|
Flames
Mauled by Bruins
Turek,
McLennan both victimized in Rout
November 26th, 2002
Rick Charlton
 |
|
AP Photo |
| Crushed: Flames pounded in
Beantown. |
Oooooh, that one looked bad.
Real bad.
But was it a coach killer?
Calgary could have taken an early train
to Washington for all the difference it would have made after being
trampled early and often in Boston last night, spiralling into the dirt
7-2 to the Bruins in front of a mercifully small number of witnesses,
only 13,582 in attendance.
There are losses and then there are
real nasty losses and this certainly qualified as one of the latter,
ugly in all respects with the Flames looking like a team surprised they
were playing anyone let alone the Eastern Conference leaders.
An ominous five game road trip,
littered with quality opponents including the Capitals tomorrow, began
in eerie fashion with Flames put on the mat by two Bruin goals in the
first eleven minutes, both Marty McInnis and Glen Murray taking
advantage of soft defensive play from the Flames for unfettered access
to Calgary's beleaguered starter Roman Turek.
From there it was no contest, Boston
ratcheting up a 4-0 lead by the first minute of the second period before
allowing the Flames some hope with a Jarome Iginla power play goal, his
fifth marker of the year but only his third in 17 games, at 1:46 of the
second.
But Boston found the net twice more
before the end of the period, including a hat trick marker from Murray
and a soft shorthanded marker from Brian Rolston, making the score 6-1
and deflating any hopes the Flames may have had after a brief flurry of
life.
The Bruins coasted to the finish line
with little more than a wave of the hand from The Friendly Flames.
It would take too many bytes in
cyberspace to catalogue the crimes committed this night by the boys from
Calgary but we'll dwell first and foremost on the failure to show up in
the first place.
The final score of 7-2 and, more
importantly, the soft defensive effort across the ice that led to it,
has undoubtedly re-awakened the Greg Gilbert watch, the Flames coach
already nearing life support status before a seven game losing streak
was halted with a Flames 3-1 victory over Chicago on Saturday night.
This one, however, easily fits the bill
of a coach-killing game.
The Flames, full of confidence only
three weeks ago after a 3-2 win over New Jersey during their last east
coast trip, are giving every indication of a team needing a shakeup.
That can either come via a chemistry
changing trade or more ominously, the routine and easier step of sending
the coach packing.
Calgary falls to 6-10-3-3 and is now
1-6-0-1 in the last eight, hovering in the nether reaches of the Western
Conference with a scant 18 points in 21 games, so far down the pole that
we won't even bother looking it up after such a horrendous showing.
Turek could hardly be faulted for the
early 3-0 Boston lead as the Flames allowed a veritable shooting gallery
of of close-in opportunities.
But it was Jamie McLennan starting the
second period and he let one in only fifty seconds into his tenure. And
three more after that.
Flames outshot the Bruins 31-30 on the
night.
Boston has outscored opponents 34-8 in
their last seven games at the Fleet Center.
Iginla's goal was actually a plus on
the night but negated by a minus three on the negative side of the
ledger. Martin Gelinas ended a 10 game goal-less drought with Calgary's
second marker. The 30th ranked power play in the NHL was one for five
and the penalty kill actually looked good yet again against the third
best home power play in the NHL, killing four of five Bruin
opportunities.
But who's kidding who? This was a
wipeout.
Next up is Washington, playing in
Toronto last night, with both teams therefore playing their second in as
many nights Wednesday.
|
