So far, its been a tale of two hockey teams. Both are from Calgary, both wear the same sweaters and both of them have played some very streaky hockey. Whats the difference? One team has exuded confidence, cohesiveness, and found ways to win four tight games. The other has been sheepish, tentative, and easy to bully and rattle. The season started as many thought it would, the new-look Flames with a new coach stormed out of the gates, off to a 4-0 record with plenty of confidence. Then, a complete turnaround occurred. 3 consecutive losses including a 6-5 OT loss in Chicago which saw the Flames blow a 5-0 lead has given major cause for concern, but not yet panic.
With a healthy 4-2-1 record under their belts, the Flames have to count their blessings and look forward, and no better opponent to do so than the hated Vancouver Canucks in a Friday night game at the Saddledome which kicks-off a nice 5 game, two and a half week home stand. Iginla is to be reunited on the same line with his old stomping partner Craig Conroy, will that be the spark required to re-ignite the captain and the team? In the end, the top line had no say in this game. Instead, it was the Flames role players being the difference and Calgary won the game by the same 5-3 score they beat Vancouver with to start the year.
On The Line
Calgary will look to extend their unbeaten streak against divisional opponents to 4 games, sitting at a nice 3-0 record to start the year. Calgary is also 4-0 against teams North of the border. Streaks aside, this game is pretty important right now to both teams. The Flames will need not necessarily a win, but a strong close affair to get things back on track. Their defensive play has to improve and that needs to happen now. Vancouver started the season 0-3, but have almost clawed their way back to .500 with back to back wins. The ‘Nucks are looking for their 1st road win of the season…which isn’t a monkey teams want to carry on their backs for very long.
The Flow
A great first period for Calgary started with a couple throw downs. Just 2:32 in, simultaneous fights between Brandon Prust and Tanner Glass who fought to a draw, and Brian McGrattan making his Flames fight debut against Darcy Hordichuk got the crowd going early. McGrattan pasted Hordichuk with a hay-maker right hand to level the Canucks enforcer and give McGrattan the unanimous decision. The Flames translated the fight momentum in to an early lead as Curtis Glencross took advantage of all 5 Canucks caught deep in the Flames end on a powerplay. Glencross took the puck before his own blueline and skated all the way down the ice before besting Luongo with a wrist shot high on his glove side 7:18 in to the frame for a short-handed tally. 3 minutes and 32 seconds later Calgary added to their lead when Marc Giordano intentionally fired a puck wide from the point, and Nigel Dawes made one of the most beautiful deflections you’ll ever see. A set play on the power-play found pay-dirt, and it was 2-0 Flames going in to period # 2.
Unlike previous games, the Flames brought the lead to the 2nd period and actually built on it. No let up, foot firmly on the gas pedal the whole time. First, Brandon Prust had his 2nd fight of the night when Rick Rypien took exception to a hard, but extremely clean hit that Prust laid on Willie Mitchell in to the end boards. The two had a long spirited bout, give the decision to the better fighter Rypien – but Prust held his own. Calgary widened their lead to three goals at 6:38 when Dion Phaneuf ripped a slap shot past a partially screened Luongo for his 4th goal of the season. Then the 4th line took over. Two consecutive shifts from the energy line produced big goals. First, Brian McGrattan shot the puck towards the net and Dustin Boyd re-directed it past Luongo to make it 4-0. Then Boyd found McGratton on a 2-on-2 rush and the Flames tough guy sniped it over Luongo’s glove to make it 5-0. For the 2nd time in three games Calgary finds themselves with a five goal lead. This time however, just 20 minutes to hold on instead of almost a whole game.
Andrew Raycroft came in to the game to start the 3rd period in the Canucks goal to save further embarrassment to Roberto Luongo. Vancouver actually got themselves back in this game, but it was too little too late. They scored 3 goals in the 3rd and had 2 minutes left at the end, but a late Burrows interference penalty sealed their fate. They did serve the Flames a small slice of humble pie, as they briefly reverted back to their ways of blowing large leads. Luckily for them, there wasn’t enough time to completely lose it. Flames win 5-3.
Three Stars
1. Dustin Boyd: 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 posts, and had easily his best game of the year.
2. Brian McGrattan: Gordie Howe Hatrick – 1 Goal, 1 Assist, and 1 dominating fight. All with just under 6 minutes of icetime. Lots of jump and didn’t look like a liability out there at all.
3. Henrik Sedin: 2 late assists but was the Canucks best player all game. Lots of chances and lots of big stops by Kiprusoff on the seperated twin.
Big Save
With the score 2-0 in the first period, Miikka Kiprusoff had lost the puck in a scramble off a point shot. Henrik Sedin found the puck to Kiprusoff’s right and fired it at the open cage. #34 saw the shot at the last second and flashed the right pad to close the gap. A pivotal point in the game with the score still close.
Big Hit
Nigel Dawes caught Ryan Kesler going East to West near the Flames blueline in the 1st period and levelled the Canucks super pest with a thundering shoulder.
The Goat
Roberto Luongo was very, very bad. The Canucks netminder should have been yanked when it was 3-0 as he clearly had no game tonight.
Mr. Clutch
The whole 4th line was great. A total of 2 goals, 4 assists, and 3 fights. Haven’t mentioned Prust yet but he was extremely effective with 2 assists and a couple big scraps.
Odds and Ends
Calgary could have had a massive first period. 2 goals was good, but Dustin Boyd hit 2 posts and Olli Jokinen dinged one off the iron as well. Kudos to Brian McGrattan for turning down a rematch request by Darcy Hordichuk in the 2nd period. The Flames were up 3-0, and Hordichuk was following McGrattan around trying to get him to drop the gloves. Just seconds after McGrattan brushed him away, he fed Boyd for the Flames 4th goal – Great decision making. After Roberto Luongo was pulled, the song ‘Louie Louie’ by the Kingsmen started playing. The lyrics “Louie Louie, oh no, Me gotta go” seemed very appropriate for that particular circumstance. Vancouver outshot Calgary 29-24. Jay Bouwmeester again led the team with 25:21 in icetime. Dion Phaneuf continues to play well offensively, and now has 7 points in 8 games. Here is a scary Iginla stat that some people won’t like; Iggy has 4 points in a total of 149:49 played. Dustin Boyd, Brandon Prust, and Brian McGrattan…those 3 combined have played 164:32, just 14 minutes more, and have registered a combined 12 points…TRIPLE that of Iginla. Just shows you not only the ineffectiveness of Iginla this early on, but the efficiency of the lower lines and making the most of their icetime. I am 100% positive this will turn around, but early season obscure stats like this can be fun to look at. Comes season’s end, everything should look like its supposed to. Robyn Regehr was a plus 3 tonight, and the pairing of him and Phaneuf looked much more sound.
Next Up
Calgary will look for some revenge against the Blue Jackets who beat them a few nights ago. Columbus comes calling Tuesday night at the dome, 7:30 PM start time on Sportsnet West and the Fan 960.
Lines (To Start):
Glencross – Conroy – Iginla
Dawes – Langkow – Bourque
Sjostrom – Jokinen – Nystrom
McGrattan – Boyd – Prust
Regehr – Phaneuf
Sarich – Bouwmeester
Giordano – Pardy
