Johnson Solid but Flames Fall to Canucks in Shootout

The Flames continue their busy start to the regular season tonight in Vancouver against the Canucks. The Flames are coming off two losses to the Oilers to start the year while the Canucks open their season tonight.

Chad Johnson makes his first start as a Calgary Flames while Brett Kulak makes his 2016-17 season debut. Erik Gudbransson and Loui Eriksson make their Canucks debut tonight as well.

1st Period:

The Canucks started the game with energy, as is usual in home openers and had a few chances. The Flames countered with a few of their own and the game had some solid pace to start along with some feistiness.

The Flames opened the scoring just under ten minutes into the period when Loui Eriksson scored his first goal as a Canuck. What’s that you say? Yeah on a delayed penalty Eriksson accidentally shot the puck back into his own net. Perhaps some payback for a couple years ago when the Flames did the same thing in Vancouver.

The goal was originally credited to Brett Kulak which would’ve been his first NHL goal and point, but it was changed to Troy Brouwer in the first intermission. 1-0 Flames

Watch the goal here, well because it’s fun to laugh at Vancouver.

Brouwer would subsequently be sent off to the box for the actual penalty which the Flames would promptly kill off.

The rest of the period would carry on with some shots and opportunities but nothing of the noteworthy standard. The opening ends with a scuffle, and a 1-0 Flames lead. Shots for the period were 9-8 for Vancouver.

2nd Period:

The period would start out well for the Flames as they controlled the puck and had some shots but the Canucks would slowly start to get the momentum in the game. It would culminate with the Canucks getting their 2nd powerplay of the game and having a multitude of high quality chances.

The Flames would get a powerplay of their own and their best chance would come when Dougie Hamilton would get a one timer that would hit off Ryan Miller’s shoulder and out.

The rest of the period like the first was very uneventful with the Flames getting more chances than the Canucks. The second period ends with the Flames still ahead 1-0 and the Flames now leading 19-16 in shots.

3rd Period:

The Flames would get an early power play when Johnny Gaudreau drew a tripping call on Chris Tanev. Johnny would have two glorious chances on the powerplay including walking around 4 Canucks. Gaudreau would be unable to convert and the Canucks would kill off the remainder of the penalty. Definitely Johnny’s best shifts of the young season so far.

The teams would get into another scuffle in front of the Flames net with Sam Bennett and Derek Dorsett receiving coincidental minors leading to some 4 on 4. Nothing would happen there either as the Flames maintained their 1-0 lead.

Dorsett would later hammer Matt Stajan and coax Alex Chiasson into taking an unnecessary penalty as a result sending the Canucks to the powerplay. Again though, the Flames would kill it off with Johnson making a couple big saves.

The Canucks top line would hem the Flames into the zone for almost two minutes and eventually would tie the game with 3:51 to go. Daniel Sedin would get the goal and the score is 1-1.

Both teams would get some chances late as the Canucks would control a good chunk of the play with their momentum.

Regulation time expires with the score 1-1 and the shots 28-26 for Vancouver. Flames get their first point of the season as we head to overtime!

Overtime

The Canucks would get the first chance of overtime after winning the opening faceoff as Henrik Sedin got a chance but the shot was deflected out of play by Mark Giordano.

Johnny would get a couple chances but none would make it through to Miller. Jannik Hansen would try to get through two Flames and in the process Hamilton would take a hooking penalty and send the Canucks to a 4 on 3 powerplay with 1:24 to play.

The Canucks would control the puck for the entire 1:24 but couldn’t get a single shot on net thanks to get defensive play from the trio of Brouwer, Engelland, and Giordano.

Shots in overtime were 3-0 Vancouver and finish 31-26 for the game. And we’re off to the shootout.

Shootout:

Round 1:

CGY: Sam Bennett (Saved)

VAN: Sven Baertschi (Saved)

Round 2:

CGY: Johnny Gaudreau (Saved)

VAN: Alex Burrows (Saved)

Round 3:

CGY: Sean Monahan (Saved)

VAN: Loui Eriksson (Saved)

Round 4:

CGY: Kris Versteeg (Saved)

VAN: Brandon Sutter (Goal)

The Canucks get the goal in fourth round of the shootout to win the game 2-1 and take the two points. The result was really a shame as Chad Johnson had a phenomenal night in net for the Flames which was desperately needed.

The Flames fall to 0-2-1 on the season and next take on Buffalo on Tuesday night at the Saddledome. Hopefully the Flames can regroup before then and find a W.

by Michael MacGillivray