What could be better, a must win against a division rival, a shut out, and get this, a TKO. I know, this isn’t typical Flames hockey we’ve come to expect, but finally someone’s listening to me! Ok, maybe not, but I’ve said for a while that we need more size coming up. Anaheim has a goon and they’re first. Why not Calgary when we have one of the champs in the minors? Eric Godard finally got his chance today, namely because we can’t loose anymore guys, and Boogard took liberties last game.
Well the Flames continue to pick up the slack with Jarome out with injury (probable post-All-Star break return). To start things off in the first period Langkow scored off a nice re-direct to put the host team up 1-0. Trying to get his team back into it Boogard switched places on the ensuing face off and dropped the mits with Godard.
Boogard may have had the upper hand early, but quite frankly, early is all he had. Once the right hand of Godard got free a few hits to the head and the knees of Boogard were getting weak. See the full fight in the gallery. Since the fight didn’t help the Wild, maybe some penalty trouble would.
Why not, the Flames can’t score on the PP right? Wrong. A 5v3 PP saw Huselius offer a nice feed to Giordano who slid home a goal to make it 2-0. After this you’d think the Wild would abandon their defensive style of play to get some goals. Not really.
Even in the third period the Wild couldn’t do anything offensively. Both BOogard and Parrish didn’t return for the third. Even with power plays there was nothing doing for the Wild. That didn’t, however, stop the Flames from continuing to pressure. The forecheck was on all night and caused a number of turnovers.
One of these came, yet again, shorthanded, as Matthew Lombardi broke in to give a behind the back pass to Ritchie who scored his third goal in two games. Hope these guys can keep it up. And hope Godard is here to stay since everyone grows an extra 2 inches.
Notes: Godard played his first game as a Flames. Moss continues his good play. Zyzuin sat again. Huselius was taken off the first line for Friesen. Lundmark continues to struggle. UP next, Colorado Thursday.
