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Big
Effort In Dallas Comes
Up Short
Dallas 3 Flames 2
Darren
Linn
March
26, 2006
With
the end of a grueling
and ill-timed 7 game
road trip on their
platter this afternoon
in
Dallas,
the Calgary Flames
hockey team was going to
have to dig very very
deep and find another
gear in order to come
home at .500 for the two
weeks. It, simply put,
wasn't there for them.
This
is a hockey team that
has relied almost
exclusively on a very
concentrated team
defense approach and
backed up by one of the
best goaltenders in the
entire league. They kept
to that formula one more
time when it was
permitted by the
officiating and during
those times, they were
very good. However, like
a FOX TV special
"when officials go
bad" would see the
infuriating and
mind-numbing aspect of
the guys in stripes
controlling a game, the
Flames were unable to
compete with the Stars
on special teams.
In
losing once again to a
very good hockey team,
the Flames have really
put some unnecessary
pressure on themselves
as they head to friendly
confines of the
Saddledome for what will
be a most nail-biting
stretch drive.
On
The Line
1st
in the division, 3rd in
the conference,
confidence in
themselves, keeping the
Avs from passing
them......well in a
word...everything.
The
Flow
Flow?
The only flow was the
continuous stream of
hockey player after
hockey player heading to
the sin-bin. It was
herky-jerky, stop and go
then stop again all
game. Even though both
clubs came out hard in
the opening 10 minutes
or so, the game itself
was abhorrent.
Three
Stars
1
� Jason Arnott
The
oft maligned Dallas
pivot is having a
terrific year and was a
dominating force all
game when he wasn't in
the penalty box. The
winning goal and an
assist gives him the
honor as head of the
class on a Sunday
afternoon.
2 � Jordon Leopold.
Flames dman
scored a textbook PP
goal in the 2nd to
temporarily tie the
game, was second on the
club in ice time, and
generally a pain for the
opposition to play
against.
3 � Niko Kapanen.
The hardest
working player on the
Stars and PKer elite was
a thorn in Calgary's PP
all game...and their
were a lot of them.
Scoring a SH goal in the
2nd to help the Stars
pull away.
Big
Hit
In reality, this honor
should go to Robyn
Regehr for obliterating
Stephane Robidas along
the boards with a
patented
"Reggie"
finish. However, the
biggest hit was
unintentional and it was
ugly. When Brendan
Morrow caught Marcus
Nilson coming from
behind the Stars net and
their legs locked,
Nilson's knee did a
Gumby impression and
looked to this untrained
eye like a season ender.
Big
Save
Simplest call of the
night....Marty Turco
absolutely robbed Jamie
Lundmark with a glove
save in the 1st period
while the Flames enjoyed
a man advantage.
Sprawled on his belly
after making a previous
stop and with Lundmark
looking at a gaping
right side of the net,
Turco flashed his
leather trapper and took
a sure goal away from
the growing ever more
impressive Calgary
newcomer.
The
Goat
Chris Rooney and Rob
Schick. When the two
guys wearing stripes are
the most noticed people
on the ice during an NHL
game, there is a huge
problem. 24 minor
penalties....TWENTY
FOUR. Outrageous and
unnecessary to say the
least.
Mr.
Clutch
Marty Turco wasn't
tested a whole lot, but
he did make the critical
saves when called upon,
and when he wasn't there
to stop them his post
was.
Odds
and Ends
The seemingly minor
acquisition of Jamie
Lundmark on deadline day
is now looming very very
large for the Flames.
Never mind he is showing
some flair in the
offensive zone, the
injury to Nilson (and
very possibly Stephane
Yelle) allows for
Calgary to continue to
ice 4 natural centers
for now. That being
said, I would suggest we
see a call up from Omaha
before the next game.
Mr. Nystrom
perhaps?.......How many
posts/crossbars has
Iginla hit this season?
15? 20? It has to be as
frustrating for him as
it is for Flame
nation.......So, who do
you cheer for tonight
Flames Fans? Edmonton or
Colorado? I suggest as
hard as it may be to
swallow, an Edmonton win
in regulation would be
the best result for a
team that is now feeling
the collar
tightening........Over
half the game was played
with one team or the
other short-handed,
think about that. When
you add in the 4 on 4
time, Little more than 1
period was 5 on 5
hockey. That's not
good...ever.........Continuing
a season long and odd
trend, the Flames smoked
their opponents in the
faceoff circle going off
at 58%, but
losing......I can think
of at least 7 regulars
who are playing hurt or
sidelined right now. A
tremendous test of the
depth this club
apparently has.....Uber-rookie
Dion Phaneuf led all
Flames with over 26
minutes of icetime....Just
a suggestion to Mr
Sutter from a distant
observer, demand your
guys take tomorrow off,
stay home, get some home
cookin, and rest all
day. Then a stiff
workout Tuesday concentrating
on the PP, it is getting
a bit much too see this
team have difficulty
even gaining the zone with
it....Byron Ritchie
apparently felt the
scorn of Coach Sutter by
being benched in the 3rd
for a dumb misconduct
penalty in the 2nd which
came after they were
down a player in Nilson.
Next
up � Wednesday
night a desperate LA
Kings club comes calling
to the 'Dome
Lines
-
Huselius - Langkow -
Iginla
Amonte
- Yelle - Donovan
Nilson
- Lombardi - Kobasew
Simon
- Ritchie - Lombardi
Regehr - Leopold
Ference - Marchment
Phaneuf-Hamrlik
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