Flames/Wild Postgame

Lots of interesting stuff yielded from last nights game, which I'm going to present in no particular order.

– Flames won the corsi battle, on the back of it's depth players. Iggy was played to about even by Koivu's line again, except, once again, Iginla et al actually scored. It helps to create chances, but it also helps to finish them.

– Todd Bertuzzi played just 15 minutes last night, 2:38 of it on the PP. David Moss played 15:01, with 4 minutes coming with the extra man. Can I get a hell yeah!? Amen! Hallelujah!

Perhaps not coincidentally, the Flames have PP goals in each of the last two games with David Moss parked out front. It's hard for me to express just how much this guy has improved since he cracked the line-up a couple of years ago. 

– Take a look at the corsi link again. Notice anything particularly unusual? How about the 4th line completely dominating to a tune of a combined +33? And that was featuring a fresh faced rookie in Brandon Prust, a guy playing his first ever NHL game in VDG and sophomore Eric Nystrom. 

Granted, one game is one game, but it's instructive to see a goonless 4th line kick some ass in terms of offensive zone possession. Van Der Gulik had a particularly impressive debut, managing six shots in under 10 minutes of ice, many of which were quality chances. Besides seeming a little nervous, he didn't look out of place at all. In a way, it's too bad he'll be kicked to the press-box (or the farm) once Langkow returns.

– The Flames played well, but some "credit" for Calgary's win has to go to the Minnesota Wild, who looked fairly awful most of the evening. I was really surprised by the number of egregious and unforced turn-overs they committed in their own end of the ice. Hell, they were probably lucky the game only ended up 4-1, which isn't the type of hockey I've come to expect from a Lemaire coached club.

– Derek Boogaard blocks two consecutive shots by his own team during a PP. Then he runs Prust in the final two minutes of the game for no apparent reason, perhaps leading to a potential suspension and/or fine. What's the point of this guy again? He's more of a mascot than a hockey player.

– With his assist on Cammalleri's first goal, Iginla inched to within one point of Fleury's Franchise leading point mark. Hopefully Jarome can equal or surpass the record before the club leaves for that brutal road trip in March.

– Dion Phanuef has looked a bit better since his terrible showing in Edmonton last Saturday. Of course, scoring some goals doesn't hurtm but he's also cut down on the BS in his own end. I'm really, really hoping that was rock bottom for the kid and he's got nowhere to go but from here on in.

by Kent Wilson