The Calgary Flames are currently one of the worst teams in the NHL. Not that they are truly the worst, the Oilers are far worse, but the Flames are playing like one of the worst. The Flames fell apart last night in Anaheim, and face the death knell of teams in the San Jose Sharks and the Chicago Blackhawks. Before the Flames can be embarrassed at home by Chicago, they had to take on the second best in the West. Aannddd they were obliterated.
On The Line
The Flames are in desperate need of goals, of defence, and of points as they start to slip further and further down the standings. Unfortunately with the Sharks and the Hawks on the docket, gray skies are all that’s forecast for now.
The Flow
The Flames were never in this game. The first period was all San Jose as the Sharks blasted 17 shots on the Calgary goal to the Flames 4, putting 3 of those shots past Miikka Kiprusoff. Joe Pavelski, Manny Malholtra and former Flame Scott Nichol all ended long scoring droughts to put the Sharks up. By the end of the first period, Calgary already looked to be finished with the game.
The second period was a much better start for the Flames as they generated a couple of chances, but that didn’t last too long. The Sharks got a boost when Jed Ortmeyer scored, and poured salt and vinegar in the wounds with Dany Heatly’s first goal against the Flames as a Shark, and Ryan Clowes 11th of the season.
As you could imagine, the end of the second period spelled the end of the night for Miikka Kiprusoff. Six goals on 34 shots in 40 minutes of action indicates that you’re pretty much helpless, and utterly defeated. The Sharks had no intentions of not flogging the dead horse of the Flames as they continued to attack resulting in a goal from Devin Setoguchi, who scored an absolutely brilliant goal. Calgary would break the shutout with Robyn Regehr’s first goal in a millenia (it seemed). The Sharks made it eight on Rob Blake’s power-play shot from the point, though it might have been tipped by Brad Staubitz, Dany Heatly added one more, and that was when I couldn’t bother watching anything else.
Three Stars
1. Scott Nichol: A goal and two assists as he provided anything the Sharks needed tonight.
2. Jed Ortmeyer: A goal and two assists again for the grinder.
3. Joe Pavelski: A Flame killer, Pavelski also had a goal and two assists.
Big Save
Hard to pick out any saves in this game. The Flames had very little on Nabokov, and Kiprusoff had nothing to speak of.
Big Hit
Biggest hit of the night was Robyn Regehr leveling Dany Heatly in the second period. It looked like the kind of hit that could spark the Flames, but no, they eventually fell apart.
The Goat
At this point in time, the goat is starting to look like Darryl Sutter. The Flames are floundering, and while his hands are pretty tied right now, the team he’s assembled has had one good month, and everything else has been mediocre at best, and abominable at worst.
Mr. Clutch
Give this one to Scott Nichol. The pesky little guy has added something to the Sharks lineup that they sorely missed to be able to take on the kind of team the Flames should be. San Jose had no interest in letting off the gas pedal as they continued to pile on the goals with Devin Setoguchi
Odds and Ends
This was an absolutely disgusting affair for the Flames. If I could have turned the game off, I would have. I’m not normally the kind of fan who drops to the depths of writing the team off after losses or proclaiming them heirs to the Cup after wins, but tonight, this was utterly disheartening. I’m left asking myself, why do I invest so much time watching these guys if they’re going to give up so quickly.
We always have to keep in mind that there are two teams in every game, but in all honesty, I don’t know how you could really say that tonight. This game had all the makings of being one of those contests where the end result is either a complete turn around for the Flames or they sink to the bottom.
If the look on Brent Sutter’s face tells you anything, he must be feeling like he’s made a huge mistake because he looks utterly defeated.
Next Up
Calgary gets lined up in the sights of the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night on TSN. Game time is 7:30 PM.
Lines:
Dawes – Jokinen – Iginla
Lundmark – Langkow – Bourque
Prust – Conroy – Nystrom
Glencross – Boyd – McGrattan
Regehr – Phaneuf
Giordano – Bouwmeester
Pardy – Sarich
Kiprusoff
