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Flames
Get Short End of the
Stick
Jackets 2 - Flames 1
(SO)
D'Arcy
McGrath
February 1st, 2006
On
a night where Darryl
Sutter solved an alleged
off ice distraction with
his goaltending, the
Flames once again lost a
game in the NHL's newest
on ice attraction.
The
shoot out.
The
Calgary Flames nemesis,
the Cowtown
kryptonite.
After
dominating play for the
most part despite a less
than even split from
league officials, the
Flames came up empty
when for the second time
in three nights a less
than stellar hockey club
used the shoot out to
best the locals, this
time by a 2-1 final
score.
On
The Line
Given
the compaction of the
western conference
standings this "On
The Line" section
is becoming one big fat
"ditto".
Unless the game is a
four pointer, against
one of the other big
three Northwest Division
squads they all mean the
same. A chance to move
up in the ultra-tight
west or a chance to
stand still while other
gain or pass you by. No
different tonight.
The
Flow
In
a game that was one part
full court press by the
Flames and another part
grind-fest, the Flames,
especially when five on
five held the
territorial edge by a
large degree. The
Jackets big line of
Zherdev, Nash and
Fedorov was simply
dashing at times, but
save for a few chances
they were held to the
outside by stellar night
by the Flames blueline.
Given the high end
offensive talent of the
Jackets, at least in a
tight group at the top,
you just had a feeling
that the Flames had
better win this one in
overtime because they
wouldn't do well in a
shoot out. That was the
case.
Three
Stars
1
� Marc Denis.
He made the difficult
look ordinary in
smothering most shots
without giving up big
rebounds, and came up
huge when traffic pushed
the matter around his
cage. Full marks for the
win.
2
� Nikolai Zherdev.
Just
dazzling with the puck,
and scored the Jackets
goal in the second
period to send the game
into overtime.
3 � Jarome Iginla.
Scored Calgary's lone
goal, but beyond that,
he was more himself,
asserting himself on
most shifts, taking the
puck to the neck, and
working things down low.
Big
Hit
Calgary rookie Mark
Giordano, playing is
second NHL game, found a
welcome to the NHL matt
when he ran smack dab
into a charging
Rostislav Klesla who was
all to willing to put
said rookie on his butt.
Big
Save
Miika Kiprusoff was
simply brilliant twice
in the first period,
both times stoning the
Jackets big line. First
he stopped Rick Nash on
a one timer from the
slot, and then he robbed
Sergei Fedorov on a in
tight alley oop tip shot
that had everyone on the
edge of their seats..
The
Goat
Can I say Miika
Kiprusoff? Is that
allowed? I know I've
never done it, but
you're not going to win
many shoot outs if your
goalie allows two goals
on two shots. Tough
position for a
goaltender to be in,
it's thankless, however
Kiprusoff should beat
his counterpart in a
showdown more times than
not, yet he sits as 1-4
in shoot outs thus far
this season. Incidently
the departed Phil Sauve
has a 1-0 record in
shoot outs.
Mr.
Clutch
Jarome Iginla. A single
goal, but a difference
maker on most shifts,
and this coming from a
guy that can often be a
critic. I don't need
Jarome Iginla to score a
hat trick each and every
night, to go end to end,
or fight twice a period,
but he needs to force
the issue and make a
difference in the
outcome. He did that
tonight and wasn't
rewarded.
Odds
and Ends
Very odd game to watch
from an officiating
standpoint. Two man
advantage for the
Jackets without a single
boo from the crowd.
First time I've ever
seen that, but then the
over the glass rule is a
slam dunk. And speaking
of that series of calls
... two over the glass
calls in five seconds of
play? That has to be a
new NHL record. Yikes.
... The Jackets lack in
terms of depth and
overall talent, but when
it comes to skill in the
upper quarter of their
roster they are well on
their way to building
something. Fedorov won't
be around for ever, but
in Zherdev and Nash they
have some serious
building blocks. A shoot
out was doom for the
Flames. ... Sutter once
again protected his team
after the game, a common
theme all season after
being somewhat surly in
his first season and a
half in Calgary. "I
thought our tanks were
maybe 1/2 or 3/4 full,
and you could see
it", he said after
the game, "but we
outshot them two to one
and Denis was the
difference". You
know what? He's right.
The Flames, much like
their game in St. Louis,
put in the effort but
like many a time this
season they just can't
seem to finish. ... A
shout out to the odd guy
at the Saddledome that
followed my wife and her
friend into the girl's
washroom, found a stall,
and did your business.
How drunk do you have to
be to do that? Simply
odd. ... Jason Wiemer
into the lineup and lets
play who's missing early
in the game. Donovan?
Nope he's there. Simon?
Nope saw him. Reinprecht!
Message? Flue? Nope
traded, didn't think of
that one between
periods. ... Jarome
Iginla had seven shots
on goal on the night.
Seven! ... Good sign to
see the City of Calgary
fired up over some one
point losses, but man
are people over reacting
to things. The Flames
are a gut check team
that seems to be short
on offensive skill. That
can go against you. It's
going against them right
now. It won't last. ...
The difference in the
game once again was
special teams. The
Jackets were one for
five while the Flames
were ouch for zero on
the night.
Next
up � The
Flames take on the
Canucks on Friday night
at the Saddledome, a
game featured on
Sportsnet at 7:00 PM
Lines
�
Amonte � Lombardi
� Iginla
Huselius � Langkow �
Kobasew
Nilson - Yelle -
McCarty
Simon - Wiemer �
Donovan
Leopold - Regehr
Giordano - Phaneuf
Ference - Warrener
Kiprusoff
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