-- advertisement --

Second Period Sinks Flames
Flames 1 – Moose 2

Resume the NHL drive to the playoffs. Finally some hockey to watch, in an appropriate time zone, that doesn’t feature the likes of under-achieving “superstars.” Wait? Scratch that, Bertuzzi, Iginla and Regehr were all playing.

It’s getting on this fan’s nerves watching the Flames play in this situation. With the rest of the division breathing down the necks of the Flames in their quest for the division title the big games just never seem to materialize. Not to mention the fact that the opportunity is as ripe as it ever could be to deliver a demoralizing blow to the Canucks with the AHL defence core that remains after the Olympics, in addition to the three players who were part of the Olympic gold medal game for mens hockey, who then celebrated (Ruutu ate his medal, the Sedins had a tea party with their ponies). But once again, the Flames make a team that they should crush…look like heroes. Well the goaltender at least.

On The Line

Do you have to ask? Divisional opponent, in the hunt for the division lead, chance to kick a team when it’s down…Just think back to any of the previous tilts between these clubs and you’ll remember.

The Flow

Thanks to the constant parade of penalties it was pretty slow. You’d watch one team get a power-play, shortly followed up by an even-up call and a guaranteed Flames penalty coming from any scrum that developed (i.e. Langkow, Simon, Nilson, etc…). The Flames actually carried the play until the point where Markus Naslund scored. Then it was an immediate reaction to fold up the circus and go home.

Three Stars

1 – Alex Auld. Considering the fodder in front of him he held the fort spectacularly. Are Canucks fans still lamenting the fact that he’s their netminder? I guess he’s a little more used to having an AHL defence in front of him.

2 – Marcus Naslund.  He wasn’t spectacular, but he tied the game and on the momentum of his goal the Cancuks took the lead thanks to the Shadow.

3 – Robyn Regehr.  No Flame really deserves a star, but no one else really deserved a star other than Auld. Robyn’s surprising “Rocket Powered Slapshot Action” (pat. pend.) got the Flames the early lead, which the team seemed to think would win the game!

Big Hit

Regehr smash! In the first period the Flames monster lined up Vancouver pest Matt Cooke and splattered him against the end boards. Winner of the biased fan’s award for “Most Hated Canadian” Todd Bertuzzi was so impressed by the hit he fell over too.

Big Save

Someone please correct me if I’m wrong, but nearing the end of the first period, with Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff on a leisure cruse to the corner Flames defenceman Rhett Warrener stopped a rolling puck in the crease and cleared it to safety. Prolonging the pain to another period.

The Goat

AHL defence….COME ON! AHL! Whole damn team….(Insert goat noise)

Mr. Clutch

Alex Auld – Credit where credit is due. He saved the day on more than one occasion. Not that the Flames had much passion.
 
Odds and Ends

Congratulations to my friend Jon who is now featuring an 87% complaint rate at Saddledome events! When you’re 6’7” you’re bound to flail around and hit someone. Speaking of hitting someone, it was nice to see Wade Brookbank (who by the way is a disgrace to the name Wade) get his lunch served to him by Chris Simon. It was also nice to see Chris Simon do something. Now onto the bad news…An interesting observation was pointed out to me today. Did you know that for the price of Chris Pronger and Michael Peca the Flames can pay: Rhett Warrener, Dion Phaneuf, Roman Hamrlik, Jordan Leopold, Andrew Ference, Robyn Regehr and Stephane Yelle? One defenceman and a gritty forward who wins faceoffs for a defence corps and a gritty forward you say…I choose B! But if you want to look at overpaid third liners…well Peca makes less than Iginla. I’m tired. This team makes me sad and I don’t feel like staying up to talk about them anymore. Goodnight. (mumble mumble mumble grumble mumble IGINLA! Mumble mumble growl)
 
Next up – Another home game, against another AHL team in the St. Louis Blues. Catch the inaction starting at 7 PM MST on the Fan 960, Sportsnet West and Fotze’s house if you change his son’s diaper.

Lines -

Leclerc- Langkow- Iginla
Kobasew - Lombardi - Amonte
McCarty- Yelle- Donovan
Huselius - Nilson - Simon

Marchment-Phaneuf
Leopold-Regehr
Ference-Warrener