Just when you figure the Flames entertaining days have dried up never to be seen again, boom they score four times in regulation for the first time since early December to beat the Avalanche 4-3 in Denver.
The club had only scored one goal in the previous four games, all at home, so the explosion was surprising. The best sign was the contributions from young players like Joe Colborne and Sean Monahan.
Maybe the second half won’t be as dreary as we all expected.
On The Line
This is getting repetitive I know, but given the results of the last four home games, the time is now for the Flames to seize back their season. Are they going to drop the intensity and swoon into a plummet to the bottom of the standings, or return to that little engine that could mentality that carried them through 37 games?
The Flow
The Flames got the last start you’d expect from a team struggling to score; they found the net early on a fortunate bounce when a Sean Monahan wrister was punched out to a Denver skate and in. The Flames got into penalty trouble however, giving up not one, but two powerplay markers to rookie Nathan McKinnon.
A very slow start for the Flames in the second, by the midway point they had only two shots on goal, and were creating very little. So it came as a big surprise that they put the puck to the net twice, wiping out a one goal deficit and taking the lead on goals by Joe Colborne and Jiri Hudler.
Predictably the Flames chose to sit on the lead somewhat to start the third period, playing solid, but not pushing the puck up ice at all. It did the charm through ten minutes but then Paul Stastny took the puck out of the corner, and beat Ramo through the pads to tie it. But wait! The Avs take a brutal too many men on the ice penalty with just over four minutes to go giving the Flames the win on a Mike Cammalleri powerplay goal.
Three Stars
- Jiri Hudler: Olympic snub leads to a goal and an assist.
- Nathan MacKinnon: 18 year old looked every bit the first overall kid as he scores twice and shows a strong physical side to his developing game
- Paul Stastny: Great game for the quiet star with a goal and two assists.
Big Save
Moments before MacKinnon beat Ramo for his second of the night he was robbed by the Flames goaltender from the high slot on a one timer.
Big Hit
Kevin Westgarth had a burly shift in the second that began with a hit from behind on Matt Duchene and then finishing with a glove/stick to the face of Jamie McGinn.
The Goat
J.S. Giguere … was an adventure in the Av’s cage all night in controlling rebounds, and finding loose pucks. tough night.
Mr. Clutch
Joe Colborne. Scored a goal, added an assist, was a monster on the wall, and won 71% of his draws on the night, as the young player has one of his better games as a Flame.
Odds and Ends
There was a discussion about scratching Lee Stempniak today, but he suited up with David Jones’ disclosure of an eye injury suffered against the Lightening on Friday… Great to see Jiri Hudler scoring a goal and adding a brilliant assist on a night when he was snubbed by the Czech hockey selection committee. When you see that roster you have to wonder if politics towards players that stay in Europe were in play as he leads all Czech players in NHL scoring this year. Odd. … Interesting to watch Ryan O’Reilly play this year thinking how close he came to becoming a Flame last year. The man that botched that debacle, Jay Feaster has since been let go. He’d be second in Flames scoring if he was with the club. … Ramo was beat twice tonight moving off the short side post and exposing the gap between his pads, I’m no goalie coach but he has to hold that line and only go across when the puck precedes him. … Just hate it when guys are born in cities where their dads play messing up their citizenship for international competitions going forward. Paul Stastny should not be playing for the American’s in any tournament, just seems wrong. Almost as wrong as when his Dad played for Canada in the 1984 Canada Cup. … The win moves the Flames back to three points ahead of the Oilers, one back of the Isles, and two back of the Panthers in that messy battle for draft picks..
Next up
The Flames are right back at it tomorrow night when they travel to Phoenix to take on the Coyotes, game time 7pm Sportsnet.
Lines (To Start):
Hudler – Backlund – Cammalleri
Byron – Monahan – Stempniak
Galiardi – Colborne – Westgarth
Bouma – Stajan – McGrattan
Giordano – Brodie
Smid – Wideman
Butler – O’Brien
Ramo
