Coming off of a huge win in the home opener when Mikka Kiprusoff stole the show in the third period to hold onto the lead the Flames were hopeful that the mistakes that nearly cost them the game on Thursday night wouldn’t be a part of the Edmonton Oilers home opener on Saturday night. It could be a long season for an Edmonton team in transition, but home openers can usually be counted on to make sure that both teams have a lot of jump. What was a largely entertaining hockey game was rather plagued by the costliest of mistakes as a comedy of errors lead to the Flames second win of the season, even if the way it happened can only make you laugh.
On The Line
The biggest game of the season for both teams! While this comment that is only partially in jest, divisional games are always key games if a team has it’s sights set on a division crown. For the Oilers, it was the home opener and season opener, and for the Flames it was all about trying to improve the game that Brent Sutter wants them to play.
The Flow
For pretty much the entire hockey game, the puck seemed to be magnetic to the Flames zone as the Oilers heartily outshot the Flames, a fact that was emphatically driven home by the CBC broadcast crew, but of course goals are the most important part of the game. The Flames got things started with a bang as Dustin Boyd and Curtis Glencross played hot potato with the puck where Glencross took a slick no look pass from Boyd and roofed the puck top shelf 4 minutes in. Edmonton tied it up as Robyn Regehr, who continues to struggle in his first couple of games under Sutter, made an ill advised play with the puck leading to a direct turnover to Patrick O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan blasted the puck on Kiprusoff, who made the save, but Dustin Penner was Johnny on the spot knocking the rebound through the pads of Kiprusoff to tie the game up. The Flames would regain the lead near the end of the first as Jay Bouwmeester fired a hard low shot just wide of the net that David Moss tipped perfectly between Khabibulin’s pads for his first of the night.
The second period was largely controlled by the Oilers in terms of shot totals, but the goals were even. The Flames added to their lead once again on the power-play, a component of the game that the Flames are simply dominant at so early in this season, as Dion Phaneuf blasted a puck wide of the net, but right into Ladislav Smid’s shoulder and behind a helpless Khabibulin. The Oilers would draw within one near the end of the period as Gilbert Brule, who I think MIGHT be from the city of Edmonton took a pass from Dustin Penner and blasted an absolute cannon short side on Kiprusoff.
The third period was a much more even contest, but it was the Oilers who would strike first to tie the game up for a second time as Mark Giordano fell victim to a very unfortunate bounce. Giordano attempted to clear the puck off the glass, but the old school stanchions that the Oilers use for their glass meant that the puck took a bounce right to the slot and right to the waiting stick of Sam Gangne who made no mistake putting it past Kiprusoff. The Flames would put the pressure on throughout the period, but Khabibulin was up to the task for everything the Flames threw at him…that is until Khabibulin came out to play the puck on a potential icing play where David Moss was charing the zone with speed. Khabibulin took just a moment too long, the puck rolled off of the heel of his stick and Moss slid it into the open net for a truly funny finish to the first edition of the 2009-2010 Battle of Alberta.
Three Stars
1. David Moss: Perhaps the beneficiary of error, Moss was one of the harder working Flames on the ice and was rewarded for his efforts with two goals. His game winning goal directly coming off of his aggressive skating to challenge an icing call.
2. Mikka Kiprusoff: Kiprusoff was extremely solid in his second game of a fresh start under Brent Sutter. He was in position, his desperation saves worked, and the goals scored against him could hardly be considered his fault.
3. Dustin Penner: A goal and an assist for Penner as he attempts to re-invent himself. Probably looking more like the player that the Oilers initially signed to an offer sheet, Penner was a physical force that the Flames didn’t really have an answer for. Even Robyn Regehr was rendered ineffective. Yeah, I said that. I can’t believe I said it, but I did.
Big Save
Mere moments before David Moss’ game winning goal, Kiprusoff was called upon to make a point blank save on Patrick O’Sullivan. It was a perfect scoring opportunity as O’Sullivan was all alone in the slot, but couldn’t get anything past Kiprusoff.
Big Hit
It might not be considered a hit, but in a rare case of role reversal, Robyn Regehr was the recipient of a huge dump by Dustin Penner who threw the hulking Flames rearguard down like an empty box of doughnuts.
The Goat
Uhm… Really? Do you really need me to answer this for you? Nikolai Khabibulin’s puck bumble inside the final minute of the hockey game is the biggest failure of the season so far. Let’s all be sure to laugh, and laugh, and laugh, and laugh…..
Mr. Clutch
Easily Kiprusoff. He bested his counterpart and was called on hugely as the Flames struggle to gain the puck possession requirements of Brent Sutter’s system.
Odds and Ends
Outside of a bad bounce that lead to the tying goal in the third period, Mark Giordano put up one heck of a solid hockey game. He was making great reads, great passes, simple plays, a very effective and very mature player that the Flames may be able to buff into a real gem…Speaking more of defencemen, I’ve been watching Jay Bouwmeester very closely and the thing that I’m most struck with is his use of his stick, and it’s spread to the rest of the team. The active sticks are absolutely key to the Flames creating turnovers. Bouwmeester is the champion of it as he uses his stick to knock the puck away, then uses his speed to gather it up…It’s two games and the fact that the Flames have four points is excellent news, but try not to be very worried about the way the Flames are playing. Getting these points at this time is a bit of a bonus as the Flames try to grasp all the intricacies of the structure Brent Sutter is implanting in them. You can see the flashes that the team has, especially from the fourth line….Speaking of the fourth line, WHAT A FOURTH LINE! If that is the kind of line that you can throw out there for 5-9 minutes a game, you have one heck of a team. The ‘strom’s are simply awesome to watch, just don’t ask where Brian McGratten somehow fits in.
Next Up
Mike Cammalleri makes his return to Calgary as the Flames take on the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night. Game time is 7PM MT and can be seen on Sportsnet West in lovely HD.
Lines (To Start):
Moss – Jokinen – Iginla
Dawes – Langkow – Bourque
Glencross – Conroy – Boyd
Sjostrom – Nystrom – Prust(rom)
Regehr – Phaneuf
Giordano – Bouwmeester
Pardy – Kronwall
Kiprusoff
