By GEORGE JOHNSON -- Calgary Sun

Franklin Graham ain't got nuthin' on that old-style, down-home, off-colour hockey preacher from Viking. 

Count Val Bure among the converts. 

The coach's urgent, high-decibel sermons -- the kind that peels paint off walls -- ring in Bure's ears. Brian Sutter, of course, is a fire-and-brimstone evangelist, one who stands in the pulpit, stomps the dirt off his cowboy kickers and preaches that to reach the promised land -- goals, success, wealth, fame -- you must confront the devil in his own lair, that underbelly of hell six to eight feet in front of the net. 

There is a price to be paid, surely, but do this and it shall bring everlasting salvation. 

"I'm just playing the way Brian wants," Bure tells you, endeavouring to explain his phenomenal start. "Going to the net. Chasing rebounds. 

"I think that part of the game is a learning experience. It comes with confidence. Most young guys start playing on the outside, on the perimeter, because that's where it's easier. 

"But when you've been around a while you understand that if you want to score goals, you have to go to the net." 

Hallelujah! And pass those All-Star Game ballots ... 

"The front of the net is not a place everyone enjoys going," says Sutter. "But Val sticks his nose in there. When Theo left, I told the players there was added responsibility, not added ice time, available for those who wanted it. Val wanted it. He's taken it. 

"Scoring goals isn't easy. It's hard. Val understands that." 

Bure is tied for the NHL lead in goals, with 10. Eighth in scoring, with 15 points. He leads the Flames in goals, points, plus-minus (at +1 the only plus player on the team), powerplay goals (four) and shots (50). He's on pace to snipe 66. He has scored over one-third of Calgary's 28 goals. 

On the last road trip, Bure only had a hand in nine of the 11 goals they created. 

"Look at the league three years ago and the average for a team was, oh, maybe three goals a game," points out Sutter. "Now it's down to two and a half. Why? Well, it's not just the goaltending. Things are tighter. The talent's watered down, so the philosophy of the game has changed. 

"Val has skill and speed. But he isn't afraid to go where the guys 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds are waiting. 

"In today's game, if you're a talent and you're willing to do what it takes to be successful, the rewards are even greater."

Bure's utter fearlessness has, quite frankly, been a revelation. Upon arrival from Montreal, he was perceived as skillful and slick, but a player used to operating on the periphery, away from traffic, away from danger. 

Now he's balancing on another sort of periphery ... that of genuine stardom. 

He's become Calgary's poster boy, larger-than-life cutouts greeting customers to Mac's convenience stores; one of two Flames included on the All-Star Game ballot. 

This is someone who's developed into more, far more, than merely a decent player with a famous surname and a celebrity wife (actress Candace Cameron). 

"Oh, Pavel's been very supportive of me, always," says Bure the Younger. "So no, I've never felt like I'm in his shadow or anything. He tells people 'I'm not as good as my younger brother', just to make me feel good." 

So far this year, such talk is not mere loyal chatter. The Russian Pocket Rocket has outscored his famous sibiling by five goals and eight points (although Pavel, to be fair, has only made seven starts).

It's unsettling to ponder where this team would be without him. 

And in what should be a fun evening, the two Bures collide Saturday at the 'Dome. 

"Obviously I'm excited by what's happened," says Val. "I can't complain. Everything's gone great for me personally so far. 

"Can I keep up this pace? I don't know. 

"But I hope so." 

He hopes so?! His teammates hope so. An entire city hopes so. And that down-home, old-style, off-colour hockey preacher from Viking sure as hell hopes so. 

In fact, it extends beyond mere hope. Beyond, and into the realm of prayer.