The Calgary Flames dominated the Toronto Maple Leafs outshooting their opponents 44-22. The reason the Flames lost, untimely giveaways and running into a brick wall in Jon Bernier.
What was unusual about this game was the sheer number of Leaf fans. Usually you get a good bunch out, but with more tickets available with a rebuilding team ex-Torontonians filled the seats.
There are two reasons why this is (Toronto being the leading fanbase that can fill other Canadian team’s seats):
1) There are no jobs in Toronto and/or the jobs in YYC pay more, and
2) Connected to 1, Toronto is a terrible place to live (so I hear). From their mayor all the way down to their hockey team (unusually winning this past year, a change from the past 40), everyone leaves Toronto for greener pastures anywhere else in Canada.
So there you have it, Leaf fans, the NHL equivalent to hillbilly Rider fans :).
Great determination by the Flames despite the injury list – Backlund, Breen, Giordano and Stempniak. The players truly deserve credit for filling in the void – almost coming close to one goal.
Nevertheless, the 2-0 goal deficit actually cost the Flames the game along with Bernier’s remarkable goal tending. Yes, it was amazing to hear the cheering crowd….it was as if the Flames were winning the game; and they should have won this one……