Follow Colin on Twitter!: @ColinDJD
Despite playoffs being out of sight and without much to look forward to with respect to the seasons end, the Calgary Flames have reason to keep their heads held high and feel good about the 2013-14 NHL season.
While I don’t intend on this feeling much like an “end to the year… blog, the Flames organization currently have a lot to be happy about, and so should their fans. Most recently, 20 year old prospect Johnny Gaudreau won the 62nd Walter Brown Award, which is given to New England's Best American-born Division I College Hockey Player.
With this recent news, Gaudreau’s name has resurfaced in the media world and, with that, more speculation about his potential future with the Calgary Flames comes into question. Given that this already been a highly debated issue which has left some fans feeling a little anxious or worrisome, some confirmation from the man himself would be nice to hear. Well, some news has surfaced of late from Gaudreau, but not from Johnny. It was a statement recently released by Jane, his mother.
“As his mom, I’d like to see him take 1 more year to get a little bigger, a little stronger, and to enjoy his senior year."
Not exactly what fans are hoping to hear, despite not coming directly from the source. The thing is, we all know how much influence our mothers could have on us at that age, and with his size remaining as a likely challenge with respect to transitioning to the NHL, Johnny may side with her opinion.
While the above may not be viewed as “good news… by any, the fact of the matter remains that Johnny has yet to speak on the decision to join the Flames or not, and the last time he was asked, there was nothing but confidence and excitement expressed.
In addition to Gaudreau winning the Walter Brown Award, the Flames announced that Mikael Backlund has been named as the team’s 2014 Ralph T. Scurfield Humanitarian Award, which recognizes "perseverance, determination and leadership on ice, combined with dedication to community service."
Backlund was one of a few players who I felt needed to have a big year this season in terms of his personal development. Not only has he been part of the team for a few years now, but he is also 25 years old and is nearly considered a “veteran… on the team.
That being said, Mikael is having a career year registering 38pts in 71 games played, and has been clearly been a leader on and off the ice. The forward has made several stride in his game with respect to his faceoff percentages(47.3) and AvTOI(18:26).And while Backlund has certainly been impressive, there is one player in particular who has been an absolutely phenom for the Calgary Flames this year.
For those who caught my blog this morning with respect to the Toronto Maple Leafs and their struggles, one of my main points was that Dion Phaneuf has not been playing to the level required of an NHL to be successful. That said, the Calgary Flames have been blessed with the one ice and off ice production which they have received from Mark Giordano this year.
Giordano is not only having his best career year in less games(43pts in 54gp), he has also been an integral part of the Flames success this year, despite being amidst a rebuild. “I think the best captains are the guys who night-in and night-out bring it on the ice. I think guys respect that.… Giordano said. And what kind of credit has the captain been receiving from his coach?
“The way he carries himself, he’s like Joe Sakic,… said Hartley. …I’m serious — I tell him that.… There is clearly no lack of admiration for this captain who not only plays with heart and soul, can be relied upon to shut down their opponents toughest competition, but also help mold the organizations young players. What more could you really ask for from your captain? Seems to me that a certain Maple Leafs defenseman could stand to take a few pages from Giordano’s book. But I digress.
There is no sense in going over Giordano’s numbers and advanced stats as what I feel needs to be expressed is the way that the player compliments those around him on the ice, and how those who he plays with compliments him off the ice. There are plenty of fans around the globe who are proud to say that Giordano is their captain, and provided that he continues on this pace, it would take the moon and stars for him to be moved out of Cow-town.
With respect to tonight’s game, the Flames will take to the ice against the Anaheim Ducks. As with their game against the San Jose Sharks, I expect the Ducks to be a tough competitor tonight given their current place in the standings. That being said, the Ducks currently hold a 4-4-2 record over their last ten games while the Flames boast an impressive 6-4-0 record.
If, like many opponents of late, the Ducks do not give enough credit to the work ethic and defensive systems which the Flames have found success with, tonight could be another big win for the home team. And while many argue that teams like Anaheim and San Jose are not going to show up with 100% effort because they’ve already clinched a playoff spot, all I can say is that teams like these wouldn’t be sitting atop the standings unless they always gave 100%.
Here are your projected lines for tonight’s bout.
Glencross - Stajan - Hudler Cammalleri - Backlund - Byron Agostino - Monahan - Colborne Westgarth - Bouma - McGrattan
Brodie - Giordano Russell - Butler Smid - Wotherspoon
Ramo
Thanks for reading!