Flames Bounce Back Winning All the Battles
After a 7-4 drubbing two days ago in Detroit (should have been 13-0), the Calgary Flames were looking for revenge, or at least to right the ship. The game was a later start to accommodate an Edmonton game on TV (they lost 3-0). This didn’t matter as the Oilers game went late and I was getting fancy about the the hockey I’d miss. Turns out the Flames game started 15 minute slater than expected and I missed nothing.
There’s no place like home for the Flames. The game started with an early powerplay that looked boring to start, but Phanuef managed to the puck off a transition and fired a shot that should have went way wide but Langkow got his stick on it and potted his 23rd.
Right at puck drop after the goal Eric Boulton thought he’d try boost his team by fighting Eric Godard (the Flames are unbeaten with him in the lineup). Somebody has got to get the book on Godard cause he’s going to beat you down. Boulton walked away with a bloodied face having not thrown a punch….See the fight in the fight gallery.
The second powerplay that came mid-way through the first was boring and typical of the Flames game. Ha, yea, but I guess the Flames are in the mood for ‘boring powerplay–SCORE!’. Jarome Iginla took advantage of some bad coverage in front of the net to score his 25th. (BTW, Roger Millions, you’re not saying Tanguay right.)
With 6 minutes left the Thrashers went to the box again. Well how would the worst–wait a minute the 16th best in the league–scored right off the bat with patient Huselius hooking up with Langkow for his second of the game.
If that wasn’t enough. Exelby and Primeau (who plays for Calgary in case you weren’t following) had something going earlier on in the game and finally dropped the gloves. Check the gallery again for that one :P
The second period saw more Flames domination. Trying to get things going early, the Thrashers took a penalty 5 seconds in…. ON the ensuing PP Langkow had a wide open net for the hat-trick but missed. The next ten minutes was all Calgary until midway.
Phaneuf had the longest shift of the game, probably 3.6 minutes long. The Flames just couldn’t get the puck out of the zone and paid for it after a poor clearing attempt. Hemel scored (remember the guy who Phanuef blew apart in Ottaway) as a result of a DeVries shot.
The 3-1 score wouldn’t last long as the next shift the top line (this time with Conroy) clicked. A poor neutral zone turnover lead to a 2-1 with Jarome Iginla leading the way passing to Tanguay who popped a nice shot top corner for a 4-1 lead.
The third period was more Flames. The forecheck was humming all night and Atlanta looked like a team waiting for the final buzzer. So the Flames got some message, they came out mad and they continued their home dominance for a 4-1 win going 6-3 on the powerplay.
Notes: Zyuzin and Ritchie sat, Godard drew in. Huselius had the puck on a string all night. Primeau had his first fighting major with the Flames.
