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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 3064782" data-attributes="member: 2012">Tanguay did homework on IginlaCanadian Press9/14/2006 6:09:19 PMCALGARY (CP) - Alex Tanguay didn't wait for the Calgary Flames' training camp to start learning about Jarome Iginla.The 26-year-old forward did homework over the summer by asking Calgary's coaching staff questions about Iginla and watching tape of the Flames' star in action.''I'm going to try to use certain assets of his game to hopefully enhance his play and enhance his scoring if we play together,'' Tanguay said Thursday. ''We're going to be looking for each other that's for sure.''The Flames' main camp opens Friday at the Pengrowth Saddledome. The buzz is the Tanguay-Iginla combo and what it can do to beef up a team that was the best team in the league defensively, but among the worst offensively last season.That was the reason the Flames dealt defenceman Jordan Leopold to Colorado for Tanguay at the NHL draft in June and subsequently signed Tanguay to a US$15.75-million, three-year contract.Iginla, twice the NHL's scoring champ, saw his production drop off last season to 35 goals and 32 assists.The arrival of Tanguay gives Iginla a talented set-up man or takes pressure off him should Tanguay end up on another line.''I'm a winger and I like to shoot the puck. I'm not going to lie,'' Iginla said. ''So it's exciting to hear that he's going to feed me, but I plan on trying to get him a few back and return some favours too.''Iginla has also taken matters into his own hands in the off-season by changing his training regime to streamline his body and shed about 10 pounds in mass.''It's the new rules. I don't think strength is as important as speed and agility is,'' Iginla explained. ''The old NHL, before the rule changes, I think a big part of it for my game was in the corners and trying to outmuscle defencemen and some defencemen were very strong.''It's not as big now. I think the focus is more on speed now.''Iginla didn't feel the need to do homework on Tanguay after years of playing against him in the league's Northwest Division.''He scored a lot of nice goals against us and beaten us in a lot of ways,'' Iginla said. ''Our teams needs that. We need a bit more creativity.''Tanguay contemplated the possibility of switching from wing to centre to play alongside Iginla.''I've played maybe, over the course of my first six years in the NHL, a maximum of 10 or 15 games at centre,'' he said. ''It's something I'm unfamiliar with, but if I have to play centre, I'll play centre no problem.''Tanguay, who had 29 goals and 49 assists for the Avalanche last season, wasn't concerned the Flames' defence-oriented style under head coach Darryl Sutter last season would hamper his style.''Last year I played with Brett McLean and Ian Laperriere, who weren't known as offensive threats before and I still managed to put points on the board,'' Tanguay said. ''I don't think your defence should restrict your offence and the better you play defensively, the more you are going to have the puck.''The Flames underwent physicals Thursday and open main camp Friday with all key players under contract.Jim Playfair, who was promoted from assistant to head coach when Sutter stepped aside to focus on his managerial duties, said not to expect to see the pairing of Tanguay and Iginla on the first day of camp.''(The rookies) have been here for a long time working really hard amongst their peers,'' he said. ''For us, it's about making sure those same players have a chance to be around the veteran players and find out there is another pace.''It's more important right now to blend the groups together as opposed to starting picking and choosing lines.''Defenceman Rhett Warrener is due to arrive Friday and winger Darren McCarty on Saturday and their lateness is due to ''personal reasons,'' according to the team.Notes - Tanguay says he has gone back to wearing No. 40, which he wore his first couple seasons with Colorado before switching to No. 18. Flames forward Matthew Lombardi wears that number . . . Calgary's first pre-season game is Sunday against Florida.</blockquote>

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