WEDNESDAY MARCH 15: BOSTON BRUINS AT CALGARY FLAMES
This might not seem like a super obvious choice to the naked eye. I mean an eastern team vs a western team that don’t really have any sort of historical rivalry?
However if you watched the Boston Bruins at Calgary Flames game last season, you might have an idea why this game is here.
Teach Me How To Dougie (Hamilton)
Last off-season, the Flames acquired Bruins D Dougie Hamilton in a trade. They got him for a very good deal, only three draft picks, and the highest was the 13th overall pick. This left some Bruins fans a little bitter. They thought it was because he thought he was ‘too good’ for Boston and wanted a trade. This turned out to be false, and the real reason Flames got him for a good price was because they made a good deal he was interested in. He wanted to play in the same organization as his brother, Freddie hamilton, but the Bruins wouldn’t trade for Freddie. Flames agreed to trade for Freddie if Dougie agreed to come to Calgary, and thus, a trade was made.
Last season on December 4th, Dougie Hamilton played his first game against his former team. And that game was filled with action from start to finish. But it wasn’t even really because of Dougie.
Kids Get In Fights Too
As nice and small as Johnny Gaudreau is, he still found an enemy. And that enemy was Brad Marchand. Johnny Hockey ended up getting his first roughing penalty that game against marchand, and maybe his last (until this game). Can you believe that? The kid who still needs to use an intermediate stick got a roughing penalty. And Marchand, who also stands at just 5’9″, gets into a fight.
Lights, Camera, Action, Action, Action
And when I said earlier that this game was filled with action from start to finish, I’m not lying. Gaudreau opens up scoring just 31 seconds into the game and it was 2-2 at the end of first. By the third period, they were 3-3 with only 1 minute left, and Marchand gets a penalty shot. At the fault of no other, Dougie Hamilton. He’s sitting on the bench with this head down. I mean, you’ve gotta feel for the guy. He must have felt horrible. And of course, because luck always goes the Flames way, Marchand scores and makes it 4-3. All the Bruins players are cheering, they think they have this one in the bag. But of course, Flames pull some of their comeback talents and score with a mere 1.2 seconds left of the game (I told you. Action. FILLED).
Gaudreautime- I mean overtime
So now it’s time for overtime. After third period, Marchand and Gaudreau each have two goals. Marchand scored that penalty shot going five-hole. Now in overtime, it’s time for Flames to work their OT magic, aka work their Gaudreau magic. It was known around the league that Flames dominated 3-on-3 overtime, and it had a lot to do with Johnny Hockey. So after Marchand gets that five-hole goal with 1 minute left that could have been the game winner, Gaudreau decides that he won’t let him have the spotlight.
So what does he do? He pulls a Johnny Hockey and scores in OT, also going five-hole, and ends up getting a hat trick. And who gave him the feed for the goal? Well, it was none other than Mr. Dougie Hamilton himself (Again, action. FILLED).
I wish the Bruins at Flames game was sooner than it is because just thinking about that last game has me all worked up already. Looks like we’ll just have to wait until March.
Next: Calgary Flames: Battle Of The Right Wing
So there you have it folks. The top five games you should be circling in your calendar this season. But hey, we can’t predict the future. Who knows what this season has in store for the Calgary Flames. All we can say is what we already know, and that is the games they’ve already played. But at least these five games we gave you have anything you can ask for. Rivalry, emotions, and a whole lot of action.
Call that a hat trick.