Calgary Flames score five unanswered to win home-opener

The Calgary Flames started their home-opener off with a short-handed goal against. Then the second period came and everything changed.

The Calgary Flames didn’t start their home-opener as they would have liked against the Winnipeg Jets. After letting Brandon Tanev get a shorthanded goal in the first half of the first period to open up the scoring, moods were slightly down. But then T.J. Brodie (Thomas Jhomas Brodie) came and saved the day and opened up the Flames scoring for the season with a powerplay goal on the same PP that the Flames allowed a SHG against.

Then the Jets got a powerplay and their PP was incredible in the preseason. And they scored, about two minutes after the Flames tied the game up. Then less than four minutes later, Patrik Laine has the puck. What do you think happened?

The Jets would make it 3-1 heading into the first intermission. While the Flames still had some decent opportunities and it was nowhere near a poor effort, they just couldn’t keep up with the Jets. The Flames still outshot and out-Corsi’d the Jets in the first period, but Steve Mason was sharp and the Jets forwards were sharp.

Calgary Flames

So on to the second period we go.

On a delayed penalty call on the Jets, the Flames cut the lead to just one – thanks to T.J. Brodie, who had his second goal of the night. And the Flames basically took off from there. Micheal Ferland would get another powerplay goal four minutes later (and Gaudreau would get his third assist of the night) to even everything out.

Then, on a good decision by the Calgary Flames coaching staff, they decided to change the lines up a little bit. They basically switched Kris Versteeg and Johnny Gaudreau around, so Johnny is now on that third line with Sam Bennett and Curtis Lazar and Versteeg would be on the first line.

Johnny gets a goal less than five minutes after the Ferland goal. His first of the season, and fourth point of the night. And who assisted? Well, it was none other than T.J. Brodie, who now had his third point of the night. Less than two minutes later, Versteeg made it 5-3, with another assist from Brodie, who now has four points tonight.

Mikael Backlund ended up making it 6-3 early on in the third period. But no points from Gaudreau or Brodie this time. I think they’re slacking.

While the Flames had a three-goal lead, they didn’t back down. They managed 17 shots in the third period alone. They were easily the better team for the second third of the game, and even for quite a bit of the first period. There were, of course, some “Brodie” chants happening, especially when it was getting to the last few minutes when the Flames had a powerplay and the players kept getting the puck to Brodie with the hopes of a hat-trick.

But unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

But some fun things that did happen: The Flames finally won their first home-opener in six years. And Mike Smith became the first Flames goalie to win a home-opener in six years. The Flames had a total of 45 shots tonight (sorry Steve Mason).

Mike Smith stopped 25 o 28 shots. The first goal, the shorthanded, it was a goal I’m sure he’d like to have back. But the other two were no way his fault, and those would be hard for any goaltender to stop (I mean, one was by Laine. How do you even stop him?).

Oh, and guess what Flames fans? Gaudreau and Brodie now have more points than Connor McDavid on the season.

Next: Five game to circle in your calendar for 2017-18

Overall, the game started out rough for the Flames, even though they gave a decent effort. But after five unanswered goals, they made up for it.The Flames will be heading southwest on Monday to face their toughest competitor – the Honda Center.

The Flames will be heading southwest on Monday to face their toughest competitor – the Honda Center.