Pretty impressive that the Flames managed to first hand the Avalanche their second straight loss and than do it to the Lightning a few days later. This is the first time all season that I can tell where Tampa Bay has lost back to back games in regulation and first time since late December where they lost more than one consecutive game. Colorado had not lost more than one in a row since October when the Flames beat them in OT. So not only beating these good teams, but doing so when they're coming off a loss the previous game which for both of them had been pretty rare.
Tampa is definitely a bigger heavier team than the Avalanche are, and spread their ice time out more evenly. The Flames got a good effort from all 4 lines in this one as Backlund and Coleman lead the forawards in ice time with just over 17 minutes each, and Dube with 11:11 played the least.
I see Gudbranson earned third star in this game, and from what my awful old world eye test has been telling me, there have been about 5 other games in his past 15 where he could have. He's been much better all year than most expected, but in February and March he seems to have stepped his game up and really been contributing a lot. People dismiss plus minus, but he's plus 17 in those games, plays on the PK, and the PK is up to third in the league. He looks like he's found a new level of Confidence that I don't know if he's ever had before this.
I suppose the Flames technically need to score 1 more goal to get to 200 since the two shootout win goals don't count...I thought anything over 220 would be enough for them to be a playoff team, likely could have. It does seem that lately goal totals accross the league have been up a fair bit. At least a lot of overs for gambling on lines that are 6.5 which I don't remember happening so much off the top of my head. But they'll blow that total away. I thought that if the top line could score 90 goals between the top three guys they'd be in really good shape...Lindholm had never scored 30, Tkachuck has done it once, and Johnny had two times plus they would be playing for a coach who would make sure they didn't shirk defensive duties. They have 82 goals already...nearly 1.5 a game.
__________________
"Some guys like old balls"
Patriots QB Tom Brady
|