In the Calgary Flames phenomenal second half turnaround, which saw the club climb from fourteenth overall in the Western Conference in late December to fifth overall by early March, no players have been more important to their rise than team captain Jarome Iginla and goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff.

Of course it's been a team effort but it's been Iginla and Kiprusoff - “Iggy” and “Kipper”, the reliable superstars and bedrock of the franchise – leading the way.

Both recovered from slow starts to this season and stepped up their respective performances since late-December.

Iginla scored his 30^th goal of the season in a recent 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators, putting him into elite company as only the tenth player in NHL history to reach the 30-goal plateau in ten or more consecutive seasons.

With 30 goals and 66 points in 68 games, Iginla is on pace for a 37-goal, 80-point performance.

What's more impressive is the consistency since mid-November, held scoreless in only 14 games, and only three times in consecutive games.

Kiprusoff meanwhile has a 31-20-5 record in 59 games, with a 2.55 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage, with six shutouts.

Solid numbers, but like Iginla, it's the second half numbers which are noteworthy.

Nineteen of his 31 victories have come since late-December, half of his six shutouts since mid-February, and in only 12 games since December 23rd has he allowed three or more goals.

Given their performances it's hard to believe there were calls in the media and from some Flame fans for the pair to waive their respective movement clauses to allow the team to deal them away for young players, draft picks and prospects.

The moves weren't just to make the Flames better, said the critics, but also to “allow” Iginla and Kiprusoff “the chance to play for a Cup contender”.

Awfully decent of those calling for those two to be shopped to claim they had their best interests at heart, but none of those critic took into account what Iginla and Kiprusoff wanted, and to their credit, it wasn't to seek hockey's holy grail somewhere else.

Both insisted they wanted to stay put and help the Flames become a playoff team and a Cup contender.

Those words sounded hollow back during the dark days of mid-December, when the Flames had bottomed out, jockeying with the Edmonton Oilers for the dubious title of “worst team in the Western Conference”.

They sound damned near prophetic now.

The Flames aren't guaranteed a playoff spot yet. With a month remaining in the season and less than 15 games in their schedule, the Flames have little room for error in the very tight Western Conference playoff race. A losing skid could send them tumbling down to 11^th overall in a week's time.

Even if they make it into the post-season few would make them Cup contenders, though their die-hard fans will point out anything's possible once the playoffs begin.

But the Flames have rallied back from the point of oblivion this season, and did it with Iginla and Kiprusoff doing what franchise players are supposed to do, leading the way.

Even if Calgary comes up short this season, no one can fault the effort of those two, and hopefully it'll put an end to the trade rumors which first surfaced about those two nearly a year ago.

Perhaps the day will come, likely in the final year of their respective contracts (Iginla's in 2012-13, Kiprusoff in 2013-14), when the talk could rear its head again, especially if the Flames flounder and fail to rail as impressively as they did this season.

Maybe then, Iglina and Kiprusoff might – emphasis on “might” - consider the option of accepting a trade to a Cup contender in exchange for a return of youth which allows the Flames to rebuild, a move accepted “for the good of the team”.

Maybe then, if management informs both players it has has no desire to re-sign them when the final years of their contracts are over, will they perhaps accept such a deal.

But until then, the pair made it clear where their desire to play belongs, that bailing is not for them when they have a say in the matter.

And Flames fans should be grateful the pair never listened to the “advice” of the critics.