Wes Gilbertson

Advertisement 1 Share this Story : Three takeaways from Flames' pre-season victory against Kraken Three takeaways from Flames' pre-season victory against Kraken Author of the article: Article content There was cause for celebration, and cause for concern. Advertisement 2 Article content Three takeaways from Flames' pre-season victory against Kraken Back to video Sam Honzek buried a beauty for the Calgary Flames in Monday's 4-3 overtime victory in exhibition action against the Seattle Kraken, another statement moment as the 19-year-old winger aims to break camp with the big club. Filed under the not-so-good, Mikael Backlund made an early exit. The last thing you want in pre-season is an injury to your captain and most trusted defensive centre. Asked post-game if he had any update on the status of the 35-year-old Backlund, head coach Ryan Huska replied: “No, we don't actually. Not yet” Nazem Kadri scored a gimme in overtime Monday, finishing off a sweet feed from Andrei Kuzmenko, while Brayden Pachal and Blake Coleman also bulged twine for the hosts and tryout hopeful Tyson Barrie contributed two helpers. Advertisement 3 Article content Dan Vladar went the distance between the pipes, another important mileage marker in his return from hip surgery. Vladar had played two periods in each of his previous starts, all part of the plan to steadily up his workload. On this night, he finished with 30 saves. The Flames, who were 5-0-1 on their September slate, will wrap their exhibition schedule with a home-and-home against the Winnipeg Jets — Wednesday in Friendly Manitoba, followed by Friday at the Saddledome. Here are three takeaways from Monday's matchup … HONZEK HIGHLIGHT Honzek danced around an NHL defenceman — arguably, Seattle's best blue-liner in Vince Dunn — and then deked around a proven puck-stopper for a shorthanded strike. In what has been a superb pre-season showing, this was his best highlight yet. “I just told him it was sick,” said Vladar, spotted chatting with Honzek shortly after his snipe. “I think I said something that he might be too young to be doing that.” Two nights after Huska told reporters that the rookie left-winger is “going to make it really hard on us,” Honzek continued to do precisely that against the Kraken. Advertisement 4 Article content He's now up to seven points — two goals and five assists — in a handful of exhibition outings. It always seemed to make the most sense for Honzek to start his pro climb with the AHL's Wranglers, and maybe it still does, but how can you possibly cut the kid if he's outperforming every other guy on the roster? While Honzek has being doing his best to play it cool, insisting a few days back that he wasn't aware of his perch as the NHL's pre-season scoring leader, he couldn't conceal a wide smile after Monday's gorgeous goal. It was the look of a guy who knows he's inching closer to realizing a dream. “You know that cuts are happening and I'm between the last guys to be decided, so it's getting harder,” Honzek said. “The pressure is kind of coming up because I know two pre-season games are left. I'm just trying to put everything I have in it. Advertisement 5 Article content “If I make the team (or) if I don't, I leave everything here.” Even if he starts this season in the minors, this power-forward prospect has shown that he deserves a look sooner than later. “Just continue to do what you're doing,” Huska said. “You can't be anything but happy for the young guy. I know, after last year, everyone was talking about, ‘Oh, jeez, where is this Honzek guy? Is he going to be a player?' Well, he is a player. He's a pretty good player. We're pretty excited about where he's at right now.” CONVINCING CASE Monday was tough on PTOs around the NHL, with Mike Hoffman being released from his tryout with the Edmonton Oilers , Sammy Blais cut loose by the Vancouver Canucks and Nikolay Kulemin hitting a road-block in his comeback attempt with the Ottawa Senators. Advertisement 6 Article content Barrie, on the other hand, was busy bolstering his case for a contract offer from the Flames. The 33-year-old picked up a pair of assists in the opening period against the Kraken. On Pachal's potting, Barrie made a smart play to help seal the blue-line. He later wired a shot through traffic on the power-play, leading to a greasy goal by Coleman. Just as important, Barrie looked relatively comfortable on the left side of the third pairing, especially impressive since the right-hander revealed that he hasn't been asked to do that since his junior days. This feels like a good time to remind you Huska was his bench boss with the WHL's Kelowna Rockets. “I think it's a chance to add something to your game and work on your craft and show them you're versatile and you can kind of fit in where they need you to,” Barrie said. “That's my mindset, for sure, not so much getting stuck about playing on the right.” Advertisement 7 Article content That versatility could be a determining factor on a Flames' defensive depth chart that is already loaded with righties in regular roles, with Rasmus Andersson, MacKenzie Weegar, Daniil Miromanov and Pachal all having that same curve on their stick-blades. Kevin Bahl and Jake Bean seem locked in as lefties, which leaves Barrie in the battle for the remaining job on the back-end. Also in that mix are Joel Hanley, Artem Grushnikov, Ilya Solovyov and Jarred Tinordi. There are stay-at-home sorts and toughies on that list, but Barrie's edge can be his offensive acumen and it showed Monday. ROUGH NIGHT Plus-minus isn't always the most insightful stat but if you're one of the bubble boys, you don't want to finish the evening with a dash beside your name. Advertisement 8 Article content Jakob Pelletier posted a minus-2 rating against the Kraken. Not ideal, especially since the 23-year-old was auditioning with Backlund and Coleman on Calgary's shutdown line. It's been an underwhelming pre-season for Pelletier, perhaps not unexpected since injuries limited the should-be buzzsaw to 31 appearances — including just 13 in the NHL — during the 2023-24 campaign. After Monday's morning skate, Huska was asked about Pelletier's performance in three previous tuneup twirls and offered a lukewarm review. “I think he's been a little bit in and out at times,” Huska said. “We want to see that consistency from him. What separates Jakob from everybody else is his ability to skate and pressure teams into mistakes. So when he's on the ice, that's what we want to see. Whether it be a penalty-kill role or a five-on-five role, that's how he's most effective, so that's what we're looking for.” Advertisement 9 Article content Pelletier wasn't among the shorthanded staffers Monday evening, so he ultimately logged only 11:12 of even-strength in a penalty-filled affair. He was credited with one hit and one shot on net. What's complicating matters with Pelletier is he now needs waivers to be reassigned to the minors. Would the Flames take that risk with their first-round pick from 2019? They could benefit from Pelletier's speed and his positivity, but has he earned a spot? BONUS TAKEAWAYS Any sort of injury to Backlund would be a major blow to the Flames, with Kadri and Kevin Rooney as the only other experienced pivots on their roster. They are already auditioning Martin Pospisil and Yegor Sharangovich to skate up the middle, while college free-agent signing Sam Morton has made a positive impression in his first pro camp. At 25, Morton is more mature than your average prospect, but it would be a big ask to try to slide him into Backlund's slot … Huska was satisfied with the results of one experiment Monday — sending Kuzmenko over the boards in overtime. “That's the first time we've used him in three-on-three,” Huska grinned. “So we'll probably do it again” … Vladar, who should see one more start before the end of the pre-season, on his surgically-repaired right hip: “Every day, I feel better and better, and I just know it's going to get better and better. I'm super positive and confident about that, so let's go.” Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Three takeaways from Flames' pre-season victory against Kraken Comments Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. 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What do we make of the Flames' stellar pre-season showing, with zero regulation losses in a half-dozen dates so far? Article content

The Calgary Flames continued their training-camp cuts, with Artem Grushnikov, Waltteri Ignatjew and Yan Kuznetsov headed to the minors

Advertisement 1 Share this Story : Flames' pre-season stats: Totally meaningless or reason to believe? Flames' pre-season stats: Totally meaningless or reason to believe? What do we make of the Flames' stellar pre-season showing, with zero regulation losses in a half-dozen dates so far? Author of the article: Article content Calgary Flames assistant coach Cail MacLean celebrated a birthday earlier this week. Advertisement 2 Article content Flames' pre-season stats: Totally meaningless or reason to believe? Back to video With MacLean now handling the hot potato that is the Flames' power-play, a reporter figured an appropriate wish would be for three man-advantage markers in an exhibition clash that evening against the Seattle Kraken. MacLean was quick with his reply. “I'd rather get three on October 9th,” he said with a wide smile, referring to the Flames' upcoming opener against the Canucks in Vancouver. That sums up the sentiment around NHL rinks at this time of year — you'd rather save the good stuff for when it actually counts. With that in mind, what do we make of the Flames' stellar pre-season showing, with zero regulation losses in a half-dozen dates so far? Does it matter? Could it matter? Let's take a closer look at a few fall stats … Advertisement 3 Article content The stat : The Flames are 5-0-1 in six exhibition outings. Skeptics will say : Who cares?! There's a reason they don't hand out hardware for pre-season success. The New Jersey Devils were a perfect 7-0 last fall … and missed the playoffs. If you've been following the Flames for a while, you may recall that they swept their warmup schedule in 2010-11, only to be shut out in their opener. Why it might matter : Many are predicting this will be a woeful winter for the Flames, but they've been barking since the first day of training camp about an underdog mentality, about their belief they can be much better than they're getting credit for. If they were getting drubbed in their dress rehearsals, doubt might start to seep in. So winning these meaningless matchups … well … it sure beats the alternative. “It's always fun to win,” said Flames captain Mikael Backlund after Tuesday's practice. “We still have a lot of things we can get better at, but I think it just creates some good vibes and good energy in the room right now. Once we start, we all know it's going to be a little different. Everyone starts from zero, but we can definitely bring that energy with us.” Advertisement 4 Article content The stat : Sam Honzek leads the NHL's pre-season scoring race with seven points. He's mixed two goals and five assists in a handful of auditions. Skeptics will say : While Honzek was the story of September for the Flames, the kid can't possibly keep it up. Why it might matter : Nobody is claiming that Honzek could win the league scoring title in 2024-25. We're not even sure he'll make the team out of training camp. But for this power-forward-in-progress, this pre-season surge should be a big-time confidence-booster. Still only 19, Honzek is seeing proof that his tools — his size, speed, soft hands and long reach were all part of the recipe on Monday's gorgeous goal against the Kraken — can translate to the top level. That certainly counts for something, even if these points don't. Advertisement 5 Article content The stat : Blake Coleman, Nazem Kadri and Yegor Sharangovich have each scored a pair of goals in exhibition. Skeptics will say : Prior to Monday's matchup with the Kraken, Kadri was asked about his check-list for his prep work and replied: “As you know, veterans just try to shake off the rush and try not to get hurt.” If they don't put any stock into the stats, why should we? Why it might matter : These were Calgary's leading lamp-lighters during the 2023-24 campaign — Sharangovich finishing with 31 snipes, Coleman with 30 and Kadri with 29. For all three dudes, it marked a new career-high. You hear over and over again that confidence is the key to offensive success. If Coleman, Kadri and Sharangovich can maintain that, perhaps they can pick up right where they left off. Advertisement 6 Article content The stat : Dan Vladar, Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley have combined for a save percentage of .927 during their tuneup action. Skeptics will say : Is this guy still talking about pre-season stats?! Just wait until they're facing full lineups and polished power-plays. Why it might matter : Some wondered if Vladar would be slow to find his form as he returned from a six-month layoff due to hip surgery, but he's looked sharp so far and will tell you that he continues to feel better and better. Wolf is doing a darn good job of showing that he's ready to be a full-time NHLer, while Cooley delivered a first-star performance against the Edmonton Oilers ' big guns. When an organization is holding a tryout for the No. 1 netminder job, the biggest fear is that all the options will underwhelm. That hasn't been the case in Calgary. Advertisement 7 Article content The stat The Flames still have several rookie forwards in the mix for roster spots. Skeptics will say : It's a rebuild. That's the way it's supposed to work. Why it might matter: On the first day of training camp, it didn't seem like the Flames had a lot of obvious job openings. Case in point, every guy skating that day on what you'd consider the four NHL forward lines had at least 60 games of big-league experience. So it's not insignificant that Honzek, Adam Klapka and Sam Morton have all pushed into that conversation, each making a case for opening-night duties. There won't be room for all of them, but this is an encouraging sign for a franchise that has promised to reward youngsters who earn the opportunity. As bench boss Ryan Huska put it: “There have been years prior where we've been like, ‘Uhh, I guess he's ready.' But now, we actually have some guys that have pushed really hard for jobs and made for some interesting conversations in the coaches' office.” Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Flames' pre-season stats: Totally meaningless or reason to believe? Comments Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Latest National Stories News Near Elliot Lake Featured Local Savings

‘Not that guy.' Article content That was, as Blake Coleman recalls, the sentiment inside the Tampa Bay Lightning locker room after

Advertisement 1 Share this Story : What brought Ryan Lomberg back to Calgary, and what can he bring Flames? What brought Ryan Lomberg back to Calgary, and what can he bring Flames? Author of the article: Article content ‘Not that guy.' Advertisement 2 Article content What brought Ryan Lomberg back to Calgary, and what can he bring Flames? Back to video That was, as Blake Coleman recalls, the sentiment inside the Tampa Bay Lightning locker room after opposing sparkplug Ryan Lomberg scored an overtime goal on behalf of the state rival Florida Panthers during a playoff series a few years back. ‘Not that guy.' That's what every other 5-foot-something in the NHL, even a rookie call-up who was hellbent on making a name for himself, would have been thinking as they lined up across from one of the NHL's true heavyweights. As many remember from his first stint with the Calgary Flames , Lomberg proved his fearlessness by picking a fight with Ross Johnston, totally ignoring a size mismatch of roughly eight inches and at least 50 pounds. And if you were wondering this summer if the Panthers were getting any sleep in the days that followed their Stanley Cup triumph, you'd scroll through your social media feed, see another photo or video of Lomberg in life-of-the-party mode and say to yourself: ‘ Definitely not that guy Advertisement 3 Article content He obviously buckled down immediately after his championship bender because he finished second on the Flames' fitness-testing charts at the outset of training camp. “He played the longest of anybody in our group, just won a Stanley Cup, and he didn't take any time off,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska praised. “He missed catching Backs (Mikael Backlund) by just a little bit. That's something I'm really proud of, and that's one of the big reasons why we brought him into our room.” There's no doubt that Lomberg, 29, will be beloved in that room. Already is. “He's just the best, he really is,” beamed blue-liner MacKenzie Weegar, Lomberg's teammate in Florida and now once again in Calgary. “I'm happy to have him back here. He has so much energy, charisma, but he's also a guy with a lot of integrity. Advertisement 4 Article content “I think he has an identity to him. He's fast. I mean, he's the ‘Lomberghini,' right? He looks good out there with the hair flying around. But he also has a big engine on him. He drives hard. He plays hard. He plays like he's eight feet tall. And even on the tough nights, he is the guy who is always the most positive, has the most energy. “He brings the boys together. He's a great locker-room guy. I just have nothing but great things to say about him.” After chasing down a Stanley Cup in Florida, Lomberg chose to return to Calgary as an unrestricted free agent. He inked a two-year contract with an annual cap hit of $2 million US. If you're curious who was most excited to get this deal done, it would be a coin-flip between the rambunctious left winger and general manager Craig Conroy. Advertisement 5 Article content The Flames have talked at length about being harder to play against and Lomberg, as a fixture on the fourth line, will be a ringleader in that regard. His speed and determination should be an asset on the penalty kill and he'll be there to offer a pick-me-up if a teammate is struggling or to stick up for somebody who was just cheap-shotted by an opponent. “This was somewhere I saw myself being back, somewhere I wanted to be,” Lomberg said. “And it's definitely a time in the organization where I feel like I can help in multiple ways. “I feel like, personally, I can get the most out of it for myself and I'll be able to, I believe, help this team more than any other team.” You may not realize that Lomberg logged only 11 big-league appearances, totalling barely 70 minutes of icetime, during his initial tour with the Flames. This feisty forward might hold some sort of franchise record for the fastest ascent to fan-fave status, at least among guys who were never considered hot-shot prospects. Advertisement 6 Article content The ‘Lomberghini' last revved at the Saddledome during the 2018-19 campaign, with just two roster holdovers from his first go-round with the club. Workhorse rearguard Rasmus Andersson described his returning buddy as “a beauty” and added, “ I know the love Conny had for him, so it did not surprise me at all when we signed him.” Backlund, the current captain in Calgary, has never forgotten that Lomberg once earned a suspension for rushing to his defence, reminding: “When I got hit by (Matt) Dumba, he just flew right off the bench. He didn't even think twice about it. That says a lot about him and I've been thankful for him doing that for me.” Lomberg also played with Martin Pospisil at AHL Stockton and is now reunited with two of his former farm-club skippers — Huska and his assistant, Cail MacLean. Advertisement 7 Article content It's not just his old friends, however, who are fired up about this off-season acquisition. “I remember when we were in Florida last year, him and I were going at it a little bit,” said Kevin Rooney, who was been working as Lomberg's centre during training camp. “And once we signed him, I was thinking, ‘Thank God, he'll be on our team now.' He's a guy who just brings everyone into the fight. ” “Yeah, I had some good run-ins with Lombo,” added Coleman, reminiscing on his own stay in the Sunshine State, where he won back-to-back titles with the Lightning. “He's hard not to remember. He's a firecracker. He's one of those guys, he just gets under your skin. I know he scored an OT winner against us in Tampa (in 2021) and it was just the one guy you didn't want to score, you know? Advertisement 8 Article content “But I do remember after that series, for how much I hated him on the ice, he was very respectful. He was just doing his job. I think he's a great add for us.” Lomberg proved over the past two winters that he can be counted on as an every-nighter. He suited up for all 82 in 2022-23 and for 75 games this past season. With the Panthers adding a couple of forward rentals at the trade deadline, he dressed for eight playoff dates during their Stanley Cup run. While the Cats would have loved to keep him, that pesky salary cap prevented it. It's hardly a surprise that a handful of other teams showed serious interest. Lomberg returns to Calgary with what he describes as a more mature game — “ Same energy, same physicality, same intensity, all that good stuff. Just kind of more direct with it, and smarter.” Advertisement 9 Article content He didn't necessarily look like one of the grinders with a gorgeous pass to Brayden Pachal for goal in the early stages of Monday's exhibition against the Seattle Kraken. (Lomberg, with three points in as many pre-season outings and his spot on the roster assured, didn't travel to Winnipeg for Wednesday's tuneup against the Jets.) He also returns as a proud papa. He and his wife have a son, a daughter and another baby on the way. “So we're going to have three under three,” he said. That sounds exhausting, but if there's a dad who can handle it, it might be Lomberg. “This guy is just a ball of energy,” Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau said on the first day of training camp. “Even today, I'm breathing heavy and I just look around and he's just talking, having fun. I'm like, ‘Here we go.' He's going to be a good leader for us. Just the way he handles himself, he's always positive and that's always good to have a guy like that.” Advertisement 10 Article content “He's a champion, so I'm sure there's a lot of teams that wanted him, ” Weegar added of Lomberg, who has 28 goals, 50 points and 359 penalty minutes in 257 career contests. “The fact that he wanted to come back to this organization, I think it says a lot about the players here. And not only that, but about our coach and our GM. He has a great relationship with them. Him being a champion that wants to come back here, I think it's great for our culture.” Lomberg is adamant that the external expectations for the 2024-25 Flames are way out of whack. He believes they'll be better than they're getting credit for. Advertisement 11 Article content Whether this squad is full of surprises or floundering near the bottom of the standings, the consensus is this welcome-back winger will be an important tone-setter and locker-room leader. Huska characterized him as “ uber-positive.” That showed at roughly 9:10 a.m. on a Sunday morning during camp, when Lomberg cashed a goal in practice and crashed into the boards in celebration, a massive smile on his face. Some players get their names engraved on the Stanley Cup and maybe let their foot off the gas a little. Not this guy. “After winning it, reaping all the benefits, and just the internal feeling you get of accomplishing something like that, it's something I can't even put into words,” Lomberg said. “Something I'll tell the boys is it's more worth it than you could even imagine. “It's harder to achieve than you can imagine, but the fulfillment you get inside and everything that comes after, it's way, way bigger and more powerful than you think it will be.” Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : What brought Ryan Lomberg back to Calgary, and what can he bring Flames? Comments Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Latest National Stories News Near Elliot Lake Featured Local Savings

'I feel like, personally, I can get the most out of it for myself and I'll be able to, I believe, help this team more than any other team'

Article content Jakob Pelletier sees a future at the Saddledome — and then at Scotia Place. Article content

Advertisement 1 Share this Story : Calgary Flames' Jakob Pelletier hopes to avoid waiver wire: ‘I want to stay here' Calgary Flames' Jakob Pelletier hopes to avoid waiver wire: ‘I want to stay here' Author of the article: Article content Jakob Pelletier sees a future at the Saddledome — and then at Scotia Place. Advertisement 2 Article content Calgary Flames' Jakob Pelletier hopes to avoid waiver wire: ‘I want to stay here' Back to video While the Calgary Flames ' fan-base — and the management and coaching staff — debate whether Pelletier deserves a spot on the opening-night roster or whether it's worth risking placing a first-round pick with plenty of untapped potential on waivers, the 23-year-old left winger wanted to be crystal clear that he's not hoping for a fresh start in another city. “It's my first time being in that place, in that position … Of course, you don't want to go on waivers,” Pelletier told a pair of reporters Friday. “I want to stay here. I love the team. I love the players. I love the staff. I want to be a part of it. I want to be a part of what's coming here. I want to play in the new arena. “But I think it's on me to kind of force their hand to play me each night and to stay here.” Advertisement 3 Article content Pelletier was scratched for Friday's pre-season finale against the Winnipeg Jets, stuck spectating during the last dress rehearsal. “He's had a lot of opportunities in exhibition,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska explained when asked about Pelletier's status as one of the scratches against the Jets. “So now it's an opportunity for us to see someone else in a game against an NHL lineup, which we felt was important.” The question is: Will Pelletier be in an NHL lineup at Monday's roster deadline? All signs point to the Flames keeping both Sam Honzek — the 19-year-old ranks among the league leaders in pre-season points and plus-minus — and Adam Klapka, who seems to have crashed and banged his way to a role on the fourth line. Advertisement 4 Article content When you add the rest of the lineup locks, that would leave Pelletier as the 14th forward. The alternative would be trying to sneak this should-be sparkplug to the AHL's Wranglers, which would require a 24-hour period on waivers. Would he clear? Is it worth taking the chance, especially if it's so they can keep an eighth defenceman or a third goaltender around? It's not like the Flames are strapped for salary-cap space. On one hand, you'd like Pelletier to be playing games, even if that's at the minor-league level. He is far from a finished product and a stint as a spare part is not necessarily dynamite for development. But, for Flames general manager Craig Conroy, it certainly would sting to see him in another uniform. Advertisement 5 Article content This franchise is, remember, committed to a youth movement. They'd like to be faster. They're always looking for more positive voices inside the locker room. Pelletier, a first-round selection in the 2019 NHL draft, checks those boxes. Keep in mind that last fall, before he suffered a major shoulder injury in an exhibition contest, he was considered by many to be Calgary's top forward prospect. In fact, when it was confirmed that he would require surgery, Huska described him as a guy who was pegged to be a full-timer. Pelletier ultimately was limited to 13 big-league outings during the 2023-24 campaign with Martin Pospisil and Connor Zary emerging as every-nighters during his absence. “I think I can play in the NHL,” said Pelletier, reminding of a string of scratches after he earned his first career call-up in January of 2023. “Two years ago, I started two weeks without playing. I don't know if you guys remember that six games. And then I played my first game and then I played for 24 straight. Started on the fourth line, played on the third a little bit, played on the second or the first or whatever it was. Advertisement 6 Article content “So I think I can play in the NHL. But again, I think it's on me to force their hand to play me and to play good and to help the team to win each night. Because the mindset here is to make the playoffs, even though we're young. I think it's on me to help the team to win.” Pelletier finishes the pre-season with an underwhelming stat-line — zero points, four shots on net and a minus-2 rating in five auditions. He leaves Conroy & Co. with a difficult decision to make. The left winger realizes his future is a hot topic. “I thought my best game (of pre-season) was my last game,” Pelletier said, referring to Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Jets in Friendly Manitoba. “I thought I was good on forecheck, was good trying to force some turnovers and some takeaways, as well. And I think our line was good. Advertisement 7 Article content “If I'm being honest, I think last year I would have been the first one to say, ‘You know what, I'm not playing the type of game that I used to play. I'm not playing the type of game that Jakob Pelletier should play to play in the NHL.' But when I look at this camp, I watch each game, I thought the first game, I was minus-1 in a 6-1 win but I thought I played good too, you know what I mean? And I think the last game, I played probably one of my best games in a year. “I think I just have to focus on the positive side, on the good things that I did the last game. I kind of see more of myself in that game. I look back and say, ‘Alright, that's the thing you've gotta do to play in the NHL.' I think it's going towards the right path here.” Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Calgary Flames' Jakob Pelletier hopes to avoid waiver wire: ‘I want to stay here' Comments Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Latest National Stories News Near Elliot Lake Featured Local Savings

Tuneup time is over. The next one counts in the standings. Article content The Calgary Flames concluded their exhibition slate with Friday's 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at the Saddledome.