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Getting shutout at home for the second game in a row to a conference foe, the Flames were unable to find the back of the net as they lost 2-0 to the Vancouver Canucks.
Last night’s game would start off strong for both sides, each getting a few solid scoring chances. With less than a minute left in the first period, the Canucks would find the back of the net as Henrik Sedin would spring Jannik Hansen on a breakaway.
Looking over the play, it seems as though Reto Berra moved a little too far out of position as Hansen fumbled the puck for a moment on his break. That fumble seems to have fooled Berra into thinking that Hansen wasn’t going to get a shot off, but ultimately recovered and threw one on net as he opened the scoring for Vancouver.
While the second period would not see any scoring, Calgary would have one of the best chances at a goal with a nice cross crease drive by Joe Colborne who just nearly beat netminder Eddie Lack. Although the play would not result in a goal, it is nice to see Colborne taking a few extra risks and driving the net hard. The first period could have used a little more of this as the Flames were outshot 13-2 over the first 20 minutes and did not really improve during 40 minutes of play as they added only another six shots in the 2nd.
The Flames would start to pick of their offense a little more than the first two periods displayed, however some ill-advised passing and inability to beat Lack would cost them the game. Though I would say the game appeared to be much closer than a 2-0 score sheet would indicate, it was ultimately the goaltending that would keep it a low scoring bout.
I felt that Reto Berra had a very solid game, stopping several good opportunities from a pushing Canucks group. Both goals were as a result of some poor coverage and a bad turnover, leaving Berra to fend off a breakaway and a 2-1 break. For the Canucks, Lack certainly helped his team win this game as he shut the door several times on the Flames. I find it hard to really complain about very much after watching the game.
While it was a second game in a row where the team was shutout in front of a home crowd, their compete level was there but the opposing goaltender was just too good.
In terms of the Flames players, I thought that Backlund, Hudler, and Brodie had great games. Although Hudler was held pointless, which has been rare this year, he does a lot of little things as well that often either creates chances or helps turn the play in the favor of the Flames.
I was impressed with Brodie’s ability to move the puck and take it in deep while jumping into the play. Brodie’s play of late hasn’t been very impressive, but I liked what I saw most recently and it will be nice to see more of this in games to come. Lastly, Backlund appears to have gained much confidence in his game as he seemingly handles the puck with more strength than he has been previously.
Furthermore, he appears to properly positioned for those offensive opportunities rather than trying to force them to happen. Also nice to see from another player who was looked upon to take the next step in his development.
Last note with respect to the game is of course concerning Brian McGrattan’s high hit on Canucks defenseman Andrew Alberts. Coming in for a big hit, McGrattan got his elbow a little too high as he finished his check on Alberts, making contact with the head. The play will likely be reviewed and I expect McGrattan to get 1-3 games for the hit.
The Flames will play host to the Philidelphia Flyers tomorrow as they look for redemption in front of the home crowd.
That’s all for today folks, thanks for reading!