Lately in the windy city, the city of Chicago has had the breeze of change blowing through it in many ways.
Since the passing of William Wirtz, the Blackhakws have seen a resurgence of epic proportions. 10,000 more season tickets, television broadcasts of home games that are now also sold out, smarter business and hockey decisions. Players like Patrick Kane and Jonathon Toews in, Doug Gilmour-types out. Add into the that the surprising sudden replacement of Denis Savard 4 games into this season, this team is no longer looking to be the perpetual “next year” organization. Oh, and the city of Chicago is also the home to the new President Elect of the United States.
Today the Flames venture in, a forgettable evening last night, to face a rested Blackhawks team. A Blackhawks team undefeated in regulation so far this year at home, with one one regulation in total loss since Joel Quenville took over.
On The Line
On the line tonight, the Flames looking to get both some better play on this shortened road trip, as well as a split in the points, after a lackluster effort and result 24 hours earlier. The Hawks looking to get back into the groove after almost a week off.
The Flow
A heightened pace almost immediately from what the Flames saw last evening. The Flames keep up and start creating some offense. An early poweplay proves fruitless, as does a 4 minute powerplay on the near impalement of Dion Phaneuf by the errant stick of Martin Havlat, which cuts the Calgary defenseman’s face, and lodges itself between the visor and the helmet in a scary looking play. The Blackhawks take the momentum, and with start turning it on. Miika Kiprusoff makes an outstanding toe save, but it draws a penalty to Eric Nystrom. On the ensuing powerplay, Dion Phaneuf follows the puck to the point a little too eagerly, leaving a down low two on one that is finished by Martin Havlat. The Flames look ineffective on a powerplay almost immediately after that goal, and the end of the period, another Flames penalty, a poor clearance, allows a point shot to be deflected by a Flame at the point, and the first period ends with the Flames down 2-0.
The second starts with the Flames in the box early. Good penalty killing by the Flames, highlighted by yet another Wayne Primeau 2 on 1. Unfortunately the result ends similar, with a shot to the crest of the goalie. The rest of the period opens up…something you think the Flames of a week ago would be well suited to, but the young quick, rested Blackhawks seem to relish the style more favourably, with Calgary captain Jarome Iginla looking a bit more sluggish then Flames fans have come to expect. Miikka Kiprusoff shows that his game off was to his benefit, making a variety of sparkling, fantastic, one may say game changing saves on a variety of Blackhawks to keep the difference at 2 goals. A sputtering Flames powerplay fails for the 5th time, and then an unfortunate bounce off the referee behind the net allows yet another down low off man advantage for the Blackhawks and Patrick Kane deposits the 2 foot shot to make it 3-0. The Flames continue to buzz, outshooting the Hawks, and outhitting the home team, but all their chances seem to stick like a magnet to Cristobal Huet. The Flames have yet another 2 powerplays, looking worse each time, giving up 2 on 1’s against. Late in the period, Dustin Boyd gets the corner on the defenseman and throws a pass out front that goes off Huet and makes the game 3-1. For the remaining 2 minutes, the Flames get sparked from that goal, David Moss with the best chance on a partial break that was rejected by Huet. 3-1 after two. As many shots and as many hits the Flames are taking, they have little to no sustained in zone pressure, all the chances have been off the rush or off Hawks mistakes. Same can be said of the Hawks, but the Flames have made more mistakes and allowed more odd man situations, either down low or on the rush, and Miikka Kiprusoff has held the fort as well, even more, than could be expected, and has held the team into it.
The third starts with an intermission message from the GM Darryl Sutter on the PPV that the veteran core and PP has to step it up to have any chance in the third. Unfortunately, the Hawks regain a 3 and suddenly a 4 goal advantage 18 seconds apart..Mark Giordano in both cases not making plays at the Flames blue line, allowing clear shots for Hawks streaking through the neutral zone. Both could make cases for Kiprusoff to have one or both of those shots, from Patrick Kane and Kris Versteeg, however the breakdown on the defensive coverage was the main culprit, as it was all game long. A nondescript majority of the rest of the period, the Flames shutting it down with a fairly inconceivable uphill battle. Only 5 shots on net for Calgary in the third. Brandon Prust drops the gloves twice in the period, the second skirmish giving the Blackhawks yet another powerplay. A Troy Brouwer powerplay goal makes it 6-1 and improves the Chicago powerplay to 2 for 8. Game ends, Flames with second loss in as many nights, 6-1.
Three Stars
- Patrick Kane: Goal and two assists and numerous other chances that Kiprusoff stoned him on.
- Miika Kiprusoff: Kept the Flames in the game in the middle stanza with numerous fantastic saves.
- Martin Havlat: Goal and assist on the first two goal which put the Flames behind 3-0. One wonders though, with Havalt’s scary sticking on Dion Phaneuf long before any of those points accumulated, what exactly constitutes a 5 minute high sticking penalty anymore.
Big Save
Take your pick of Miikka Kiprusoff gems in the middle of the second period. Holding the game at 2-0 and even 3-0 allowed the Flames at least a hope of a 2nd half comeback.
Big Hit
No singular noteworthy hit, but the Flames did take the body to the Blackhawks often tonight, however it didn’t translate into the momentum that usually comes along with the physical play.
The Goat
Although there are a lot of passengers tonight, and the entire powerplay unit could be considered a goat, the two early third period goals, after sustained pressure at the end of the second, flowed through two mistakes by Mark Giordano, one giveaway in the neutral zone, another letting a man get through him at the Flames blueline … and Giordano digging the puck out of the net 5 seconds later. Any hope the Flames may have had disappeared in a puff of smoke in that one shift.
Odds and Ends
Far too many defensive coverage mistakes and the resultant odd man situations were too plentiful for Miikka Kiprusoff to continue to bail his skaters. Far too few minutes of sustained Flames pressure on a younger Hawks defense and not taking advantage of 10 powerplays. Jarome Iginla especially continues to look to be struggling out there, fighting the puck, not showing the strength, speed and directness of attack which the Calgary captain is known for. He’s not taking the same initiative, it appears, as he was forced to take last year to turn games single-handedly. Injury? Hard to speculate, but certainly not seeing the fire as often this season that Flames fans are used to seeing…as most years, as he goes, so goes the team. Especially on the PP.
Whispers of a nasty flu around the team may not be helping the concentration or the fitness level either in these tight turnaround games.
Must be some sort of record for Wayne Primeau for odd man rushes that he’s lead this year. Jim Vandermeer only with 8 minutes, injured slightly in the second. 6 days off for the Blackhawks…the Flames had played 3 games in that time, including last night, as it shows. One also wonders if the 5pm starts, both here, and notably Anaheim, also seem to favour the home team. Very few back to back games are Sunday/Monday games, meaning Sunday games are usually a backend of a back to back. Add to this the earlier start time for visiting teams, and its got to be a home team physiological advantage, for pro athletes who are creatures of habit. How hard do you think the Blackhawks and the NHL are pushing for the President-elect to be dropping the puck at the upcoming Winter Classic on January 1?
Next Up
The younger, brasher, harder working then past versions and overall improved Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Saddledome on Remembrance Day, Tuesday. One wonders what sort of quip the gruff Ron Wilson will have for the Calgary media this time around after his previous comments in the playoffs last year.
Lines (To Start):
Bourque – Conroy – Iginla
Cammalleri – Langkow – Bertuzzi
Glencross – Boyd – Moss
Prust – Primeau – Nystrom
Phaneuf – Giordano
Vandermeer – Aucoin
Sarich – Regehr
