Music: {allcanada} IGINLA READY TO BREAK THROUGH

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

{allcanada} IGINLA READY TO BREAK THROUGH

The Calgary Herald indicates that for someone who's thrived primarily on numbers over the course of a career, the stats — three helpers, a minus-1 and a team-high 19 shots — actually don't do Jarome Iginla's game justice at the moment.

"Personally," he's saying as the Calgary Flames reconvened Monday after a welcome day off, "I feel like I've had great chances. Tangs (Alex Tanguay) and playing with Glennie (Curtis Glencross), they've been able to put it in and get some key goals.

"At the same time, you just keep going. As long as the chances are there, it's OK. They (goals) go in in bunches. And hopefully that's soon. But at the same time, as long as we win that's what feels good.

"We're all trying to get better, work at things. Sometimes at the start of the season, the timing's way off, it takes a while to get going. But for me it's felt good so far. Better every game. I'm trying to do the other things besides just worrying about scoring.

"I think Tangs has been unbelievable, moving to centre and playing against team's top centres so we're trying to balance between being an offensive threat while also shutting 'em down."

Over these past two games, Iginla has been using his legs to create space, to amp up his power game. And that familiar competitive brio — often fabricated to get himself going when he senses his influence in a game tapering off — has emerged naturally, out of emotion and enthusiasm, not the need to manufacture some of the same.

So far, Bob Hartley has no complaints.

"He's been the complete player for us. That's what I'm expecting out of everyone and when you get this from your captain . . . You look at the way we've played the four games. We're getting stronger and stronger. I really liked the effort in Vancouver. I felt we even had a stronger effort against Edmonton.

"I think it starts with him. He's the locomotive of this hockey club. He's been on the puck. He's been a presence. He's made some great, great passes. Defensively, they're being matched up against the top line and they've been responding well.

"So I'm very happy with Jarome."