The season is all about points, points come from wins, and wins come from streaks.
Easily said, but not easily achieved. Early in the season the Flames found a way to lose and with that they found the way to the bottom of the standings putting the season on life support. Then in December the team found a lifeline and have late found their game and with it a rather interesting leap up the standings.
The Flames played a largely lacklustre road game in Columbus tonight, but emerged ready in the third and took the game back with extra time to push their streak to four in a row and 10-3-3 record of late with a 2-1 shoot out win in Ohio.
On The Line
Such a huge game for the Flames. They need to keep making up ground on Western Conference opponents, and to do so they need at least a .500 trip. The strip starts with winnable games and ends with the gauntlet, and no games get easier than a game in Columbus.
The Flow
Back and forth first period with the Flames taking more blows than they gave. The Jackets carried the play and were rewarded when Derek Brassard cashed in with Cory Sarich just stepping out of the penalty box for elbowing Vermette.
The second was all Columbus. It was a testament to how good a season Kiprusoff has been having as he turned back 15 Jacket shots and kept the game in a one goal situation heading to the third.
The third? Calgary’s … they push hard through the period and finally strike when Jarome Iginla creeps 2 goals from 500 when he takes a Jokinen pass and crazily navigates it into the goal past Mason with some deft hands.
In overtime a great Bouwmeester chance almost ends it but the game goes to a shootout and further Iginla heroics.
Three Stars
1. Jarome Iginla: His resurgence continues with the only regulation goal for the squad, and the only shoot out goal. No! the shoot out goal doesn’t count.
2. Miikka Kiprusoff: Simply outstanding in the first 70% of this game, and probably the first star if I was being really fair. The guy has been the best player on the ice for the team all season.
3. Steve Mason: Shoot outs don’t count. When the scales tipped back in Calgary’s favour for the second half of the game he equalled his masked amigo 194 feet away.
Big Save
This one is easy … so so easy. Rick Nash picks up the puck in the slot and rips a high shot to the left side of the Flame’s cage only to have Miikka Kiprusoff blast up his blocker and deflect the puck away. Great save.
Big Hit
Cory Sarich may not be a speed merchant, he may not be the best value on this roster when it comes to contract, but the dude can hit. He lit up Antoine Vermette in the second period and took an elbowing penalty for his efforts. Great hit.
The Goat
Cory Sarich was fitting the horns for his elbowing penalty but that would be unfair. Overall the team as a whole deserve the horn for their sketchy first 40 minutes of hockey. They can’t start slow on any other stops on this trip or it’s zero points.
Mr. Clutch
Mikael Backlund had a solid game … pushed the puck up ice all night, had four shots on goal and continues to develop into a future point getter.
Odds and Ends
The Flames are an 8th place team if you want to suspend all rules of tie deciding. Personally I think Flames fans are free to do such tonight as I have written the club off weeks ago and never thought they’d get as close to make tie breaking an argument. Have to hand it to them. … Are the Flames finding ways to win? Hang on against Detroit, seize the third in Vancouver, and turn a game on its ear in Columbus. Becoming a habit. How are they doing it? Backside pressure for their defensemen. What really ticks me off is that the team can never get this through their heads on a night to night basis. Mistakes will be made, but backside pressure isn’t a technical thing it’s an effort thing and the forward group as veterans have never been able to hold the attitude to compete; something that drove Robyn Regehr nuts. More youth in the lineup … more consistency.
Next Up
The Flames play in New York on Thurdsday night; game time 5pm on Sportsnet.
Lines:
Glencross – Jokinen – Iginla
Comeau – Backlund – Stepniak
Byron – Horak – Byron
Jackman – Morrison – Kotsopolous
Butler – Bouwmeester
Smith – Hannan
Brodie – Sarich
Kiprusoff
