The Flyers delivered a solid beating against the Calgary Flames to make us all feel good about 2014. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t expect a win tonight, but still, this was an awesome way to start off fresh for the new year.
Mark Streit got the party started early in first with a laser of a wrist shot from the blue line. He nearly got another about halfway through the period, but alas, it rang off the post.
Towards the end of the period, Brayden Schenn scored into a wide open net, but it was immediately waved off due to a suspect goaltender interference call on Scott Hartnell, a call so suspect they waved off the penalty. Flames goalie Reto Berra was way out of the crease, and Hartnell barely grazed him, but oh well. A really bad call, but it happens.
The first period was pretty much evenly matched — no team really got an early jump on the other and to be honest, I was wondering why I wasn’t out drinking.
The second was pretty boring until Sean Monahan tied it on a two on one. That was lame for sure, but Ray Emery really had no chance on it. Turns out that putting stock in that Monahan kid might make some sense. No matter, though, because Brayden Schenn (finally) got one back late in the period to secure the one goal lead.
The third period definitely started in Calgary’s favor. They controlled play more than the Flyers and got the majority of scoring chances, but that didn’t matter — Scott Hartnell scored on the first shot on net halfway through the period after deflecting in a Luke Schenn rip from the blue line.
Late in the third, Streit took a stupid penalty, but Braydon Coburn fired it down the ice on the first faceoff to give the Flyers a solid four to one lead on an empty netter.
Good stuff all around.
Some notes:
*I know that Mark Streit has given us all a lot of grief this season, but (stupid penalty tonight aside) he’s been pretty solid in the past few games. He was pretty much a beast tonight, and is finally looking like he’s worth that albatross of a contract he signed in the offseason.
*Holy hell was this game evenly matched. Possession was pretty much split between the teams until Calgary took off at the end, and the shots were more or less even. It’s nice to see the Flyers not get fleeced in controlling the game (for once), but they probably should have taken better advantage of the possession-challenged Flames.
*Brayden Schenn had a three (should have been four) point game tonight, and has definitely been soaring as of late. I know that Schenn the younger seems to be the odd man out on this team, but he certainly made us reconsider that tonight.
*Wayne Simmonds got his 200th career NHL point tonight, and that is just awesome.
*Seriously, the most exciting part about that entire game was the last few minutes. Not a bad way to ring in the New Year…
*I know this is a bit off topic, but I can’t help myself. The Flames wore their third jerseys tonight, and they ‘re just awful. They seriously look like Walmart knockoff sweaters and have no place in the NHL. There I said it.
Next game is Thursday against the Avalanche. Go Flyers.
