If the Calgary Flames are going to go anywhere this season they simply have to become a lot tougher to play against on home ice. Last season they were terrible in almost all categories on home ice, a huge contributing factor to their failed playoff attempt.
The 2010-11 home season kicked off with the young but tuckered L.A. Kings at the newly minted Scotiabank Saddledome, a team that Calgary has mastered on home ice over the past several seasons. That mastery continued with a gutted out 3-1 victory to square their season record and start things off in red on the right foot.
On The Line
It’s only the second game of the season, and the home opener, but points at any point in the season are hard to come by, you have to get them where you can. Plus a ouch for two start to the season may prove costly down the road if it sends the team into a spiral.
The Flow
L.A. comes out hard and has the Flames scrambling early, eerily like the game in Edmonton on Thursday night. The Flames settle things down and start to claw away at the territorial play and have a few chances of their own. In the end Calgary out shoots LA 12-8 though I’m guessing out chances perhaps three to two.
The second was a period skated in molasses with neither team generating a whole lot. The Kings won a shoot out in Vancouver 2-1 the night before, but needed a late powerplay goal to get into the extra session; both teams seemed equally as offensive inept tonight. A heads up play by Brett Sutter found Curtis Glencross alone on a shorthanded break and the big galoot showed soft hands to put the Flames up a goal.
The third was all Calgary early and the grizzled vet Craig Conroy, pushing his odometer to eight games from 1000 found the net on a deflection to put the Flames up two. They nearly gassed this one with too many chances to go up three before the Kings Brown finally solved Kiprusoff and set up a bit of a nail biting final. Hagman hit the empty net to salt things away.
Three Stars
1. Curtis Glencross: He was the best forward in a loss in Edmonton, and continued his “consistent” play again tonight with the first goal, a +2 rating, and all kinds of contact.
2. Miikka Kiprusoff: Shot totals don’t suggest a star lap for the dazzling Fin, but his play in the game’s first ten minutes calmed down the boys in red and gave them a chance to win.
3. Anze Kopitar: Picked up a point on the Brown goal and carried the mail all night for the visitors.
Big Save
With the Flames up two and looking to bury the game Jonathan Bernier robbed Ollie Jokinen in tight on a late Flames two on one.
Big Hit
King goon Kevin Westgarth accidentally slammed into Calgary’s Rene Bourque with a pick nowhere in sight; making the Flames sniper groggy, and sending him out of the game. We need these guys in hockey why?
The Goat
Nitpicking I know, but the first line didn’t contribute offensively again, though they did generate more chances. The team’s top three forwards (or four or five when healthy) need to take charge five on five and on the powerplay.
Mr. Clutch
Mark Giordano. Didn’t impact the game offensively but logged big minutes and was a difficult player to play against at every turn. Get this dude signed.
Odds and Ends
Injury train continues for Calgary with two freakish collisions taking out Adam Pardy and Rene Bourque. With Stajan, Moss and Kotalik already down, Bourque would make four of the top nine on the sidelines just two games in. … Interesting Sportsnet graphic showing Iginla slip into the deep offensive zone and then list outwards to take a shot. That was the Lowry-gate on the weekend for anyone paying attention; life under a microscope I guess. … Thought the top line had a good start for the Flames in this one, generating more. The second line not so much though the Bourque injury doesn’t help. … Why can’t the Flames generate more on the attack? They seem to have the players in house to do more with the puck than we are seeing. Odd, but pointless to labour the issue after a Calgary win. … T.J. Brodie, can’t see this kid getting sent down. He’s too quick and smart for game number two not to expect him to simply get better when he settles down a bit. If he makes a mistake he always seem to be the player getting the puck back and still makes great reads on the attack. … Thought all the rookies were good tonight. Backlund made some solid plays but hasn’t found chemistry on a third line. Sutter was great on the PK and set up the Glencross goal, and Meyer drew two penalties. … Assuming Bourque’s jar jar is serious the Flames will need to look further down that forward list for impact players in the next few weeks. The most logical step up players are the already playing well Glencross and rookie Mikael Backlund. Both players need to become top six players for now. … Speaking of injuries, the Pardy injury doesn’t require a call up but do the Flames bring up Jon Reault with Bourque out? Mitch Wall? Bring Fleury in from Battle of the Blades? It’s a good tag line of late but would Fleury have made this team if they had suffered the same injuries last season? … Jay Bouwmeester worries me more and more every day. I just don’t see “impact” from this guy at all. Please be wrong. Please. … Have to hand it to Jackman for stepping up with the injuries and playing a lot more than designed. Guy is a heart of sleeve player.
Next Up
The Flames don’t play again until Thursday night when they host the Florida Panthers at the Dome. Game time 7.30pm on Sportsnet something or another.
Lines:
Tanguay – Jokinen – Iginla
Hagman – Morrison – Bourque
Glencross – Backlund – Jackman
Meyer – Sutter – Conroy
Regehr – White
Bouwmeester – Giordano
Brodie – Pardy
Kiprusoff
