It’s a great opportunity to get off to a quick start and just keep going forward and hopefully never look back." We’ve got to find a way to solve him early and get on their D and stay out of the penalty box. "We’re going to be in a dogfight," Conroy said. "They got some good breaks too, but they worked hard to do what they had to do."Ĭonroy said the Flames can use Thursday’s game against the Northwest Division-rival Canucks to build momentum for the remainder of the season - one in which Calgary is hoping to reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2004. "They embarrassed us last year (in) the first game," recalled Conroy, who played on a line with Curtis Glencross and Dustin Boyd at practice on Wednesday.
Veteran Flames forward Craig Conroy remembers last year’s opener vividly. You know they’re going to be a good team and a team that you have to beat if you want to finish first." "You kind of see where you’re at and hopefully get off to a good start and keep things rolling.
"I think it’s a good way to start the year," said Bouwmeester, who signed a US$33-million, five-year contract with the Flames before he came an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Flames defenceman Jay Bouwmeester wasn’t around for those games, but he said he’s still primed to help his new team avenge those losses. The Flames look to avenge back-to-back losses to Vancouver to open last season as they host the Canucks in this year’s season opener Thursday night.Ĭalgary was drubbed 6-0 in Vancouver in the 2008-09 kickoff, then followed that up with a 5-4 overtime setback in Calgary.