A perspective From an Average Hockey Fan

I'm kind of a newer hockey fan. I've always enjoyed the game, but I've only really been paying attention for the last three seasons. My brother and I have season tickets for the Quad City Flames, our hometown AHL team. I've got one thing to say to any Quad Citians who haven't been to a game. Get some friends together and enjoy some high quality hockey excitement. This is as good as it gets outside of the NHL people!

Quad City Flames Home Page

The last regular season QC Flames game:
Saturday, April 11th at the Iowa Chops.

QC Flames
Game Recaps & Comments

April 10, 2009
Quad City Flames host Iowa Chops
(Win 3-2 SO)

This was a tough game to watch, knowing that it was my last QC Flames game. I'm not holding out much hope for the playoffs. After the game they hauled out a table full of souvenirs for the players to throw to the the crowd. I almost cried watching a final highlight video, the players were all turned toward the big screen. I wondered what they were thinking about. I found myself pissed off at the Quad Cities in general. We had a good crowd for this last game. Where the hell were you people in December or January? I know there is a big push for hockey next year, but I find myself hoping we have a year off to find the best match, AHL hopefully, and give the not so involved hockey fans some time to miss the game.

Now, for the game itself. The Flames dominated the 1st period outshooting the Chops 14-3. The Flames did everything in their power to put the game away, but they luck was with Chops goalie, Jean-Philippe Levasseur. I do mean luck. It should have been 4-0 after that first period.

The 2nd period started the same as the first, and the Flames were able to capitalize this time. They made it 2-0 with goals just 12 seconds apart in the fourth minute of the period. About 3 minutes later, the Flames got a power play that would prove to be a momentum changer. The Chops scored an shorty during this power play, and it seemed to put the Flames on tilt. They lost confidence, and the puck control skills disappeared as the Flames panicked everytime they touched it. We got through the period with a 2-1 advantage.

The 2nd period repeated itself in the 3rd. The Flames came out a little slow this time, but picked it up and dominated the first half period. About that time, I turned to my brother to say 41-15 shots didn't mean a thing. We were only one goal ahead after all. Brian Salcido of the Chops was able to slip one passed Leland Irving to tie the game at two each. The teams skated to a regulation tie, and neither team was able to score in overtime.

We headed into the shootout with our playoff hopes in the balance. The Chops shot first and missed. Van der Gulik shot first and scored. The Chops missed in the 2nd round, and Dustin Boyd scored. The Chops missed again in the 3rd round, and it all fell on Kris Chucko to put the game away. He faked a slapshot right in front of the goalie, and gave him a wrist shot instead. Goal!!! Game over. Season over?

<edit>The Aeros and the Ice Hogs both went to overtime tonight. They got the points they needed to make the playoffs. It's over. Goodbye Flames.

Flames vs Chops April 10th, 2009 AHL Game Summary

April 8, 2009
Quad City Flames host Rockford Icehogs
(Win 5-2)

The Flames are making a great run at the playoffs. If they get there, they earned it. They came out hot tonight, and made the Ice Hogs look bad in the first period. Dustin Boyd got the first goal followed by a shorty wrist shot by Brett Sutter. Kyle Greentree finished off the first period scoring by redirecting a Carsen Germyn slap shot from the top of the right circle.

Both teams skated pretty even in the 2nd period. Rockford got the only goal of the frame.

Things got interesting in the 3rd period when both teams were forced to kill off 5 on 3 chances. It was 3-1 until late in the 3rd when the Ice Hogs pulled their goalie. Brett Sutter immediately banked the puck off the boards in the Flames' zone and the puck sailed into the Hogs' net. A short time later, Brad Cole slapped the puck down the ice and into the Hog's net. It looked like the puck hit Sutter's stick, but he was denied the hat trick. Either way, Brett Sutter had a heck of a game and earned the 1st star.

Flames vs Ice Hogs April 8th, 2009 AHL Game Summary

April 1, 2009
Quad City Flames host Milwaukee Admirals
(Win 3-1)

The Flames played a nearly perfect game tonight. Periods 1 and 2 belonged solely to the Flames. The Milwaukee Admirals rarely threatened Flames goalie Leland Irving. I've changed my opinion of Cam Cunning from earlier this season. He's been one of the harder working and most noticeable grinders on the team of late, and he scored the first goal tonight.

The Admirals came out with a little more fire in the third period, and the Flames made it interesting with a defensive breakdown in front of the Flames' net. They kept the pressure on through the period, but couldn't dent the net again. The Admirals' goalie was pulled with about 1:30 minutes left, and Kris Chucko was able to get an empty netter to seal the deal.

Matt Pelech made his first home appearance since he was injured. John Negrin was assigned to QC today, but he wasn't dressed tonight. Maybe we'll get to see him get some ice time on Friday.

Our little buddy, Nick, won some New Kids On The block tickets by dressing up in hockey gear and shooting a puck into the goal. Got some pictures of Nick and a couple pics of Leland Irving. Click on a picture to see the larger version.

Flames vs Admirals April 1st, 2009 AHL Game Summary

March 25, 2009
Quad City Flames host Iowa Chops
(Win 2-0)

I don't have a whole lot to say about this game. We had a group of about 25 people in attendance with us, and I wasn't happy with our seats. I guess I have no one to blame for that though. The game was a little boring as far as scoring goes. It was nice to see Cam Cunning take a nice feed from Adam Cracknell and sink the one timer. Leland Irving was perfect tonight, obviously. He does make even the boring games fun to watch.

On the other hand, it's clear that the coach has no faith in Matt Keetley at this point. Keetley was one of my favorite players last season, and it's been disappointing to see him have a terrible season this year. I hope he has a better season next year wherever the Flamess end up.

The rumor mill is starting to churn up news about the future of QC hockey. Supposedly, the Minnesota Wild are interested in moving their farm team closer to home, and the QC could be in the running. While it would be very cool to keep AHL hockey here, I'm in wait and see mode. I'm not gonna get worked up about next season until it's time.

Flames vs Chops March 27th, 2009 AHL Game Summary

March 25, 2009
Quad City Flames host Chicago Wolves
(Win 5-4 OT)

This was a disappointing game even though we won in OT. It never should have gotten there. At one point it was 2-0 Wolves in the first period because of stupid mistakes. The guys turned over way too many pucks, and it cost them. Wolves goalie, Ondrej Pavelec, looked bad, and the Flames failed to capitalize on his mistakes. He gave up rebound after rebound, flopped on the ice, and was out of position several times, but the best the Flames could do was ring one of the post even with a wide open net.

Luckily, the Flames figured out how to play the game again, and kept themselves within a goal the rest of the way. Brandon Roach tied it up at 4-4 with just under 2 minutes left in the 3rd period, so we were headed to overtime. The Flames started the OT with a power play. While they dominated the action, they couldn't put the puck in the net. Finally, with 24.5 second left, Kyle Greentree scored another OT goal.

Here are some pics from the game. You can see Kyle Greentree was camping in front of the net tonight. There are also some pics of the Carsen Germyn versus Joey Crabb fight. Germyn won the short-lived scrap.

Flames vs Wolves March 25th, 2009 AHL Game Summary

March 20, 2009
Quad City Flames host Hamilton Bulldogs
(Win 2-1 OT)

What a goalie battle! Both teams' offenses would pressure the goalies, and the Bulldog's Marc Denis and the Flames' Leland Irving were both nearly perfect. The only goal in regulation was let in by Irving in the first period, but he did his best in a situation where he was outnumbered by something like 3 to 1. It was kick saves, blocker saves, and stick saves the rest of the way.

Things got a little crazy in the second period considering it was a non-divisional game. The Bulldogs started taking penalties and tempers started to flare, probably showing frustration by both teams since the goalies were playing awesome hockey. There was even a short fight late in the second after a rush on goal by the Flames. QC's Justin Bowers tagged Hamilton's Ryan White pretty good with a single shot. White decided he'd better end it, so he dragged Bowers to the ice.

The 3rd period sung Hamilton's way as far as the penalties were concerned. The Flames took 4 minor penalties in the period. The game changing penalty came when Hamilton's J.T. Wyman got busted for tripping with 1:38 left in the game. Coach McGill pulled Irving in favor of the 6th attacker, and Kris Chucko found the back of the net just 37 seconds later. After that, Irving was back in we were headed to overtime.

Fourty-nine seconds into OT, the Flames attackers were able to get Denis out of position, and Anders Eriksson put the puck over Denis' shoulder. Apparently, Eriksson told Denis during warmups that he was gonna go top-shelf on him, and he made good on his promise. Denis left the ice slapping his stick on the glass.

Just one pick of Hamilton's goalie, Marc Denis, tonight.

Flames vs Bulldogs March 20th, 2009 AHL Game Summary

March 14, 2009
Quad City Flames host Iowa Chops
(Lose 6-4)

Okay, the news of the day is that the QC Flames are done after this season. More important news for the Flames is that they went into Houston last night and kicked some butt. We're still missing some key players who have been called up to Calgary, but the replacements who are on loan or on PTO contracts are stepping up and putting points on the board.

Now, for the news of the night, the Flames blew it tonight. They totally blew the Chops away in the first period. That's it. They blew it from there. Sure they were ahead after 2 periods, but they also were outplayed in the second.

The 3rd period brought total frustration. The Flames managed to blow a 4-2 lead and lose to the Chops 6 goals to 4. That's a reminder of some of the frustrating hockey from the first half of the season. I have to wonder if it comes from core team players being in Calgary, but that's still no excuse since these are AHL players who should have the heart to finish a game when they're already kicking the other team's ass!

I was planning to stick around for the post-game jersey auction, but I was so pissed that I left right after the Chops made it 5-4. Shortly after that, they got their empty netter.

I included a picture that shows the front and back of the 2009 auction jerseys. Oh, and attendance was 4,659. Too little, too late Quad Cities.

Flames vs Chops March 14th, 2009 AHL Game Summary

March 8, 2009
Quad City Flames host Milwaukee Admirals
(Win 4-3 SO)

It's obvious that the Quad City Flames are struggling to deal with all of the call-ups lately. As I mentioned last night, there are 4 of our most important guys in Calgary right now. We're also missing 2 of our best defensemen. Matt Pelech is inured, and I'm not sure what has happened to Brett Palin. He's been a scratch all weekend.

The Admirals completely outskated us tonight. It took 10 minutes for the Flames to get their first shot on goal. The Flames found ways to put points on the board though. At one point, we had a 3-1 lead after giving up the first goal to Milwaukee. As I said though, we struggled tonight, and it was 3-2 Flames at the end of the second period.

The Admirals tied it up 7 minutes into the third period, and the teams skated to a 3-3 tie at the end of regulation. The Quad City Flames generated some good chances in the overtime, but couldn't put the puck in the back of the net. We were then treated to one of the longest shootouts ever. It went 15 rounds! Justin Bowers, here on a PTO contract, got the game winning shootout goal to go along with his goal in the second period. He earned the number one star tonight.

There were 3,877 in attendance tonight. That's not bad for a Sunday, but it by no means sends a clear message to the team's ownership about whether the average Quad Citian will support the team. It will be interesting to see what they decide about the team's future.

My standout players of the game:

Justin Bowers - He obviously made an impact tonight. He had a regulation goal and the winning shootout goal. I don't know anything about him except that he celebrates each goal like it's his first, and he showed poise in front of the net on his 2nd period goal.

J.D. Watt - I like Watt. He didn't have a huge impact in this game, but he's always making it tough for the opposing team to bring the puck up the ice. He creates a lot of turnovers in the neutral zone. I'd say he's having a good rookie season.

Flames vs Admirals March 8th, 2009 AHL Game Summary

March 7, 2009
Quad City Flames host Iowa Chops
(Win 3-2 OT)

The Flames are missing a lot of important guys with Lundmark, Sutter, Van der Gulik, and Peters all enjoying time in Calgary right now. As a result, there are a lot of new faces wearing the Flames jersey. John vigilante is doing a good job at left wing since coming over from Syracuse. Brandon Roach is back in town on defense. Brad Farynuk is in town playing defense on a PTO contract. Justin Bowers is playing center.

This game was close the whole way. The Flames would get the momentum, and then it would switch back the the Chops. I'd say the Chops outskated the Flames tonight, but the Flames hung in there and never gave up.

Carsen Germyn has stepped it up lately. He's got 3 goals in 3 games. Kyle Greentree got the first star for his overtime goal and 2 assists. Interesting Greentree Stat: Kyle is leading the AHL in power play goals at 16.

Kris Chucko got the game tieing goal with 6 minutes to go in the third. This was Chucko's first game back from Calgary. He also bloodied Iowa's Matt Beleskey in a fight.

There were 5,100 in attendance for this game. Let's hope we can put up some more good attendance numbers to convince the QCSV ownership group to try it again next year.

I've got 3 videos from this game that I thought were worth sharing. The first is the end of Kris Chucko's fight, then there are 2 videos of the overtime frame. The first of those ends with the Chops penalty that would lead to the winning goal. The second is the next shift that ends the game.

Flames vs Chops March 7th, 2009 AHL Game Summary

Feb. 28, 2009
Quad City Flames host Houston Aeros
(Lose 4-3 SO)

The penalty kill was the story of this game. The Flames had no luck killing penalties tonight. All three of the Aeros regulation goals were scored on the power play.

I found myself watching Houston's John Scott whenever he was on the ice. He's such a big guy that it was interesting watching the flames' forwards try to handle him. He could pretty much have his way with our guys.

Our recent acquisition, John Vigilante, on loan from Syracuse was also fun to watch. He was working hard to make a difference, and he got a goal for his efforts.

Flames center, Aki Seitsonen, has been producing lately too. He had a goal and an assist tonight. It's real nice to see scoring from lots of different guys.

No pictures tonight, just an out of focus video of Brad Brown fighting Matt Kassian.

Flames vs Aeros Feb. 28th, 2009 AHL Game Summary

Feb. 20, 2009
Quad City Flames host San Antonio Rampage
(Win 5-4 SO)

I missed this game to do some ice fishing in Minnesota. Sounds like I missed a great game.

Flames vs Rampage Feb. 20th, 2009 AHL Game Summary

Feb. 18, 2009
Quad City Flames host Lake Erie Monsters
(Win 3-2)

The story of the night for me was the lack of attendance and the local TV reporters asking where the team will be next season. Some channel 8 chick interviewed Van der GuLik's wife up in the concourse about the possible move to her hometown in Canada. Funny how the media picks a Wednesday to come to a game with a camera.

Of course, you could also say that the story of the night was the QC Flames setting a new club winning streak record at 5 in a row! The boys could make the playoffs if they can keep their heads in this zone that they're in right now. They didn't play a perfect game by any means tonight, but they overcame the little mistakes and bad bounces to run the score up to 3-0 before goalie Kevin Lalande let in the first Monsters goal of the night. The Monsters got to within a goal of tieing it up, but couldn't find the back of the net a third time.

Flames vs Monsters Feb. 18th, 2009 AHL Game Summary

Feb. 14, 2009
Quad City Flames host San Antonio Rampage
(Win 7-3)

Kevin Lalande got his first start since being called up from the Las Vegas Wranglers in place of Matt Keetley. He made some mistakes tonight, but they were forgivable since the Flames were on a scoring frenzy.

The Rampage scored first. A few minutes later Matt Pelech was pulled down from behind while on a breakaway, and made good on his career first penalty shot to tie the game at 1-1. That would be the last of the scoring in the first period.

The second period really turned wild. The Flames scored early and then they scored often. Rampage goalie, Josh Tordjman, was pulled after the Flames made it 3-1 just 2 minutes in. That didn't help. The Flames lit the lamp 4 more times in the period against Rampage backup goalie, Al Montoya. They set QC Flames records for most goals in a game, most goals in a period, and Carsen Germyn set a Flames record for most points in a game with a goal and 4 assists.

The third period for the Flames was about maintaining the lead and not doing anything stupid. For the Rampage, the first half of the period was about trying to get back in the game. The second half of the period was about bringing out the goons. The Rampage goalie, Montoya, even got in the act by tripping Lundmark while everyone else was headed back the other way. J.D. Watt showed great composure when he was dealt cheap shots on at least two occasions. He kept the gloves on and let the ref deal with it. That pissed off the Rampage even more, so they sent another guy after him. This time he had to fight or get pummeled. There were 3 minutes left in the game, and it seemed like the fight was all gone in the Rampage after that. They were ready for the locker room.

The game kept me busy watching the action and there were some larger bodies than normal in front of me, so I didn't get any good pictures tonight. I got a video of Matt Pelech's penalty shot goal and the end of the J.D. Watt fight in the 3rd period. I was trying out the HD video setting on my digital camera. The compression on YouTube doesn't do it justice.

Flames vs Rampage Feb. 14th, 2009 AHL Game Summary

Feb. 13, 2009
Quad City Flames host Rochester Americans
(Win 4-2)

I hope Cam Cunning got to wear the hardest working player hat in the Flames' locker room tonight. The guy was always around the net working to make the play and ended up with an assist for his efforts. I really thought he should have had the third star instead of Leland Irving.

The Flames scored just 1:30 into the game, but relaxed on defense and gave the goal right back. They skated hard the through the rest of the period, and it was 1-1 at the break.

Rochester came out with a little fire in their bellies for the second period, but the Flames didn't back off. With just under 6 minutes to go, Adam Cracknell was able to dent the net to give the Flames a 2-1 lead that held up until the 2nd intermission.

We were nervous to start the 3rd period. The Flames were still playing well, but we were wondering when Rochester was going to make it a tie game. Instead, Kris Chucko got one to bounch around and drop in over the goal line to give us a 3-1 lead. With 2:54 left in the game, Brad Brown made a huge mistake and left a present sitting in front of Irving for Rochester's Shawn Matthias with no one in his way. Matthias got the goal and Brown smashed his stick on the glass. Brown's game overall was lackluster tonight.

Now it's 3-2 and we don't have our insurance. The Flames did a good job keeping Rochester goalie Mike Brodeur on the ice as long as possible. He finally headed for the bench, and Flames were able to break up the American's play and get the puck to the neutral zone where Kyle Greentree was able to slide it into the back of the empty net. The game ended in a 4-2 win for the Flames.

Flames vs Americans Feb. 13th, 2009 AHL Game Summary

Feb. 7, 2009
Quad City Flames host Houston Aeros
(Win 3-2 SO)

This was a fun game. The crowd was large by QC standards at 4,204. We had termite (pee wee) hockey at the first intermission, and we got to see our first shootout win of the season.

It was interesting to see the starting line selection. We had Peter Vandermeer and J.D. Watt on the wings. There was a delay in getting carpet off the ice after the anthem, and that gave those two plenty of time to jaw it up with the Aeros. Two seconds into the game Watt dropped the gloves with Houston's Mitch Love. The fight ended pretty even, but it sure set a great tone for the game.

The Flames looked really good tonight. They were actually putting together plays on offense rather than just slapping the puck at the net as quick as possible. Kris Chucko made an impressive pass from the right corner, but the recipient (John Armstrong, I think) couldn't quite get it passed Houston goalie, Nolan Schaefer.

Krys Kolanos is back with Houston from an extended stint with the Wild. For those that don't know, he was our number 2 point scorer last year. He didn't get signed for another year, so he ended up in Houston. He's their captain and has had multiple trips to the big league this season. It seems like most Flames fans don't like him much, but I appreciate his talent around the net. The guy knows how to score. He finished with a goal and an assist and got the 2nd star for his effort. He definitely didn't win over any new fans tonight.

Leland Irving got the 1st star for his efforts. He stopped all shooters in the shootout. Carsen Germyn and David Van der Gulik scored shootout goals for the Flames.

Click on a picture to see the full frame

Flames vs Aeros Feb. 7th, 2009 AHL Game Summary

Feb. 6, 2009
Quad City Flames host Peoria Rivermen
(Lose 3-2)

The crowd tonight was pretty average as far as size goes this year even with cheap tickets, cheap hot dogs, and cheap beer. They did get loud though. The ice was in pretty bad shape after two periods. I imagine it was because of the warm up we're experiencing in the weather.

J.D. Watt had a great fight in the first period. He won handily. The Flames dominated play for two periods, but at the same time they couldn't put the game away. It was a typical outing for the team, they were doubling up on shots and nothing was going in. Then, the Rivermen's third shot gets passed Leland Irving putting the Flames down 1-0.

• Matt Pelech was struggling tonight. He was having trouble handling the puck and keeping it in the offensive zone.
• I enjoyed watching J.D. Watt tonight. He got the crowd into the game and did a good job stirring the pot.
• Leland Irving looked less than stellar tonight. The game winner was 1 on 1 from the slot. The shooter made him look sick.
• It's fun to watch Warren Peters play his games on the ice. I love seeing him in the face off circle.
• Kyle Greentree and Jamie Lundmark scored goals tonight, but for some reason I just can't get into watching our top line. They bore me. Am I crazy?
• Carsen Germyn put more pucks in the goalie's gut tonight.

Click on a picture to see the full frame

Flames vs Rivermen Feb. 6th, 2009 AHL Game Summary

Feb. 4, 2009
Quad City Flames host Grand Rapids Griffins
(Lose 3-2)

I'm afraid of sounding like a broken record here. The QC Flames lost tonight because they don't have enough guys that can finish in the offensive zone. I'm getting tired of hearing the ring of the puck on the post and seeing the puck go wide on an open net second chance rebound. At least 3 goals were left off the score board because of missed opportunities.

The Flames out played the Griffins for the mafority of the game. Every goal the Griffins scored came off of a little breakdown by a flame. The Griffins are a patient team. They didn't get excited about being outshot 2-1. They played their game and made the plays they needed to get the W. In the end, it was poor puck handling by the QC Flames' Kris Chucko in the defensive zone that cost them the win. He had his pocket picked in front of the goal, and the Griffins put the puck in the back of the net for the winning goal in the third period.

On the plus side, Brett sutter worked his butt off. That's his M.o. this season. I'm looking forward to seeing him in the NHL someday. Gotta respect the guy for his work ethic. I guess it's a family thing. Ryan Wilson was also a stand out for me tonight. The guy was involved.

I'm still calling out Germyn after this game. He's great at throwing low percentage shots at the net. The shots are usually so weak that there's no rebound.

I didn't take many pictures tonight. The half-way decent ones are shown below.

Click on a picture to see the full frame

Jan. 31, 2009
Quad City Flames host Milwaukee Admirals
(Lose 2-1)

The highlight of this game was that we got to watch it from the Dispatch suite. Thanks Joe! Milwaukee came into our house and schooled the Flames on tough defense. The Admirals played a bit of a chippy game, throwing a few high sticks, elbows and such. There was one hit in particular that caught Matt Pelech square in the face and down he went. I don't know if it was a stick or what, but we could hear it up in the suite. There was no blood, and Matt got up pretty quick. The poor guy had to stay on the ice and play D because his teammates couldn't clear the puck. You could tell he was hurtin', and it seemed like forever before he was able to get to the bench.

That's pretty much how it went all night. Milwaukee came into town to lay the smackdown on the Flames, and they got it done too. Greentree and Vandermeer both had fights and lost. There was a nice sized group of Admirals fans behind the benches, and they were having as much fun as their team. They were fun to watch and helped boost the attendance too.

I don't want to make it sound like the Flames didn't play defense too. You can tell that from the score. Our lack of finishers on offense was the reason we didn't win on this night. It'll never happen, but I'd like to see Carsen Germyn and Cam Cunning scratched for a while, so someone else can have a chance. Germyn just isn't getting it done and Cunning was ineffective in this game.

Click on a picture to see the full frame

Jan. 30, 2009
Quad City Flames visit San Antonio Rampage
(Lose 4-2)

The Flames skated hard in the first and set a record for the most shots on goal in a period. It was 25 shots to 7 Flames, and the Flames took a 1-0 lead into the locker room off a Greentree goal.

The second period isn't quite as fast and furious, and the Rampage is able to tie it up at 1-1. There's been a couple of fights. The last one leads to an instigator penalty on the Rampage, and Brett Palin scores a quick power play goal to make it 2-1 Flames. There were lots of penalties in the second, and the Flames headed to the locker room on the penalty kill.

The third period started with a power play goal by the Rampage. It was a real battle on both ends of the ice, but the Flames gave up another goal on a bad rebound by Keetley. It's 3-2 Rampage with just over 5:00 minutes to play. The Rampage are pressuring hard now. They clearly smell blood in the water. With 2:00 minutes to go, the Rampage make it 4-2 on a wrap around goal. This sucks! The Flames fell apart across the last two periods. Stick a fork in them.

Jan. 29, 2009
Quad City Flames visit Houston Aeros
(Win 5-0)

Kevin Lalande was recalled from the ECHL Las Vegas Wranglers yesterday, and he gets the start in his first AHL game of the year. It sounds like he's been struggling in Las Vegas this year, but the stats make it look like he hasn't had a great defense to help protect the net.

Half way through the first period, the Flames have one shot on goal. They don't look bad though. Chucko just slammed one passed Brust on the second Flames shot of the game. It's 1-0 Flames! Nice shot Chucko! It's nice to see the puck go somewhere other than the bread basket. It went off Barry Brust's left shoulder and into the back of the net.

Sweet! The Flames just got a power play at the 18:30 mark of the first. They were about to give up a 2 on 1 breakaway when the Aeros got another penalty! It's 5 on 3 Flames as the 1st period ends with a couple good chances for the Flames.

The Flames' 5 on 3 power play ends without a goal. Just after the penlties expire, Brett Sutter gets a turnover at point blank range in front of Brust. He put some heat on an impromptu slapper, but it ricocheted off of Brust's chest and about 10 feet into the air. Chucko just scored another goal on a second chance shot off a Greentree rebound. Chucko must have gone to church last weekend! It's 3-0 Flames after Lundmark scores on his own second chance rebound shot. January has been very very good for the Flames! They are a whole different team.

The second period ended with Brett Sutter getting boarded by Mitch Love with no call. Brett and Love went at it in a pretty even up fight before it was broken up. After the horn, Cole and Palin stood up for the team and gave two more Aeros a pounding before heading to the locker room. This is one helluva game by the Flames so far!

The Flames are looking good half way through the third period too! Greentree has another Flames goal, so it's 4-0 now. They're on the penalty kill now and still controlling the game. Cracknell ends up with the puck and in front of the net. He's able to lift it up over the goalie for another goal! It's 5-0 with just under 6 minutes to go. Oh baby!!!

The game ends with the Flames destroying the Aeros 5-0! Lalande gets a shutout in his first AHL game of the season, and the Flames attackers were pestering the Aeros the whole way. I can't wait for Saturday night against the Admirals at the Mark.

Jan. 20, 2009
Quad City Flames visit Milwaukee Admirals
(Lose 4-0)

This time the Admirals outplayed the Flames. There was nothing really remarkable to report on our QC Flames in my opinion. The Flames were never able to mount a serious offensive attack while the Admirals made some terrific passes to score impressive goals. Milwaukee's Jessiman got a hat trick with an empty netter at the end of the game. Their goalie looked great all night. Milwaukee showed tonight why they're at the top of the division.

Jan. 17, 2009
Quad City Flames visit Milwaukee Admirals
(Win 5-2)

Sure, I take the day off to take the boy sledding, and the Flames go out and stomp the Admirals. It's nice to see that Germyn finally found the back of the net and Brett Palin is still scoring. I'm looking forward to a strong finish to the second half of this road trip.

Jan. 17, 2009
Quad City Flames visit Chicago Wolves
(Lose 4-3 OT)

Watched the game on AHL Live again tonight. It was an exciting game right from the start in Chicago. Brett Palin scored the first goal just 19 seconds into the game. About 40 seconds later, the Wolves Hamilton got a semi-breakaway and missed. He was hauled down in the process, and got a questionable penalty shot. It was definitely a penalty, but not a complete breakaway. Hamilton beat the Flames' Keetley on the shot to tie the game at 1-1 just 1:00 minute into the game.

The Flames looked good half way through the first. They were intercepting Wolve's passes and getting good offensive chances. In another controversial play, the Flames' Adam Cracknell scored from behind the goal line bouncing the puck off the Wolves goalie Gherson. The ref didn't see it, but the goal judge lit the lamp. After a conference, the goal judge had the ref convinced and it was ruled a goal.

Later, Keetely robbed the Wolves of a goal with a terrific save in a complete breakaway. The Wolves player went low to Keetley's left, and Keets made a nice save sending the puck into the corner. The first period ended with the Flames on the penalty kill after an Armstrong holding call with 30 seconds left.

The Flames weren't able to kill the penalty that carried over into the second. Chicago's Hamilton got his second goal of the night. Penalties really hurt the Flames in the second period. Carsen Germyn would get called for hooking, and that set up another Chicago power play goal, this one by Brian Sipotz. That goal got Keetley pulled in favor of Leland Irving, and I'd say he deserved this one. The shot didn't look that tough, and the Wolves had a 3-2 lead.

Chicago's LaVallee was called for hooking late in the second setting up a Kyle Greentree power play goal with 1:30 to go. The period would end in a 3-3 tie.

The teams skated pretty even in the third. The Flames got into some real trouble late in the period with a series of penalties that would have an effect on the outcome of the game. Kyle Greentree, Anders Eriksson, and Brett Palin would all go to the penalty box in the last 2 minutes. We were lucky to make it to overtime and get the standings point. The Wolves were bombing our net. Irving made some great saves and got lucky a couple times. Overtime would end with the Flames giving a up a 4 on 3 power play goal by Chicago's Brett Sterling just one minute in.

Thoughts on the game:

• Greentree is rolling with 3 goals in 2 games.
• Germyn got an assist, but he's still not impressing. Aaron Roof made a big deal out of Germyn tying Grant Stevenson's all-time scoring record for the Flames. He didn't bother to mention that Germyn's had an extra half a season to tie what Stevenson did in 80 games last year.
• The team looked good tonight. I think either team could have lost this game, and the penalty calls totally affected the outcome. I won't say they weren't good calls since I was watching on AHL Live, and the picture and camera work sucks.
• Irving played lights out. He made some great saves and was quick to get to the opposite side of his net to cut off lanes.
• It's not news that Keetley is struggling in the net. I didn't agree with pulling him in the Lake Erie game the other night, but he definitely needed to be sat down tonight. I like Keetley a lot, and I'm pulling for him to find his way out of this funk.
• J.D. Watt had a fight in the first period that sounded interesting, but I can't be sure. The video feed from AHL Live was on the Wolves' bench for the entire fight. I was screaming at the monitor, but I guess they couldn't hear me. :)

Jan. 16, 2009
Quad City Flames visit Iowa Chops
(Lose 3-2)

My son and I watched the game on AHL Live tonight. I'm not sure what I want to say about this game. There were plenty of penalties in the first two periods for both teams. The last two games seemed like they had too many penalties to me. Kinda like the refs want to be part of the game. Of course, it's hard to say when watching AHL Live. The picture stinks and we missed a lot of faceoffs because the Chops crew wanted us to see their "Let's Go Chops" graphic and some stupid human tricks too. I didn't pay for the game to see the chops employees cheer on their team!

Chucko and Cunning were back on the ice tonight. J.D. Watt was an influence early in the game. He was agitating and got into a short fight in the first period. They spent most of the time fussing with each other's helmet. It was kind of like they both agreed to fight, but neither really wanted it too bad. They ended in a pile on the floor with Watt on top and the Chop even gave Watt a pat while on the floor like he appreciated the effort.

They skated pretty even through the second with all the damned penalties. The third period got interesting. The Chops scored in the first minute of play, and Kyle Greentree answered back with a power play goal shortly after that. It was his second goal of the night. That knotted it at 2-2.

Late in the game, the Chops got a nice feed up ice to a guy all alone in front of Flames goalie Leland Irving, and he made a nice shot into the back of the net. There wasn't much hope for the Flames at this point with only 24 seconds left in the game. They put on the sixth attacker for the faceoff, but just couldn't get it going.

Overall, I thought it was a good effort by the QC Flames. The defense seems to be the standout crew for me right now. Palin is always on his game as is Eriksson. I like Cole. Pelech is good, but is still making some bad decisions in every game. The offense is pretty predictable and kind of bores me. I think it boils down to the fact that we don't have enough skill guys on offense. Don't get me wrong, I think we have a good team, but I'd love to see a guy on the breakaway that doesn't put it in the goalies' breadbasket. I'd also like to know what's keeping Germyn from finding the back of the net like he did in Omaha. The guy can rack up assists, but the goals just don't come. Is it just an extended case of bad luck?

Kyle Greentree got third star for his two lone Flames goals tonight. He would have been first star if they'd won the game. I didn't bother to remember, make a note of, or look up any Chops players that contributed tonight. I just don't have the energy after this one plus I don't like the Chops much better than the Peoria Rivermen. We're on an 0-2 skid on this long road trip. I hope tomorrow goes better against the Chicago Wolves.

Jan. 14, 2009
Quad City Flames visit Lake Erie Monsters
(Lose 3-0)

The Flames stopped rolling tonight.

I was gonna pay to watch this game on AHL Live, but I went over to my brother's house to watch the game on Fox Sports Ohio. Gotta love the Dish!

The Flames outplayed them in the first period, and the Monsters still went into the locker roon with a 1-0 lead. Our 12-4 shot lead and a whole period of aggressive Flames hockey meant nothing when Lake Erie's Nathan Smith knocked one in off the skate of Brad Brown. Keetley dropped to his left and cut off the planned shot, but Smith sent the puck to the front of the net, it hit Brown's skate and rebounded into the net. There was nothing Keets could do to stop that.

In the second period, the Monsters got another lucky break when on the attack they put a shot on the net. Keetley went left to cut off the attack, the shot was blocked on the way to the net and ended up sitting right in front of the goal line on Keetley's right. Two Flames were right there blocking Keets from getting to the puck and they failed to clear the puck in the process. It was an easy way for the Monster's Smith to get his second goal of the night by just tapping the puck into the Flame's net.

At this point, it's 2-0, we're in the second period, and you could just tell it wasn't the Flame's night. The Monsters' Chris Durno got a semi-breakaway and Keetley stopped his shot with Carsen Germyn on Durno's heals. Durno went down after the shot was blocked, and the ref decided that he deserved a penalty shot. Kind of a crappy call, but what can you do? Keetley played him well and kept Durno's second attempt out of the net too.

About mid-way through the second the Monsters got a nice steal and stormed Keets again. This time, the Monsters earned their goal the hard way with Nigel Williams beating Keetley through the 5-hole. This goal got Keetley yanked and Leland Irving took over in the net. I don't blame Keetley for the first two goals, but he would definitely like to have a redo of that last shot.

The third period just didn't matter. The Flames wouldn't score with Lake Erie's Tyler Weiman defending the net. The guy was unshakable tonight, and it got him the first star. The second and third stars went to Lake Erie's Smith and Williams for their goals.

For what it's worth, Irving put in a solid period and a half in the net for the Flames. I can't believe the difference between the Irving we saw at the beginning of the season and the way he plays now. I used to pray for Kevin Lalande to get the job, but not anymore.

Jan. 10, 2009
Quad City Flames host Houston Aeros
(Win 3-1)

We're on a roll! The Flames came out of the gate much faster tonight, and all lines skated hard. I didn't notice any slackers on the ice. The defense was getting in the way and getting their sticks on the puck. The offense was swarming the net and really putting the Aeros D-men to the test.

The line of Warren Peters, Brett Sutter, and David Vandergulik was clearly the most impressive tonight being on the ice for all points scored. Brett Sutter scored a goal in the first, but I was away from my seat and missed how it went down.

The second period went scoreless as the Flames were able to kill 3 penalties. One penalty kill was exceptionally good. We spent most of the 2 minutes pressuring on the Aeros end of the ice.

The third period was a great finish to an exciting game. The Houston Aeros were able to muster some good offensive chances and finally got one by Flames goalie Leland Irving about half way through the period. At that point, I started to wonder if the boys would let me down and play for the tie. They didn't! With 4 minutes left, Warren Peters skated hard into the Aeros' zone and went wide left around the defense before cutting hard to the net. He plain old overpowered Aeros goalie Nolan Schaefer to get the game winning goal. The goalie was on his back and the net was off it's moorings, but the goal was good!

Schaefer was looking to his bench for the call with 2 minutes left, but the Flames worked hard to keep him in the game as long as possible. He finally got the signal around the 1 minute mark, and the sixth man was on. The Warren Peters line worked their butts off again, and Brett Sutter got the empty netter insurance goal, his second goal of the game. We're 5-1 at home since Christmas.

The three stars: third: Brett Sutter for his 2 goals, Second: Leland Irving with 19 saves, and First: Warren Peters with his game winning goal and 2 assists. I forgot to check the batteries in my camera, so no pictures tonight.

Jan. 9, 2009
Quad City Flames host Toronto Marlies
(Win 3-2 OT)

This team could be great if they'd just show up to play in every period of every game. Tonight, in particular, Matt Keetley kept the QC Flames in this game with some great stick saves, pad saves, and by literally sitting on pucks. He got third star, but he was first star if you ask me.

The Flames played another lackluster first period being outshot 17-9 and down 2 goals to none.

They came out a little hotter in the second, holding the Marlies scoreless and putting on some pressure of their own. Greentree got a goal to get us within one.

The Marlies goalie, Munro, gave us a gift, and mishandled an easy "shot" that ended up finding the back of the net early in the third. Thank goodness for small miracles! The third period ended in a 2-2 tie and with the Flames on a power play. Just 32 seconds into overtime, Jamie Lundmark slammed one home to get us the win.

This Flames team is getting entertaining. They're winning and have shown in the past that they can play with the best teams in the league. I'm really hoping they put together a good effort tomorrow night against the Aeros.

Jan. 3, 2009
Quad City Flames host San Antonio Rampage
(Lose 4-3)

The QC Flames came in on a three game home winning streak at the iWireless Center. The night before, the flames beat the division leading Milwaukee Admirals. A post-game skate with the players was scheduled for after the game. The Flames looked flat and were dominated by an aggressive San Antonio team in the first period.

The most excitement for the fans was the Flames' Gord Baldwin dropping the gloves with the Rampage's Jonas Ahnelov. It looked like Ahnelov might get the best of Baldwin for a minute, but he was overpowered in the end. Baldwin jerseyed him and was able to knot Ahnelov's head a few times before the refs jumped in to stop the carnage. They both got five minute fighting majors. Baldwin headed to the box and Ahnelov headed to the locker room for repairs. The first period ended with a 2-0 Rampage lead.

In the second period, the Flames came out a bit stronger and kept things pretty even. Jamie Lundmark put the Flames on the board, but the Rampage answered back with a goal of their own. Period number two ended 3-1 Rampage.

The third period got the fans on their feet. Anders Eriksson scored his second goal in as many days. I really enjoy watching him shoot from the outside. Late in the third, Keetley was pulled in favor of the sixth attacker. The expected happened and the Rampage got their empty netter. Surprisingly, Gord Baldwin was able to find the back of the net only seconds later, but the Flames ran out of time. The Rampage got a 4-3 win. The Flames are 13-16-4-3.

We tried to get in on the post-game skate, but all the loaners were gone before we got down there. Connor was able to score Anders Eriksson's autograph on his hat and a picture.