[News Roundup] September 10, 2018

[MissTeeks]

'Tis the season:

Dube, Mangiapane, Foo star in Flames rookie win over Oilers

https://calgaryherald.com/sports/hoc...2-0875308eead9

Dillon Dube still calls his dad, Paris, before every game he plays, including ahead of Sunday’s pre-season rookie clash against the Edmonton Oilers.

One of his best pieces of advice?

“He says, ‘You’ve had some of your best games when you don’t get any points,’” said the Flames prospect, drafted by the Flames in the second round (56th overall). “I think I’ve had a lot of high pressure try-outs, going back to Kelowna when I was 16 and going through the ranks. If you get point-focused, you’re setting yourself up for failure. (The NHL is) a hard league. It’s not the Western Hockey League. I have to come in here and play the way I can, even if I’m not getting points. Be fast out there. Be hard on pucks … it’s doing all those little things to make the other guy look better and show you belong.”

After four years in the Western Hockey League with the Kelowna Rockets and a gold-medal in his collection from captaining Canada’s 2018 world junior team, the 20-year-old Cochrane native is making the jump to professional hockey.

Read into it what you will, but Dube did get a few points in Sunday’s 7-3 rout of the Oilers.

He put the Flames on the scoresheet — a top-corner rifle on Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner — and added an assist on linemate Andrew Mangipane’s goal. Along with Spencer Foo, they formed the most noticeable line and played a pile of important minutes.

He was realistic, however, explaining that there is more to give.

“My personal thought going into a game is being able to control the puck and making the right plays,” Dube said. “It’s hard every night to get on the scoresheet, especially here (at the NHL level). I think if you have to get noticed, those will come, and I think (Sunday) it did for us.

“But I think we were fighting it a little bit, playing together for the first time … being able to play the right way for us and being consistent moving forward.”

At 22 years old with two seasons of professional hockey under his belt, Brett Pollock is an old rookie.

So the fact that he scored two goals on Sunday shouldn’t be surprising. It also should be expected.

Time is running out for the big left winger and former second-round (45th overall) pick in 2014 to make an impact and make it in the National Hockey League, and he knows it.

“It’s a big year for myself … one of those years where you want to make an impression right from the start to show them you can play and show them the things you can do,” Pollock said. “That’s my goal, to come in here and make an impression and make them make tough decisions.”

Flames' Parsons calling for big year between pipes

https://calgaryherald.com/sports/hoc...c-9a1ed23bd563

Between Kansas City in the ECHL and Stockton in the American Hockey League, Tyler Parsons estimates he was shuttled back and forth at least 10 times last season.

It’s part of the deal, living in limbo while being an up-and-coming netminder trying to make it in professional hockey. But with some significant growing pains behind him — and literal pains and injuries also behind him — the 20-year-old is ready to make an impact.

“Lots of ups and downs,” Parsons was saying. “It was my first year pro last year, and it’s a big step coming out of junior and going right into the pros. You’ve got guys that have been playing 10 or 15 years. It was definitely a huge learning curve, and I felt like I didn’t have the best numbers last year. But numbers are numbers, and as a goalie, you want to help your team win as many games as you can. All in all, it was just a big learning lesson for me last year … that’s why I’m looking forward to this year.”

It was mostly ups with a few downs, especially as Oilers began finding holes. He wound up making 23 saves in the end.

But it’s a small sample size, of course.

“You can do all kinds of scrimmages but nothing is like a game,” Parsons said. “Games are where it matters. For me, the biggest thing was getting in there right away and facing that first shot and making that first save. That’s where it all starts. I haven’t played a game in a while, and it feels good to get that one out of the way and get a win.

“I still have a lot more to prove.”

Last season, Parsons, the former OHL London Knights puck-stopper and Memorial Cup champion, played seven games with the AHL’s Stockton Heat putting up a 4.39 goals-against average and an .856 save percentage and played 28 games with the Kansas City Mavericks with a 3.16 goals-against average and .902 save percentage.

“I expect to see a young man that’s going to continue to work on his craft and continue to work to be better,” said new Heat head coach Cail MacLean. “I think this is a great start for that. Confidence is a huge factor in that whole equation. He’s got a lot of passion for the game and works extremely hard. Those are some great assets in the pro game. Like these young goaltenders, they need to continue to hone their craft and learn how to play the pro game.”

Flames expect China trip will make them a better team

https://calgaryherald.com/sports/hoc...1-cf57c3bf292e

Stretching more than 20,000 km of ancient brick-work, the Great Wall of China is one of the architectural marvels of the world.

What better backdrop for the Calgary Flames, with a new bench staff and several key summer additions, to lay a sturdy foundation for what they hope will be a turnaround season and lengthy playoff run?

“Any other training camp when you do it in your home city, you break up into three groups usually,” said Flames defenceman Travis Hamonic. “You kind of don’t really see half the guys on your (regular) team, for the most part, until 10 days into camp. With a whole new staff, I think it gives everyone a chance to get on the road and bond.

“When you go into a season and you already have that camaraderie and bond and expectations among teammates and chemistry built, that can really carry over onto the ice. It’s an aspect of our game and our sport that is overlooked. When you have a chance to get on the road — and not just on the road, going to China … It can really help a team a lot.”

This is the Flames’ core group. In fact, their roster — announced Friday — looks a lot like what you should expect when the games start to count in early October.

It’s in China that we’ll get a first hint of who will ride shotgun on right-wing with the dynamic duo of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan.

We’ll get a sense of whether TJ Brodie and Mark Giordano, after skating separately for most of the past three winters, can again click on the top defence pairing.

Poolies will certainly be taking note of the power-play personnel.

“I think it’s going to be outstanding. It’s a good opportunity for us,” said Flames head coach Bill Peters, one of many new faces at the Saddledome. “It’s unique because usually when you’re in your own building for training camp, you have two or three teams. You will have 70 guys. When we’re over there, we’re going to have a group of 26.

“So selfishly, as a coach, instead of sitting there and running two or three groups every day, you have one group. It’s a little bit easier for us as coaches, but it also allows us to do a bit more and to lay a solid foundation for our team.

“But in saying that, too, the story I always hear is (Brock) Boeser didn’t go to China last year with the Canucks. He stayed behind, played lots of games, lit it up in the pre-season and then made the team and had a great year. Same thing for our guys — just because you don’t come to China doesn’t mean that you are not in our plans or in our thoughts. You just get a better opportunity, as a younger guy, to stay behind and play in situations that you wouldn’t in China.”

It is, indeed, a once-in-a-lifetime type of experience, even if it is primarily a business trip.

“The way things are with the world, you never know … How often do you get a chance to travel to China, period?” reasoned Hamonic, a new father with a knack for recognizing the big picture. “And, to be able to do it with your team and to have training camp there, that’s just a whole different experience. The way that works, to see China and experience it in a short amount of time … When you can do that with your team, it’s exciting.

“But I think on a personal level, you’ll be 50 or 60 years old and who knows what the world’s landscape will be at that time? To say you’ve been to China and visited and had training camp there, it’s something I think in the long run, it’s going to be pretty cool.”

CONFIDENCE BUILDER

https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/conf...er/c-300019164

It's all a mind game for goalies.

In Tyler Parsons' line of work, getting inside the heads of opposing shooters while not allowing outside circumstances to mess with yours is the age-old trick to happiness, success and a long, rich professional life.

"It is big, mentally,'' confessed the soon-to-be 21-year old puck-repeller. "I was up and down a lot last year.

"I had a few injuries but those are not excuses. I fought through those. As a goaltender, you can't let that get to you. It all comes down to stopping the puck.

"There were a lot of up and downs but I never let myself get too down. It's part of the sport. I'm still young. I've still got a lot of games to play, I'm sure.

"Now I'm better and I'm feeling great. Better than ever."

Whether corkscrewing to his right to get an arm/paddle down on Oiler centre Colin Larker right off a face-off, committing grand larceny on Tyler Vessel, or flicking a pad at a dangerous Joseph Gambardella chance, the acrobatic World Junior gold-medal winner was on point.

"It feels great to get that first one out of the way, even better to get a win out of it,'' said Parsons afterwards. "It's just good for my confidence.

"I felt good. I've got a lot more in me. It's still early so I'm going to keep pushing, keep competing and doing my best.

"It's awesome to be back."

How Calgary Flames are preparing for trip to China

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/...ng-trip-china/

Three weeks before the season opener, the Calgary Flames insist their players are not on a curfew.

It’s merely a suggested sleep schedule.

When asked about it, the smile on James Neal’s face suggested he had yet to get with the program.

As part of the Calgary Flames’ intense preparations for the club’s nine-day trip to China on Tuesday, the 26 players were given booklets on everything from the dangers of wifi use, their schedule and nutrition guidelines.

As part of the grand plan to try mitigating the obvious jet lag involved with a 14-hour flight over 12 time zones, the guide suggested the players start altering their sleep patterns over the weekend.

"Yes, I have been," deadpanned a beaming Neal as he waited for a pair of immunization shots.

"It will be an adjustment regardless of what you do – it’s a huge time change. You want to eat right and drink the right fluids and prepare your body for everything that’s going to happen – it’s going to be hard."

Flames head strength and conditioning coach, Ryan van Asten, has spent the last four months consulting with sleep experts and others to implement a plan based around sports science aimed at ensuring the nine-day exhibition jaunt won’t have any lingering affects when the season starts Oct. 3.

"At the end of the day you’re not going to eliminate jet lag," said van Asten, whose club leaves at 1 p.m. Tuesday and arrives in Shenzhen in the early evening Wednesday.

"You can minimize the effects of it. You just have to manage it.

"The players’ booklets have all the information from nutrition, sleep and what they need to do beforehand to prep, which started three days ago. We gave them a breakdown of every single day – a cheat sheet on what they need to do from when to wake up and what they should be eating at specific times, when they should be napping, what to do on the plane and what to do with electronics and screen time. We tried to cover all the bases. It’s pretty intense."

[Poe969]

Thank you so much for doing these, I look forward to reading these every day...that you do them. You're great.

[getbak]

(Jeff Glass sighting confirmed)

[btimbit]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1039213158705983488

https://twitter.com/user/status/1039222766476521472

[Strange Brew]

Rasmus Andersson looks really trim.

So it seemed to me his fitness was commented upon in his first two camps, but not last year. I imply from this comment that something changed between this year and last. Regardless, here's hoping that something which is totally within his control never holds him back.

[Yrebmi]

Trim Ras

[btimbit]

As good as all that sounds, I'm thrilled to read that Czarnik has stood out so far. What a boost it would be to have him turn into a legit 3rd line winger