CARPEN-'TRE' SKILLS

For a few minutes, anyway, Ryan Carpenter felt completely at ease.
The 1 p.m. deadline officially passed, and with 45 minutes to catch a flight with the Blackhawks, his life in Chicago resumed, as normal.
And then?
It didn't.
"I thought there was a chance I'd get traded," Carpenter said over the phone Monday. "We had ESPN up, so I was watching it and checking Twitter a bit. I actually saw my name rumored to go somewhere else, and then the guy took the tweet down and said it was a mistake. Then, the deadline hit and nothing really happened, so I started rushing to pack.
"Then, I got a couple of texts."
Game on.

In what's become an annual tradition with this made-for-TV holiday, the Flames and Blackhawks had actually swung a trade, but with a logjam of last-minute deals cramming the phone lines at Central Registry, it took some time for the paperwork to get through.
In any case, Carpenter is a Flame, now - and despite the flurry of emotions that washed over him in the moment, the 31-year-old couldn't be happier with his new hockey haven.
He's coming from a team well out of the race, to one in control of the division and with a legitimate shot of summoning Lord Stanley.
"They're a hard team to play against," Carpenter said, recalling an earlier meeting when the Flames bamboozled the Blackhawks, 5-2, and out-shot them 39-21.
Carpenter had an assist that notable, November affair.
"Any time we had a pre-scout preparing to play them, top to bottom, it seemed like every line plays the same," he added. "There's probably more offence at the top of the lineup, it seems like everyone's bought in to how Sutter has them playing, whether it's on the forecheck, finishing hits, or back-checking, tracking, and limiting rush opportunities.
"It seems like every guy, top to bottom, has really bought into that straight-line hockey that he wants them playing. It's really working for them and it shows in the standings and the success they've had this year."
As the prototypical, workmanlike player in his own right, Carpenter figures to be part of that unassailable, Sutter-inspired strategy. The 200-lb., right-shot forward is a versatile depth option for the Flames head coach, and brings an impressive track record of defensive excellence.
For example, no other Chicago forward played more short-handed minutes this year than Carpenter's 128:22.
He loves the challenge of going up against top players in the faceoff circle and is eager to prove himself in a similar role here with the Flames.
"I'm a depth forward," Carpenter acknowledged. "I've played centre, mostly, this year, but I can play both. I can take d-zone draws, play a lot of minutes on the PK. But anytime you're coming in to a new team, you're trying to earn ice time and earn a spot in the lineup. … Those are all things I was doing in Chicago.
"Whatever my role may be, I'm going to come in and work hard, stay true to my identity and help the team win games."

Carpenter, who's won 52.25% of his draws this year, has 11 points (3G, 8A) in 59 games this year.
In all, he has 68 points (26G, 42A) in 300 career games, and brings one of the great intangibles valued by Sutter: Playoff experience.
Carpenter went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018, contributing five helpers in the expansion club's unlikely run.
What he learned that spring was invaluable.
"Everything's magnified, right?" Carpenter said. "When you're winning, you feel invincible. And when you lose a game or two, it feels like everything's collapsing.
"Those are the emotions you deal with.
"The right way to handle it is to live in the present, whether you're having success and winning comes easy, or haven't won a game. You stick to the game plan and stick to what works."
"When adversity hits, it shows what your team is made of and what you're made of as a man. When you experience that firsthand, you realize how hard it is to win.
"The thing about the playoffs is that you might find yourself down, but you're never, really, out of it. I've had series' where you lose the first game and then win four in a row, or win the first game and lose four in a row after that. I've been on both sides of that. There's always a chance to respond and adversity will help teams come out the other side strong. Whoever ends up winning the Stanley Cup, they end up hitting some sort of adversity in the playoffs and they find a way to get over it.
"That's the championship mentality you need."
The Golden Knights didn't win it that year. They fell in five games to Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. For Carpenter, the scar lingers.
There's nothing better than a chance at redemption, and the Oviedo, Fla., native will have a chance now with the Flames.
As a player, that's all you can ask for.
Even if it takes uprooting your family and starting a new adventure, together, in a new city.
"My older son (Beau) probably understands the most and when he woke up from his nap, I told him and he smiled and didn't really understand," Carpenter laughed. "My younger son (Brock), when I told him we were going to the Calgary Flames, he screamed out, 'RED!'
"My wife was impressed he knew what colours they were.
"It's part of the business, but it's an exciting time for a family to go to a new city and a team that's having some success and trying to compete for the Stanley Cup."