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“I finally capped it,” Colborne said after Saturday’s optional practice at WinSport. “I know a bunch of my friends and family are buying tickets, too, which is nice, so I don’t have to spend my entire paycheque on it.

“There will be a lot of people waiting for me after the game.”

It’s a big night for the Flames, who return home from a successful season-opening trip in which they beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2 a night after dropping a 5-4 shootout clash with the Washington Capitals.

It’s a big night for Colborne, too. When the Flames meet the Canucks (6 p.m., Sportsnet West, Sportsnet FAN960), it will be the first time the 6-foot-5, 213-lb. centre has played a game at the Saddledome, other than while a tyke during the intermission of a Flames game many years ago.

“I had a lot of jitters and nerves (Friday in Columbus) because it was such a cool feeling to finally put the Flames jersey on for real,” Colborne said. “I was almost a little too pumped, and this game is going to be even crazier for me.

“It’s a dream come true and I’m going to have to spend the day calming myself down rather than getting hyped up like I usually have to do for games.”

Winger TJ Galiardi is also readying for his first hometown game as a Flame. Galiardi has all kinds of experience skating at the Dome – he played junior for the WHL Hitmen and has been a visitor on many occasions – but he, too, will have some extra emotion.

“I don’t think I’m nervous, just more excited and happy that it’s here,” Galiardi said.

Adding to Colborne’s state is the fact he’s still figuring out the club’s systems, while likely again skating on a line with Curtis Glencross and David Jones.

“I was really frustrated with the way I played the first couple of periods,” Colborne said of his Flames debut against the Blue Jackets. “I was thinking way too much and I was nervous. Gelly (assistant coach Martin Gelinas) just told me, ‘You don’t have to score a hat trick every game, just play your system.’ I felt as the third period came, I started to get my legs back and played my game.”

Head coach Bob Hartley said he figures Colborne will settle into the role he’s given.

“Here’s a young guy that had what with us, five or six days, compared to the other guys,” Hartley said. “Each coach has a different way of working and a different way of teaching. Right now, Joe is on fast-forward mode. We’re trying to get him from Grade 6 to second year of university in five or six days. That’s a big challenge, but I thought he did pretty good.”

As a Calgary kid, Colborne was well aware the pundits are saying the Flames will be much closer to the bottom of the standings than the top, but isn’t putting any stock into them.

“Last year, with the Leafs, I think they had us 13th or 14th in the Eastern Conference and Montreal to be ninth or 10th, both missing the playoffs, and we finished No. 2 and No. 5,” said Colborne, who spent most of the season in the minors but played a handful of games for the Leafs. “So, it comes down to coaching, if the guys who are willing to buy into the system and how team’s gel.

“We don’t want to set high expectations we can’t match, but in the room we’re a positive group and confident with what we can do. Those two games were huge for our confidence.”

Confident enough they can send a message to the rest of the league that they’ll be a tough team to face, especially in the Sea of Red.

“It’s been that way in the past and we’ve got to get back to it,” Galiardi said. “I don’t think in the previous few years it was a tough place, somewhere you didn’t want to go, but we’re going to make it hard on teams to play us, especially at home.”

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 10.06.2013

719696 Calgary Flames

Seven storylines to follow in the NHL's new Pacific Division

By WES GILBERTSON ,Calgary Sun

First posted: Saturday, October 05, 2013 04:01 PM MDT | Updated: Saturday, October 05, 2013 04:09 PM MDT

From the Canadian Rockies to the California Coast, there’s no short of intrigue in the NHL’s new-look Pacific Division.

The Los Angeles Kings are among the favourites to finish atop the hockey mountain this spring.

Some figure the Calgary Flames will be swimming with the fishes at the bottom of the standings.

The Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks are all pegged for somewhere in between.

There are reasons for optimism in every city. And if you’re a glass-half-empty type, every squad has some cause for concern, too.

With the Flames welcoming the Canucks for their first inter-division clash of the season, here are seven storylines to follow in the Pacific in 2013-14:

Anaheim Ducks — Still together

The outsiders said it was impossible. Ducks GM Bob Murray proved them wrong. The Ducks were eliminated in the opening playoff round last spring, but the season should still be considered a success because Murray was able to re-sign centre Ryan Getzlaf and left-winger Corey Perry to lucrative long-term deals. Unfortunately, the Ducks couldn’t afford to keep sniper Bobby Ryan, trading him to the Ottawa Senators for a package that included skilled up-and-comer Jakob Silfverberg. With Getzlaf and Perry sticking around for eight more years, the Ducks should be a Pacific Division contender for the foreseeable future. Maybe Disneyland truly is the happiest place on Earth.

Calgary Flames — No kidding

The Flames weren’t fibbing when they admitted it was time for a rebuild. Having missed the playoffs in four straight seasons, the Flames will ice their youngest lineup in recent memory. Their sixth-overall pick, centre Sean Monahan, remains with the team, making him the only member of the 2013 NHL Draft class who’s getting an opportunity to skate in the Pacific Division this fall. There are really no established stars in Calgary now that Jay Bouwmeester, Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff are gone. Almost a third of the Flames’ current players will become unrestricted free agents this summer, so you can expect even more moves.

Edmonton Oilers — Waiting game

Now or never? That certainly wouldn’t be fair. It’s time, though, for the Oilers to take the next step as a team. Emerging superstars Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall have been employed in Edmonton for three full campaigns but have yet to skate in a post-season contest. As a matter of fact, it’s been seven years since the Oilers earned an invite to the spring dance. Their key free-agent addition was blueliner Andrew Ference, who had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup as a member of the Boston Bruins in 2011. Ference was named captain and will try to teach his winning ways.

Los Angeles Kings — Crease concern

The good news is they have arguably the best netminder in the world. Jonathan Quick is the biggest reason the Kings won the Stanley Cup in ’12, advanced to the conference finals last spring and are again being billed as a championship contender. The bad news is Quick is the leading candidate to stop pucks for Team USA at the ’14 Sochi Olympics. Only two starters from Vancouver ’10 — Russia’s Evgeni Nabokov and Slovakia’s Jaroslav Halak — had much playoff success that same season. Especially after trading backup Jonathan Bernier to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Kings can’t afford for their star goalie to get worn out.

Phoenix Coyotes — Going nowhere

For the first time in a long time, the Coyotes know where they’ll be playing next season. Seattle? No. Quebec City? Au contraire. The answer is actually Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Ariz., their home since ’03. The Desert Dogs have long been distracted by financial question marks and rumoured relocations. With a new ownership group in place and key pieces like captain Shane Doan, defenceman Keith Yandle, puck-stopper Mike Smith and head coach Dave Tippett still around, the Coyotes can finally focus on the on-ice issues. A bonus, being grouped in a division with three Canadian teams will bolster ticket sales to the snowbirds.

San Jose Sharks – Sinking feeling?

The scouting report on the Sharks hasn’t really changed. The window is closing. Has been for a few years. Still is. However, with a spirited seven-game series against the Kings in the second round last spring, the Sharks served notice they’re not over-the-hill just yet. This is 24-year-old Logan Couture’s team now, but 30-somethings Dan Boyle, Patrick Marleau, Brad Stuart and Joe Thornton are still capable of contributing in a big way. There is speculation this could be their final crack at a Stanley Cup before San Jose’s aging core is split apart. Then again, haven’t we been saying that for awhile?

Vancouver Canucks — Net gains?

The Canucks stunned the hockey world on draft day, shipping starting goalie Cory Schneider to the New Jersey Devils and giving Roberto Luongo — unwanted on the trade market due to his mega-contract that runs through 2021-22 — his old job back. Luongo is, without a doubt, the X-Factor for the Canucks this season. If the 34-year-old netminder finds the form he displayed as Canada’s starter at the ’10 Vancouver Olympics, the longtime leaders of the Northwest Division will, once again, be a playoff squad. If Luongo continues to surrender soft goals at bad times, incoming head coach John Tortorella will be fuming from October to April.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 10.06.2013

719697 Chicago Blackhawks

Kostka makes Blackhawks debut; Rozsival sits

By Chris Kuc

Tribune reporter

7:13 PM CDT, October 5, 2013

After emerging as the winner of a spirited training camp battle for the eighth defenseman spot on the Blackhawks’ roster, Michael Kostka didn’t have to wait long to make his debut with the team.

Kostka was in the Hawks’ lineup when they faced the Lightning on Saturday night at the United Center, replacing veteran Michal Rozsival, who is likely to be in and out of the lineup this season in an effort to keep him healthy.

"Coming into camp there were a lot of question marks," Kostka said before playing 16-plus minutes with two blocked shots in the Hawks 3-2 shootout loss. "There were no guarantees coming in and then being able to stick out of camp. I was excited for that. Now the next step is getting into games, given that there are eight defensemen here. I’m excited to get my opportunity."

Kostka beat out Ryan Stanton in camp for a roster spot, in part, because of his NHL experience. Kostka played 35 games for the Maple Leafs in 2013 before signing a free-agent contract with the Hawks on July 19.

“He can play offensively (and) defensively he’s involved,” coach Joel Quenneville said of Kostka. “He has some speed on the back end that can join in the attack. He has some good play recognition and a decent gap. It gives him a chance to get into the lineup early in the season.”

Shoot to thrill: As one of the NHL’s top goal-scorers, the Lightning’s Steven Stamkos relies on arguably the league’s most lethal one-timer to catch goaltenders out of position.

“It’s just something I’ve practiced since I was a little kid,” said Stamkos, who had 208 goals in 374 career games entering Saturday. “The goalies are so good these days that you can’t give them a chance to set. As soon as that puck gets to your stick it has to come off. They’re so athletic and quick.

“Now with the amount of video we do, people pick up on tendencies. Every year it’s kind of less and less the amount of goals I score on one-timers. You have to kind of reinvent your game, go to other areas of the ice to score. That’s something I’ve been aware of.”

Fitting in: Winger Joakim Nordstrom played his second NHL game for the Hawks when they faced the Lightning. The 21-year-old said he won’t relax now that he’s on the roster after securing a job in camp.

“I want to get better every day,” Nordstrom said. “I want to play here for the rest of my career. I just have to work hard every day and make sure I still have a spot on the team.”

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 10.06.2013

719698 Chicago Blackhawks

Sweet start, sour ending for Hawks

Lightning overcome 2-goal deficit in final 10 minutes to win 3-2 in shootout

By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter

11:33 PM CDT, October 5, 2013

At one end of the ice, Corey Crawford was solid. At the other, Ben Bishop was sensational.

That was the difference between one point and two for the Blackhawks as they fell to Bishop and the Lightning 3-2 in a shootout Saturday night at the United Center.

The Hawks did what they wanted throughout the game, including holding the Lightning without a shot during the first period. But in the end the Tampa Bay goaltender got the better of them after his teammates solved Crawford for two third-period scores and Valtteri Filppula's winner in the shootout.

"That was a pretty near perfect game for us," a dejected Crawford said afterward. "We put a lot of pucks on net, and we had a lot of chances. Their guy played unbelievable. It just wasn't good enough by me. I have to find a way to come up with one save at the end to shut it down. I didn't, and we lost."

Bishop finished with 37 saves in regulation and overtime and stopped Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa in the shootout. The Lightning improves to 1-1-0 on the season after facing the teams that squared off in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final — the Bruins and Hawks — on the road.

Martin St. Louis had a goal and an assist, and Teddy Purcell scored in regulation to provide the offense for the Lightning. Kane and Brandon Saad scored in regulation for the Hawks, but it wasn't enough as Crawford (14 saves) couldn't hold the lead in the final 10 minutes.

It was the first time the Hawks (1-0-1) had held an opponent without a shot on goal in a period since Dec. 4, 1946, when they did it against the Red Wings.

"We did what we wanted to do most of the night," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "Sometimes you get a goalie win on the other side and you don't get a point."

The Lightning got their first shot on goal when Nate Thompson sent the puck harmlessly Crawford's way 1 minute, 21 seconds into the second period. Meanwhile, the Hawks grabbed the lead in the second period when Kane flicked a rebound of a Bryan Bickell stuff attempt over Bishop's left shoulder from a sharp angle.

Later in the second, the Hawks took advantage of a lucky bounce when Nick Leddy's dump-in caromed off the end boards and into the slot. Bishop had come out of the crease to play the puck, and Saad swooped in and batted the loose puck into the empty net.

The Lightning found life in the third when St. Louis knocked in a rebound with a backhander and Purcell later scored on a power play. Bishop took it from there.

"We needed Ben Bishop to stand tall if we had any chance of coming back, and he did," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "You get one, and then we were opportunistic on our power play and snuck out with a win.

"I was looking for the police when we left the locker room because I thought we'd get arrested for stealing."

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 10.06.2013

719699 Chicago Blackhawks

Michael Kostka out to proves he belongs in the lineup

BY MARK LAZERUS Staff Reporter October 6, 2013 12:27AM

Updated: October 6, 2013 2:40AM

Michael Kostka has no idea how often he’ll be in the lineup. So every time he’s out there, he knows the margin for error — if he wants to play — is minuscule.

“Sure, but I feel the stakes have always been kind of high,” said Kostka, who made his Hawks debut Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. “For me, it’s always been a bit of a proving ground. Especially when you have two other defensemen here who can play, it might make it feel a little more important that you go out and have a good showing.”

Kostka is in a three-way battle with Michal Rozsival and Sheldon Brookbank for the sixth defenseman spot. It’s really Rozsival’s job, but coach Joel Quenneville wants to limit the regular-season toll on the 35-year-old, meaning either Kostka or Brookbank — or both — will get plenty of chances.

Kostka, a 27-year-old blue-liner who played 35 games last season as a rookie for the Maple Leafs, caught Quenne-ville’s eye and earned a surprise roster spot in camp.

“He’s got some speed on the back end and can join in the attack,” Quenne-ville said. “He’s got good play recognition, he’s got a decent gap and [by giving] him a chance to get into the lineup early this season, we’ll get a better assessment.”

Kostka played on the power play in the American Hockey League and in Toronto, and might shake up the Hawks’ long-suffering unit. Kostka said he was more of a shooter on the power play in the AHL, but that he’s become more of a playmaker in the NHL since “there are guys here that have better shots than I.”

“That’s a part of the game that I enjoy playing, and I feel like it’s an asset I can bring,” Kostka said of the power play. “[But] obviously, there’s a depth of guys who can play in that role here.”

Kostka’s not expecting to secure an everyday spot right away, and certainly not based on a single game. He’s been in a platoon role for much of his career, and knows how to maintain his conditioning and timing.

“You learn to be professional and just stay on top of it,” he said. “Practices here are so quick and sharp, it’s about as close to a game as you’re going to get without contact.’’

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 10.06.2013

719700 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks let it slip away in 3-2 loss

BY MARK LAZERUS October 5, 2013 11:06PM

Updated: October 6, 2013 2:46AM

Corey Crawford said it was a “pretty near perfect game for us.” Joel Quenneville said, “We did what we wanted to do.”

Sometimes, they said, the other guy’s just better.

Goalie Ben Bishop made 37 saves and stopped Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa in the shootout as the Hawks squandered a two-goal third-period lead and lost 3-2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Longtime Detroit Red Wings forward Valtteri Filppula had the lone goal in the shootout, beating Crawford in the first round.

“It was one of those games where they’ve got a goalie winning the game,” Quenneville said. “We play like that, you’ll [usually] find a way to get two points. Sometimes you get a goalie win on the other side, and you don’t get a point. That’s a positive we take out of it.”

For the Hawks, it was a nightmare finish to a game that started out as a laugher. The Lightning didn’t put a single shot on goal in the first period — only the second time in Hawks’ history that they held an opponent without a shot for a full period.

It was a surreal period for Crawford, who didn’t have to make a save until 82 seconds into the ­second period. He shrugged off the idea that making only 14 saves in 65 minutes factored into the Lightning’s two third-period goals.

“Shouldn’t matter,” he said. “You’re trying to find a way to stay in the game, play the puck, talk to our guys. There’s always something to do when you’re not getting shots. It’s not an issue.”

And in the end, it didn’t matter. The Lightning made the most of the few shots they did have.

“We’re not playing to win periods,” winger Ben Smith said. “We’re playing to win games.”

After outshooting the Lightning 12-0 in the first period, but failing to score, the Hawks finally got on the board 59 seconds into the second, when Kane cleaned up a Bryan Bickell rebound after Niklas Hjalmarsson crashed the net from the side.

The Hawks made it 2-0 midway through the second on a fluky goal by Brandon Saad. Nick Leddy’s dump-in attempt hit the boards in the corner and skittered across the goalmouth, while Bishop was behind the net, waiting for the usual carom. Saad beat Bishop to the puck and flipped it into the open net for his second goal in as many games.

But the Lightning, after being thoroughly dominated for two periods, struck midway through the third period. Martin St. Louis’ backhander cut the lead to 2-1 at 10:08 of the third, and Teddy Purcell’s power-play goal tied it less than two minutes later.

“It’s about playing a full 60 minutes, and we might have had a little lull there,” Smith said. “But that’s just early in the year. Some things happen, and it’s important as long as we learn from it and move forward. Things will be all right.”

Purcell’s equalizer was the fourth power-play goal the Hawks have surrendered in seven chances, and sent the game into overtime despite the Hawks having a 37-14 edge in shots during regulation.

The Hawks certainly had their chances, peppering Bishop with eight shot on five power plays. There were a couple of sequences in the second and third periods in which the Hawks generated two, three, even four consecutive chances and a few wild flurries in Bishop’s crease. But they couldn’t bury a shot and put the Lightning away, and it cost them in the end.

“Their guy played unbelievable,” Crawford said. “I just wasn’t good enough. I need to find a way to come up with one save at the end to shut it down, and I didn’t. Lost the game.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 10.06.2013

719701 Chicago Blackhawks

Ben Smith on permanent press setting

BY MARK LAZERUS Staff Reporter October 5, 2013 11:06PM

Updated: October 6, 2013 2:40AM

Ben Smith has his name on the Stanley Cup, but he doesn’t yet have a permanent spot in the Blackhawks lineup. He made his season debut Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, taking Jimmy Hayes’ spot at right wing on the third line.

Smith and Hayes sit next to each in the dressing room, but each player shrugged off the awkwardness.

“It’s part of the sport, part of the job,” Smith said. You’re always competing against a lot of guys, it’s not just going to be training camp. It’s going to continue well on through the year. We just have to play our best every day and hope that the opportunities keep coming.”

Said Hayes: “Nothing’s guaranteed here. We’re all fighting for the same thing.”

New faces

Five of the Hawks’ first six games this season are against Eastern Conference teams they haven’t seen since at least the 2011-12 season. After playing exclusively Western Conference teams during the lockout-shortened season, teams will play a home-and-home against every team from the other conference.

It had been nearly two years since the Hawks faced the Lightning, and coach Joel Quenneville said the new opponents could break up the monotony of a long season.

“I think players like playing some guy they don’t know much about and finding out as they go along,” he said.

Quenneville wasn’t concerned that the lack of familiarity could make things a little more difficult on the coaching staff.

“I think everybody plays comparably the same way,” he said. “It’s more important how we play.”

Handzus holding up

Michal Handzus, who missed part of Tuesday’s opener with an undisclosed injury, was in the lineup Saturday. Handzus played with a broken wrist and a torn MCL during the Stanley Cup Final, and playing through pain has become part of the process for the 37-year-old center.

“Honestly, I think it wasn’t that bad,” Handzus said of his playoff heroics. “It was such an exciting time for everyone from our team, so you don’t pay attention too much.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 10.06.2013

719702 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks run into hot goalie in loss

By Tim Sassone

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville called it a goalie win, and from watching Tampa Bay's Ben Bishop turn away chance after chance, it was tough to disagree.

Bishop made 37 saves through overtime and stopped all 3 shootout attempts as the Lightning rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the third period to defeat the Hawks 3-2 Saturday night at the United Center.