Game Takes: Senators 6 Flames 4

February 27th, 2016 | Posted in Game Takes | By: D'Arcy McGrath

It’s always nice when the teams get on board.

Tonight at the Saddledome the Flames hosted retro night, and with that the team wore their 80’s red (no black) road jerseys on home ice, the clock looked retro, the music was retro, the shovel girls dressed retro, the videos were retro, the font on the jumbotron was retro, and the final score? Very retro as well as the two teams combined for 10 goals in a wile 6-4 Senator victory on Saturday night on Hockey Night in Canada.

For the Flames, still feeling the sting of the Jiri Hudler trade to Florida earlier in the day, a blown 4-2 lead going into the third certainly wouldn’t sit well when the club winds down after this one.

The Flow

The Flames came out flying on retro night with Doug Risebrough (Joe Colborne) and Paul Reinhart (Sean Monahan) scoring just 35 seconds apart at the 6.30 and 7.00 minute mark in what looked to have the makings of a complete rout. The Senators didn’t really get things settled down until very late in the period and were lucky it was only a two goal deficit when Zach Smith scored with just 90 seconds to play in the first, shots on goal read 12-4 Calgary, Ottawa barely hanging on.

The second period saw the first push back from the Sens in the first half of the period though they went unrewarded as Joni Ortio made several fantastic saves including an amazing pad stop off a shot that went off one of his defensemen’s skates. The Flames found their way midway through the stanza though and immediately capitalized when Johnny Gaudreau hit the top right corner with a wrister to make it 3-1 Flames, two goal lead restored. The Senators struck back before Gaudreau hit the other corner, his 24th of the season to make it 4-2 Flames, the game seemingly in control.

The third period didn’t start well as the Sens marched straight in and clanged one off the cross bar a play that had the officials thinking goal so they immediately blew the play dead and sent it to review. No goal, drop the puck, but the Flames and Joni Ortio were rattled. Six minutes later the panic led to trouble when Zibenejad scored his first of three in a row, all a minute apart to take the game from 4-2 Calgary to 5-4 Ottawa. With that the Flames woke up and pushed the play again, but it was too little too late and the club drops their fourth in a row and 6 of their last 7.

Three Stars

1.Michalek Zibenejad: Would guess a third period natural hat trick would get the job done in claiming the first star in this one. Odd week with Forsberg in Nashville doing the same thing twice.
2.Mark Stone: Three assists and a +2 on the night to pace the visitors.
3.Johnny Gaudreau: Two goals and an assist as the little engine that just does, does it again for the Flames on home ice.

Big Save

One of those great saves but also great timing situations as Craig Anderson stones Josh Jooris early in the third period on a Calgary three on one. Micheal Ferland bowling pinned two Seantors at the blueline creating an odd man rush with Sam Bennett making a great pass to Jooris who one times it into the out stretched right pad of Anderson. That goes in and this is a different game.

The Goat

The third line (Bennett’s) got shredded in this one, but you have to look at Joni Ortio for a really rough third period. He gave up three goals on only 8 third period shots to erase a two goal Calgary lead. He seemed to be over committing to the shooter leaving himself wide open to rebounds or pass arounds. Rough 20 minutes.

Mr. Clutch

Sean Monahan. Scored a goal scorers goal in the first period and picked up an assist on a Gadureau goal to continue his hot ways. The guy may be boring but for the third straight season he’s getting it done.

Odds and Ends

It’s funny, you expect a player will get traded but when he does it still comes as maybe not a shock but an adjustment. No Jiri Hudler when the Flames left the ice after the warm up. Hudler was always the last guy off the ice so you noticed him when you got to the Dome early. He was a very good free agent signing by the Flames on that odd July 1st when they reeled in both himself and Dennis Wideman. A very productive player in Calgary silks that did a lot to help develop young players by teaching them how to be pros, but also how to compete against the top defensive players in the business. He’ll be missed. … Oddest game I’ve ever been to? February 2nd, 2010 a day after the Flames completed two trades in two days (Phaneuf/Jokinen) and welcomed in 6 new players in one game. Just chaos trying to get to know that many new faces at one time. At least the 2nd and 4th round picks weren’t under any pressure tonight. … Wonder if Sam Bennett had a special feeling wearing the Flames retro red tonight? As a huge Doug Gilmour fan he must have seen the classic cup videos of #39 in the blackless red jersey of the Flames, so throwing on the dyslexic version of the silks may have hit home. … The out of town scoreboard was once again somewhat kind to the Flames as the Jackets won again, though both the Jets and Sabres lost in road games. The result leaves the Flames in a virtual 3/4 tie with the Winnipeg Jets, a point back of the Sabres who have played one more game. The surging Jackets are now 3 points clear of the Flames with two more games played.

Next Up

The Flames hit the road for an eastern trip, first stop is in Philadelphia on Monday (Deadline day), game time 5pm on Sportsnet.

Lines:

Johnny Gaudreau – Sean Monahan – David Jones
Joe Colborne – Mikael Backlund – Michael Frolik
Micheal Ferland – Sam Bennett- Josh Jooris
Lance Bouma – Matt Stajan – Brandon Bollig

Mark Giordano – T.J. Brodie
Derryk Engellend – Dougie Hamilton
Tyler Wotherspoon – Jakub Nakladal

Joni Ortio



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