As the Calgary Flames packed up for the charter flight to Dallas Saturday morning, Bob Hartley pleaded with his players to leave their charitable ways to worthy causes off the ice.
As for on the ice? Well that?s another matter entirely for a gaffe-prone Calgary Flames team that might as well start collecting tax receipts from the opposition.
Perhaps the locals should ask Stephen Harper about just that the next time the hockey-mad Prime Minister takes in a game in his hometown.
?We?re not Amnesty International,? Hartley was saying after practice. ?We?re way too generous. We need to play to win some games.?
The Flames lost yet another game Friday night, this one a 5-2 decision to the St. Louis Blue. The locals surrendered four goals in a first period of which the game tape could serve as an instructional video of ?what not to do? defensively.
?The uptempo game, we have it,? Hartley said. ?For me, it?s the bad giveaways. You can almost get close to stupid giveaways, and that?s what kills us.
?It seems we have to develop and understand the urgency of playing well in our own zone.?
In Hartley?s mind, defensive responsibility is all about playing smart. And smart is not an adjective anyone would use to describe the Flames in action against St. Louis.
?You should have no fear when you play the game,? Hartley said. ?You should be confident, and whatever happens, happens.?
In terms of whatever happens, happens, the Flames made a couple of curious moves Saturday morning. First off, they slapped centre Blair Jones on waivers (no goals, one assist in 11 games) and slotted snake-bitten Blake Comeau (no goals, one assist in 11 games) on a line with Curtis Glencross and Jarome Iginla.
A natural left wing, Comeau is expected to move the middle.
?I?m excited for the challenge,? he said. ?I don?t think I?m that bad of a player where I think it?s outrageous that I?m playing centre with Jarome and Glennie. I didn?t think of it as a joke at all.?
?I?m not just happy about being on the line. I want to make an impact, and I want to stay there.
Likely to be claimed by another team, Jones, 26, declined interview requests until 10 a.m. Sunday when word will come of his fate.
In other news, Hartley named recent waiver pickup Joey MacDonald his starting goaltender for Sunday?s game in Dallas.
MacDonald saw his first action as a Flame Friday in relief of Leland Irving, who surrendered two goals on the first shots.
?I felt he came in in a tough situation, just like Leland did,? Hartley said. ?They both got beat by Grade A shots. There?s no way we?re faulting either of those guys. I thought they battled. They did their job.
?And we just didn?t protect them.?
C-Notes: Forward Sven Baertschi (hip flexor) skated on his own Saturday morning for the second day in a row. The rookie is expected to possibly join the team on this to-game road trip for practice purposes, but not to play.
vhall@calgaryherald.com
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