Seven games into the season, and the Flames already have another afternoon affair. This time, the ultra-rare Saturday afternoon game. Thankfully, as a season ticket holder, this writer is glad the
Flames organization doesn’t make a habit of these, although there are 2 more home afternoon games this season. The whole timing seems off from a regular routine. This is from a fan and viewer of the game, let alone the professional players having to tune their bodies to a different clock.
The Flames first afternoon game didn’t fair so well; the second game of the year, the team got into a lull and fighting an uphill battle after Henrik Karlsson let in a few disappointing goals in his season debut. The Flames hope to have a different mindset, and outcome, then that matinee in St. Louis a couple weeks ago, as the visiting Nashville Predators roll into town.
The Flames come off their most complete and overall best performance of the year against the Rangers on Thursday, very unfortunate not to have acquired the full 2 points out of that game. Nashville comes to the end of their poor western Canadian road swing, have also played on
Thursday, losing to the Vancouver Canucks.
On The Line
On the line this afternoon, the Flames wanting to carry over the good habits and work ethic from Thursday evening, and continue to get their feet under them and build the confidence in their game as
a team and as individuals. Nashville hopes to break the 2 game losing streak they’ve amassed in Western Canada.
The Flow
The first period starts off with Brian McGrattan helping his former mates with an early penalty. The Flames powerplay generated a couple average chances, but it did get the Flames moving and into
the game, as they took early play to the Predators. Chances from the Stajan line and Iginla’s line, and 5 on 5 domination similar to stints during the Rangers game, had Nashville on the back goor for the 3/4 of the period. Tom Kostopolus gets a roughing call for running through Jordan Tootoo after the
latter took a run at Derek Smith. Strong Flames penalty kill allows 1 shot in the 2 minute kill. Period ends with the Flames outshooting the Predators 8-3 in the period, the visitors thoroughly outplayed, yet remained even.
Predictably, Nashville comes out in the second with a lot more determination. A couple early chances, and then, through a pinball bounce, Jack Hiller’s slot shot deflects off a falling Flames defender, and off the chest of an unassuming Niclas Bergfors and past Miikka Kiprsuoff. Tim Jackman with some solid board work, draws a penalty. On the unsuccessful powerplay, Rene Bourque gets an errant cross ice pass to the side of the face, but he would miss only a couple shots. The Flames continue the Nashville zone play, and Tim Jackman jams in a Derek Smith shot that Pekka Rinne rebounds onto his stick. Technically, the referee somehow called goalie interference, negating any review of the puck
going over the line, as a review of the play makes it looks like the puck is in, and goalie interference is a big stretch. The Flames continue to get some decent half chances, and again carry the majority of that play, but could not get that clear cut chance at net. A pinching Cory Sarich gets a goalie
interference penalty on one such opportunity, but the Flames PK again looks solid in front of Kiprusoff. The Flames generate a late period powerplay that carries over into the third. Overall, not a bad period from the home side, but not generating the offense against an admittedly stingy Nashville team. Flames end up switching lines up fairly significantly as the period went on, looking for the answer. The Flames outshoot Nashville 11-9 in the period.
The third starts with a good Flames powerplay, but again, the chances were limited to one good shot and little follow up. Rinne lets a rebound loose soon after the penalty and the follow up doesn’t find its way in. The Flames are working hard and keeping at the offensive mindset, but are not making the breakthrough. The Flames keep the push on Nashville’s defense, and Lee Stempniak is robbed on a rebound by Rinne for his best save of the night to that point. Minutes later, great work from
Jarome Iginla to outrace the Nashville defender, and it results in him squeaking a pass through Rinne to a wide open Jokinen at a tough angle beside the net. Jokinen, though hits the post from the angle upon the quick release, and amazingly, the buzzing and dominating Flames are still down in the game. Further pressure results in a Nashville penalty, and after more pressure, Iginla gets a tripping penalty on Legwand who appeared to have legs with the strength of a 4 year old child, as he collapsed upon the slightest of contact by Iginla. Penalty is killed, and sure enough, against the run of play for the entire period, and most of the game, a pinch by Chris Butler, and a tired Jokinen who had created three chances earlier in the shift has to make it back to even the numbers. He doesn’t, and Sergei Kostitsyn takes the pass from Matt Halischuk and coverts the 2 on 1 to make it 2-0. The Flames make some more noise, but Rinne is there. Final score, a head shaker, 2-0 Nashville. Shots in the 3rd is
13-2 Flames for a 32-14 final shot total for Calgary.
Three Stars
1.Pekka Rinne: With multiple solid saves in all periods, multiple shot blocks in front of him, the help of a post, a poor goalie interference call and overall desperate defensive collapsing around him, none of Calgary’s close to 70 attempts at net go in.
2.Jarome Iginla: 4 shots on net, looked on today, and did his part in the faceoff dot and in generating chances through hard work and hustle, very unlucky not to get an assist on Jokinen’s missed opportunity.
3.Brendan Morrison: Somewhat of a darkhorse, but his constant effort and ability to make his linemates better is a quiet quality. Key faceoff win and work to generate the Flames best chance that Stempniak just missed out on.
Big Save
Partway through the third, Lee Stempniak sees a rebound pop out and land on his stick. Rinne gets the leg out in time and covers the bottom of the net to keep the score tied and prevent the
Flames overwhelming play from scoring a goal.
Big Hit
Tom Kostopolus laying out Jordan Tootoo in the first.
Mr. Clutch
Pekka Rinne, as already referenced. His first win against the Flames in 8 tries.
Odds and Ends
Tough one. Cannot fault the effort from start to finish with the team tonight. Last year in the first half, the Flames didn’t have a lot of push. Not the case today. Today, a pinball goal against, and outside of that, few Nashville chances until the end of the game. A missed open net, a blown call, and numerous Flames chances as they peppered the Predators. Flames better in the first, even in the second, and better in the third. Possession was to be in Nashville. Work was there to generate attempts at Nashville’s net, but blocked shots and defenders in the shooting lanes meant not as much got through to Rinne, and when it did, there wasn’t much or a rebound.
Bottom line, the Flames deserved better today, but couldn’t translate the puck possession and territorial domination into burying the puck, or get that proper bounce against a desperate Nashville
team.
Stats of note: Faceoffs about equal. Curtis Glencross, Iginla and Olli Jokinen all with over 20 minutes of ice time. Matt Stajan with just over 8 minutes, and 2 shifts only in the 3rd…but over 60% on the faceoff circle. Iginla at 75% in the dot.
Brendan Morrison back to a familiar spot in this game, between Iginla and Tanguay. From his last two games upon return, it was clear he was still catching up on the fitness and stamina part of his game, and couldn’t take the top ice time to play on the top line. Likely David Moss is more than happy to slide back down out of the 1st line spotlight.
Dubious call in this writer’s opinion, to call goalie interference on the play where it looks like the puck crosses the line. Incidental contact at the most, as Kotsopolous, and with all the bodies in the area down low in that area, more often than not, that’s just a regular hockey play without a whistle being
blown.
Niklas Hagman and Anton Babchuk scratches, both of the healthy variety. Makes one wonder the status of Babchuk, a player who apparently was vocal when his minutes got cut in Carolina, necessitating that trade. Now, after Calgary not the first offseason choice as a UFA, he’s missed 5 of the 7 games for Derek Smith. Hagman likely a victim of the numbers game, as Roman Horak gets back in after a short absence.
Those watching the Sportsnet West telecast had to endure the “virtual ads” on the glass, behind one net, and on the glass half way up the zone at the other end, which was an odd placement, necessitated by physical signs behind the other net. The ads were far too bright and bouncing around far too much, and thus was an even more annoying distraction then those have been while
watching other teams’ broadcasts who use that technology.
Next Up
Next up, the somewhat surprising Colorado Avalanche visit the Saddledome on Tuesday for the first of their 3 visits to Calgary. The Flames have to find ways to score, as this is two games where the effort and genuine attempts towards the net, are not resulting in the goal light lit.
Lines (To Start):
Tanguay – Morrison – Iginla
Stepniak – Jokinen – Glencross
Bourque – Stajan – Moss
Jackman – Horak – Kostopolus
Bouwmeester – Butler
Giordano – Hannan
Sarich – Smith
Kiprusoff
