Advantage Calgary!
An unbelievable playoff atmosphere in Calgary kicked off with a tail gate party at 5pm, and a crowded red laded building oddly devoid of Vancouver Blue compared to previous regular season and playoff games in Calgary. The Flames brought their physical “A” game, punishing the Canucks from the opening face off, skating away with a much deserved 4-2 win on Saddledome ice, the first playoff game played in Calgary since 2009, over 2100 days ago.
The win gives the Flames a 2-1 lead in the series, meaning the Canucks will now have to beat the Flames three times in the remaining four games to advance into a series that looks to be hosted by Anaheim Ducks.
The unreal season just keeps getting more and more real.
The Flow
The Flames jumped on things early, pushing the play into the Canucks zone and causing have on the forecheck. That was the theme for the game really, as Calgary got pucks deep and then exploded on the forecheck and finished every check they could. Captain Caveman, Michael Ferland was especially noticeable again on the blitz as he continues to make a name for himself in these playoffs. Calgary opens the scoring when the newly altered fourth line (Granlund out, Jooris to center, Raymond in) spilled the puck on the board behind the net with a centering pass resulting in a David Bollig goal, his first of the playoffs. A couple of minutes later the Canucks tied things when Mattias corralling a crazy rebound and beating Hiller. The Flames don’t dip though, and the push back is rewarded when TJ Brodie a Backlund pass to put the Flames back in front. 2-1 Calgary through 20.
The second period was a gooder for the Flames although neither team managed to hit the twine in the middle period. The Flames seemed to control the puck for most of the period territorially but the Canucks were quick to block shots by collapsing down low and taking chances away. The shots on goal in the second were ten combined with the Canucks enjoying a 6-4 margin. Off to the third with Calgary still up 2-1.
The Flames stretch their lead to two when Colborne, Backlund and Sam Bennett combine on a forecheck with Colborne bringing the puck out of the corner and jamming the cage, and Bennett cleaning it up. For Bennett it was his first NHL goal, and ended up being the eventual game winner. Not a bad start for the 18 year old. That was pretty much it, the clock wound down with little happening until the things took on a very similar tone to the finish up in Vancouver in game two, this time with the Canucks going ape with the Flames up two. Calgary ends up with a two man advantage and quickly converted when Gaudreau fed Monahan coming out of the corner. From there things go circus with Burrows hitting Gaudreau from behind, then jumping Russell and then getting tossed. Earlier Hamhuis (deputy Dan) elbows Bennett in the face, and then with the Flames on the powerplay Dum Dum Bieksa tries to face wash both Gaudreau and Hudler before Hartley saw enough and sent out larger players. From there Ferland and Bieksa fight, but not before Bieksa launches some punches before Ferland even dropped the gloves. This series is getting nuts.
Three Stars
1.TJ Brodie: Picks up a goal and an assist in the first period
2.Michael Ferland: An absolute wrecking ball. No goals, no assist, but eight registered hits, and the ability to take many a Canuck completely off their game. Becoming quite a story in the first round.
3.Sam Bennett: Wow, scores the game winner in the third period, and shows skill and gumption on the forecheck all game. He’s getting better. Bad news for Vancouver.
Big Save
Just 15 seconds in to the third period a Canuck defenseman (I think it was Edler) inexplicably tosses the puck into the middle to David Jones who walks in on a breakaway only to be stoned by Lack with a glove save.
The Goat
Alex Burrows. With a late goal making things close, the last thing your team needs is a stupid penalty essentially giving the game away. Were the Canucks likely to come back? Probably not, but hitting a kid from behind and then jumping the world’s smallest defenseman is just stupid. Would expect nothing less from Burrows.
Mr. Clutch
Mikael Backlund. Loved his game tonight. A beast down low holding Canuck attackers off with one arm, solid chipping pucks out, and even a little dirty on a hit from behind penalty in the second. He and Colborne are creating some chemistry.
Odds and Ends
Huge team building win for the Flames, with a huge list of contributors. There are only so many spots for accolades in a game story, but I thought the Flames were without a single passenger. Mason Raymond responded well to the start and was great on the forecheck. Joe Colborne showed great leadership in his wall work with Bennett and Backlund. I thought David Schlemko was solid in hoisting pucks out of his zone and keeping things simple. Derryk Engellend continues to unwind the joke that was his contract as he continues to prove that he himself isn’t a joke as a top four defenseman in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Hiller was good though he didn’t need to be spectacular. All in all a great effort from every guy in red. Good stuff. … I don’t mind poor losers in playoff hockey as I said in the previous game story. But the NHL had better be consistent and look at the Canucks behaviour in a loss the same way the Flames faced scrutiny for what happened late in game two. Burrows and Bieksa were clearly out looking to stir things up and set up game four and Willie Desjardins should be fined for their actions just as Hartley was in game two. … Insignificant as it was to the final out come, I think the Monahan from Gaudreau goal on the powerplay in the third period could be a big one in getting that line untracked in the final games of this series. The Flames have been happy to see scoring from all four lines, but they need that top trio rolling if they want to advance. … Winning game three when the series is tied is so huge. Things could be tied up again by Tuesday, but you have to like your chances of winning 2 of 4 (.500 record) versus 3 of 4 (.750) from here on out. Plus the Flames really seem to have had a bonding moment in game three, will be interesting if they can put their boots on the Canuck throats in game four.
Next Up
Night off, night on. Flames host the Canucks for game 4 in the series on Tuesday night. Game time 8pm, CBC.
Lines:
Johnny Gaudreau – Sean Monahan – Jiri Hudler
Sam Bennett – Mikael Backlund – Joe Colborne
Brandon Bollig – Josh Jooris – Mason Raymond
Michael Ferland – Matt Stajan – David Jones
TJ Brodie – Deryk Engelland
Kris Russell – Dennis Wideman
David Schlemko – Kyle Wotherspoon
Jonas Hiller
