Post-Game: Happy New Year!

The Calgary Flames completed the 2014 portion of their regular season tonight with a comeback overtime win over their most bitter rivals, the Edmonton Oilers, by way of a 4-3 score at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

The calendar year ended in much the same way that it went all season for this group – they figured out a way to win when winning didn’t seem easy.

Edmonton, likely (a) full of piss and vinegar after beating the LA Kings the night previous and/or (b) smarting from their loss in Calgary days prior, really had a jump in their step early-on. They struck first via a power-play marker from Matt Fraser. Calgary had power-play opportunities in the opening frame (including the first minute of a five-minute match penalty to Keith Aulie for a head-shot that leveled Matt Stajan) and out-shot Edmonton, but couldn’t score. One could argue they tried to get too damn fancy with the extra man, particularly in the opening frame.

The second period began a section of score-jockeying. Edmonton’s Jordan Eberle scored half-way through the period to make it 2-0, but Joe Colborne converted a power-play goal late in the period to creep towards the Oilers by a 2-1 score. Four minutes into the third, Lance Bouma scored to make it a tie game! That tie lasted five minutes, as former Flame Andrew Ference scored to make it 3-2 for the visitors. That lead lasted roughly two and a half minutes, as Colborne struck again to tie the game. Tied at 3-3, we went to overtime.

Oh, and Josh Jooris (for tripping) and Jeff Petry (for diving) began OT in the box for coinciding minors, so we had rare three-on-three hockey. The Flames cycled the puck in the Oilers zone. An aborted clearing and an attempted line change for the Oilers coincided with the Petry and Jooris penalties expiring…and a two-on-one involving Jooris and dish-master Jiri Hudler. Jooris converted the chance for his ninth goal of the season and Calgary eked out an exciting overtime win.

It’s their eighth comeback win of the season when trailing after 40 minutes, which is just nuts.

Because they never quit and after out-shooting the Oilers early-on and getting nothing, they kept at it. The Flames out-shot the Oilers in each and every period, which eventually equated with more goals than them and two points in the standings.

Oh, and Keith Aulie getting tossed late in the first meant that Edmonton had to rotate through five guys on the back end. Against a fast Flames squad, in a tightly-checked game that went to overtime, that fatigue likely contributed to a moronic attempted change that was the difference in OT.

Joe Colborne scored twice, tripling his goal total for this season (to three). He also had six hits and won 83% of his face-offs. Way to go, Joe.

The Flames are off tomorrow and get back into action on Friday night when the New York Islanders come to town. The puck drops at 7pm MT.