Sometimes, one team takes the momentum and keeps it for an entire game. More often, momentum swings back and forth like a pendulum, and that was the case in this game, one where the Flames found themselves on the wrong side of the pendulum a little too often.
This was Curtis McElhinney’s first start of the year–and thus a good opportunity for the visitors to play a steady, defensively sound road-game, a game that perhaps might be characterized more by solid, patient play–rather than wild swings in momentum. However, the latter was the case tonight, and although McElhinney was very solid in net, the boys in front of him couldn’t generate enough offense to earn him the win, and a few ill-timed defensive miscues led to a solid win for Columbus in a score that probably flattered the Flames a little in the end.
On The Line
More than you’d think: this being Curtis McElhinney’s first start of the year, this game becomes that much more critical. Calgary needs to show their ice-chewing coach that the backup can be trusted. A few more games of rest for the fickle Finn could really help this team down the stretch.
The Flow
The first period was all about momentum: that is to say, every time Calgary got some, they killed it on the next shift. The proverbial pendulum was swinging back and forth, and the Flames seemed to be merely along for the ride. A strong opening few minutes killed by an anemic powerplay. A good penalty kill erased by a brutal giveaway from Rene Bourque that swiftly ended up behind a bemused McElhinney. Then, a fantastic, spirit-lifting fight from Brandon Prust, then another stick-infraction from Regehr… I think you get the picture. The final result was a 1-0 Columbus lead, and not much reason to hope for better in the next period.
The second started with a Flames’ powerplay, and Jarome Iginla found some redemption from the area just above the hash marks in the slot–which I’ve observed over the years is more or less his “butter zone.” However, the momentum rule from the first remained in effect as Derick Brassard walked around Jim Vandermeer and fired a wristshot blocker-side past the helpless Curtis McElhinney, putting the visitors behind again. After that, the Flames seemed preoccupied with the ghosts of second-periods past, adopting the “shut your eyes and pray” strategy until the buzzer sounded. Trailing after two on the road is never good–but all in all the Flames were perhaps fortunate not to be down more than a single goal.
Having escaped the dreaded second period only down one, the Flames came out of the locker room looking sharp (if also a little methodical and patient). The Jackets, having played last night, started to show some heavy legs after outskating Calgary for most of the game, but Steve Mason was equal to the Flames’ scoring chances, most of which (if we’re being honest) were pretty ordinary. In the end it was the Jackets’ Manny Malhotra who would strike next, extending the home team’s lead to 2 and causing the proverbial “fat lady” to start warming up her voice. A roughing penalty to Giordano with under two to go sealed the deal in this one, as the pendulum made its final swing while the Flames were left to ponder their fates during the flight to Chicago.
Three Stars
- Derick Brassard: His quick feet on the game-winner were almost enough for us to forgive the curious spelling of his first name. In all honesty, it was a little hard to find stars in this game, but in this case the game winner and a swift-skating performance all around was enough to earn Brassard the nod.
- Mike Commodore: He notched an assist on the Brassard goal, but most of the Columbus defender’s work was of the kind not seen on the scoresheet, though in the end he was just a goal shy of the Gordie Howe hat trick. Commodore was solid at both ends of the ice, generating offense in Calgary’s zone and thwarting it in his own.
- Jarome Iginla: The rest of the team may be cooling off, but the captain seems to be hitting his stride, and a little earlier than in years past. If the rest of the team can get their legs going, this team should have some success down the line.
Big Save
For most of the game, Calgary made Steve Mason’s life pretty easy–but there was a scary moment for the young netminder in the first period, when Todd Bertuzzi wound up a point-blank one-timer just outside the crease. Mason somehow managed to trap the puck in his equipment, sending the pendulum swinging the other way.
Big Hit
In the second period, Cory Sarich found a streaking Raffi Torres barreling into the zone in a vulnerable position, but losing his footing along the boards. Ever unmerciful, Sarich took advantage, rubbing Torres out hard along the boards. How hard? Let’s just say that Torres doesn’t seem to be sporting that signature soul-patch anymore….
The Goat
This honour goes to one Rene Bourque, who after collecting the puck along the boards in his own zone, seemed momentarily to forget which end of the ice he was at, sending a beautiful centering pass into the slot, right onto the stick of a waiting Jason Chimera.
Mr. Clutch
This could easily have been filed under “Big Save”–but Dion Phaneuf gets this honour for his penalty-killing heroics in the second, batting the puck out of the air in the goalmouth to keep the score 2-1, robbing Rick Nash who was staring at a wide-open net. They say your best penalty-killer is your goaltender–but I don’t think McElhinney was complaining about the help.
Odds and Ends
Most of you were probably watching the game on CBC. Those of us who were treated to the feed from Fox Sports Ohio got to see something very special indeed. They reached the height of “unnecessary telestrator use” when the colour commentator showed the replay of Jared Boll and Brandon Prust discussing the ensuing fight, and drew an X in between the two players, saying “these two are talking… in this area right here.”… Speaking of which, does anyone else get the feeling that Prust has been working on his fighting technique? He acquitted himself rather well in his fight with Boll, tagging the bigger player pretty hard in the closing moments of their bout… You thought Bertuzzi and Iginla lacked chemistry? Watching Big Bert trying to break into the zone with Rene Bourque was like the closing montage in a Benny Hill episode. They were brutally out of synch all night long–and as if to emphasize this they literally ran into one another in the third, not long before Manny Malhotra’s critical insurance marker… This game disproved the maxim that the winner of the fights wins the game–with one exception Calgary came out on top in the fisticuffs department, but it wasn’t enough to swing the pendulum their way. That one exception came with just seconds remaining, when Wayne Primeau was dropped by Mike Commodore.
Next Up
The Flames take on the Blackhawks to-morrow night–note the early start, 5:00 PM MST. This one will be on pay-per-view, though we expatriates will have to be satisfied with Comcast SportsNet on NHL Center Ice.
Lines (To Start):
Cammalleri – Conroy – Iginla
Bertuzzi – Langkow – Bourque
Glencross – Boyd – Moss
Prust – Primeau – Nystrom
Phaneuf – Vandermeer
Sarich – Regehr
Giordano – Aucoin
And…. McElhinney!
