Postgame: Won One For The Gipper

 

 

The Flames can add one more positive to this season’s exceedingly short list, as they beat the Vancouver Canucks tonight by a final score of 3-2. The win snaps Vancouver’s 7-game streak and gives the Flames the season series (3-2-1).

It’s a good thing I work in a soundproof room, because the groan I let out when Alex Burrows scored his 28th just 4:36 in (shorthanded, no less) could’ve been confused with a death rattle. There was a bunch of chippiness in the first, which was awesome to see after that effort against the Avalanche last friday. Turns out the players hate the Canucks just as much as we do. The Canucks completely dominated the pace of play in the first, with shots in the period totaling 3-12 for the bad guys. The chances were a lot closer, with the Canucks winning that battle 2-3.

The second was a boring-ass period, plain and simple. It did manage to be back and forth, though-which was a positive sign, given the slow start of the home side. There were 5 penalties in the frame, one of which was a verrrrrry iffy cross-checking call against the Lord of Hockey, Matt Stajan. Shots in the period were 8-9 for the Canucks, while the two teams tied with 6 chances apiece. 

An explosion of goals occured in the third, starting with Mike Cammalleri’s 19th of the year less then two minutes into the contest. (Akim Aliu would pick up the first point of his career on the goal.) Curtis Glencross would put the Flames ahead at the 9 minute mark as he potted his 26th of the season with a nice wrist shot. Cammalleri would widen the gap with his 20th of the year (2 more then Rene Bourque in 10 less games, heh) after a messy sequence in front of the net. Vancouver would pull it a little closer as Yannik Hansen would score his 16th of the season, but that was as close as it would come as the Flames and Kiprusoff would shut the rest of the game down. Shots in the frame were 17(!)-13 for the Flames, and the Flames outchanced the Canucks by an 8-7 count.

1. Squidward

2. Akim Aliu

3. Alex Burrows

The Canucks were sloppy tonight, but don’t get your hopes up that that style of play will carry over to the playoffs. The Flames took advantage when they could and came out with the win. 

While I didn’t really notice Akim Aliu out there, he did grab an apple on Mike Cammalleri’s first goal. I did like that he grabbed Max Lapierre during that scrum in front of the Flames bench and gave him a little shook. (God, I hate that guy.) Overall, a not-bad first NHL game. It’s the little things.

There’s one game left in this mess of a season-Saturday, 2PM, Saddledome. Be there. Or here. Whatever.