Quips and Quotes: Flames beat Blackhawks 3-2
By Ryan Pike
5 years agoThe Calgary Flames beat the Chicago Blackhawks by a 3-2 score on Sunday night. Here are selected reactions from players and coaches following the game.
Mike Smith makes another big save
David Rittich is likely still going to be called Big Save Dave by Flames fans, but Mike Smith had another solid outing in net. His best save came in the third period where he busted out a patented Miikka Kiprusoff move: the Scorpion.
Flames head coach Bill Peters praised his netminder following the game.
We were loose as a group and he bailed us out. He was real good here tonight. He’s put a lot of work in here in the last two weeks, he’s really done a good job digging in and tuning up his game, and now you’re seeing the result of that.
The Flames had a few question marks in net a few weeks ago, but suddenly it seems like they might have a pair of decent goaltenders on their roster.
Travis Hamonic takes an elbow to the face
The other big play of the game was a nasty elbow to the face of Travis Hamonic from Blackhawks forward Chris Kunitz. Kunitz was ejected from the game and Hamonic suffered what he estimated in post-game interviews as a broken nose.
Hamonic noted that the ensuing power play swung the game for the Flames.
“Dumb play, dumb hit, so it’s nice to be able to capitalize and make them pay,” said Hamonic. “Get two on the major and that was obviously the turning point, I guess, we get those two and we were able to hold on.”
Peters added: “We did what we needed to do there, but you’d rather not see a guy take a head shot.”
Every game misconduct is reviewed by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for supplemental discipline. Given that Hamonic returned to the game it doesn’t seem likely that Kunitz will get much, but you have to imagine the recklessness of the elbow will earn him a scolding over the phone at the very least.
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