Bertuzzi Returns to Give Flames Win

Blood on the ice, player negligence, hits from behind, high sticks, all contributed to a chippy affair between the Flames and Jackets. Columbus is a bottom feeder in the West so they make up their shortcomings with chippy play. The Flames responded, albeit over zealously.

Calgary started quick but RJ Umberger opened the scoring after Jarome Iginla quit on the back check. Minutes later Dion Phaneuf pasted Umberger from behind. If he had put his helmet on properly this would have been two for boarding, if that. If Umberger wasn’t an idiot he wouldn’t have a huge face bruise, but no, he’s an idiot and can’t take a hit. Phaneuf gets 5 for fighting, 5 for boarding, game misconduct.

Flames Penalties Mount in First



Because of an earlier coincidental penalty it meant a rare opportunity to see 3v3 action. With the 2 D + Jarome Iginla option, Calgary went on the offensive and Iginla scored his 19th and first goal in eight games. The bounces were all over the place in this game, 30 seconds later Umbereger raced down and captured his second of the game for the lead.

Calgary’s second period included more special teams killing off another 5v3 opportunity when Regehr went off for high-sticking. Calgary’s powerplay cashed in when Cammalleri scored his 21st of the season with Tollefsen off for his third minor (real winner this guy).

But again, the next shift Columbus re-took the lead after a defensive breakdown. Not to be outdone, Keenan keeps the line of Moss, Boyd, Glencross on and wouldn’t you know it, 30 seconds after that goal they tie the game. The third period was shaping up to be a doozy.

Calgary started the third with a powerplay opportunity, but it was Columbus’ Rick Nash who scored off a breakaway from a lucky bounce. Calgary started the first boo-birds in quiet some time, pointless coming from a crowd that barely cheered all night.

Nash’s goal seemed to be the nail in Calgary’s coffin problems. For a third straight game in a row the team struggled to find continuity, line combos, energy, anything. Even with more powerplay chances nobody wanted to step up and finish the game strong.

The one guy who is exceeding expectation is Cammalleri, who single kept the Flames in the game. Following Kiprusoff’s breakaway save on Umberger’s hattrick attempt, Iginla kicked a loose puck to Cammalleri who darted into the zone and snapped a quick wrister to records his second of the game.

Give Calgary a bit of credit, they came back from behind four times in this one to get at least point, they’d look for two in OT. Overtime didn’t solve anything so off to the Flames’ second shoot-out of the year which went down like this:

Cammalleri X
Williams X (nice poke check)

Iginla X (just like Cammalleri)
Nash X

Bertuzzi O
Voracek X

Flames win their first shoot-out win of the season courtesy of Bertuzzi, head to the Allstar break with a win, and stopped short of four straight win. A hard fought win that the Flames in the past wouldn’t have won but this year’s Flames’ somehow find ways to win games they shouldn’t.

Notes: Bertuzzi returned to the lineup and out went Vandermeer. The All-star break is now upon us, a nice rest of the Flames who need to think about getting back to basics to return to their winning ways.
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