Islanders at Flames [soap opera game thread]

Fantastic! You can’t actually remember that, can you?

Through the random wonders of Center Ice, I’ve got the Flames feed. Telus or something. I don’t know what it is about the regional Canadian broadcasts, but their announcers are often shockingly not-great.

Hope these guys are better. Know they’re no Jiggs.

I got to see footage of Darryl Sutter walking Michael Backlund (sp?) down the bleachers during practice before making the jump from the WJCs to the NHL.

If I were 19 and Darryl Sutter walked me into an NHL squad in the middle of the season, I’d probably throw up on the spot. And then Sutter would chew me out. And then bury me.

…because I don’t worry about his knees and hips every time he goes down.

I look forward to when we can say that about DiPietro again.

… you heard the entire crowd gasp.

Would have been an easy smother for MacDonald, but somehow it bounced away, and now Thomas Pock, my nemesis, takes a penalty. I think Pock may have even been the reason MacDonald couldn’t cover the slowly approaching puck.

Ouch. MacDonald made the initial save, but it dropped to his side and he punched it in trying to get to it with his blocker.

Flames have allowed just five PP goals in their last 14 games.

Oooh, MacDonald just came out to the blueline to prevent a breakaway, and then he backhanded the puck down the ice.

Kind of a sleepy period, actually.

Shots: 11-8 Calgary.

30 seconds in. That was the kind of goal that would make Scott Gordon say, “You know what, Brendan Witt doesn’t fit my system.”

Witt did the lean-forward thing to break up a puck that was just headed to the corner (with no one there), and it ended up going right to the shooter, Bourque, who used Witt as a screen and sent it through Witt’s legs and top shelf over MacDonald. Not a god moment for Witter.

Nice to have Martinek back! He just sent Trevor Smith flying through the neutral zone, setting up Jackman at the blueline with speed — too much for the D to handle, but Jackman couldn’t finish his deke.

Trevor Smith’s first NHL goal. Save that puck! A rebound of Jackman’s shot, and he made the move around Kipper.

And I was just thinking how that Jackman/Smith line had shows some life tonight.

“It’s an up-and-down game so far. We’re not sustaining any pressure for any length of time.”

…So you’re saying there’s a chance.

Witt just waved Lombardi on by (Lombardi was held off by Joey Mac), then he got the puck back and still almost was able to put it in.

I hate to see Witt this way, and Martinek just coming back. Twas a time when those two together were great…

For an awkward incidental high stick on Cammalleri.

Had a wide open net for a chance at a first NHL goal of his own. Bounced over his stick.

Killed off with a little bit of everything: great saves by MacDonald, and solid positioning by the PK.

Tambellini? Tambellini. Tambellini!?!?

“Kipper, for some unknown reason, had a little bit of a slow start, as he did a year ago, and seems to gain momentum. A year ago, it was us having four or five new defensemen, and this year, we had half a dozen new forwards. Maybe he plays off the system more than we realize, and it took us some time to get that system in place.”

Rest of it is here.

Thought he was gonna get a good shot off from the high slot on the PP at the end there, but he just lost the handle. Frustrating. Would’ve been nice to go into the 3rd tied and see how they respond.

Already feels like a victory!

Shots 29-15 Calgary after that six minutes of powerplay there.

I’ve drifted and surfed around — and even showed the Mrs. how to load the new fancy coffeemaker.

Since 2-2, this game has taken a turn toward Tavares.

“Boy when you’re having a tough time, the wheels start to fall off. One of those, let’s play running clock.”

Yep.

Weird thing about this Flames broadcast: They have three guys in the opener, three in the studio, yet the color man hardly ever says a peep (and the play-by-play voice grates).

“Tough times for the Islanders …”
—color man (he’s awake!) interjects: “But they are heading home where they’ve won two in a row.” That must be some kind of rural Canadian politeness or something.