Pretty damn exciting game full of emotion. Anyone watch this game without being emotionally invested? I think not.
I will start with the bad:
- PP looked atrocious, and it is against one of the weaker PK teams in the league. You aren't going to stop the goons from doing stupid stuff if you can't make them pay for it.
- Flames giving up way too many glorious chances - 3 breakaways. That's got to be fixed.
- The Refs - Won't mention all the missed calls, but they allowed the Oilers to start gooning it up. Why not call the penalty on Nurse for the hold/interference on Bennett along the boards? Why not give Kassian the game for his ground and pound on Tkachuk, rather than just 10 mins? I love fighting in games, but I always think that when a player gets jumped and the other player starts punching away, even with the refs pulling him off and the other player not punching back, it should be an automatic game misconduct. IMO, there is a place for fighting in hockey. There is no place for grounding and pounding.
- Cheap shot by Nurse. Seriously, what a baby. Throws a sneaky punch after the fight is over and both refs are in the way. It wasn't one of those times where both players are actively still throwing and the refs stop it. There was a long pause that started when the refs broke it up until that Nurse cheap-shot. He has no idea about 'the code'. Really dislike him.
That's all.
The good:
- Sam Bennett. Tkachuk is often credited for bringing the team into the war. Tonight it started with Bennett. Demolished Nurse with a huge open-ice hit, and held his own in a fight that I thought he would lose. He was noticeable all over the ice - physically, offensively creating chances, breaking up plays in the defensive zone, and mucking it up.
- Tkachuk - I would absolutely LOVE to have Tkachuk mic'd up for a game. I would rather listen to his play-by-play, as it would probably be an improvement over Randorf's and his "Sean Bennett". He really threw the Oilers off their game.
- Backlund - Name one other player in the league that is this effective against McDavid? Love the tenacity he is bringing. Love how he didn't take any of McDavid's tantrums and wrestled him down.
That's a single line!
Rittich was sharp and stopped this one from getting out of hand in the first, and just as importantly, made the big stops at the right times.
Lastly, Ryan. I have consistently been underwhelmed by him in most games, and I especially thought he would have shied away and disappeared tonight with all the rough stuff happening. I started noticing him more this game for good plays. Still threw the puck away at times, and his passing at times was just so far off, but way less turnovers, showed more tenacity in this game that was reminiscent of his Colorado game a couple of weeks ago, and I said: "Watch him score if he keeps playing like this." That goal was huge for the Flames.
Brodie. Anyone left on this forum that would rather have Hamilton on the team over Brodie? It has been all confidence with Brodie. Peters is a smart coach and realizes what he has on the team, and how to use it. I imagine that by seasons' end, in posts where we are talking about 'the core', most of his will have Brodie as a fixture on that list.
Lindholm - He is playing with such tenacity in all zones. He deserved to get that empty netter to go along with his goal. He is the Flames' most complete player right now.
Gulutzan. He got fired, and it is classless to hit a guy when he is down, but am I ever glad that he isn't Calgary's coach any longer. For two seasons I watched a Flames' team that folded when things got too hard. Folded when the Oilers struck first and caused a bit of panic. Peters knows how to nip it in the bud. Gulutzan would have had no answers tonight. Peters did. Flames are as resilient under Peters as they were under Hartley.
Fricken' fun game to watch!
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