[shadowlord]

Here are my thoughts after getting home from the game:

Top line reunited looked good at times. A couple of times, they would get hemmed in our zone after the previous line changed off. Sometimes Johnny would curl away from the puck carrier when they had it in our zone along the boards... not sure why. I watched him after plays without the puck, never complained to the refs. Still looking for his favorite target Monahan, and very few of those no-chance shots at the side of the net.

Second line. Tkachuk's fight right after the opening Canucks goal really motivated the Flames for the first 10 minutes. Pretty much took over the game at that point, and was up 2-1. Mangiapane has his usual one near-miss/dangerous chance of the game, but what was noticable was a carry-out he did from the D zone as well as the penalty he drew against Petterson. Good strength and confidence on the puck there.

Third line. By far the best of the game. Lucic with his hits and tip-in, lots of Luu chants from the crowd every time he touched the puck. Do nucks fan do that? Or was I hearing Flames fans? Dube his 3 points say otherwise, but from my view not all that noticeable. But Derek Ryan -- I really see what people mean when they say he "does all the little things right".

Fourth line. Bennett was intense. He was winning puck battles on the boards and finishing his checks. Points still aren't there. Jankowski was good on the PK, and sent that pass over to Gaudreau on a 2-on-1, but it was in Jonny's skates so Markstrom had more time to make the save.

D-pairs. Having Hamonic leave put minutes onto the other D-men. Kylington and Brodie showing some good jump on the rush or leading it. Stone acquitted himself well, blasted some shots on net and pinned the Vancouver players to the boards when needed. Andersson his usual steady self.

As for the Canucks, they really didn't look like the team at the top of the division. They were hardly dangerous at all, shots from the perimeter, and the few chances in the slot, Rittich cleaned up easily. Being at the game, I can see the players' faces and Petterson looked very frustrated (Johnny-like), and was pissed off anytime someone played him physically (notably Backlund, Stone) and would look to the ref all the time for a penalty, especially after he was called for one.

Rittich was bored in the 2nd period. He was trying to stay focused, and I was worried he'd let in a soft one.

Anyway, great win for the Flames... and hopefully it will be sooner than another 17 years before I get to attend a game because they haven't lost in front me yet in the 4-5 that I've attended.

Sorry for the super long post.