The streaking Hawks had the "luxury" of playing one of the hotter teams in the league after the Flames shutout the Blues 6-0 the other night. The Flames always tend to be pesky and hang around in games. Ex Hawk Rene Bourque always seems to score against his former team, and Jerome Iginla cannot be ignored. Last year, the Hawks had what ended up being be the turning point in their season against these very Flames, so what would shake down last night?
The first period had a playoff atmosphere with the Hawks winning the period 2-1, and there being some quality chances. The second period quickly became a penalty filled affair but the Hawks scored two late goals to take a 4-2 lead into the third period. Of course, we couldn't expect this team to play 6 solid minutes. The third started off heavily favoring the Flames, as they scored an early goal and were out shooting the Hawks 6-0 early on. The Flames brought the game within one goal twice, but couldn't tie it up, and the Hawks walked away with a 6-4 win, and a six game winning streak. This team has picked a good time of year to get hot. The Hawks are doing their best Charlie Sheen impression right now...
- Michael Frolik had the first good chance of the game, early, with a partial break-a-way that could have easily drawn a penalty, and later scored his first Blackhawk goal. For his goal, he picked up a loose puck off a Jake the Snake touch pass, and ripped it past Kipper to give the Hawks a 2-0 lead. Nice to see one of the newer Hawks get their first goal with the team. He ended up with three points as he also assisted on the empty netter, with a very unselfish play, giving the puck up to Hoss, for the easy goal. He only had about 10 minutes of playing time, and he managed 3 points. Sign me up for some more of THAT!
- The Hawks drew first blood with a El Capitán goal on a tick-tack-toe passing play from Kaner all the way across the ice to Sharpie, who fed it across to a wide open Tazer on the back door, and he slammed it home. Makes you wonder what this line could have done if Bolland would have actually attended some games in the first half of the season and Sharpie could have played with the dynamic duo earlier. Shooter might be flirting with 50 goals.
- T-Brouw came back to the ice, after getting shaken up in the first period, on a mission to knock someone's head off and did so to the Flames Hagman. I can't help but think the league might look into that hit, because it was dangerously close to one of those shoulder/elbow to the head hits the league has been cracking down on. Let's hope not.
- Brent Seabrook was also a physical presence all night, clearing out the crease a few times, in a brutal manner. I'm glad we will be experiencing similar Brent Seabrook nut flexing for 5 more years. What is it with ball sacks in the league with the last name Jackman?
- Brian Campbell put the Hawks up by two on a late second period power play as Dave Bolland drew some defenders his way and then dished it off to Soupie for a one timer into an open net. I'm not sure why Kipper was laying on the ice, but if he wants to leave the net a gaping, who are we to argue?
- El Capitán got into the gang bang once again about a minute and a half after the Campbell powerplay goal, when Frolik absorbed a hit to poke it ahead. Tazer weaved into the middle of the ice and put a snapper through Kiprusoff. Kipper would like that one back, I'm sure.
- Davey Bolland joined the pajama party after the Hawks had to call a timeout, because the Flames were jamming the puck up the Blackhawk's asses, with the fifth Hawks goal. He found the soft spot in the slot area and one trick Bick fed him for a one timer into the back of the net.
- The Hawks were excellent in the faceoff category, once again. Ryan Johnson was an insanely cartoonish 11 for 12. That's 92%, Calgary Flames. You should be embarrassed. Tazer was his usual solid 63%, and Dowell rebounded from a bad night last game, to go 5 for 8. Bolly struggled slightly with 35% night, and only 4 for 10 against Brenden Morrison. Mikael Backlund was the Flame that the Hawks victimized the worst, only winning one faceoff all night.
- That first period penalty that Toews was called for, that led to the first Flames goal, was just awful. Capitán barely brushed Kiprusoff, and it cost the Hawks. Crow really never got set and Tanguay blasted the shot past him. A much as I'd like to blame the PK team, Crow should have really stopped that one. C'est la vie.
- This is under bad because it was totally out of place, but something I NEVER thought I'd see, happened last night. Viktor Stalberg got into a fight. No, that's not a typo, folks. As you can imagine, he didn't exactly do a John Scott impression, but he drew the Flames Giordano into the box for five mins. We will take it.
- Keith and Leddy looked all sorts of confused on the second Flames goal, and got caught standing around watching, as opposed to DOING. Rene Bourque picked up a rebound and put it in the back of the net. At that point the Flames were out shooting the Hawks 5-0 in the third period. Shanghai fire drill, anyone?
- The Flames 3rd goal by Iginla was a result of a Babchuk screen in front and some miss-communication between Leddy and Deuce, or really, just a brain cramp by Deuce. Keith looked like he thought Leddy was going to chase Tanguay around the net and he didn't. Honestly, Leddy shouldn't have, anyway, so I'm not really sure why Keith didn't cut him off. It was just a Cal Clusterfuck. I think Crow felt he was interfered with, as well, because he was chirping at the official after the goal, which you rarely see from him.
- Rene Bourgue scored his second goal of the game and the Flames, their forth, when the Hawks allowed the Flames run a set play on a neutral zone faceoff, and Iginla got in behind Hammer. Iggy took a shot that Crow saved, but the rebound shot out to an open Bourgue, who had a wide open net. Seabs was not expecting the rebound to rocket out like it did, but the Hawks looked foolish, nonetheless.
- I cannot imagine why Viktor Stalberg only deserves 6:54 of ice time, and I realize that the fighting major factors in, but Vik has done nothing to deserve any less time than his linemates. I guess it's working, so I can't complain too much, but really? John Scott numbers? That's a little silly.
- Every time Pay Foley says "Campoli" it sounds like he is saying "Cam Foley". I don't know who this Cam Foley guy is, but it is really freaking me out. Pat's long lost relative?
- Kiprusoff was chased from the game and Henrik Karlsson finished up for the Flames. Kipper really didn't deserve the hook, but I guess Sutter felt he had seen enough.