Photo Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
It’s been about three years since I have turned off the game before the final buzzer, but last night was just one of those games. It was hard to watch the first three goals by the Phoenix Coyotes in the second period, but the hardest part was watching them double their goals in the last period.
After a scoreless opening period, the teams took the ice and I had hope that, because the Flames held off the Coyotes in the first, good things may have happened to Calgary, who started off slow. I knew they’d find their skating legs and be able to get the proverbial ball rolling. I was wrong.
Mikkel Boedker got the first goal of the night when a shot from behind the net took a bad bounce off of him and ended up in the net. The second goal wasn’t much prettier as Lauri Korpikoski took a shot that bounced off Radim Vrbata‘s leg and landed right on Martin Hanzal‘s stick before being buried.
The last goal of the period was a legitimate, short-side goal. T.J. Brodie chased the puck into the corner. Mike Ribeiro passed out front to Boedker. As Joe Colborne attempted to screen, Boedker took a shot that landed in the back of the net.
To say I was deflated by the end of the second period was an understatement. But, like always, I held onto hope that the Flames would pick up the pace and fight back in the third. This was not to be.
The Coyotes first goal of the third period came when Mark Giordano tried to get a handle on the puck in front of the Flames net, only to have it stolen by Hanzal. Hanzel then passed to Korpikoski, who made a point-blank shot on net to score the fourth goal of the game.
After a perfect drop pass from Korpikoski, Michael Stone took a shot on Reto Berra, who didn’t even see it coming. It was 5-0 for the Coyotes. In the last few minutes of the game, Rob Klinkhammer picked up a rebound that landed neatly in the Flames net and ended the game with a 6-0 shutout in Glendale.
Thomas Greiss made 27 saves in net for Phoenix while Berra faced 30 shots and made 24 saves. Of the last six games for Calgary, four have been shutouts.
I don’t think there’s much to say in reference to the game – the score pretty much says it all. It was a tough game to watch because the Coyotes walked all over the Flames, but there were also some small moments of hope for the Calgary players.
Sean Monahan made a huge hit on the Coyotes that makes me wonder if Bob Hartley wants the young forward to play a more physical game.
Brian McGrattan and Kevin Westgarth brought some of the grit that Brian Burke has been wanting on the team from the beginning.
Ladislav Smid played his 500th game against the Phoenix Coyotes while Lee Stempniak played his 600th game.
Calgary now goes home to prepare to host the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, January 9th.