 Instead, Sutter brought in three ageing veterans, Bryan Marchment, Tony Amonte and Darren McCarty, as free agent reclamation projects to start the season.Nonetheless, the season began with high expectations following Calgary's surprising run to the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals.The season opened with a disappointing October, as the Flames started 4–7–2 before an eight-game November winning streak propelled Calgary back into contention in the Northwest Division.