I can't believe how nervous/excited/giddy/terrified I am for this hockey game.
I have nothing else to add.
I wish I could be out somewhere with a big crowd to watch the game, but childcare issues mean I will be home by myself. So CP, don't let me down - you're going to be my 'crowd' of people watching with me!
Go Flames Go.
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Wes Gilbertson @SUNGilbertson
A few minutes until morning skate is officially underway, but no sign of #Flames LW Lance Bouma.
Kristen Odland @KristenOdlandCH
Bob Hartley spending some time on the ice with Ferland, Bennett, and Schlemko this morning working on some positional things.
Kristen Odland @KristenOdlandCH
Now, he's talking to Bollig .... Likely a few interesting lineup decisions to be made today.
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Fan appreciation night:
Flames FanAttic @FlamesFanAttic
Today only, regular priced @NHLFlames merch is 35% off! Available in stores only. Excludes jerseys, lettering, and collectibles.
Derek Wills @Fan960Wills
Joni Ortio is on the ice at #Flames morning skate, but Lance Bouma, Paul Byron and Rapha Diaz are not. #LAKvsCGY
After lurking for a long time, I registered on this site in 2004 just to celebrate the Flames finally making the playoffs and I never intended to post after that.
Regardless of what happens in the final two games, this has been the most exciting Flames team since that spring.
The Flames get scored on early and often in this one, and start the third period down 8-0.
Around the 10 minute mark of the 3rd period, a slow dump in by the Flames takes a crazy bounce, and gets behind Quick and into the net. On the ensuing faceoff, Kopitar wins the faceoff so cleanly and powerfully staright back, that it goes right through Quick's five hole into the net.
From that sequence, the Kings get frazzled, and take a couple of penalties in a row, and the Flames have a 5-3 powerplay, and pull the goalie for a 6 on 3. Before that powerplay is done, the Flames have scored two powerplay goals, making the score 8-4 with 7 minutes left.
The Kings settle down for a few minutes, and seemingly gain control, but the Flames pull Theissen with 5 minutes to go, and Hudler pots his 30th shortly after. The Kings are clutching their sticks tightly now, and take a questionable penatly for too many men on the ice. Sutter is upset, and talks himself into another bench minor for unsportsman like conduct. On the ensuing 6-3 powerplay (Goalie pulled again), the Flames get a beauty by Backlund late in the powerplay, just over 2 minutes to go, to pull within 2. The powerplay ends, but the Flames keep the goalie pulled and Gaudreau gets his hat trick goal with 48 seconds to go. Now it's 8-7.
In the final seconds, in a mad scramble around the net, all 7 Flames on the ice are within 5 feet of the net, and Brodie pokes a puck that looks like it crosses the line, but the puck is mostly under Martin Jones, the call on the ice is a goal, but it goes to review. After a 15 minute review, the NHL rules that the video review is inconclusive, and the goal remains. In the whole time, the Refs and the Kings never noticed that the Flames played the last 30 seconds with a 7th player on the ice, by accident.
2 minutes into OT, Monahan gets a breakaway, but is hauled down by Doughty - Penalty shot. Monahan skates in, beats quick, but the puck goes off the right post, straight towards the left post, bounces off that, comes out, bounces off of Jones' back, then bounces up, and brushes the crossbar before end up on top of the net. No goal.
The final 2 minutes of OT, LA keeps the puck in the offensive jone the whole time, and gets 6 or 7 glorious scoring chances, but every one, is heroically blocked, or saved by Theissen. Right at the end of OT, LA thinks they have scored, but a review shows that the puck went across the line with all zeros on the clock.
Shootout time. Gaudreau fools Jones by taking a slapper from the faceoff dot, which hits the crossbar, then off of Jones' back, and into the net. However Toffoli answers back with a beauty deke. A couple of saves later, Monahan has a chance to redeem himself. This time, he tries the Schlemko move, and looks to have beaten Jones, but somehow Jones contorts himself and makes a miraculous save, but he injures himself, and cant continue. Quick has to come back in, and starts off with a couple nice saves. The shootout continues until the 18th round, when Regehr and Engelland are the only two shooters left for each time. Regehr makes a surprisingly nice deke, but just can't beat the post. Engelland comes in, tries a little head fake, but as he's doing so, trips and falls, but his stick swipes the puck way up high in the air. Quick loses sight of the puck for an instant when a camera flash goes off, but he sees it again, and tries to catch it. However, Quick misses the catch, and accidentally knocks the puck into the net. The puck wouldn't have gone in had Quick just left the puck alone.
