After a heart stopping and much needed win just 48 hours earlier, the hometown heroes were at the Dome for a true gut-check game against the Western conference power, although struggling of late, San Jose Sharks. A loss in this one to the playoff foes of 2 years ago, combined with a probable win by Detroit in Edmonton on the same night, would all but close the book on the 2009-2010 Flames season. Call it the last chapter done and the epilogue being started.
On The Line
Everything. Calgary needs to go on a bit of a tear if they envision any chance of playing for Lord Stanley’s bobble come April. The team who has reverted of late to their offensively challenged ways, is on the outside looking in at the Detroit Red Wings occupying the final playoff spot. Time to make a statement and put some pressure on the team they are chasing after gassing one to those very same Wings earlier in the week.
The Flow
The first period started out with a weird play one second in when Matt Stajan, for some unknown reason, whacked Joe Thornton above his left eye after the puck was dropped. Though it went undetected, (unbelievably) it sure looked to fire up Thornton until shortly after San Jose took a minor and put the Flames on the PP. Though the Flames didn’t score there, they did just seconds after the penalty expired to get things going in the right direction. Langkow added one just 5 minutes later and the Flames left the ice up two, a rare occurrence at home this year.
Though the Sharks popped the only goal of the second period as well as out-shooting Calgary, it was a fairly even game from both sides with a whole lot of tight checking and some chipiness all over the ice.
Strange 20 minute 3rd period in that there wasn’t a whole lot going on either way until a monumental gaffe by young Michael Backlund gave the Sharks some life with 8 minutes left. That led to a very anxious finish after Dan Boyle got the Sharks within one with just under two minutes left after Nabakov got yanked in favor of an extra skater. The Flames weathered the storm however, and almost got burned by the most questionable icing call I have seen in a long long time.
Three Stars
1. Jarome Iginla: Opened the scoring on the night at a time when you could just sense the fans were not sure that their boys were going to be on the right end of this one. It seemed to ease his teammates as well and they really started going after that. Throw in his fight with a very game Ryan Clowe and it was a good night by the much maligned of late captain.
2. Michael Backlund: If not for the aforementioned gaffe beside his own net late in the 3rd period, he would be first star on the basis of a very strong game otherwise. though he didn’t score he was directly responsible for 3 goals, although one was in the wrong net. Good night for the youngster who drew back into the lineup with the injury to Curtis Glencross. Made the most of his minutes and has to have Brent Sutter smiling.
3. Jamal Mayers: I was never personally a fan of the guy in his previous stops around the NHL, but there is a reason he has been around as long as he has and i now understand what it is he brings to a team. Heart and soul hockey and doesn’t make many mistakes, along with being involved at both ends of the ice. Terrific pick-up by Darryl Sutter to fill that void the team had been suffering through.
Big Save
Not a whole lot of highlight reel stuff from either goalie on the night, but Evgeni Nabakov made a very important save late in the 3rd on a little re-direct in front of him that he snagged with his glove. That one goes in and San Jose folds up shop.
Big Hit
Was there one? For what was a real chippy game early on there wasn’t a whole bunch of bone crunching hits. So I will go with Ryan Clowe clobbering Mark Giordano from behind in the 3rd period. though it was illegal and called as such, it was a pretty good tag on the Flames defenseman.
The Goat
Sorry young Michael, but that play was just unforgivable. When you have the puck beside your own net and no pressure on you, you NEVER re-direct it back towards your goalie unless you know he is expecting it. He wasn’t. it ended up making for some gray hairs all over Flames land. Don’t do it again…K?
Mr. Clutch
Eric Nystrom. Here is a guy that was deservedly getting a lot of flack as recently as 2 weeks ago. He has completely re-dedicated himself to what he is capable of and it is showing every night. Such good work ethic and good on-ice habits, and his scoring touch is re-surfacing because of it. He keeps this up and he will be rewarded with a contract before July 1 rolls around.
Odds and Ends
Stat of the night: Jarome Iginla is now 5th on the active players list in scoring the games first goal. Selanne is number one….Bouwmeester led all Flames with almost 26 minutes of ice while Backlund was at the bottom end of that with less than 8…..Flames were annihilated on the faceoff dot once again going 24-33 and 42%…..Nik Hagman, where for art thou?……Sharks Dman Doug Murray was -4 on the night while Mark Giodano was +4……….Craig Conroy looks to be completely done as an NHLer. He just doesn’t have the quickness any longer. Happens to the best of them…….I rarely harp on broadcasters but I watched the Sharks feed quite a bit tonight as I love to hear things/angles/thoughts from the other side. However, Drew Remenda is just awful. I understand every home team broadcast is going to have a homer quotient to it but he just goes WAY over the top. Like Ray Ferraro on steroids………Though it would be nice if the Flames were much more secure in a playoff spot, these games sure have picked up in intensity for the most part because they aren’t in.
Next Up:
Sunday afternoon in Minnesota against a slumping Wild team. Payback time for that debacle after the Olympics.
Lines:
Bourque – Stajan – Iginla
Hagman – Langkow – Kotalik
Dawes – Conroy – Moss
Mayers – Backlund – Nystrom
Regehr – White
Staios – Bouwmeester
Sarich – Giordano
Kiprusoff
