But who will do the playing?

Calgary Flames ended their exhibition schedule with a dramatic 2-1 victory over the Oilers in Edmonton last night, the Flames finishing the pre-season at 4-2-1 but leaving only a matter of hours or days before the final rounds of cuts overtakes a scattered collection of remaining hopefuls.

Craig Conroy stole the puck from a flat-footed Jason Smith then fed a seeing eye pass through a plethora of skates and sticks to Jarome Iginla who one-timed a rocket over a stunned Tommy Salo with only 20 seconds remaining in the third.

Coach Darryl Sutter will undoubtedly be praying that's the kind of vintage kinetic connection he can expect through an 82 game regular season schedule, although his immediate attention must be turning to more practical matters.

Making the final cuts.

CAMP IMPLICATIONS 

This is it, the setting of the final roster . . . . except injuries might allow for one or two players to survive, however briefly, into the early season.

FORWARDS 

Sutter made it clear on the FAN960 pre-game show that Matthew Lombardi "has separated himself from the pack" among the young forwards challenging for positions.

With Steve Reinprecht questionable for opening night, Sutter's statement would seem to point to Lombardi being one of the survivors, yet the young centre logged only 7:11 in ice time last night, centering Robert Dome and Krzysztof Oliwa/Dave Lowry.

Dome is another bubble forward and in spite of putting up eight points in six pre-season games was again limited to around eight minutes in ice time in a fairly tepid performance. One puzzle this pre-season has been Dome's ice time typically hovering below those he happens to be competing with, although playing in almost every game.

Blair Betts, aside from being turned inside out in the third period by Georges Laraque of all people in the third period, had an outstanding game with a skill goal from a sharp angle and continues to impress with his skating and overall game. He's obviously penciled in as Calgary's fourth line centre but has shown he's probably capable of more than that lowly position. Betts logged 16:56 in ice time and represents an excellent secondary weapon to Stephane Yelle as a checking line pivot.

Dean McAmmond admitted in a pre-game conversation with the Edmonton broadcast crew that he's been slow off the mark this training camp, his skating, the bread and butter of his game, still not a strength. His concern might be that Iginla and Conroy appear to be capable of getting along quite well without him.

Oleg Saprykin served on wing with Yelle and Shean Donovan, one of Calgary's most effective lines on the night. Saprykin is another Flame who's had a less than stellar training camp and one wonders if this might be where he starts the season, as the skill guy on the checking line while Martin Gelinas moves up a spot to play with Steve Reinprecht and Chuck Kobasew.

For Kobasew a workmanlike game although little in the way of results but he's in no danger of not making this team.

DEFENCE 

Sutter claimed a bunch of his young defence corps were largely uncompetitive against the Oilers on Thursday night, unable to handle Edmonton's speed and particularly soft on the penalty kill.

Should we have been surprised then to see Steve Montador (on for three Oiler power play goals) and Jesse Wallin, two of the three bubble boys competing for a single spot on the roster, watching the Saturday contest from the press box?

That left Mike Commodore drawing the lone straw into the lineup, the hulking Flames defender logging 19:52 in ice time in an effective performance.

You can read ominous things into the lineup omissions ... or nothing. After all, Jordan Leopold was on for four of those Oiler power play goals on Thursday but logged 19:30 in ice time on Saturday in a fine performance.

The two steadiest and most combative Flames would have probably been Denis Gauthier, giver of numerous timely hits, and Rhett Warrener who turned in a night only a connoisseur of the defensive side of the game might have appreciated. The duo played 18:07 and 21:05 respectively.

As the competition ratcheted up to a higher level through the exhibition schedule, Andrew Ference's effectiveness began to diminish. On for three of those Oiler power play goals on Thursday night, he could just as easily have been one of the defencemen Sutter was complaining about but logged 22:37 in ice time and had four shots on Saturday night. The question about Ference will not be that he makes the team but rather how much five on five play he might have when Sutter finally puts together his full lineup.

GOALTENDING 

The new improved Roman Turek looks more confident in his footwork, faster off his knees, more in control of his rebounds.

At least in the limited action he's seen.

Turek, of course, like it or not, is the one lynchpin that has to work if the Flames are to end their seven year playoff drought. With only one goal allowed in the pre-season the early reviews are good.

The other question, perhaps the most intriguing question in training camp, is who will back him up. Jamie McLennan had perhaps the worst training camp for a goaltender in Flames history and it was certainly interesting that the second most impressive goaltender in camp, young Brent Krahn, was also Turek's backup in the final exhibition game.

It would still be hard to imagine Krahn, whom most would agree needs a full season of health and a great deal of games in the minors, actually sticking around in McLennan's stead even though coach Sutter said early in camp such a scenario was within the realm of possibility.

But it would also seem certain that McLennan's days as a Flame are numbered, the unflappable dressing room comedian likely having shot the confidence of the coach so badly that his departure via a trade or a buyout is likely imminent in the first weeks of the season.

In that vein, Sutter did concede that while there were players in Friday's waiver draft the Flames were interested in, they preferred to trade for those players rather than simply claim them. An interesting comment considering the McLennan situation and the backup position in general.