A positive mindset goes a long way.
Often doctors will suggest the will to live or recover from an illness plays just as important a role in a patient’s long term prognosis as the actual medical intervention.
The Calgary Flames continue to be that “rubber tree plant” hockey team, believing they are meant to win every game, and coming from behind when necessary to do so. Tonight the Flames erased a 2-0 Edmonton lead late in the second period, tied it up, but then fell down 3-2 in the third, before tying it once again and winning it in over time 4-3.
Incredible.
The Flow
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A somewhat listless first period with the home side skating in sand for the most part, and the suddenly confident visitors happy to drift through the stanza and take advantage of miscues. The Oiler pounce on a mistake, this one by goaltender Jonas Hiller when newly acquired Matt Fraser banked a shot off his back and into the cage from behind the net.
The Flames are better in the second period, out shooting the Oil 11-8 but its the Oilers that score again next when Hiller is completely screened by Dennis Wideman when Eberle gets hold of a puck in the slot and beats him to the top corner. The game changes however, late when Sean Monahan shovels the puck across the crease on a powerplay to a wide open Joe Colborne who puts the Flames on the board late in the period.
Calgary comes out and dominates the first 7-8 minutes of the third, out shooting the Oilers 5-0 and finally tying the score when Lance Bouma wacks a backhander in to make it 2-2. Calgary continues to press but its the visitors who find the mark when a rough fourth line shift has an Andrew Ference shot from the point get past Hiller, the puck might have been deflected by Bollig. The Flames having been in this situation all season, are un-phased and tie the score up again when Colborne gets a Monahan rebound to send the game to overtime.
The trio of Brodie, Giordano and Monahan set up a solid start to the overtime period, and are able to change while their counterparts get caught leaving Josh Jooris as the overtime hero; 4-3 Calgary.
Three Stars
1.Joe Colborne:Was goalless until the last Oiler game but now has three on the season with a two goal performance.
2.Sean Monahan: Another strong game for Monahan. Flame center was the driving force on the Flames first and third goals through his play in tight.
3.Leon Draisaitl: Ironic that the guy on the plank plays one of his best games of the season, but his two assists were both very good feeds.
Big Save
Late in the first period the Flames keep the puck in, push the play to the corner, and then center it, giving Mark Giordano a point blank one timer against Ben Scrivens. Scrivens kicks out that Giordano offering and then bests Curtis Glencross on the rebound to keep the score 1-0 Edmonton after one.
The Goat
Jonas Hiller. Picks up the win gives up another first period softie in a game the Flames desperately needed to win to move back into a playoff spot. Finishes the night giving up 3 goals on only 20 Oiler shots.
Mr. Clutch
Josh Jooris. Quite a situation to come out of the penalty box and into a 2 on 1, but the rookie doesn’t choke and buries the winner to continue his great story. Hartley doesn’t phase him back in as he plays 20 important minutes for the Flames.
Odds and Ends
With Joe Colborne finding his stride, the Flames may finally be in a phase where the guys coming back from injury are helping instead of hurting chemistry. Colborne being reunited with Monahan last night was a great piece of coaching by Hartley as the line took off giving the Flames a double threat with Jooris being reunited with Hudler and Gaudreau. Additionally Stajan has taken the fourth line from a circus into a hard nosed line that generally keeps it clean defensively. … The aforementioned adjustment did send Markus Granlund down the roster at an ominous time given the fact that Mikael Backlund is no longer wearing a powder blue jersey. He could be AHL bound as early as this week … Speaking of Joe Colborne, in three starts against Edmonton this season, the big center has 3 goals and 3 assists, no kidding he loves beating those guys as he was quoted as saying earlier this week. … Monahan hasn’t scored a goal in 9 straight games, but has really come on play wise, and has four points in his last four games, and points in 4 of his last 7 games. He continues to be a key contributor and hasn’t had a lick of the sophomore jinx. … This season has so much been about momentum and the mental side of the game. The run the team enjoyed up to and including American Thanksgiving, then the eight game losing skid, and now putting it together to win four in a row again. Given the age of key contributors on this team, I wouldn’t have guessed they’d find a way to recover from a skid like that; usually once the genie is out of the bottle you just can’t cram it back in. But given them credit, four wins in a row and points in 5 straight have them back in a playoff spot. … A playoff spot on January 1st has to be a huge lift for this team. Dropping out after Thanksgiving was suggesting they’d be a footnote for early starts, but climbing back in regardless of the final outcome has to be chicken soup for a young team’s soul. … The Flames now have 45 points which is exactly what Vancouver, San Jose, and Winnipeg have in the extremely crowded west. All those teams have games in hand and the Kings are breathing down their backs but it makes for an interesting January. … Additional gain from the game? The Oilers get a point and move into a tie with Carolina for last overall. Keep on chugging Edmonton!
Next Up
The Flames host the New York Islanders on Friday night, game time 7pm on Sportsnet.
Lines:
Curtis Glencross – Sean Monahan – David Jones
Johnny Gaudreau – Markus Granlund – Jiri Hudler
Josh Jooris – Joe Colborne – Paul Byron
Brandon Bollig – Matt Stajan – Lance Bouma
Mark Giordano – TJ Brodie
Kris Russell – Dennis Wideman
Deryk Engellend – Raphi Diaz
Jonas Hiller
