Flames captain Jarome Iginla (left) and Sharks centre Adam Burish mix it up beside the net during NHL action in Calgary on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013. (Mike Drew/QMI Agency)
CALGARY - The new head coach promised a quick, creative, entertaining brand of hockey.
For one period, Bob Hartley's Calgary Flames delivered exactly that, much to the delight of a sellout crowd that waited nine months between NHL games.
Unfortunately, the script for the next 40 minutes looked oh-so-familiar.
Expect to hear a lot of coulda, woulda and shoulda after the Flames followed up an impressive opening frame by surrendering four unanswered goals in a 4-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks in Sunday's season-opener at the Saddledome.
Everybody has been talking about the importance of a quick start to the shortened season, and the Flames apparently received that message.
The hosts were undoubtedly the better team in the opening period, starting with Curtis Glencross' thunderous body-check just seconds after the opening faceoff.
