All season long we’ve been wondering who the real Calgary Flames are. They’ve disappointed with a tough start, rattled off six straight wins, got blown out in Chicago and San Jose, and then turned it around of late just when you were ready to write them off.
Tonight the Flames were present with an excellent statement chance in New York, and didn’t let anyone down playing a solid road game in turning back the home town Rangers by a score of 3-0.
Good teams win on the road. Great teams win on the road in tough buildings, but all teams win games ugly and boring, and that’s just what the Flames mustered up on Sunday night in Gotham. A huge win to guarantee a .500 record on a very tough road trip. Maybe these guys are for real.
On The Line
A big come from behind win in St. Louis gives the Flames three cracks at a .500 road trip with that first crack tonight in New York against the Rangers. All three “chances” are against tough opposition, a true test for a somewhat emerging Flames.
The Flow
About as tough a start as you can diagram with the Rangers taking it straight to the Flames off the opening face off, almost scoring and then going on the powerplay. From there things quieted down though giving the Flames a scoreless tie and a solid road period in a tough barn.
The second was even more of a road period for the Flames, they kept it simple and had their legs moving generating two calls off Ranger indiscretions. Sadly the best chances in the first ten minutes came from the Rangers shorthanded. The Flames scored first when an odd man rush right after a penalty kill resulted in a Dion Phaneuf shot, and a great Mike Cammelleri pass to Jarome Iginla who notched his 14th of the season. The Rangers pressed right after the goal and hit a goal post in the middle of a massive goal mouth scramble. Another late Ranger powerplay that was kept casual by the Flames sending them to the third up a goal.
You couldn’t pen a better start to the third for the Flames with David Moss going to the net and deflecting a Todd Bertuzzi pass (couldn’t be a shot) off the post and in. From there the Flames nursed their two goal lead and kept it simple, trading chances and running down the clock. With little time left Rene Bourque put the game away with a short handed goal to round out the scoring.
Three Stars
1. Mikka Kiprusoff: Shut outs are huge at any time, but in New York and giving the Flames a guaranteed .500 trip? Done. First star though he wasn’t tested all that often despite the shot totals.
2. David Moss: Goals in four straight games including the key 2nd goal for Calgary in the third period. Lead the team in hits, and blocked a shot in the third period. Is this guy for real?
3. Dion Phaneuf: Third star could have gone to almost anyone in this game but Phaneuf had an assist, was plus two with three shots on goal.
Big Save
Can there be a bigger save, except maybe the last 15 seconds in a game, then the first 155 seconds in a game? Some lazy defense had the Rangers Callaghan with a great redirect chance right off the hopper only to be foiled by a butterflying Miikka Kiprusoff. … In the second Kiprusoff had to be stellar when the puck took a crazy bounce off the boards leaving Petr Prucha with a great backhand chance. … But the save of the game goes to Daymond Langkow when he closed his boots and stoned Colton Orr after the Rangers hit a goal post.
Big Hit
Nothing from this game will make a Rock’em Sock’em tape, but Warren Peters in his first NHL game when he slammed Mark Stahl into the boards on a second period forecheck.
The Goat
Kind of a goatless game really, the Flames were solid and the Rangers played fairly well too. But if you want to pick on someone you hammer the Rangers powerplay for its 0/4 performance including a chance 15 seconds in, and then late when they gave up a shorty.
Mr. Clutch
To pick a guy that wasn’t a game star I’ll go with Mark Giordano, who continues to solidify his game in his own zone while still playing well offensively. I said in September that the key to the Flames season was #5, if he was able to ascent into the top four the team was in good shape. Looks good thus far.
Odds and Ends
Big time players need to make big time plays, but Todd Bertuzzi failed to get a pass through on back to back odd man rushes in the first. Have to get shots on those chances. His “must pass to Iginla” mantra is really hurting his game. Minutes later? Iginla with the same trying to get it to Bertuzzi. … Speaking of Bertuzzi (yeah broken record I know) but I have a theory; I think the man has only one stick. That would explain his inexplicable avoidance of shooting the puck regardless of positioning or situation. We saw that again in the first when he took a drop pass from Iginla and failed to put it on net. … Lines in a blender again on this one. Didn’t the Flames win their last time out? … First period went almost nine minutes without whistle, just love those stretches in NHL hockey. … Basketball game at MSG earlier today made the ice mush and a somewhat difficult to watch. … So Kiprusoff in New York, makes sense without the back to back feature in this game, but while Curtis McElhinney start on this trip? If I was Keenan I’d throw him in in Detroit. They are pretty much guaranteed to lose every time they go into Recession City so why not shake it up? … The Flames went 16 minutes in the second period without a shot on goal, but then two quick rapid strikes and it’s 1-0 Calgary. Has to be frustrating for Ranger fans. Calgary did hit a cross bar however. … Did the NHL change the rules on the line up of players for a face off? Craig Conroy was practically sideways taking the opening draw in the third period. Less important at center ice? In a hurry to get to Jersey Boys on the Upper West Side? … Hands up; one zip lead going into the third in MSG on a top trip with two points in your back pocket. How many thinking “just get a damn point!”? … A few weeks back after Dustin Boyd scored twice against the Leafs I wondered in a game story if the guy was for real. He gets hurt and we’re still wondering. But since then David Moss has turned the same trick. Is he for real? Shots on goal, going to the net (he was the screen on Aucoin’s cross bar) and throwing the body around? Will he scored the next 55 games to finish with 63? Probably not, but these aren’t lucky bounces and mirrors. Regardless of whether Boyd and Moss are “for real” or not, they have both shown up to score big goals adding to the Flames depth this season. They are top nine moving on to top six forwards as it stands. …
Next Up
Death row starts with back to back nights in very tough cities. Up first Tuesday night in Montreal. Game time 5:30 MST on Sportsnet..
Lines (To Start):
Bertuzzi – Cammalleri – Iginla
Lombardi – Langkow – Moss
Glencross – Conroy – Bourque
Roy – Peters – Nystrom
Phaneuf – Giordano
Regehr – Aucoin
Sarich – Pardy
Kiprusoff
