The right team won.
That sucks, and it won’t do much for a hopeful city in Alberta hoping to get their team back on the ice one more time for game six and keep a magical ride going, but its true. The team with nine lives spent their final life tonight in losing a 3-2 overtime game in Anaheim. It was fitting that they gutted a game into overtime, a game that they had no business being in, giving themselves that one shot chance to continue a miracle that has exceeded even the largest optimist’s perception of what a great season could be.
It hurts now, but the long term effects that will come from an unexpected successful season from a team that was supposed to be left for dead and in the battle for McDavid will be far reaching. Riding young players through pressure games and into the post season develops talent. Next season may not have as many bounces, but the organization took a huge step forward this season, and the rewards will come for the next decade.
Give Hartley and co a lot of credit, they brought pride and passion back to the logo, and back to the city.
The Flow
The Flames get off to a very composed start, not necessarily generating quality chances but limiting Duck chances again through the game’s first four minutes. A Perry/Engellend dust up off the post creates a four on four and with that the Ducks absolutely work the Flames for the full two minutes, with Ramo making several quality saves. A Ryan Kessler high stick on Sean Monahan 8 minutes in gives the Flames a 4 minute powerplay, but the cub sputters to get set up through the first two minutes before the top line finally gains the line. After Gaudreau and Hudler play catch on the half wall Hudler takes it to the slot and buries a short side shot past Andersen, 1-0 Flames in an elimination game. Joe Colborne takes a roughing penalty in front of the Ducks net, a questionable call, but the Flames are stellar in killing off the two minutes. Calgary gets a powerplay of their own and has a few chances but can’t get the puck past Andersen, their best chance coming from Bouma with the delayed penalty. The Ducks back on the powerplay late, but the Flames kill off the 90 seconds, 1-0 Calgary through twenty.
Not a great start for the Flames in the second, as they turn the Ducks remaining 30 seconds of powerplay into a huge exercise on sitting on one’s heels, that carried over into five on five play. The lack of foot speed and running around hurts when Joe Colborne takes a needless holding penalty, sending the Ducks back to the powerplay. Ryan Kessler takes a feed in the slot and buries one to tie the game up and you instantly had a bad feeling about things. The Flames bounce right back though. A solid shift from the top line, then another from the Stajan line, and then Gaudreau takes a Getzlaf turn over and fires home his fourth of the season, the puck deflecting off of Getzlaf’s extended stick. The Flames gas a late powerplay chance, a great time to seize control of the game as the game ticks towards the third period. With three to play Matt Stajan turns up the ice and hits Corey Perry inadvertently knee on hip sending the Duck to the ice, and then crawling off the ice. The Ducks go nuts in trying to chase Stajan down, but the replay shows complete accident. Perry returns before the end of the period but doesn’t play a shift. Guessing a charley horse. The Flames finish the period with a bit of a fire drill but survive the buzzer, although Backlund takes a slashing penalty that will start in the third.
And as expected the Ducks score on said powerplay when Matt Beleskey scores his 5th goal in 5 straight games in the series by tipping in a point shot just over a minute into the period. The Flames sputter their way through the first 7 minutes of the period giving up full territorial advantage as the Ducks continue to dominate smelling blood in the water. The Flames stabilize a little bit towards the middle of the period and actually come close when Bennett and Gaudreau team up for a good chance in the Ducks zone, game remains tied as the final half dozen minutes approach. Will the Flames end up in overtime in Anaheim in an elimination game? You betcha.
The Flames play the overtime much like they played the final 30 minutes of the regular time game; in their own end and in trouble. They pay for it when Maroon corrals a loose puck and gets it towards the net where Corey Perry pounds the puck in and nails the game winner. Game over. Series over. Season over.
Three Stars
1.Kari Ramo: Faced 47 shots, turned aside 44 and was still battling after the winner went in as he argued for a review for goalie interference.
2.Corey Perry: Have to give the annoying dude credit, he’s clutch. Scores the series winner in overtime.
3.Ryan Kesler: A guy I like even less than Perry, but he’s good, and tonight he was at his best in this series scoring a key goal, and being a thorn in the Flames side at every turn.
Big Save
Could have picked many in this game, a couple from Andersen and a dozen from Ramo. I’ll go with the Beleskey breakaway in overtime on a line change with Ramo tracking him across and stopping his attempt to go around the Finish goaltender.
The Goat
Too many soft penalties. Yes the officials were calling things a little tight, but the Flames gave away momentum all night by taking needless penalties. Its one thing to get caught running around and take a holding penalty, but some of the silly slashes or neutral zone calls were killer. Colborne takes two, and Backlund one that really hurt.
Mr. Clutch
Kris Russel. 27 minutes and 9 blocked shots as the little dude that plays defence got the job done right to the Perry goal. Heart and soul player and a real find for the Flames.
Odds and Ends
The Flames didn’t change the lines from game four, going with the same lines which has Ferland and Bouma inserted, Bennett pushed down to the fourth line, and Jooris scratched. … The refs called the first period tonight extremely tight, with a total of 5 minors, three to the Ducks, two to the Flames of which all but the Kessler high stick were iffy calls at best. For my dollar I just hate penalty filled games. Let them play! … Was hoping the Ducks would go a little nutbar with the Perry getting hurt but they composed themselves quickly and came at the Flames pretty hard to finish the second period. The Flames seemed more than happy to play the boring road game style in this one, pushing their bend but not break defensive style to the limit. Not fun to watch and bad for the heart but effective in keeping it close and giving themselves a chance in a do or die contest. … Such an odd series for the Flames on the road, as they have been completely out classed in all three games in Anaheim. At home they carry the play but in California they honestly look like an NHL team. I say odd because the Flames were essentially the same team home and away all season. Not now. … In the end the Flames get what they likely deserved and what they were asking for, a loss. You can’t play 40 minutes in your own zone and expect to get away with it. That doesn’t, however take a thing away from what this team accomplished this season, and its somewhat fitting that they found a way to stretch things out to overtime in a game like this. They’ve been written off more than a half dozen times this season but they always find a way. Tonight they couldn’t find that way. … Thanks for your support this season everyone, appreciate it!
Next Up
There is no tomorrow, that’s the sad truth of things with the Flames losing in Anaheim tonight. Next game next season.
Lines:
Johnny Gaudreau – Sean Monahan – Jiri Hudler
Lance Bouma – Mikael Backlund – Joe Colborne
Micheal Ferland – Matt Stajan – David Jones
Brandon Bollig – Sam Bennett – Mason Raymond
TJ Brodie – Deryk Engelland
Kris Russell – Dennis Wideman
David Schlemko – Raphael Diaz
Kari Ramo
