For years the Calgary Flames were discounted as Jarome Iginla and a bunch of stiffs.
Shut down #12 and you beat the boys in red every time guaranteed, right? The Flames, hosting a key five game homestand have managed points in the previous four games with said #12 kept off the scoreboard not once but two times on the stand and five times in the past eight games. Yet they win, or at least find points.
But he was due, and boy did he deliver once again against his boyhood heroes, putting up two goals and three assists to chase away the Oilers by a 6-4 score on New Years Eve.
On The Line
The Flames have space in the Northwest, they could afford to lose, but still you want to build that first place lead and push the Oilers back further in the process. That and a great chance to go 4-0-1 on a key five game homestand.
The Flow
The first period was an early rush by the Flames but denied followed by an early goal by the Oilers. The visitors had a 2-1 lead on a powerplay goal and an 8-3 edge in shots just seven minutes in. Then Calgary took over and finished the period with another goal and a nine shot burst to own the period overall.
The second started much like the first with the Oilers pushing the issue and gaining the lead. Calgary had some great chances after that including an Iginla point blank chance off the cross bar. The resurgent Adrian Aucoin tied the score when he rifled home a loose puck on a 5 on 3 created by the lamest call to Sheldon Souray I’ve ever seen. Overall the Flames controlled the period and likely deserved a better fate.
A much better Flames team in the third, not giving the Oilers much and carrying the play. The Flames find their first lead of the night when Iginla buries his 2nd of the night and his fourth point to put the Flames up 4-3. Later Dustin Boyd finds a tiny triangle over Roloson on a rebound and scores to put the Flames up by two. The Oilers have two powerplay advantages to make things close but it’s Cammalleri with his second into the empty net salting things away.
Three Stars
1. Jarome Iginla: Five points, two goals and three assists and some kick butt back checking for Calgary’s captain. A few weeks ago he was picking up points while playing poorly while this week he was pointless while playing well. Tonight he was both.
2. Mike Cammalleri: though you know he wanted the captain to score the empty netter and bag the hat trick you can’t take away his similar 2/3 night for a career high of five points. His one knee down one timer for the Flames second strike was a Cammalleri classic.
3. Denis Grebeshkov: Almost matches the aforementioned Flames duo by posting four points in a loss for the Oilers.
Big Save
Another of those big because of the save itself and big because of the timing of the save plays when Miikka Kiprusoff butterflied into a solid save on Eric Cole in with the Oilers on the powerplay up 2-1 in the first. A 3-1 goal there could easily have sealed the deal.
Big Hit
By impact Sam Gagner’s stick in feet move on Robyn Regehr in the second that sent chills down the spine of Flames fans everywhere, but in terms of actual body contact Curtis Glencross on either first period smoosh on Smid or Visnovsky.
The Goat
Clearly the Oilers PK, as special teams were the difference in the game. The Flames scored three times and the Oilers scored once … nuff said.
Mr. Clutch
Adrian Aucoin, and another solid performance for a guy that many have given up on. That Zyuzin trade is looking better and better both in terms of player movement and even salary as the guy has moved up into the Flames core and has had an impact in the team’s on ice fortunes.
Odds and Ends
Give former Oiler colour guy Ray Ferraro credit for calling out Albert Roloson early when he said “Roloson is hot, thinking he was interfered with, which he thinks often” when the Flames tied the score at two with incidental contact from Daymond Langkow. … I’ve been hard on Iginla defensively forever but you have to give him credit for getting back on an ill adivsed Pardy pinch to close up on Penner. … Souray off the glass 190 feet away and it’s a penalty? Haven’t seen that called before. What a stupid delay of game rule. … Another one for the D’Arcy McGrath doesn’t know “jack” about hockey file? Adrian Aucoin. I thought the guy was done coming into this season but he’s been huge in both ends of the ice this season. … Did Robyn Regehr bite a Karma sandwhich yesterday by baiting MacTavish and then going down with an injury tonight on a Sam Gagner stick on an icing call? Hopefully not serious. … So here’s a moral question on second assists; Cammalleri takes the line in the third period on a Calgary powerplay. He drops the puck to Iginla who keeps the puck in by feeding it to Daymond Langkow. Langkow floats it back to Iginla who buries it to put the Flames up 4-3 and the scoresheet reads Iginla from Langkow and Cammalleri. Should it? There was a division in the flow to dictate Iginla from Langkow only. Discuss. … I love Chris Cuthbert, don’t get me wrong, but someone please explain the world “swivel” to him. Swivel does not mean move the puck forward it meets turn in a circle. … Good night in Calgary, Hitmen beat Edmonton, Flames beat Edmonton and Canada beats the Americans. Sadly Canada lost in the Spengler Cup final to foil the sweep. … The loss moves the Oilers from 9th spot in the West to a tie for 11th with points from the Wild and Jackets. Calgary moves a point ahead of Chicago, five ahead of Vancouver and a full ten clear of a playoff spot. With that I have to ask; is this the best Flames team we’ve seen since the very early 90’s? the 2004 team was a 6th place club on a roll, but this kind of consistency we haven’t seen in this town for almost two decades. With the Oilers three leads tonight I wasn’t the least bit concerned.
Next Up
Next up the Flames hit the road for an afternoon spot in Nashville on Saturday, game time 1pm mountain on Sportnet. Check out the Calgary Herald website on Saturday for yours truly setting up the game.
Lines (To Start):
Cammalleri – Conroy- Iginla
Bourque – Langkow – Bertuzzi
Glencross – Lombardi – Moss
Nystrom- Boyd- Roy
Phaneuf – Pardy
Regehr – Aucoin
Sarich – Giordano
Kiprusoff
