No matter how many things change, it’s amazing how something stay the same.
You can change most of the players, the coaches, the Ducks certainly change their uniforms often, but the bottom line is always a multi point night for Ryan Getzlaf and Cory Perry and a Flames loss at the Honda Center.
The Flames showed up, they were full marks for putting their best foot forward in this one, but breakdowns and losing out in the special teams battle was too steep a hill to climb as the Flames dropped a 4-1 game at the Honda Center.
The Flow
Not the start you want in a building you never win, but the Flames put themselves behind the eight ball early, surrendering a goal to Clayton Stoner just 2:29 in. From there the Flames at least did what they couldn’t do the night before, that is stabilize things and get back to their game plan, though they were unable to generate a lot when it came to scoring chances. The Flames tie the score though with a strong push in the final five minutes with the reunited Sean Monahan / Johnny Gaudreau duo teaming up to bank the puck off of Alex Chiasson while he was being ridden bear back by Kevin Bieksa into the net. The Flames get a chance or two late on a powerplay but fail to cash in and the game is tied through twenty minutes.
Flames looked to carry that late first momentum into the second period but were tripped up when Dougie Hamilton took an early penalty sending the Ducks to the powerplay. They quickly made good use of it as well when Ryan Getzlaf flipped the puck to Corey Perry who slid it acrros the crease to Ryan Kesler who put the Ducks up 2-1. Several minutes later the Ducks doubled their lead when Cogliano got away on a partial break, was stopped by Chad Johnson but slipped it past the goaltender short side on the rebound with Gaudreau just failing to stick check him. Flames carrying the play for the most part, but the Ducks lead 3-1 after forty.
Calgary hung with the Ducks in the third, but the period itself was a sleepy affair with neither team generating a whole lot when it came to blue chip chances. The Ducks do manage to hit the scoresheet again however when the same three players combined for almost a replica of their second period powerplay goal and the final is 4-1 Anaheim. The curse continues, in fact it is now an NHL record 24 games in a row with the Flames losing regular season games in Anaheim.
1. Ryan Getzlaf:Guy just loves piling up the points against the city that he represented in junior hockey, three more assists for the Ducks captain.
2. Cory Perry: Right there with his centerman, picked up three assists as well.
3. Ryan Kesler:Two goals including the game winner for the talented, but annoying super pest.
Big Save
Not a lot of jaw droppers from either goaltender tonight, but if I had to pick one on timing it was Bernier’s save on Sean Monahan through traffic with the Flames on a late first period powerplay and the score tied at one. A goal there could have really changed the game.
The Goat
The Hamilton/Jokipakka duo had a tough night between taking penalties and getting caught up ice and yielding breakdown chances. Hamilton took a silly penalty that led to the Duck’s second goal, and Jokipakka got trapped up the ice giving Cogliano their third marker.
Mr. Clutch
I liked Matthew Tkachuk again tonight. Had a few solid scoring chances, threw a great hit, got into a fight and whacked Cory Perry a few times in the third period. Kid has jam.
Odds and Ends
Still reeling from that setback last night? I know I am. The team through 4 to 5 straight starts seemed to be ironing the chaos out of their game so a complete unraveling like that was a little surprising. Had me thinking going into tonight’s game however that it might be the perfect mental place to play the Ducks in a building they never win. Bottom out before taking on the beast? … Not a surprise to see Niklas Grossman re-enter the lineup tonight after his missteps last night. The game shouldn’t be put on anyone’s neck as it took a team effort to mess things up that badly, but the man just doesn’t have the foot speed to make up for a mistake. Lance Bouma also to the sidelines with a shoulder injury meaning recently called up Hunter Shinkaruk was entered into the lineup, he lined up with the Bennett Brouwer duo as Gulutzan put Gaudreau back with Monahan. … Sure he missed the net but that hammer that Dougie Hamilton wired with seconds left in the first period is why they need to get him back on the number one unit. With Gaudreau passing across the box it would give the club a deadly option while also spreading out the penalty kill due to respect for it. … Was interesting to watch Tkachuk and how he fared in his first NHL fight. I’m not sure what kind of a brawler Joe Cramarossa is to be honest but he had 6 years on the Flame’s rookie, but Tkachuk hung right in there. Still wonder why you have to fight after a clean hit though, and why the guy that picked the fight gets the same number of minutes. … Sam Bennett going after Ryan Kesler late made the third period for me. Doubt Bennett was going to tune him in, but with Kesler getting dropped by Max Domi this week you could see he didn’t want to risk it …
Next Up
After three games in four nights the Flames get a breather, as their next game isn’t until Thursday night at the Saddledome against the Dallas Stars. Game time 7pm on Sportsnet.
Lines:
Gaudreau – Monahan – Chiasson
Shinkaruk – Bennett – Brouwer
Tkachuk – Backlund – Frolik
Ferland – Stajan – Hamilton
Giordano – Brodie
Jokipakka – Hamilton
Kulak – Engelland
Johnson
