically need to be survived rather than conquered. They need to be in or within a couple of points of a playoff spot going into the Olympic break, and there is a chance that this break could be just what the Flames need.

The coaching staff will have some time to do some serious changes if need be, and although the team can't practise during the break, they are allowed to come back a few days before the Olympics are done, which will allow the Flames to have a sort of "mini" camp. They can try some new lines and implement some things that otherwise might be hard to do in the middle of the season.

I also think we will see a lot of teams that are hot cooling off a bit, and some teams that were cold getting hot and making a strong run towards the playoffs.

With a nice amount of rest and refocus time for the Flames, Calgary can come out of the gate with an new attitude and approach to winning games on their way to making a legitimate run at the Stanley Cup.