I've gotten away from doing postgame posts this year, mostly because I tend to offer my thoughts in game threads and the like. However, some stuff is rattling around in myhead after last nights gutpunch, so I figured I'd break the habit for now.
- The Canucks didn't score a single ES goal last night. One was on the PP, one was SH and the last was with the net empty. During the recent slide (in quality of play, rather than points acquired) the Flames have been losing the special teams battles for one reason or another. The first being that they've tended to take more penalties than their opponents: 12-4 (PIM) vs. PHX, 14-10 vs. LAK and 22-20 vs ANA.
Course, that wasn't the case last night, with Vancouver being the more penalized team. The problem was, the Flames PK and PP were simply atrocious - They allowed a goal and 13 shots against a man down, while they generated just five shots with the man advantage (and gave up another goal). In PHX they gave up another 7 PP shots and a goal, in LA they were outshot 6-3 on special teams and again in Anaheim 9-7. It's good to be a strong ES team, but not if you're going to give it all back on ST. Calgary needs to either get more disciplined or to improve at getting shots on the PP (or deterring shots on the PK). The Flames outshout Vancouver 36-28 at ES and would have won the game handily with at least an average performance on ST's.
- Segue to - the Flames outplayed Vancouver at 5on5 last night, but Im going to preface the corsi outcomes with two comments I made during the game:
#1) What a friggen disaster that guy was (Bertuzzi). Stupid offensive zone penalty? Check. Give-aways at the offensive blueline? Check. Give-aways in his own zone? Check. Minus player? Check.
F!
#2) I effing LOVE the Langkow/Moss/Glencross line. Stroke o’ genius.
On the other hand, the Good fellas are getting pwned tonight.
And with that, here's the reveal. The Flames outplayed the Canucks at ES on the strength of one line: Moss-Langkow-GLencross, who simply beat their opponents brains in. Iginla and Bourque basically played the Sedins to even (although they outscored them 2-0) while Bert et al. lost out to Sundin and Kesler.
To be fair to the good fellas, they were facing some stiff competition. On the other hand, last night was a clear example of Bertuzzi's "sore thumbness". I mean, the guy rules in loose shinny games against teams like PHX, where his dangles work and his poor decisions aren't punished - but against a stronger foe with any sort of discipline or structure, the guy just turns into a turn-over machine. I couldn't count how many times he gave the puck away around the bluelines versus the 'Nucks. Dude completely hamstrung his line last night and I haven't even discussed his unending string of stupid offensive zone penalties.
Course, that's apparently not how Keenan saw things. Bertuzzi's final ice-time? 20:13. -1, 4 PIM. No shots on net. On the other hand, David Moss played 14 minutes, had an assist, was +1 and 6 shots on net.
So damn annoying.
- The discrepancy between Mark Giordano and Dion Phaneuf's ice-times (31 v 11 minutes) is ridiculous, given that there really isn't a discrepancy between their play at the moment (to my eye at least). Actually, I would argue that Dion was the worse of the two last night, although it's tough to gauge Gios performance given his limited showing.
Phaneuf, though - yeesh. He had me grinding my teeth something fierce. The tools are all still there with the kid, but his decision-making lately simply drives me up the wall. There were a couple of WTF IS HE DOING? moments for me last night in particular and Im getting to the point where Im wondering if the leap will ever really happen (rather than when). Ed Jovonovski was a heralded defender in his youth, but his defensive game never turned the corner either. Now he's just an over-priced 2nd pairing guy that's decent on the PP. One starts to wonder if Dion is on the same road...
- Miikka Kiprusoff and is getting closer to making me a believer again.
He's been outstanding the last little while, with many of his saves being reminiscent of his previous form. If he can keep this up - if this isn't just a "nice run" - we could really have something here. Assuming the Flames get back to limiting their opponents to less than 40 shots on net, of course.
