Twas the game before Christmas, and all through the ‘Dome
All the patrons were slurring, on Budweiser foam
The banners were hung in the rafters with care
In hopes that Lord Stanley soon would be there
One month ago we were slumped in our chairs
The losses had mounted and filled us with despair
The team had been losing for no clear cut reason
As we prepared our livers for a long winter season
When out on the ice there arose such a clatter
We sprung from our seats to see what was the matter
Away from the concessions we flew like Lombardi
Spilling our glasses of Coke and Bacardi
The fire on the Jumbotron of the Flames pregame show
Cast a grey smoky haze on the objects below
When what to my wondering eyes should I view
But a man with some ice cream cake from DQ
With a sly little grin, answering questions so smartly
I knew in a moment it must be Bob ‘Artley
More rapid than Bouma his players they came,
And he whistled, and shouted and called them by name!
Now Backlund, now Hudler, Now Brodie and Mon-y
On, Gio, On Ramo! On, on Ferland and Johnny!
To the top of the crease, feed the puck to the point
Now shoot away! Shoot away! Lets shoot up the joint!
Just as we thought that the season was sunk
The Flames started winning, to break out of their slump
So up the Pacific div standings they climbed
Led by Johnny Hockey, and Gaudreauvertime
And then, in a gruffling, I heard from behind
Some grumbling and cursing of words quite unkind
As I drew in my head, and was turning around
Down the stairs Brian Burke came with a bound
His suit was in wrinkles, from his head to his shoes
Like he had just woken up from a long pregame snooze
A cup full of ice, he clutched in his palms
And he looked like a beggar, seeking some alms
His eyes, how they glared, his brows were quite pensive
His cheeks were like roses, He looked quite offensive
Over his shoulders, contrary to it’s name
Lay an unknotted tie, which was red as a Flame
His hair was a mess, like he had been in a rush
Infact I would propose it had never been brushed
Known as team president, it seemed quite ironic
That his appearance resembled a hedgehog named Sonic
He was chubby and plump, and red as hot coal,
And I laughed when I saw him, then feared for my soul
A wink of his eye, and a half smile, half sneer
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to fear
When he came into town, he had gone straight to work
And as the Flames began winning, the fans went berserk
Choosing as GM the young Brad Treliving
Was all it had taken to get us believing
He sprang to the pressbox, to his team a thumbs up
And away the Flames’ flew, in search of the Cup
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he rose out of sight,
“Where is Kevin Lowe? I’m ready to fight!”
On The Line
The chance to leave the fans in a festive spirit, extending the home win streak to 10 and matching the franchise record set in 06/07. More importantly, a chance to snap a two game losing streak to bring them back to .500 and into the thick of the Pacific Division. The Jets have been slumping and are desperate to stop the slide.
The Flow
A joyful start for the Flames. Their pathetic powerplay that sits last in the league has shown glimpses of life recently, and finally delivered on Tuesday after a flurry of good looks. Gaudreau’s centering pass would take a perfect deflection off a Jet stick, finding the top corner. Exactly the kind of goal that breaks a long slump. Another deflection, this one purposeful off the stick of Joe Colborne, would extend the lead to two. But with less than 10 seconds remaining an ill-timed pinch by Matt Stajan covering for a fallen Giordano would hand the Jets a 3-on-1. Myers snapped home the centering pass to narrow the score to 2-1, a disappointing end to a fantastic period by the Flames.
The second period was quite frosty. Colborne got into a tiff with Jets captain Andrew Ladd, which bled over into a minor for the ornery Colborne on a later shift. The Flames would kill it off, and be rewarded late with a pair of Winnipeg infractions. But once again their 5 on 3 would prove fruitless, the most dangerous play coming from an aggressive Dustin Byfuglien who chased the puck all the way down to the Flames corner to give Ramo a healthy Buffering. 2-1 into the 3rd.
Another scary shorthanded opportunity against the Flames would open the 3rd. As a 2-on-1 was destined to tie the game if not for the heroics of T.J. Brodie, swatting the puck off the line. It was a nerve-wracking period with congested play at both ends. But Johnny Gaudreau had a couple more gifts left to deliver. First, he kicked away a breakaway pass from Brodie before a nifty stick lift sent him back in alone. Keeping his head up he read the pokecheck from Hutchinson, drawing the puck back and lifting it top shelf, where Santa finds the cookies. Then he took a nice feed from Backlund to find the open net and seal the victory with his third career hattrick. Second at home this season.
And I heard him exclaim, as the hats rained on down,
“Merry Christmas to all! Now let’s light up this town!”
4-1 final. And a franchise record tying, 10th straight win on Saddledome ice.
Happy holidays to the Flames, and to all its fans. Stay safe and enjoy yourself this holiday season.
Three Stars
- Christmas Star 1: Is there any doubt? Johnny Gaudreau.
- Christmas Star 2: Karri Ramo. I haven’t given this netminder enough credit in games past. He’s been nothing short of spectacular since the Flames have gotten hot. No different tonight.
- Christmas Star 3: T.J. Brodie. Two assists along with a game saving stick save in the third.
Big Save
Rare not to give the save of the game to a goalie, and Ramo certainly made a number or large saves tonight, but none were bigger than T.J. Brodie, swatting the puck off the goalline with the shaft of his stick after Drew Stafford had Ramo down and out. Ramo would follow that up with a breakaway save off Mathieu Perreault for good measure.
Big Hit
Dougie Hamilton was playing physical all night, but his biggest crunch came in the third when he stepped up on Perreault just over the blue line to send the Jet crashing down.
Lump of Coal
Matt Stajan, for his horrible read late in the first. Great to cover for your defenseman when he pinches, but that means you have to actually play defense. He handed the Jets their 3-on-1 and was solely responsible for their lone goal.
Mr. Clause
Brian Burke. I know I was poking fun at him in the intro, but the man has done a ton for this franchise in the short time he’s been here and as promised he’s stayed out of the spotlight, letting his talented staff work their magic. He deserves some serious accolades. The Flames are back on track and it’s fun to be a Flames fan.
Odds and Ends
- Funny to see Johnny’s brother Matt in attendance to take in his brother’s hat trick tonight. Could almost be his twin, with similar stature and messy black hair. I noticed he didn’t throw his toque on the ice after Gaudreau’s third goal. Can’t really blame him since he’s probably not used to this cold Calgary weather.
- While the Flames have been red hot on home ice, the Jets have been on a tail spin away from the MTS Centre. Now 1-10-1 in their last 12. I really like Paul Maurice, but you wonder if his job is in jeopardy as the Jets have sunk to the bottom of the powerhouse Central Division.
- Shots were 8-1 Calgary in the early going, and the Flames held that advantage all the way through, finishing 33-20. They also managed a rare edge in the dot, winning 39 of 77 faceoffs.
- Bouma returned to the Flames’ lineup for the first time since October 13, when he suffered a broken fibula. Nice to have his grit and heart back in the lineup. The Flames are mostly healthy these days, hoping for a speedy recovery from Michael Frolik.
- It was the King’s game before Christmas break- one year ago- that saw Gaudreau’s legendary third period hattrick tie up the game , leading to Giordano’s overtime winner and snapping the Flames eight game losing skid. It truly was a season-saving performance. This year the Flames have done things differently; ice cold in the opening months, but then red hot in December. Despite their bi-polar play they find themselves with a similar record headed into the break as last year’s playoff bound Flames. Encouraging for their postseason aspirations, especially considering the sorry state of their division this season. It took 96 points to clinch a spot last year. 86 might be enough this year.
Next Up
The Christmas break. And then a huge matchup against the surging Edmonton Oilers, who visit the Saddledome on Sunday December 27th. A chance to set a new home-ice consecutive wins record against a bitter rival. 7 pm puckdrop on Sportsnet.
Lines (To Start):
Gaudreau – Monahan – Colborne
Bennett – Backlund – Ferland
Bouma – Stajan – Jones
Raymond – Granlund – Hudler
Giordano – Brodie
Russell – Hamilton
Wideman – Engelland
Ramo
