A game that went by preseason script.
In the offseason, a Tanguay out and Cammalleri in move created cap space and the impetus to add depth scoring in the hopes that on nights when Jarome Iginla didn’t find the back of the net there were other red clad warriors ready and waiting to pick up the slack.
Tonight the new kids on the block were poised and primed, in turning a scoreless game through forty into a walkaway Flames win with third period markers from Curtis Glencross, Rene Bourque and Mike Cammalleri.
After the Iginla show on the road, a very good sign indeed.
On The Line
Less than usual, or at least recent usual, with the Flames three straight wins, including a two game road trip sweep leading to some breathing room in the Western Conference standings. However good streaks need to be greased and what better way to oil up a good positive slide than best another hot club and a division rival on home ice.
The Flow
I’ve talked earlier in game stories about the Flames inability to handle the push from other clubs. Teams like Detroit play their own game 48 minutes every night, but have 12 when they are on their heels. How they handle that “heel” play is the key to winning in the today’s NHL. Well tonight the early push from the visiting Avalanche was handled extremely well by the Flames. The Avs carried the first, out shooting the Flames on the strength of their powerplay but the game exited the first twenty notched at zip.
The second had Calgary with a slight edge, but both teams were very content to lie low, protect their own zone, and await a mistake from their opponents to set up a the game winning strike.
The third was all Calgary, with the Flames jumping on Avalanche mistakes to build a quick 3-0 zip lead and then hold strong against any attempt by the Avalanche to get back into the game.
A complete game again by the Flames, once again … a very good sign indeed.
Three Stars
- Miikka Kiprusoff: Very little doubt the man is back. Got some help from his posts, and certainly some assistance from his teammates, but was rock solid in picking up his first shout out of the season, something he didn’t manage until the second half of the season last year.
- Rene Bourque: Who said this guy doesn’t have hands? He created offense where there was none in taking a 1-0 lead and making it comfortable with a late goal and an assist.
- Mike Cammalleri: Two points to match Bourque and could have had more as the diminutive forward was strong on the puck all night.
Big Save
Pick any big save in the first period for Miikka Kiprusoff, but specifically a wide open turn away on Stastny in the first stanza to set the pace for the Flames. An average Kiprusoff in the first and this is a 2-0 Avalanche lead after 20.
Big Hit
Once again, not a real smash mouth game. A few rub outs, a few pushes, but no real train wreck hits to speak of. Odd … used to be the case where you could just pick a Dion Phaneuf hit and move on – though he tried one tonight but just missed in the neutral zone.
The Goat
The Avalanche vaunted attack that went dead cold with only two shots on goal in the second half of the game. A divisional game squared through forty should be all the table setting needed for a team looking to find points on the road, but Dever came out flat.
Mr. Clutch
Depth scoring with the Flames second and third lines taking the game away in the third and giving the Flames their fourth straight win, all but erasing their less than stellar start to the season.
Odds and Ends
A very low PIM night, with one fight and only a total of five powerplays going both ways total. Neither team hit the PP mark meaning the Flames managed a 3+ night five on five to erase another blemish on their early season report card. … Haven’t seen the Flames roll four lines and push the play this hard since the last half of the 2004 season. Just saying … Good to see Glencross hit the net tonight, hopefully shaking the monkey off his back and getting him engaged in the team’s depth offence. … Love seeing Eric Nystrom dressed as well. Solid effort and a pretty decent handed fourth liner around the net. Speaking of fourth liners, Brandon Prust is really growing on me, and Wayne Primeau continues to be Mr. Consistency shift to shift. Just adds so much. …. The Flames have owned the face off circle of late to the tune of 60% tonight, and something like 56% in the win streak. A huge variable with the new rules pushing face offs into your own zone when killing a penalty. … Nothing I like better than getting at an Eastern foe last when the do their thing through the west and beat the Oilers and Canucks on their way to Calgary. The Bruins have already done Calgary a huge favour and are now due to lose. Love it…..
Next Up
Them there Bruins visit the Dome on Thursday night at 7pm as the Flames look to move their win streak to five and the Bruins look to sweep the west.
Lines (To Start):
Bourque – Conroy – Iginla
Cammalleri – Langkow – Bertuzzi
Glencross – Boyd – Moss
Prust – Primeau – Nystrom
Phaneuf – Vandermeer
Regehr – Sarich
Aucoin – Giordano
