[FlameZilla]

Bit of love for the Flames & Hartley:

Really, is it any different than what’s going on in Calgary? Over the past 13 months, Bob Hartley’s seen the man who hired him replaced by two levels of authority — Brian Burke and Brad Treliving. Hartley is in the final year of his contract; there is no guarantee he’s back.

Despite that, he always looks in control. Hartley benches Dennis Wideman and what happens? Upon returning, Wideman has a chance to tie a record for most consecutive games with a goal by a Calgary defenceman.

Whatever the individual Flames may think, they play hard. Very hard. I’m not sure who’d win a seven-game series between Calgary and Toronto, but I do know this: on Day 2 of the season, the Flames began a 7,000 kilometre, six-game road trip through Edmonton, St. Louis, Nashville, Chicago, Columbus and Winnipeg. They won four of those games.

Any team would take that.

Goaltending? Absolutely. But they compete, and their best players (especially on defence) tend to be their best players.