'A LITTLE MOOD, A LITTLE EDGE'

No other team can lay claim to a brand - nay, identity - as unbreakable as the C of Red.
Around here, that will always be the colour.
Sometimes, though, it's good to freshen things up. Liven the mood. Embrace the phenomenon!
"It's nice," Blake Coleman said of the Flames' amazing all-black kits, which will debut Tuesday with the return of Blasty as the official third jersey. "It's got a little mood, a little edge to it. I'm excited to shake it up.
"I think we could use it right now."

Indeed, the new motif couldn't have come at a better time. With a bit of a dark cloud hanging over the team after a marathon road trip that saw them collect only five of a possible 12 points, 'Dark Mode' could be the tonic they need.
The Flames will don their Blasty or pedestal-crested, Reverse Retro uniforms for each of the next seven home games between now and Christmas.
And, like the CFL's Calgary Stampeders and their murdered-out, Labour Day garb, the aggressive look seems to be a real hit.
"What do you guys think?!" Dan Vladar yelled as he took to the ice for Monday's half-hour skate, showing off his new setup for the first time. "Sick, right?"

Sometimes, life on the road can be a bit draining - especially when the results aren't coming easy. And yes, we're aware of the fact that the reverse was being spouted early when the Flames kicked off the campaign with eight of their first nine games on home ice.
Point is, change can be good.
And it was clear based on the mood at Monday's workout that the 9-9-3 Flames are in good spirits as they prepare to open a crucial five-game homestand.
"We're an older group and we understand the situation," Coleman said. "We don't dwell on losses. Maybe we did a bit earlier in the year and that was an issue for us, but I think, now, we've taken more of a positive approach and are taking the lessons from the games. That's how we look at the last road trip.
"We were one goal away from getting the points we needed on the trip - and obviously you can pick and choose the good and bad spots, the different points in the game that you can work on. But I think the biggest thing is finding that consistency moving forward. We've got a great opportunity being back here at home for five and we really need to take advantage and try to separate from the pack.
"The energy has been better lately. There's just a little bit more life in the room and that's important if you're going to turn things around and have success."

Coleman - who celebrated his 31st birthday and received plenty of stick taps, chirps and more from his brothers Monday - always has his finger on the pulse of the room.
As a two-time Cup champion, he's been to the top.
But also, the bottom.
If you can't keep a level head at either end of the spectrum, it's impossible to succeed at this level.
So, sure, the Flames are currently engulfed in a three-game losing skid and as of this writing, they find themselves out of a playoff spot.
But that's today.
Tomorrow, when Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers come to town, they have the power to change that.
"Adversity is something that really hardens you," Coleman said. "You look at a lot of the teams that win, they all go through at tough stretches during the year. Look back at the (2019) St. Louis Blues (who were dead last on Jan. 2, but went on to win the Cup), or teams that really had to grind to get into the playoffs, that's a common theme.
"It seems like we're going to have to fight for every inch this year. It's all about how you approach it - and for us, that could be a good thing."
"Obviously, you've got to make it, first. But if you do, you're battle-tested.
"It's not supposed to be easy."