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The Calgary Flames took to the ice last night against the Chicago Blackhawks and have not only extended their current winning streak to three games, but have also added an extra W in the win column against a team which they have historically struggled with.
By the way, with their win last night, the Flames have clinched their first three game winning streak this season! Can’t say that there are too many fans who haven’t been impressed with their level of play, commitment, and work ethic – I certainly have been.
Despite playing the Stanley Cup Champs last night, and as I alluded to in yesterday’s blog, the Flames came into the game on a winning streak where the Hawks were currently struggling through a three game losing streak. That said, the game was rather close as the two teams went back and forth with goals, scoring chances, and hits.
Just about every goal that Calgary scored, the Hawks would respond just minutes later with a goal of their own. It was only until the second period where the Flames were able to secure a two goal lead thanks to some great playmaking abilities from Mikael Backlund on the PK. I have to say, it’s been rather difficult lately to write a blog without mentioning Backlund. The guy has been scoring, defending, making plays– he’s really turned his game around over the past month or two…it’s been nice to see!
As mentioned, the Flames played a great team game last night and, without much expectation to succeed, appear to be having a lot more fun and success than previous years have displayed.
“These games are the most fun, I think, when it’s back and forth and a lot of chances,… said Flames centre Mikael Backlund, who potted a pair in one of the most impressive outings of his professional puck career.“It was a fun game. A lot of emotions, a lot of chances back and forth. I’m sure the coaches don’t think that, but I enjoyed this game.…
Despite being a good exciting game, there were certainly a few areas which I wasn’t overly impressed with. And while I shouldn’t be too critical of his game after a win, I have to say I wasn’t overly comfortable or content with Berra’s performance. There is no denying he played well and made some key saves, but he also made a few too many mistakes in my opinion though I suppose this is something that will improve with time and experience.
Outside of Backlund’s recent success, I mentioned a few blogs ago how another young player who wasn’t living up to “expectations… has been improving as well. TJ Brodie, just 23 years old, has been under the microscope as one of the Flames future defenseman and as such, fans have been expecting perhaps a little too much from him.
Brodie has but 157 NHL games under his belt and while he has struggled at times, appears to be developing on pace for a defenseman of his ilk. There should really be no worrying with this particular player folks, his game is still maturing as a full time NHL defenseman – it takes time!
That said, coach Bob Hartley seems to be one who has certainly noticed his improvement/development as a player and has been testing him in just about all aspects of the game, currently logging an average of nearly 24 minutes per game.
“I’ve told you this before — I don’t think that TJ Brodie really knows how good he is yet,… Hartley said. “That’s going to grow. Obviously, we’re telling him lots of times, but it’s going to come with maturity, it’s going to come with experience
In spite of the fact that this is a rebuilding team, it appears that there is much to cheer for and or be excited about with this Flames group. With key future players developing nicely and coming into their own, a strong team work ethic, coaches who won’t accept excuses, and a GM who wants to win, this franchise may very well be back in the game quicker than many anticipate.
And this isn’t to mean that Brian Burke will make any hasty or uncalculated decisions by any means, but rather that the team is seemingly building a sturdy foundation on which to create a winning team.
“That’s a good hockey team over there, and we’ve had a lot of tight games against good teams this year,… Stajan said. “We’re finding ways in a lot of those games, but we’ve got to make sure it’s a consistent effort every game, no matter who we’re playing. That’s why we are where we’re at — it’s because we had too many games where we weren’t at our best.“But this is something we can build on. It builds confidence. We know we can play with any team in this league, and we have to have that attitude coming into every game.…
Still in a strong position to draft high, the Flames are playing a strong team game, winning battles against the previous Cup Champs, and somehow outperforming their Oily Alberta rivals. I personally don’t have much to complain about so far…hopefully I’m not alone!
The Flames will take on the San Jose Sharks tomorrow night which will mark their fourth straight home game and perhaps even win!
Thanks for reading!