Some thoughts from the game...
It was clear from the first shift, the Flames were faster and more talented. Whenever the Oilers brought the puck up ice, space was simply shut down in the neutral zone. The Flames' D (as a team) was dominant.
Offensively, the Flames' speed through the neutral zone forced the Oiler D to back up, allowing the Flames to enter the zone at will.
I thought the score, and the shot clock, flattered the Oilers. This was no contest.
Players that impressed me:
1) Ferland - dominant. Good speed, constant pressure on the forecheck, set up some nice plays and was physical. I thought he and Ramage were the best players on he ice.
2) Ramage - was everywhere.
3) Wotherspoon - as someone else said, nothing interesting happens under his watch. And his first pass is really good.
I liked what I saw from Kanzig, for an 18 year old defenseman.
Overall, was impressed with the speed and the drive to the net from the forwards as a group.
So, even with no Gaudreau, an uninterested performance from Baertschi, and a so-so performance from Monahan, the Flames completely owned the Oilers last night.
I was behind the Oiler bench and completely surrounded by Oiler fans. It was very quiet! In the third period, there was a scrum and a fight almost broke out. One Oiler fan yelled 'come on, GO - we have to win something!' That pretty much said it all.
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