Courtesy Calgary Herald:

Whatever the Calgary Stampeders worked on behind closed doors this week, it worked.

Like a charm.

A stifling defence, combined with terrific nights offensively from Henry Burris and Joffrey Reynolds sent an opening-night crowd of 30,159 home happy from McMahon Stadium after the Stamps racked up an opening-night 28-18 Canadian Football League win over the B.C. Lions.

While the offensive brilliance may have been expected after one of the league’s top offences in 2007 returned largely intact, it was the Calgary defence, overhauled in the off-season by new coach/GM John Hufnagel and his new defensive co-ordinator Chris Jones, that was the real revelation.

“I think you saw a lot of speed out there — speed, aggressiveness, flying to the ball,” said Hufnagel. “They didn’t give up and they were a force. It’s step one, it’s still early, but it was a good start.”

Despite a series of injuries, Calgary found holes in the B.C. offensive line, and also made life miserable all night for Lions receivers.

Even more encouraging was the penetration the Calgary D-line managed to get on B.C.’s vaunted offensive line. Calgary racked up four sacks — Miguel Robede, Eddie Freeman, Howard Hodges and Juwan Simpson all got to Buck Pierce — in the first 30 minutes.

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