from Damien Cox of the Toronto Star,

So this column is about three Canadian franchises, the dangers of dealing with the Boston Bruins, the multi-team legacy of Brian Burke and the importance of knowing where you are at any given time....

So the general topic is hockey. Where this written stream of consciousness began was a glance at the NHL standings, and particularly the fact the Calgary Flames were at the very bottom of the Western Conference looking up at 13 other teams heading into play Friday night.

The scoresheet from Thursday’s loss by the Flames in Tampa Bay revealed that defenceman Dougie Hamilton, the biggest salary cap hit on the club’s backline, had played just under 18 minutes, while four other Calgary blueliners had played at least five minutes more. That’s how it’s been working for a while now for the jittery young star who was acquired from the Bruins at the June draft for a first round pick and two seconds at a time when the Flames were still enjoying the high of a stunningly successful 2014-15 season.

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