Special Sunday post in commemoration of the Flames beating up on the competition all weekend and taking sole possession of first place in the NW.
The Columbus game featured some sloppy play on both sides, odd officiating and, best of all, a complete dismantling of the BJ's at the hands of the Flames special teams. It was especially nice to see Iggy return with a bang and Huselius continue his torrid point scoring pace. In addition, Calgary gave up only 22 shots on the evening for a change - maybe a player or two read my shot-blocking rant and took it to heart. Maybe not.
The victory over Vancouver last night was significant both because of the outcome and the nature of the game itself. It looked, to me, like one of Calgary's best 60 minute efforts in a long time. high tempo, good effort and execution at both ends of the ice for all 3 periods. The fact that Calgary out shot Vancouver 42-28 and Luongo was still the 3rd star of the game (despite surrendering 4 goals) gives some indication of the degree to which the Flames outplayed the Canucks.
Beyond celebrating the usual suspects in the aftermath of the win (Iginla, Tanguay, Juice) I would like to add that Calgary's supporting cast has put in significantly better efforts the last 2 games or so. Whether it's thanks to the Conroy acquisition, and the resultant increased forward depth, or some unknown psychological "X" factor, guys like Yelle, Friesen, Ritchie, Amonte et al. have been contributing positively on a more consistent basis recently. Course, Amonte in particular hasn't been rewarded on the score sheet for his efforts; over the last 2 contests, Tony has had 2 goals called back and has hit 2 posts. ARGGHHH!
So all is warm and rosy in Flames land right now. On Tuesday, Calgary closes out the home stand with Vernon's jersey retirement against the Blackhawks. Here's hoping the boys can exact some revenge for the O/T loss they suffered in Chicago...
