Last night the Flames beat the Kings 3-2, this evening they roll into the OC to face the Ducks (6PM MT, RSN West). I didn't think the Flames got dominated quite as badly as Mark & Marc were making out on HNIC (heh... Mark & Marc were making out...), but the Kings did have some nice scoring chances. I thought Kipper had his best game of the season, dude was on the ball and moving around well.

**As is becoming the custom, Bertuzzi had just an atrocious game. Might have been his worst yet, at least right up until the point where the stopped clock showed the right time and one of his little drop passes found a streaking Flame.

**Full marks to Primeau this season (Prust, Nystrom, and Roy too). He's been a lot better than I expected (!!), remembered, etc. I have no trouble maintaining that his current role matches the full extent of his demonstrated abilities, but he is doing a really nice job in that role. Nystrom still has comically awful touch around the net, but has otherwise progressed a bit. I still haven't seen Prust play enough to be opinionated about him, but at the very least, I like him a lot more as a Nieminen-style initiator than as a Godard-style exactor of revenge.

**So the Flames are officially off to their best start in years (since Iginla won the Richard & Art Ross). Dowbiggin collated this bit of trivia last week, it is record thru 15 games in recent seasons:

• 2007/08 - 6-6-3
• 2006/07 - 6-7-2
• 2005/06 - 6-7-2
• 2003/04 - 6-8-1

Yep, that 7th win -- in but their 11th game -- was a big thrill.

**Keenan Watch: no serious beefs from me yet, although that's pending the announcement of tonight's starting G (it had better be McE). I think sending Bertuzzi out to "defend" a 1-goal lead is unconscionable, but it may be one of those situations where you have to burn your hand before you'll believe the stove is hot.

And along the same lines as the goalie management, I think playing Phaneuf this much is too much. Surely past 26-ish per game, there are diminishing returns; they still want him to hit and jump into the play on occasion, yes? He played 31:12 on Thursday vs. the Bruins, which is just insane for a game in October than ended in 60 minutes.

**Tonight. Last night's W would appear to be a classic win at the end of a winning streak that you didn't necessarily deserve, which would thus put tonight's game into the "likely blowout" category, what with it being Part2 of a B2B, on the road, Ducks seem to have their ship together, etc.

I'm not sure if the Flames will win, but I'll be watching carefully to see if they can keep the chances fairly even. If they can put in a "good enough to win" performance tonight -- even if they don't -- I'll be fairly impressed with the squad, and awfully optimistic going forward.

Calgary 3 (Iginla, GlenX, Giordano)
Anaheim 3 (Selanne, Getzlaf, Beauchemin)

And Bertuzzi with the SO winner. Go Flames.