Crime and punishment, an equation that has stood the test of time.
The crime in this case, a 6-1 listless drubbing in San Jose, a loss so heinous head coach Mike Keenan nixed a California getaway, leading to the expected punishment … some punishing work on the ice in Calgary instead.
Mission accomplished, at least on this night as the Flames dominated from start to finish, finally putting away the visiting Avalanche by a 4-1 score on Tuesday night in Calgary.
Now if they can just retain what they learned through sweat on the weekend. Time will tell.
On The Line
A great chance to show they care. Too many Calgarians put up $15.99 to watch a pay per view game that was a lot more like a horror movie than home town sports, leaving many to question the character and jam of this hockey team. Now, five days later, the Flames were out to prove they could rebound and find their groove again after winning just two of their last seven on the heels of a dominant six game win streak.
The Flow
The Avs struck first in the first when Svatos took a feed and put a nine iron to the top hand corner … that was essentially it for the visitors. The Flames took the play to Denver the rest of the period and could have easily lead by a few after the first stanza.
Even more domination in the second with a shot mark of 19-7 and scoring chances to match. The Flames were all over the fore check with every line contributing to shift to shift pressure as the Avs wore down chasing the puck in their own zone. They finally tied the score when Mike Cammalleri pushed a loose puck across the crease to Rene Bourque who almost fanned, but managed to chip it over an otherwise flawless Peter Budaj.
More and more Calgary in the third as the fourth line lead the way after the big boys squandered a 1:24 two man advantage to start the period. The Flames finally took the lead when Adrian Aucoin kept the puck in and the blueline, stepped into the slot and wired one over the shoulder of Budaj off the cross bar and post. Then the sit … as you often see with a lead and the Avs coming way too close given the shot total that hung above the ice. The Flames killed a penalty and then iced it when Jarome Iginla flipped in an empty net goal from center. David Moss rounded out the scoring with nine seconds left to make the game look less tense than it was.
Three Stars
- Peter Budaj: The 4-1 score casts a shadow over a game that was all Budaj for the most part. Without his lateral movement and a few fortunate crease hops this game could have been a laugher.
- Adrian Aucoin: The man has lost a step, he may be a player better suited for a different era, but tonight? Game winner, two points, 25 minutes plus of ice time and +3? Wow quite a night of work!
- The Whole Fourth Line: What a treat to see a fourth line in Calgary that can wear out defenders, cycle the puck, take the biscuit to the net and sustain momentum.
Big Save
Kiprusoff on McCormick in the first was my first pick … but then a Budaj save on a five on three early in the third on Iginla took the mantle, but when it comes to importance, my bet is Kiprusoff killing a penalty up a goal late on Marek Svatos from the slot. Huge.
Big Hit
You almost want to pick the whole fourth line for this one too, as Wayne Primeau, Brandon Prust and Eric Nystrom tried to run into everything they came across. But I’ll go with Curtis Glencross melting down Svatos in the corner in the second period during one of the numerous sustained pushes by the Flames.
The Goat
No goat in this one but man did Rene Bourque try the horns on late when he flipped puck over the glass about six feet inside the blueline with the Flames up a goal in the third. Yikes … he could have put that puck almost anywhere.
Mr. Clutch
Miiika Kiprusoff. The man didn’t face a lot of shots (in fact almost none from the midpoint of the first until the midpoint of the third) but stayed sharp and came up huge with a few great saves late with the game in the balance.
Odds and Ends
Shouldn’t look for fault in a game like that, but once again why was Craig Conroy chasing a Calgary defenseman chasing an Avalanche player on the Avs only goal? He’s done that numerous times this season leaving a guy wide open in the front of the net. Craig, you’re 38! You should know better. … Looking at defensive stats will keep you up at night but offensively the Flames are certainly not that thin team without secondary scoring that a few opined heading into the season. Four players are on 20 goal plus paces, but a whopping dozen players are on pace for at least ten this year including, a somewhat shaky inclusion of Andre Roy. David Moss and Adrian Aucoin joined that club this season. Specifically it’s a really good sign to see Boyd heading for 27, Bourque on pace for 17, Conroy and Moss on pace for 13 and the injured Lombardi still on pace for 10. … The one I can’t figuere out is Jarome Iginla, on pace for 47 goals (good) but without much passion in his game night to night (bad). Is he hurt? …. I thought the first line was the team’s least effective in this one but the tale of the tape shows three scoring points and a combined plus six. Bertuzzi’s plus two will certainly help his woeful season mark of -9 coming in. … My son has won jersey off their backs, the Harvey move of the game so I endeavoured to chance the old 50/50 tonight. He missed by one number. I should charge to let people rub his head …. Anyone else get that sinking feeling that the visitors had weathered too many storms to stay tied at one only to get a bounce and a winning the thing? Glad my rot gut was wrong. … The Flames moved the puck out of their own zone very effectively tonight, not sure if it’s a change program or a focus on the task at hand. … The win moves the team into 6th spot a mess with a half down teams. They are two back of Minnesota and one back of the Canucks but without games in hand.
Next Up
With a home sweep against the Avs this year they take their dominance into the less friendly confines of the Pepsi Center. Games time is 7pm on Sportsnet..
Lines (To Start):
Bertuzzi – Langkow – Iginla
Cammalleri – Boyd – Bourque
Glencross – Conroy – Moss
Prust – Primeau – Nystrom
Phaneuf – Pardy
Sarich – Regehr
Giordano – Aucoin
Kiprusoff
