Is it me or did that not go well? In fact it seemed to go very very badly.
And sadly I saw it coming. Ask people I work with I was foreboding all day (not sure if that’s a verb or not). The Flames were getting high on the hog, thinking they were all that, expecting to win on the back of a very hot goaltender. You could see it game by game, a slip, a morose, a glide towards the style of play that made this and the past few seasons anything but consistent.
NHL hockey is a tight knit thing, if you expect to win, you likely won’t. The Flames looked past the Edmonton Oilers tonight, and when they finally realized they may have a tough time of it it was too late. The young legs of the Oilers had chum in the water and they were only to happy to keep slopping it out of the barrel. The result? A humiliating 6-1 loss on home ice.
On The Line
Step one completed, the team is back in a playoff spot, something that didn’t look all that probable even 3 weeks ago. Step two? Staying there, something that may require even more intestinal fortitude and gumption. Gump Test starts tonight.
The Flow
The Flames actually came out somewhat strong in this one and had the play in the Oiler’s zone but failed to hit the target or test Dubnyk. The hosts opened the scoring, something you don’t see in many 6-1 losses, and then held things together despite losing territorial play and giving up the zone too easily. The Oilers made them pay late in the period; 1-1 after one.
Worst period of the season? That Boston game may suggest otherwise, but given the opponent this one was nasty. They were in trouble from the outset and continued that way through most of the middle frame. Kiprusoff held them in it for the first ten minutes but when it slid it slid and boom … 5-1 Oilers after two.
The third was a waste of time for both teams, and 19,000 fans, maybe some more beer sales, and some late 50-50 gamers but otherwise a waste of electricity. Game, set and match.
Three Stars
- Jordan Eberle: Young Flame killer leads the way with a goal and two assists.
- Sam Gagner: Showing more resurgence since the all star break, with another multi point night, this time matching Eberle.
- Ryan Smyth: Still glad he chose Edmonton over Calgary but he had the last laugh tonight with a goal and an assist of his own.
Big Save
Have to pick one when the game mattered so I’m going with Kiprusoff besting Taylor Hall with a breakaway early in the game and the score still zero zero.
Big Hit
Honestly didn’t see one … might have been the coma we all slipped into midway through the first but it seemed pretty tame to me.
The Goat
Feel bad for two reasons. A) I picked Cory Sarich last time I wrote a game story and B) the whole team sucked (maybe not Kiprusoff), but Sarich was brutal tonight and his giveaway which led to a 3-1 Oiler goal turned a struggling game into a nightmare.
Mr. Clutch
For Calgary? I’m going to say Kiprusoff since he can’t get a game star with 5 against. He held this one as long as he possibly could but there was little chance.
Odds and Ends
It’s cliche but I’ll say it. In the opening I eluded to a bad feeling; had it all day. When Steve Smith played for the Flames he discussed how teams generally are in a losing streak before they lose their first game and you could sense that. They were out chanced in LA horribly but Kiprusoff delivered a victory. In Dallas they weren’t much better. The Leaf game was back and forth but too loose. Tonight? If there’s a silver lining it’s the fact that the Flames got hammered by a back hockey team. It’s two wasted points in the standings, but maybe just maybe a lesson that lasts longer and has more impact? Time will tell. … With Derek Smith returning soon it’s interesting to wonder who will be pulled out of the roster to make room. Will Smith sit and watch? Brodie come out? (can’t see it). Then tonight comes along and solved. Chris Butler hobbled off in discomfort that has a few games or more written all over it, and Cory Sarich laid an egg all over the ice. Smith come back! … The Flames top players (skaters) were terrible tonight. Iginla, Tanguay, Jokinen, Cammallari, Bouwmeester and to a lesser extent Giordano. Brutal. … Worst case for the Flames tonight as the Coyotes and Kings go to overtime resulting in the Coyotes moving further ahead and the Kings getting a point to leap the Flames.
Next Up
The Flames hope to recover against the team they are chasing; the Coyotes on Thursday night at the Saddledome. Game time 7.00 pm on Sportsnet.
Lines (To Start):
Tanguay – Jokinen – Iginla
Kostopolous – Cammalleri – Comeau
Bouma – Horak- Kolanos
Byron – Stajan – Jackman
Bouwmeester – Butler
Giordano – Hannan
Brodie – Sarich
Kiprusoff
