The Jets and Flames have been mirror images of each other for the past couple of seasons.
Young clubs on the rise, they get back to the playoffs in the 2014-15 season, but then face plant this year and now find themselves battling it out for the bottom few draft picks in a lost season. They entered the game tied with identical records to add to the reflection, clearly something had to give.
An odd first period where everything the Flames touched went in the net, was too much for the Jets to recover from as the Flames skate away with a 4-1 win, moving their record to 3-1-1 on this homestand and 4-1-1 since their 7 game losing streak.
Clearly the Flames have run the draft simulator enough times to know not to bother with that whole tank thing.
The Flow
In a word; strange. The Flames seemed to be spending too much time in their own zone and giving up the lion’s share of the chances but come out of the period leading 3-0. Go figure. The period started with a goal review when the Jets hit the twine just two minutes later only to have it waived off when Dano bumped Ortio in the crease, knocking the goaltender to one knee. Calgary goes ahead on a fluke goal when Colborne wraps the puck but sends it across the crease where it hits Pavelec’s goal stick and bounces in. A few minutes later it’s 2-0 when Michael Frolik continues his hot hand by completing a Flames’ three on one. To round out the scoring Gaudreau finds Giordano in front of the net who dishes to Sean Monahan who also continues to find the net. Odd period.
A return to normalcy, an even Steven period between two going nowhere hockey clubs. Both teams have chances, both goaltenders make saves. Another review this time for a puck that may or may not have slipped under Pavelec on the goal line that was ruled no goal. The Jets finally get on the board when Blake Wheeler added to his big season but that was all the scoring in the middle frame; score 3-1 heading to the third.
The third was all Winnipeg through the first 17.5 minutes though not a whole lot happened. Unlike the game against St. Louis where everything happened, this was a fairly sleepy affair for a 3 goal home ice win. Joni Ortio wasn’t really tested with grade “A” chances, but was solid when he saw the puck, keeping the Flames up 3-1. Late with the goalie pulled the Jets take back to back penalties putting the Flames on a two man advantage to mop things up. A sleepy advantage finally converts when with three seconds left Mark Giordano and Michael Frolik do a give and go and give for Giordano’s 18th of the season. Flames win 4-1.
Three Stars
1. Michael Frolik: First star in back to back games as the free agent signing adds 6 points to his season totals in two games, tonight going a goal and two assists to curtain call his hat trick on Monday.
2. Joni Ortio : Odd game in the lack of true blue chip chances or red light saves but he did the job in stopping 28 of 29 games.
3. Mikael Backlund: Continues his hot hand with another two assists, matching his career best in points with 29 with lots of games left to best that mark.
Big Save
With the Flames on a two man advantage in the waning moments of the game the puck slips over to Mikael Backlund with a solid chance to put one home; turning his two point into a three point game, but no Pavelec slides across and stones him with his glove hand.
The Goat
Winnipeg discipline. I can sort of see the Byfuglien trip on Gaudreau as his stick slipped between Johnny’s legs but what is Tyler Myers doing cross checking Jyrki Jokkipakka in the face with the goalie pulled and your team down two goals? Stupid.
Mr. Clutch
Joe Colborne. The guy is on fire. Now has 30 points on the season, has scored 5 goals in his last games and most importantly seems to have found some chemistry as the left wing on the Michael line for the Flames.
Odds and Ends
I guess the Flames found a way to do the “right” thing. Freddie Hamilton recalled on an emergency basis wasn’t allowed to play in the game if all of the 12 designated roster forwards were able to go. With Mikael Backlund and Sean Monahan both nursing nagging injuries the Flames made the call to the farm for Hamilton Sr. in case either of the players couldn’t go. First we hear Backlund is fine, then a hint that Monahan is ready all the while the Hamilton family is jetting across the country to see their two sons play together on an NHL team for the first time; ouch. So the Flames convert one emergency player for another as Kenny Agostino comes out for Freddie Hamilton and the night is saved. Fair for Agostino? Probably not as he played very well in his two games, but a good story nonetheless. … Not to make light of Dennis Wideman getting hurt in the first, but you couldn’t help but wonder if both linesman had their heads up when he made his way to the bench. Maybe that’s why the Flames’ trainer rushed out to help him. Wideman’s fall was odd. It looked like he locked legs with Joe Colborne but when he rolled over he seemed to be favouring his shoulder. Either way he didn’t return and only played 4 plus minutes on the night. … One of the oddest things to me watching a team in a lottery position? Why do people run 10, 20 or 100 iterations of the draft lottery simulator? The more you run it the closer you get to the actual odds so what’s the point? The lottery is run once, so run it once. Do it every hour if you want but don’t connect the results because they are irrelevant, they are one offs. … Six games ago I was suggesting that Mikael Backlund had a really good chance to push the 20 goal, 40 point mark if he continued his hot play. I wasn’t, however, planning on Backlund picking up 7 points in his next six games to push to 39 that quickly. At this point 50 isn’t out of reach. .. Equally impressive his the other Michael, Frolik who’s 6 points now give him 29 points in 52 games, ahead of his pace through is career of roughly 40 points per season. He’s been money for the Flames. …
Next Up
Just one more game left on this 6 game homestand, and that’s a date with the soon to be desperate Colorado Avalanche on Friday night. Game time 7pm on Sportsnet.
3>Lines:
Johnny Gaudreau – Sean Monahan- Micheal Ferland
Joe Colborne – Mikael Backlund – Michael Frolik
Lance Bouma – Freddie Hamilton – Josh Jooris
Brandon Bollig- Matt Stajan – Garnet Hathaway
Mark Giordano – Derryk Engelland
Jyrki Jokipakka – Dougie Hamilton
Jacub Nakladal – Dennis Wideman
Joni Ortio
