The Canucks series felt like overtime, it never happened but if felt like overtime. Calgary won three games on home ice, all by extended scores and overtime was never needed.
Tonight as a Calgarian you prayed for overtime. The team trailing 3-2 heading into the third period saw the clock ticking down on their season. Ten minutes to go, eight, then six and a disallowed goal that will be talked about for a long time. Five, four, three, two and one.
Calgary on a powerplay late with the goalie pulled and time ticking down further, Gaudreau with less than 25 seconds to go takes the puck off the half wall waits out the pass baiting and roofs it to send it into overtime, setting up a come from behind 4-3 overtime win, making the series 2-1 Anaheim and a big game four on Friday night.
Love it.
The Flow
The Flames get off to a decent start, not a dominant start by any means, but a good push and score the first goal when Mason Raymond shives the puck off the half boards to Brandon Bollig who scores his 2nd of the playoffs (that in itself is pretty amazing, what did he score 3 all year). The Ducks push back and tie things up minutes later when Patrick Maroon is left all alone to bang home an empty netter on Ramo. The Ducks go ahead soon after on a wrap around play off of Corey Perry’s skate and it’s 2-1 Ducks, the game suddenly had a sense of dread. Shots were 8-5 Anaheim, scoring chances pretty even.
The Ducks came out and pushed their will in the second, forcing turnover, hemming the Flames in and causing havoc. Said havoc created an early powerplay but it was the Flames taking advantage of a Duck miscue when Joe Colborne walking on all alone and pulled one of his shoot out moves, you know the one where he takes his wing span to 11 feet and out reaches the 6’4″ Andersen to make it 2-2. Game on right? Not so fast. The Ducks push again and go ahead for the second time in the night when Beleskey scores his third goal in three games to give the Ducks the lead through two. Shots 16-9 Anaheim through 40.
The Flames were well aware of their situation in the third, it was their season and they pushed and they pushed and they pushed. Final shots in the frame were 11-3 Calgary, and they were full marks for taking charge of the situation. Some good chances, but the best a one timer from Sam Bennett with six minutes to go was turned aside by Andersen causing a groan from the crowd. Then they show the replay and the place goes nuts, the puck appears to be in the net. Adding to that? It was the same play by the same pad in the same net in the same end in the same period as the Martin Gelinas goal in the 2004 against Tampa. This time the crowd wasn’t going to let it go without a review. Review comes back inconclusive and the place goes nuts. Seriously? Flames get back on their horse and are rewarded with a late powerplay, with the goalie pulled its 5 on 3. Some chances either blocked by Andersen or the Duck penalty kill. Finally Gaudreau takes the line, sees everyone play the pass and stone cold buries it upstairs with just 19.5 seconds left on the clock. You can’t write this stuff! We’re on our way to over time.
The Ducks are the better team in the first three minutes but Kari Ramo was ready for the challenge especially on a cross ice pass to Corey Perry. Seconds later Hudler draws a penalty and Ramo rushes to the bench for the extra attacker. The Flames play catch when finally Mikael Backlund skates it into the center of the ice and fires the screen shot home. Flames win in overtime. Their most important come from behind win of the season. Amazing.
Three Stars
1.Mikael Backlnd: Led the team in shots through 8 playoff games but was goalless. Tonight he leads all forwards in ice time with almost 25 minutes and fires how the overtime game winner. Good night!
2.Ryan Getzlaf: Picks up two more assists, giving him 8 points in three games, the guy is an absolute horse.
3.Joe Colborne: Best game of his career? Scores a huge short handed goal in the second period, and throws his body around all night in a great 200 foot effort.
Big Save
Thought Andersen on Bennett was the winner when the play first happened until I saw the replay and saw it was actually a goal. So going with Ramo on Perry in overtime. You have to make that save if you’re team is going to have any chance of the heroics at the other end. He made it look easy but it wasn’t.
The Goat
He didn’t cause any damage but Sean Monahan was an absolute mess handling the puck tonight. Giveaways in his own zone, their zone, the neutral zone. Not strong on the stick. Once again I think he’s likely hurt, but if he’s not he’s clutching pretty badly.
Mr. Clutch
TJ Brodie again. He’s not a wizard offensively, he often shoots into shin pads or shoots wide, he doesn’t see the game from a stationary standpoint. But when he’s rushing the puck up the ice or making a read when he retrieves it behind his net or in the corner he’s one of the best. Elite.
Odds and Ends
Well Sam Bennett has now officially burned year one of his contract, something that didn’t cause so much a debate, but a discussion on the site today. It’s easy to second guess things down two games to none (the situation coming into tonight’s game), but as many pointed out who wouldn’t have been happy with the notion of a burned contract year when the team made the playoffs by beating the Kings in game 81? Second round of the playoffs for a team that wasn’t supposed to get a sniff this season? Take it. The fact that he is tied for the lead in goal scoring can’t be ignored either, especially on a team that has struggled to put the puck in the net during the playoffs. The fact that he looked to have scored the game tying goal just proves the point. … Well there you have it. Game three and Calgary wins it. Now the city can stew on the hope of the outcome for two days setting up Friday night at the Saddledome. If they had lost the two days would have been a death march, instead it’s anticipation. The Ducks are the better team, but the home team has now won all three games. If they hold serve again they send it back all tied up. Why not right? … The Flames got to Andersen tonight. Four goals against on 21 shots, a sub .900 save percentage and his first playoff loss this season. Did they do mental damage? Probably not, but the seed might be planted which is huge in a seven game series. At the other end, Ramo gave up three but gets the win, and was instrumental with his work in the overtime period’s first few minutes. Good stuff. … Johnny Gaudreau is a big game player and it’s the tail end of his rookie season. Think about that. The guy took it upon himself to tie that game. That takes stones, and only NHL elite have stones that size. The safe play with 21 seconds left is to distribute the puck, he keeps it looks off the pass and buries it. Star is born. … Hated hanging the goat horns on Sean Monahan. He’s a good player and a good guy. But something is wrong. I think he’s doing little things right behind the scenes, but he’s not right offensively or even when he has the puck in his own zone. I haven’t seen him as the Monahan we knew this year since he stopped up and won that 2nd last home game against Arizona. Must have gotten hurt against L.A. … Thought Josh Jooris looked good with more ice moving up to the third line. Similarly, loved Granlund’s game stepping back in on the fourth line. Shame Ferland still wasn’t good to go.
Next Up
The series takes its second two off day break with game four on Friday night in Calgary. As was game three, game time is 730pm on Sportsnet.
Lines:
Johnny Gaudreau – Sean Monahan – Jiri Hudler
Sam Bennett – Mikael Backlund – David Jones
Joe Colborne – Matt Stajan – Josh Jooris
Brandon Bollig – Markus Granlnd – Mason Raymond
TJ Brodie – Deryk Engelland
Kris Russell – Dennis Wideman
David Schlemko – Raphael Diaz
Kari Ramo
