With games numbered
40 and 41 being played
this week, a myriad of
midseason reviews have
appeared on television,
in newspapers, and well
on websites (Look for
Calgarypuck's midseason
review early this week).
Within almost every
one of these "half
way there"
assessments of the
Calgary Flames, comes
the question; can this
team keep it up and make
the playoffs this
season?
It's the brass tax,
the bottom line, the big
enchilada - many are
impressed with their
record thus far, but can
they maintain this
improbable ride?
The club themselves
did a whole lot to
answer that question
last night in defeating
the Florida Panthers by
a 4-2 score at the
Saddledome, on coast to
coast TV no less.
It wasn't that the
victory was particularly
pretty. It didn't
feature air tight
systems, or mistake free
hockey.
But then, that's the
point, isn't it?
Playoff teams aren't
measured by their
masterpieces, it's the
points scraped out of
games where things don't
come out as planned that
add up in the end.
The Flames came out
uncharacteristically
loose in their own end.
The young and spirited
Florida Panthers used
three powerplays to run
up 15 shots and two
first period goals,
setting up one of those
frustrating games from
year's past where the
Flames just didn't show
up.
Not on this night.
The Flames changed
their own fate in this
one, slanting the ice
towards Cat goalie
Roberto Luongo for the
final two periods - they
out shot the visitors
25-8 over the final 40 -
and turning a big fat
lemon into a trough of
lemonade for the
Saddledome faithful.
At first it appeared
that their effort would
fall short at the feet
of Luongo and his
goaltending stylings.
The Flames peppered
the former World Junior
standout through the
second period but
couldn't do a thing to
alter the 2-1 score.
Finally, in the third
period, Dean McAmmond
swept in a Jarome Iginla
point shot during a
powerplay triggered late
in the second period to
tie the score, and the
dam burst from there.
A few minutes later
Chris Clark scored the
winner when he
"seeing eye"
slapper found the mitt
of Luongo but got loose
and fell into the cage.
For Clark, the goal
marked the fifth point
he's garnered in his
last seven games, quite
a feat for a third and
fourth liner.
The games best
player, Jarome Iginla,
salted things away when
he scored his second of
the night to give the
Flames a two goal lead.
On the play, the
suddenly dangerous Oleg
Saprykin took the puck
in his skates behind the
Florida cage, circled
the net with his head up
and found Iginla all
alone in the deep slot.
Iginla appeared to
have scored again late
but the goal was
reviewed and pulled back
as it was ruled to have
not crossed the line.
The win moves the
Flames back to nine
games over .500, and
gives the club 50 points
through 41 games, the
exact half way point of
the season.
Next up for Calgary
is the Maple Leafs in
Toronto on Tuesday
night. That game marks
former Flame, Gary
Roberts, 1000 contest in
his career.
