Coming off of a big win against the Buffalo Sabres that put the Flames atop the North West division with a staggering eleven point lead, the Flames are no longer looking down, but are starting to look up in the standings. The Predators are always a team that rises to the challenge against the Flames and in the season series, the Flames have had their share of troubles dealing with the Predators, but have somehow managed to pull off wins, even if they didn’t deserve them.
On The Line
The Calgary Flames can cruise from here on in if they want to, but this team has an air surrounding them that suggests that Flames fans won’t need to worry about that level of complacency, in fact they seem to be setting their sights on catching up to the clear elite of the NHL (read Detroit).
The Flow
The Predators had a couple of decent chances to open the scoring in the first few minutes of the game, but a quarter of the way through the first frame, the Flames were clearly exerting their dominance. The Flames were attacking with speed, the cycle, physicality and seemed to be doing pretty much everything but actually put the puck in the net. The Flames even demonstrated a mid period power play that looked slick with quick passes, and excellent scoring chances. But as the period drew to a close, the only thing the Flames had a lead in was shots on goal.
Just like the first, the second started off with the Predators having the bulk of scoring chances in the first five minutes, and the Flames taking a shockingly awful too many men penalty, and I mean appalling, it was like Kiprusoff had been pulled for the extra man. Not to worry Flames fans, the fourth ranked PK in the league was still awesome, so the Flames can afford to be so confident as to play with however many players they damn well feel like. It would be Matthew Lombardi who would open the scoring as Curtis “Let me show you my score face” Glencross took a feed behing the net from David Moss and fired it to the front of the net where Lombardi was waiting with is stick on the ice. Andre Roy added to the Flames lead just a few minutes later as Eric Nystrom deked Shea Weber so badly Weber will have nightmares, slipped the puck over to Roy who roofed it over Pekka Rinne.
The Flames started off the third period on a power play, and once again actually looked pretty dangerous doing so. Perhaps an indication that the power play is starting to get its collective brain sorted out. The Predators would finally get on the board midway through the third frame after Adam Pardy blew a tire leading to a three on one for the Predators where JP Dumont held, shot and picked up his own rebound which he tucked in behind Miikka Kiprusoff to bring the Predators within one. But the Predators would get into penalty trouble of their own and with the Flames on a two man advantage Adrian Aucoin blasted his seventh of the season past Rinne to restore the two goal lead.
Three Stars
1. Matthew Lombardi: Lombardi is not a scorer, and his goal wasn’t particularly spectacular, but the speed he played with tonight was killer against the Predators.
2. Miikka Kiprusoff: Kiprusoff faced a decent number of shots, but wasn’t overly tested other than the spectacular save he made in the third on Ryan Jones, but he was solid when needed,
3. Eric Nystrom: A deke of such epic proportions that sent Shea Weber flying on his keister deserves mention, plus Nystrom played one of his better games.
Big Save
With the Predators pressing for the tying goal and on the power play, Kiprusoff was looking through feet trying to see the puck that was on the stick of Ryan Jones who fired it at an open top half of the net, but Kiprusoff flashed a stick and knocked away a sure tying goal. Probably his best save of the season.
Big Hit
Immovable object hit by an unstoppable.. no wait.. Dirty former cheap shot artist hit by a dirty cheap shot artists turns into fireworks as Jordin Tootoo ran smack into Todd Bertuzzi which spurred a fight that Tootoo definitely lost since he never returned after the hit/fight.
The Goat
If there was something to complain about the Flames tonight, I didn’t see it. Frankly, if there was something to complain about from a Predators perspective, I didn’t really see it. Calgary played Nashville as the standings would suggest, and no player stood out as having a rough night.
Mr. Clutch
On the basis of the spectacular nature, and timing of his stick save in the third period, Miikka Kiprusoff can claim tonight’s Mr. Clutch.
Odds and Ends
It’s the second game since the all-star break, and the one player many people suggested could benefit from a rest during the break, Jarome Iginla, seems as though he somehow got some rest. Perhaps it was finally scoring a goal at the all-star game, but the Flames captain is playing like a different man. Where he would be soft along the boards, making weak plays, looking like his skating was off, or getting pushed off of the puck prior to the break, he is holding onto the puck, being stong along the board, getting shots, making slick passes, and generally looking like the superman we have come to expect……But when in previous years, the Flames fortunes went the way of Iginla’s stick, this season has proven to be much different. It’s secondary scoring, but it’s curious how it works for the Flames; it’s consistent, but not consistently WHO. There always seems to be someone with the hot stick. If it’s not Iginla, it’s Cammalleri. If not Cammalleri, it’s Bourque, or Langkow, or Glencross, or Moss, or Bertuzzi. Something the Flames haven’t had since parts of 2003-2004……Flames fans know the special player that Robyn Regehr is, he’s proven to be a solid defensive player for Calgary for years, but this year he is something special. He’s having a coming out season that we haven’t seen from him since 2003-2004. He won’t win a Norris from the NHL, but we know.. we know……..There was an interesting comment found in an article by Steve MacFarlane of the Calgary Sun (link). It’s right at the very end of the article, and it’s probably the most important quote seen from a Flames player in many years. Let me take you back to the end of the 2006-2007 season when Jim Playfair was finishing his first season as a head coach in the NHL. Darryl Sutter commented that it seemed that he was still considered the core of the leadership associated with the team, that the players weren’t capable of trusting themselves as leaders. In comes Mike Keenan, who struggled to a similar season as Playfair a year prior. But this year, since West Side Story, something changed. Your proof comes from Craig Conroy: “I think Mike’s really let the guys take over and control this locker-room.”
Mission Accomplished Darryl.
Next Up
Calgary heads over to Denver to take on the Avalanche on Monday night. Game starts at 7:30 PM MT. Catch the action on Sportsnet West or the Fan 960.
Lines (To Start):
Cammalleri – Conroy – Iginla
Bourque – Langkow – Bertuzzi
Glencross – Lombardi – Moss
Roy – Boyd – Nystrom
Phaneuf – Pardy
Regehr – Aucoin
Sarich – Giordano
Kiprusoff
