ANOTHER MILESTONE

The average first marriage, statistics tell us, lasts roughly eight years.
Well, Mark Giordano's 'til-retirement-do-us-part vows with the Flames already has that beat by five.
This is a union with staying power.
They tied the knot back in 2005, and outside of a one-season fling in Russia, have been an item ever since.
Tonight versus the Ottawa Senators, Giordano moves past Rock-Em/Sock-Em Robyn Regehr and into second place in regular-season games played in the colours, at 827.

Which leaves the captain and commander, enjoying a Norris Trophy-type turn at 35, 385 shy of Jarome Iginla's table-topping total of 1,219.
That, in a best-case scenario, would take him five more seasons, or until age 40.
"I've always said I obviously love the game, enjoy the rink and I'll play as long as I can,'' said Giordano following Thursday's morning skate.
"Obviously I take a lot of pride in being on one team my whole career. It's cool.
"So we'll see."
Translation: Don't be betting the kid's college nest-egg against it.
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Giordano, after all, has spent a career bucking the odds.
"He did it the hard way, believed in himself,'' said head coach Bill Peters. "And here is now, a candidate for the Norris Trophy, obviously.
"A very good pro, a very good teammate and I'm fortunate to have him as my captain."
Regehr, of course, was a mentor and when Giordano arrived undrafted, unknown and unheralded way back in the day.
"When I came in, he was the guy you looked up to as a young D-man,'' recalled the catalyst who, over time, has made the No. 5 his own. "He was the top guy on the team at the time, one of the best defensive defencemen in the game, and I really learned a lot from him.
"He was a physical guy, could skate well. Sorta did it all for the Flames."
Much like Giordano, who does it all, as well, for the only NHL organization he's ever known.
"In today's game, it's tough because of all the factors … the cap and stuff like that,'' Giordano acknowledged of only donning the Flaming C. "It's been great. I love the city. It's like home to me know. I've developed so many relationships.
"You enjoy that, enjoy staying in one spot.
"There've been ups and downs but to be able to do that has been pretty cool and with the team doing so well this year, it means a lot - to be here this long.
"Time goes by quick but you look back and you don't take those things for granted."

As the years pass, continues to leave household names in his career wake.
"When you start passing guys in the organization for numbers, it's not something you take for granted,'' he said. "I really don't.
"I appreciated all the guys I played with and even those I didn't. You look at the names and there's a lot of history there."
If anything keeps a fella young, it's fun at the workplace. Meaning this winter has been a blast so far.
"When you're winning games you come to the rink, the mood's great, everyone's feeling good about themselves,'' said Giordano. "The chirps are a lot funnier when things are going well.
"Everyone says it when you first come into the league, all the older guys: It goes by quick, don't take it for granted. Well, it really does. It really flies by.
"We're in a really good spot this year and hopefully we'll continue to play well into playoffs and go on a long run."
Giordano has, naturally, already been granted access into the pantheon of organizational greats.
Tonight, another milestone.
"At no point initially did I envision him developing into the player you see today," confessed Regehr earlier this year. "I don't think anybody could have.
"Not just on the ice but in leadership qualities.
"The last few years, he's been absolutely lights-out.
"But that's a big part of the charm of the story, isn't it?
"And it is a fantastic story."
A story, Giordano the author is proving, that has a few more can't-put-the-book-down chapters yet to be savoured.