Scott Cruickshank digs through the archives and rediscover all the most notable events of Calgary's ill-fated campaign.
Created by CalgaryHerald on Apr 12, 2011
Last updated: 05/09/11 at 11:55 AM
Flames 2010-2011: one of the most topsy-turvy seasons in recent memory has no followers yet. Be the first one to follow.
Flames finish season against Canucks. Bouwmeester runs string of playofflessness to 635 games. (Jokinen, at 799, holds the NHL record.) King: “We’ve known for some time that there’s a lot of work to be done. This will not be a summer of golf and sunshine.” - Photo by Colleen De Neve
Flames shellac Oilers, but out-of-town victories eliminate them from playoff contention. Iginla nets 40th goal en route to hat trick. Iginla: “I really thought we were going to find a way to squeak in. In sports, you find a lot of weird things can happen.” Kiprusoff ties Mike Vernon’s club record for wins, 262. Pictured: Iginla was named the first star of the game with a hat-trick against the Oilers. - Photo by Colleen De Neve
Langkow, as determined by local reporters, is the team’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
Historic triumph at St. Louis. Langkow returns after full year’s absence. Iginla gathers three points to become 77th NHLer to hit 1,000. Tanguay: “As far as Jarome’s game, wow, what a performer. He’s special.” Pictured: Iginla celebrates after scoring the go-ahead goal in the third period against the Blues at the Scottrade Center. The goal was Iginla's second of the game - and also his 1,000th point. - MCT photo
Kotalik back to Abbotsford. - Photo by Colleen De Neve
Flames’ comeback fails against Ducks. Jackman’s goal is controversially disallowed. Pictured: The Calgary Flame bench reacts to a empty net goal during the end of the third period against the Ducks on March 30. - Photo by Dean Bicknell
Thanks to a rally — and D Steve Staios’s heroics — Flames shade Oilers 5-4. Staios: “I can’t remember having a better feeling after a goal, I can tell you that.” Pictured: Olli Jokinen (13) and Steve Staios (C) celebrate with Robyn Regehr (L), Curtis Glencross (R) and Rene Bourque (hidden) after tying the game against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period in the March 26 game against Edmonton. - Reuters photo
Three more losses for the Flames. Nemisz makes debut. Bouwmeester’s line in California — three games, no points, minus-six. Iginla: “It’s six games (to go) — our goal is to win out.” Pictured: San Jose's Kyle Wellwood chases after a puck against Calgary Flames' Mikael Backlund (11) in the second period at HP Pavilion on March 23. The Sharks snuff the Flames, 6-3. - MCT photo
C Daymond Langkow (back from IR), Kotalik (back from AHL) practise. - Photo by Dean Bicknell
Flames fall to Coyotes, after which the boss pops. Coach Brent Sutter: “I’m not going to sugar-coat it. Geez, we’ve lost three in a row at this time of the season. It’s unacceptable.” - Photo by Dean Bicknell
Flames lose to Canucks. Bouwmeester, with 495th consecutive appearance, equals NHL ironman record for defencemen.
Bouma back with big club. - Photo by Leah Hennel
Flames blow three-goal lead, still edge Stars. Start of the end, though — grim 2-5-2 stretch follows. - Reuters photo
Iginla converts penalty shot against Preds, hits 30 goals for 10th straight season. Glencross sinks fourth GWG in a stretch of 14 dates. - Reuters photo
Kiprusoff, against Blue Jackets, nabs 30th win — for sixth consecutive campaign. - Photo by Colleen De Neve
Morrison hurts knee in loss to Blackhawks. Pictured: Morrison speaks to media about his injury on March 8. - Photo by Dean Bicknell
Flames welcome D Brett Carson and LW Freddy Modin on deadline day. Glencross, neither traded nor signed, wants four- or five-year extension. - Photo by Dean Bicknell
Tanguay, against Blues, plays 800th game. RW Greg Nemisz travels from Abbotsford, then returns. Debut on hold. - Getty Images
For Flames, 20 games remain. Four points out of fourth, four points out of 12th. Kotalik on re-entry waivers. Pictured: Kiprusoff reaches out to make stick save during third period NHL action between the Calgary Flames and the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 25. - Photo by Dean Bicknell
LW Niklas Hagman on waivers.
Feb. 20: Flames whip Habs 4-0 in Heritage Classic. Bourque scores twice — including his 100th — and puts 11 shots on net. Feaster about Bourque: “Awesome. Just awesome.” - Photo by Leah Hennel
Feaster about trade deadline: “We’re not going to be a seller. This hockey organization doesn’t deserve that.” - Photo by Colleen De Neve
C Joe Nieuwendyk after alumni game at McMahon Stadium: “The ice is bad. How bad? Bad. Really bad. ” - Photo by Colleen De Neve
Flames crush Avs 9-1. Jokinen contributes four first-period points, equalling a club record. Pictured: Anton Babchuk celebrates a first period goal against the Colorado Avalanche with teammates on the bench at the Pepsi Center. - Getty Images
Jackman, against Canucks, scores 10th goal. Five had been his previous best.
Sarich, against Ducks, plays 800th game.
Knocking off Senators, Flames’ streak soars to 14-3-3. Regehr plays 800th game (pictured). - Getty Images
Eureka! Eighth place, after beating Blackhawks. Bouma collects first point, Jokinen records 600th. - Photo by Stuart Gradon
Coach Brent Sutter, against Kings, works his 300th game. LW Lance Bouma makes debut. - Picture by Dean Bicknell
Conroy retires: “I’m, like, ‘OK, it’s time to turn one chapter and move forward with my life.’ ” - Picture by Stuart Gradon
Kotalik goes to Abbotsford. - Picture by Colleen De Neve
Brodie plays AHL all-star game in Hershey, Pa. - Getty Images
Conroy on waivers. Kotalik also put on waivers two days later. Pictured: Conroy speaks to media on Jan. 27 at the Saddledome. - Picture by Stuart Gradon
Flames, heroically, rattle off back-to-back dubyas against Dallas, Vancouver. - Photo by Dean Bicknell
Flames spanked 6-0 by Wild. Fans jeer Kiprusoff. RW David Moss: “I know I can speak for almost everybody — guys were pissed off to see that. He doesn’t deserve that.” Coach Brent Sutter: “Absolutely, it bothers me. They’re human beings and they have tough days.” - Photo by Leah Hennel
Flames, with G Miikka Kiprusoff struggling, fall 6-5 to Hurricanes. Morrison: “Do we feel we should have won the game? Yes. Did we win the game? No. At some point, it’s got to stop. Before we know it, we’ll be walking off the cliff and it’ll be completely over.” Pictured: Kiprusoff is pulled in favour of Karlsson in the loss against Carolina. - Getty Images
Iginla invited to NHL all-star game. (Later, citing family reasons, he declines.) Pictured: Iginla has played in five all-star games in his career. The picture shows him holding up his jersey in January, 2009. - Photo by Dean Bicknell
Kotalik rips slapper 105.1 m.p.h. to capture team’s hardest-shot contest: “Well, that’s always been my thing, working on the shot.” Pictured: Kotalik fires a shot during a game - Getty Images
Kostopoulos breaks jaw of Wings D Brad Stuart, earns six-game suspension. - Getty Images
Flames, against Isles, play 3,000th game in franchise history. - Photo by Dean Bicknell
Flames dump Oilers, back at .500. - Reuters photo
GM Darryl Sutter booted. Feaster, shown, is installed. King: “In order for us to move forward, I felt that it was important that we take the next step. . . and that the next step move us and build on the legacy Darryl left — a very, very solid foundation.” - Photo by Colleen De Neve
Flames, against all odds, surprise Stars 3-2 — start of a 22-6-6 spree. Tanguay: “We have to find a way to get to 94, 95 points if we want to get in the playoffs. We’ve got a veteran group. We can’t give you guys, or our fans, or anybody any more excuses.” - Getty Images
Consecutive losses to lesser lights — Wild, Wild, Blue Jackets — with only one goal in each. Lousiness drops Flames to season-worst 14-18-3. Pictured: Rick Nash skates up the ice against Calgary on Dec. 21, 2010. Columbus won 3 - 1. An empty-net goal sealed the loss for Calgary in the third period. - Getty Images
Whispers, including that of coach Brent Sutter’s dismissal, swirl during junket to Los Angeles, Anaheim. Jokinen: “It’s not like if we bring in Player X, it’s going to turn everything around. The answers are inside.”
Flames nip Wild 3-2. Shootout features arm-pumping antics of G Henrik Karlsson. Coach Brent Sutter: “We could hear him from the bench, too. The guys were having a pretty good chuckle about it on the bench — ‘Is he for real?’ Hey, he’s got a lot of flash.”
Ouch. Flames suddenly tied for 15th in the Western Conference. - Photo by Leah Hennel
Flames starched 7-2 by Canucks. Boss deploys five blue-liners on the power play. Coach Brent Sutter: “I didn’t think our forwards were working very hard on it . . . so I thought I’d give the defencemen an opportunity.” - Photo by Ted Jacob
LW Curtis Glencross bags franchise’s 10,000th goal in 3-2 win over Flyers. - Getty Images
GM Darryl Sutter of his 8-11-2 squad: “I don’t have any grand illusions or false hopes or anything like that. I believe we can be a playoff team.” - Photo by Dean Bicknell
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