Goalie doles out gulps of gratitude
Netminder Johnson, a big part of Calgary’s turnaround, has turned wine into a winning tradition
Liquid encouragement. Perhaps, that’s been the secret ingredient to the Calgary Flames’ turnaround.
It was one month ago, on Nov. 15, that netminder Chad Johnson pitched a 27-save shutout to backstop his squad to a 1-0 road victory in Minnesota, the starting point of what was a superb run for the Saddledome-dwellers.
To celebrate his first goose-egg in Flames silks, the 30-year-old goalie soon after showed up at the rink with a bottle of wine for each of his defencemen.
Two more shutouts later, every member of his skating staff — and some of the supporting cast, too — have enjoyed a few gulps of gratitude.
“It’s just something I wanted to do to say a little thank-you to the team,” Johnson said. “In our position, you get credit as a goalie for things but we’re so influenced by how the team plays in front of you. It’s not like there are five (opponents) just shooting on us. There are five guys in front of us, helping you defend, doing things, and they can make it harder on you or easier.
“So shutouts are really a team thing. The goalie obviously gets recognition for that, but I’ve always felt I wanted to do something to kind of say thank-you to all the guys. I gave it to the D the first time and the forwards kind of complained that they didn’t get it. I was going to give it to the forwards the second time, which I did. Then back to D the third.
“Hopefully the wine was nice enough that they’ll keep playing hard in front of me.”
Johnson was yanked in Wednesday’s 6-3 home loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but he still deserves toast-of-the-town status for his role in salvaging what appeared early to be another lost season for the local hockey heroes.
It was only one month ago, after all, that it seemed like the Flames needed a genie in a bottle to climb back into the playoff conversation in the Pacific Division.
They arrived at Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota with a 5-10-1 mark, desperate for a difference-maker.
Johnson emerged as that guy. Today, the Flames are 16-14-2.
Despite surrendering four goals in just 40 minutes of work Wednesday, Johnson’s stat-line over the past month is fine as wine. Dating back to that Nov. 15 shutout against the Wild, he’s posted an 11-3-0 record, a 1.82 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage.
During that span, he’s also made a hat-tricks of trips to a wine market — including a haul of Amarone for his forward friends after a 2-0 road blanking of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who visit the Saddledome for Friday’s rematch.
“I’m not a huge wine connoisseur, so I usually let my wife (Alex) do most of the picking,” Johnson said. “I hope they enjoy it.” They do. “I’ve never had that done before,” said Flames captain Mark Giordano, before adding with a grin: “So when those shutouts are close, we’ll keep sliding and diving at the end of games to try to get another bottle.”
“I’m enjoying it, because I get one, too,” added goaltending coach Jordan Sigalet.
“It’s a pretty cool thing. He just lets you know his appreciation of everything that goes into playing in front of you.”
“It’s a nice gesture,” echoed right-winger Alex Chiasson. “Pretty good wine, too. I drank a little bit of it last week.”
Last week, of course, Johnson & Co. were in the midst of a six-game winning streak, good reason for followers of the Flames to raise a glass.
The Bolts brought them back to Earth in Wednesday’s contest, but there were no sour grapes from the even-keel ’keeper.
Win, lose or another cheers-to-theboys shutout, Johnson digests every appearance the same way. He prefers to review the video before he even leaves the Saddledome or, after road dates, on the flight to the next city.
Flames coach Glen Gulutzan has yet to reveal his goalie for the battle with the Blue Jackets but, for what it’s worth, Johnson was working in the usual starter’s net during Thursday’s practice at the Saddledome.
It will likely be an opportunity for the masked man to bounce back after getting the hook for the first time this season.
And a chance for his back-checkers and shot-blockers to re-stock their wine racks.
“I come in and it’s a new day,” Johnson said Thursday. “Walk in the rink, you’re a Calgary Flame ... It feels pretty good.”