Calgary 1 Minnesota 2
As the weather in Calgary becomes more frigid, the Flames gear up to settle in for some home cooking, with 8 of the next 11 games at the Pengrowth Saddledome. Tonight’s opponent, the Minnesota Wild, currently sit at the bottom of the Northwest Division, and second to last in the Western Conference. The Flames have also won the 1 of the 17 games played in Calgary in the past 5 seasons. No matter, the Wild, whatever system they have now, games still usually come down to a key turning point and goal…on the wrong side of the coin, it leaves the opponents frustrated, so the Flames have to beware.
On The Line
On the line tonight, the Flames wanting to continue the strive for consistency at home, and embark on a 2 game road trip with 2 straight home wins. The Wild hope to start on the road to climb out of the divisional basement, as well as improve the road record against a divisional opponent. Both teams are 7-2-1 in the last 10, so a good game was a-brewin’.
The Flow
The first period starts off with both teams rather tentative. The Wild fire a fair number of perimeter shots at Miikka Kiprusoff, and the Flames lack of getting pucks deep and possession in the Wild zone mean that the first 10 minutes the Wild held a shot lead of 9-0. The Flames give up an the first penalty, however the Flames PK is effective, giving up a couple shots and one scoring chance. The Flames soon after get a powerplay, and a shot off the post from Dion Phaneuf, and a fantastic save by Nicklas Backstrom on Jarome Iginla keeps the score tied at 0. From that point on, however, the Wild respond and take the first momentum of the game which they hold through the rest of the period. The Flames kill off a late penalty, and the first ends when the shot total being 19-3 Wild. As skewed as that looks, at Darryl Sutter on the Flames PPV mentioned in the first intermission, the scoring chances were 5-5 in that period, so its not as if the Flames were running around and dominated.
The second period starts off more active for both teams, the Flames with 4 early shots and buzzing around the Minnesota net. The Flames get a shortened powerplay, after a Rene Bourque penalty nullifies the Flames man advantage. Derek Boogaard and Brian McGrattan then square off in the anticipated tilt. Boogaard is used to looking up at the Saddledome roof the past few years after being flat on his back, thanks to Eric Goddard. Not tonight, a right hook to the side of the head stuns McGrattan. The game picks up in pace, Minnesota’s new system on display. The Flames get into more penalty problem, giving the Wild an over 1 minute 2 man advantage. Miikka Kiprusoff showing again why he’s the team’s best penalty killer, making save after save, some spectacular, some very good, keeping the wild off the board. A late penalty to Chuck Kobasew gives the Flames another powerplay, and numerous chances are somehow turned away by Backstrom. No blood drawn after the energetic second period, with shots 10 a side in that second period.
The third period continues the pace of the second period. Teams rushing up and down the ice, Minnesota defenceman especially active in trying to jump up into the zone. Good work from the Flames third line causes havoc and a bouncing puck gets pushed out of a scramble in front of the net. Aaron Johnson powers a slapshot past an out of position Backstrom to break the deadlock 1/4 of the way through the period. The Wild respond with some good shifts, and the game once again goes back and forth. Curtis Glencross with some speed motors around Wild defenders, with a good chance. Wild players again think offense first and jump up into the play to create odd man rushes. Kiprusoff was there to answer everything the Wild through at the Flames, and it ended up taking a poor bounce off the back glass, landing fortuitously at the opposite side of the net it was supposed to, leaving James Sheppard and early Christmas present in the form of an empty net, to tie the game at one. The Wild then pour it on for one last surge with 4 minutes to go and become very active in looking for the winning goal. Kiprusoff is there, although the team in front of him certainly look on their heels, watching Minnesota come wave after wave. The Flames hold on for a point, but the flow in overtime is spilled over from that last portion of the third, and an aggressive pinch from Dion Phaneuf allows a 3 on 2 for the Wild. Some slick passing leaves Martin Havlat the open net to be the OT hero, and the Wild, probably deservedly, win 2-1.
Three Stars
- Miikka Kiprusoff: Again, the Flames best player. Sure, the 45 shots he faced makes this one an easy one on paper, but many of even the subtle, non highlight saves he had to make tonight, and many nights, go unnoticed, but would give most regular NHL goalies some trouble. Earned this team a point tonight.
- Nicklas Backstrom: The Wild goalkeeper gets a win against his potential Finnish Olympic teammate. He faced half as many shots as Kiprusoff, but the few excellent saves he made, and the timing of them, in addition to many other good saves, kept the Flames frustrated. For a team like Minnesota who is looking to gain confidence, and a team like the Flames who are used to scoring early and getting ahead early and getting teams down on the scoreboard and morale wise, his saves in the first period, cannot be discounted on how this game turned out in the end, allowing his team the confidence to rush at the Flames in waves.
- Nick Schultz: Somewhat of an obscure pick, but there was not a standout on either team. His name was all over the broadcast, being part of all aspects of the Wild’s newly formed system. A solid defenseman any team in the league would like to have.
Big Save
Although you could pick from probably 10 Miikka Kiprusoff saves from the second period onwards, Backstrom’s robbing of Iginla in the second period from the side of the net, kept the Flames from getting that patented early lead which pumps them up and deflates the opposition. The Wild increased in confidence as the game went on.
Big Hit
Cal Clutterbuck ended Mark Giordano’s season last year. Giordano got early retribution with a solid hit, and some payback (and a penalty) with a subsequent glove in the face. Clutterbuck, not one to backdown, recovered enough to take a patented Regher “Tunnel of Death” pasting in overtime.
The Goat
Tough call on this. The Flames were guilty of far too many odd man rushes against in the third and overtime. The Dion Phaneuf haters, which seem to be emerging from the woodwork these days can falsely claim his pinch was the problem, but the returning forwards were the ones that left Havlat in the clear and Phaneuf was back behind the puck when it went it. Phaneuf, and that whole line, was looking to make a play, and very nearly would’ve had a 3 on 1 with some luck, but those are the breaks in overtime, but hardly a careless or needless play by Phaneuf or that line in trying to win the game. But them, like all us Flames fans used to watching the Wild the past decade or so, aren’t used to Minnesota teams going for the win in the last 5 minutes of games with extra aggressive player movements. And, to be fair, the Flames were as a whole, certainly in overtime, looking to make plays in the offensive end, and the reward vs. risk factor didn’t work out again…also, again, with the thought that the Wild they’re used to playing doesn’t worry about activating that 3rd player into a rush.
Mr. Clutch
Miikka Kiprusoff. Not given nearly enough credit in this city, and really never has been. Games like tonight where he went above and beyond the call of duty against a hungry team, emphasize his importance, when the talented team in front of them don’t have their best game. Quantity and quality of saves is something you can never question of Kiprusoff, and his ability and awareness is a treat to watch.
Odds and Ends
These aren’t your father, or Jacques Lemaire’s Wild. As Darryl Sutter mentioned in his chat, they now play the same x’s and o’s system the Flames do. As mentioned above, but bears repeating, this writer has never seen a Minnesota Wild going for the jugular with a run and gun push like they did in the last part of the third and overtime. Defense was thrown out the door, and players were coming out of nowhere to join rushes and create odd man situations, time and again. Needless to say, the Flames won’t be caught off guard with this style in the remaining 5 games. Other Sutter refreshing gems from his PPV conversation, on why the goals against is so good…five terse and abrupt words: “Jay Bouwmeester and Brent Sutter”. On road vs. home records: “That’s something for you in the media to get worked up about…sometime home games are tougher then road ones given circumstances (meaning coming into town in wee hours, while opponents such as the Wild are already in town resting)”. Also on the PPV broadcast, an extended look at the behind the scenes while on the road…from the plane to the pregame to the intermissions, some very neat stuff if you’ve never been on a sports team traveling on the road, and new can give new insight and appreciation for what these players that are put on a pedestal go through. Soon to be up on the Flames website, one thinks. Back to the game, first game back for Chuck Kobasew since being dealt to Boston many moons ago. Same old Chuck…you think he’s got that chance wrapped up, but, like his time here, tenses up at the worst time and can’t pull that trigger, leaving you scratch your head. Overall, a quick blush at the game may be that the Flames were at fault for the result tonight, but the Wild were prepared to set the record straight and show and prove that they are a team with a new way of doing things, and it certainly had the Flames chasing them most of the night.
Don’t be fooled, the defense is there on this Wild team to be able to stunt top line’s production, with solid defenseman and good goaltending as they built the team around the past 5 years or more, but the added element of an offense that is willing and able to strike at any time, is something a lot of teams may be caught off guard by, now that the Wild players are finally adapting into this radical new system after 8 weeks or so of hockey. Hats off to them, and the Flames will be prepared the next time for Minnesota. This win was more Minnesota taking it to the unprepared Flames as it was the Flames struggling to find the net as disappointed as it may seem to those looking to point fingers. Of note, 30 minutes for Bouwmeester, 28 for Phaneuf, 6 for Steffan Kronvall, 4 for Brandon Prust and 12 for David Moss. A poor 30% in faceoffs for Langkow. Conroy should be ok to go next game, Pardy also has a wrist problem and is day to day.
Next Up
Next up, the Flames go on a mini road trip before an extended session at home during the Christmas season. Colorado is the opponent on Sunday, at one of those historically uneasy 6pm start times, on Sportsnet West. NW Division lead is on the line, although the Flames have 3 games in hand on Colorado currently.
Lines (To Start):
Dawes – Jokinen – Iginla
Moss – Langkow – Bourque
Glencross – Nystrom – Boyd
McGrattan – Prust – Sjostrom
Phaneuf – Regher
Bouwmeester – Giordano
Kronvall – Johnson
