Always a different atmosphere when an Eastern Canadian team rolls into town. Expats dust off their jersies. Fans in this city get to measure up the hometown crew to the club that is sometimes, especially this year, force fed onto their television sets on Saturday nights and talked about and hyped more so than most teams, and that games gets that instant rivalry.
Of late, both teams haven’t played up to the standards that any of their fans have been accustomed to. Montreal, playing their 100th’s season in the National Hockey League have as much pressure as they have had in the past 2 decades to write another chapter in their story book. A good start has lead to a tepid post all star break. The Flames too have been knocked down a notch the last week and a half…someone continues their spiral tonight, the other bounces back, buoyed by confidence.
On The Line
On the line this evening, another chance for the Flames to finally do what it takes break out of the 4 game lull, and put the nervous Nellie’s amongst the fan base to bed a little more content. With 3 games in the next 5 nights, also a last chance to get some momentum started for the road ahead.
The Flow
From the opening draw, it appeared to be a calmer Flames squad over the past two games, ever since the coach and GM both weighed in with visible displeasure. The Flames came out hitting, and that physical play seemed to instantly annoy and also wear down the Canadiens. Shifts at a time with the Flames holding the Montreal zone, or not allowing Montreal into the Flames zone, thanks to the aforementioned hitting, work along the boards, and timely pinches from the active and aware defenders.
Out of nowhere, however, the Flames fall behind with a rare Montreal puck possession below the goal line, making its way out for a scoring chance in the high slot for Matt D’Agostini who snapped a quick low shot through Miikka Kiprusoff. Once again the Flames fall behind, something that the team hadn’t dealt well with the last few games. A few minutes later, a faceoff win, and a pinball puck finds its way in Mike Cammalleri’s direction, who is allowed to complete a spinning backhand to tie the game up at one. All seems well, that lucky bounce that had left the team seemed to be back…however a late 4 on 4 situation in the period turns into a 2 on 1. Alexi Kovalev uses his experience and patience to suck in Dion Phaneuf to him, and of course the puck slips across to Thomas Plekanic, who has a gaping net. 2-1 after the first, shots 13-9 in a period that the Flames must have been scratching their heads, holding possession and the run of play, yet frustratingly behind on the scoreboard.
The second period, the Flames’ determination started to pay off, albeit in unconventional fashion. Continued pressure and possession wore down the Canadiens, however it took a Montreal powerplay to put the Flames in control. Sloppy, unorganized, lazy, whatever you want to call it, the Canadiens’ defense poor handling of the puck allows a shorthanded breakaway from the red line to Matthew Lombardi…who almost seems to skate too far to the side of the net on his chance and very hesitant, but still manages to float one over a fallen Jaroslav Halak. The next shift out, Rene Bourque exits the penalty box, gets the pass, gains the zone, dumps it off to a trailing Craig Conroy, who has presence of mind after getting spun around, to find Dion Phaneuf trailing him…his deflected shot finds the top of the net, and just like that, the Flames are in the lead. That odd sound heard was in fact, the monkey leaving the collective backs of the Flames players. Suddenly, the team that had a red hot December and January was back, confidence in hand. To drill home that point further, another Montreal powerplay provided the two pronged dagger to themselves. First, a magnificent, sparking glove save by Kiprusoff off of Sergei Koistitsyn keeps the game tied..less then a minute later, the Canadiens defense plays musical chairs again and this time Dustin Boyd is the beneficiary of a breakaway. This time, a more pre-determined, well executed move puts the Flames up 4-2. The Flames pepper 20 shots in the dominant and game changing 2nd period, versus a measly 5 shots for the uninterested Canadiens.
As can be expected in a game between a team that regained confidence, versus one that’s struggled and taken another shot against their confidence up to this point in the game, the Flames basically roll all over the Canadiens in the third. Invigorated Flames players buzzing all around, and those guys that had helped provide Flames victories during the hot streak got back on the scoresheet. A hard shot by Cammalleri, and that recently-elusive bounce lands on the stick of Rene Bourque, who slams home the 5th Flames goal. The Flames PP is the basis for the 6th, with another recently quiet player in David Moss tipping a shot from Cory Sarich, and the Flames have a half dozen. Sprinkle in a Curtis Glencross fight, and the Flames more than doubling the Canadiens, with 41 shots versus 19, and the Flames cruise to a 6-2 win.
Three Stars/Etoiles
- Miikka Kiprusoff: With on 17 saves and a 4 goal margin of victory, tough to usually justify a goalie being the top player. But as Peter Loubardias said on the broadcast after that save “Those are the saves that win you games”. If that goal goes in, no shorthanded goal against, and its 3-3 going into the third. For all the work the Flames put in that period, it would’ve been deflating somewhat to be tied after that. With confidence the last few games at a low, any sort of creeping in of that self doubt, and tonight’s result could’ve been unfairly different. A fine line between winning and losing, and Kiprusoff’s glove kept the Flames ahead on the scoreboard, and as importantly, kept the bench’s spirits high.
- Matthew Lombardi: Although Montreal’s style and size play right into a guy like Lombardi’s hands, and Montreal’s freewheeling style also handed him a puck on the plate for a breakaway, still full value for his 3 points, which included a faceoff win, and a PP point. Its consistency, puck handling, passing, and a harder shot that Flames fans wish to see more of…the skating abilities are proven and an asset on the PK.
- Dion Phaneuf: If someone can trick Phaneuf into convincing him at the start of the game that he has a goal or an assist already, I think you’d see him return to form that Flames fans have gotten to know the last 2 years. He just seems to play this game and others a lot more confident and less reserved after he is able to contribute offensively. His natural jump up into the play today nets him the game winning goal and from then on he looks almost like a different player seemingly content that he’s done his offensive job for the team. At stages in the 3rd period he was cycling in the corner on the powerplay for a full 30 seconds. To those who question his defensive approach, him being in position to stop a very early Montreal goal after a big rebound was text book….something the previous versions of Phaneuf would not likely have been wired to think about.
Big Save
Unquestionably, the Miikka Kiprusoff stop on Kostisyn as the second period nearly its conclusion; a goal which would’ve both tied the game and put a damper on all the hard work the Flames gained in the second period. The slide across, the windmill glove hand, unlike other goalies who use these moves as some pizzazz and sizzle, Kiprusoff uses acrobatics to make crucial saves.
Big Hit
In a physical affair Cory Sarich’s first period pasting of Maxime Lapierre. Not only was that a devastating hit, it also demonstrated to the Canadiens that entering the Flames zone isn’t quite the same as the ease of which the Canadiens may be used to in the eastern conference. The Canadiens took note of that and seemed to have had it as there wasn’t a lot of board play or down low play from that team. They have a few guys up front that will play physical, but the makeup of that team isn’t made for rough and tumble affairs. Honorable mention: Robyn Regher’s laying out of Georges Laroque in the 3rd period.
The Goat
Pretty much the entire Montreal defense. Fire drills looked more organized then that crew, giving up two shorthanded breakaways pretty much says it all. Andrei Markov looks especially horrible. Yes, the same Andrei Markov that was in the All Star game a fortnight ago.
Mr. Clutch
Has to go to Miikka Kiprusoff as well. Again and again, this guy is showing the player he is. The confidence from saves such as tonight’s gem, or Nashville a few games ago does wonders for each and every player on that bench to know they can go out with full confidence that their goalie will be there when called upon. In a sense he’s still under appreciated…in another taken for granted like this last happened 4 years and 7 or so months ago.
Odds and Ends
The home teams in this series are 6-0 now. The Flames 9 wins out of 11 against eastern conference opponents. 20 shots in the second period….the 4th time this year incredibly that the Flames have fired that many on net in a period.
Mike Keenan ties Pat Quinn for 4th most wins among coaches. Keenan looks pretty smart assembling a line that emulates Montreal’s framework. To be honest, I don’t know if Lombardi, Cammalleri and Moss will be out there against the larger Ducks on Wednesday but for a team like Montreal they’re a perfect compliment to the top line. They can keep up with any of their Montreal counterparts and don’t have to worry about the big power forwards coming at them. Montreal fans at the Saddledome did a lot of huffing and puffing for about half an hour but fell strangely quiet for the last 40 minutes of game time…even some boos were heard when certain players touched the puck on Montreal. Guy Carbonneau talked in his post game presser about how getting behind just furthered the frustration and spurned further loss of team and individual confidence, which in turns leads to lack of faceoff wins, lack of competing, lack of execution of the most simplest of plays. That resonates familiar, same could be said for the Flames the last 2 games and if the final 40 minutes played out differently Mike Keenan could’ve made the exact same speech. This was an ideal game for the team. Secondary scorers got back on track. The team came from behind. They then smacked a couple extra in for good measure. They out-chanced, out-hit, out-faceoffed a team. Defense played solid, PK was good. PP got a goal. The big boost of confidence desired before the game, was delivered.
The top line were all “minus” on the stats sheet (although Todd Bertuzzi was on the ice for the PP goal), but really Montreal, who is near the top of the east, does have a top line with Saku Koivu that is to be played against top lines, and they did their jobs in containing the #1 Calgary line. Bertuzzi and Iginla were trying too hard to find each other, Bertuzzi looking to try and break Iginla out of his 1 in 4.5 game recent goal scoring pace, but the puck wasn’t sitting well for the captain. But again, If the Flames can run 2 or 3 lines like they have few teams can match up players and lines trait for trait with those lines and that depth, swagger, and spark all re-appeared again tonight…for Flames fans lets hope it lasts for the foreseeable future.
Next Up
Next up, another “quack” at the Anaheim Ducks, the start of a 3 game Southwest division swing. Wednesday, 8:00pm Calgary time.
Lines (To Start):
Bertuzzi- Langkow – Iginla
Moss – Lombardi – Cammalleri
Glencross – Conroy – Bourque
Roy – Boyd – Nystrom
Phaneuf – Giordano
Regher – Aucoin
Sarich – Pardy
