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Iowa ‘spoilers’ await arch-rival Flames

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By Craig DeVrieze | Tuesday, March 25, 2008 11:44 PM CDT | () comments

Friday’s Flames game in Des Moines is one of four remaining with the last-place Iowa Stars.

Assistant coach Scott Allen said that’s not necessarily an advantage as the Flames try and rally for a playoff berth.

“I think there is probably a little more hunger in the Iowa team to play the spoiler,’’ Allen said of the Flames’ most heated rivals.

“It is the team this organization has played more than any other team the last three years. We have played them 12 times a year, always play against them in the preseason and played them six times in the playoffs last year.

“We have racked up a lot of miles and a lot of minutes against this team and I can assure you they would love to be the spoiler and have us join them in not being in the playoffs this year.’’

The Stars have lost three straight since briefly dropping the Flames into last place in the West Division two weeks ago and are all but eliminated from a Western Conference playoff race in which the Flames are hanging by a thread.

Certainly, Iowa would love to use the remaining four games against the Flames as yet another opportunity to climb out of the basement at their rivals’ expense.

The Flames are 6-2-0-0 against the Stars this season. The sides meet Friday and Tuesday in Des Moines and Iowa comes to the i wireless Center April 5 and April 11.

Not ‘Palin’ in comparison

Flames defenseman Brett Palin is expected to return to the ice this weekend after missing the last seven games with an undisclosed injury.

He will be looking to extend a plus-17 rating that leads Derek Couture, nearest to him in plus/minus rating on the Flames roster, by 13 points.

Only one team in the AHL has a larger discrepancy, with Providence’s Jeff Hoggan, whose plus-38 leads the league by 8, up 15 on his nearest teammate.

A player gets a plus for every even-strength or shorthanded goal his team scores while he on the ice. He gets a minus every time he is playing when the opposition scores when it is not on the power play.

Allen joked that Palin’s plus-17 on a team without another player near double-digits is a result of “good coaching — putting him on the ice against the right guys.’’

Actually, Allen said, “He has had a good year for us. Sometimes he is the victim of fortunate circumstances but I certainly don’t discredit what he brings to this team and what he brings to the table on a nightly basis.’’

After two weeks on the sidelines, what Palin brings this weekend will depend on his preparation this week.

“He has got to utilize these practices like none of the other guys now,’’ Allen said. “He has got to work himself not only into game mode, but into playoff game mode. That’s not an easy thing to do.’’

Around the AHL

Former Mallards head coach John Anderson notched a double milestone Saturday in San Antonio, winning his 300th AHL game and his 500th with the Chicago Wolves. Anderson led the Mallards to the United Hockey League’s Colonial Cup championship in 1997. ... Rockford goalie Wade Flaherty scored his 300th professional win Monday in Milwaukee. The veteran netminder last saw action in the NHL in one game with the Nashville Predators in 2002-03. Overall he’s played more than 100 games in the NHL. ... Toronto isn’t necessarily the team the Flames will see should they rally and claim the crossover playoff berth in the North Division. Manitoba (9-0-1 in its last 10 and 17-6-0-2 since the All-Star break) has climbed to within nine standings points and has four games remaining against the Marlies.