Suffering the first defeat in six games just the other night in Minnesota, the Flames headed home for a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, a team that they’ve had a good number on so far this season. So far this season, the Flames split the series in Columbus, and won the last contest in Calgary. Traditionally the home team dominated things, but tonight was not for the Flames.
On The Line
There is a big crunch atop the North West division standings, with the Flames and Canucks tied with 55 points, and the Colorado Avalanche one point behind (losing to Carolina tonight). So these wins are extremely important for taking control of the division.
The Flow
The first period started off with the Flames carrying most of the momentum, Jamie Lundmark called up this morning, had a brilliant chance moments into the game, but hit the post. Instead it was the Blue Jackets who started the scoring as Raffi Torres scored on the first shot of the game for the Blue Jackets on a two on one with a delayed penalty coming to the Flames. Mark Giordano responded for the Flames before the end of the period when he poked the puck off a stick in the neutral zone and then played a give and go with Curtis Glencross before backhanding his fifth of the season to tie things up.
The second period was much more of a snoozer for anyone watching the game. Very little push came from the Flames who looked far better in the first period than any other frame. The Blue Jackets took the lead part way through the second period on Jan Hejda’s first goal in sixteen games on a Flames generated screen where Nigel Dawes failed to block the shot, only Curtis McElhinney’s view of the shot.
The third saw the Flames and Blue Jackets trade goals as Anton Vermette scored for the Jackets, and Rene Bourque scored for the Flames. Once the Jackets attained the two goal lead, they turned to a very staunch defensive shell. While the Flames wouldn’t get the win, they were fairly effective at breaking through the neutral zone trap that the Jackets set up.
Three Stars
1. Anton Vermette: A goal and two assists for the former Ottawa Senator. He was in on every scoring play for the Jackets.
2. Raffi Torres: Started the scoring for the Jackets and was dangerous whenever he was in the Flames zone it seemed.
3. Mark Giordano: The Flames defenceman has been the standout success story for the Flames defensive unit in the past two years, and he continued to shine tonight making a great play to create the scoring scenario for his goal.
Big Save
With the Flames on the power-play the ever dangerous Rick Nash got in alone on McElhinney and the Flames backup stayed with the Jackets captain the whole way.
Big Hit
Dion Phaneuf absolutely train wrecked Anton Vermette at center ice in the first period, but surprisingly the Jackets forward popped right back up after the hit.
The Goat
When Nigel Dawes doesn’t play in a top six situation, he is nowhere near as effective as he should be. He should have blocked the shot by Hejda in the second, or gotten out of the way. Poor performance from the diminutive Flames forward.
Mr. Clutch
Anton Vermette was lights out the best player for the Jackets with three points on the night, plus taking the huge hit from Dion Phaneuf.
Odds and Ends
When the little graphic popped up that Mathieu Garon was looking for his 100th career win, I groaned. The Flames are known for allowing these career milestones to happen against them, and it almost seemed like the writing was on the wall for the Flames right then and there. Things just didn’t seem to go the Flames way in the first period and that likely started to affect their psyche as the start was excellent, but the fact that they didn’t score early seemed to do them in. All in all, not a bad effort from the Flames, a little bit unlucky, and they were facing a team that seemed a little more desperate. All that being said, every single one of the goals against the Flames could have been prevented if the players were a little more focussed. Phaneuf missed Torres as his check, Dawes blew a shot block, and there urgency to pursue the puck on Vermette’s goal was invisible. The uneven play will absolutely kill the Flames when they take on the Canucks if they’re not careful.
Next Up
The Flames look to avenge a drubbing from the Canucks tomorrow night in Vancouver. Catch the action on CBC starting at 8PM MT.
Lines:
Lundmark – Langkow – Iginla
Glencross – Jokinen – Bourque
Dawes – Boyd – Moss
Sjostrom – Nystrom – Prust
Regehr – Phaneuf
Giordano – Bouwmeester
Pardy – Sarich
McElhinney
